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laurenleigh's reviews
636 reviews
Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was very cute and heartfelt, and the art was great. I loved the framing of our main character giving first person accounts through his vlog recordings. It was a natural way to switch from third person. I connected well with the characters, but I didn’t quite buy into the love story. I knew it was coming, but the build-up felt absent or incomplete. However, after the graphic novel, there are multiple pages of the main character’s tweets. There were too many and I started getting bored, but I could see more of the romance budding there in the tweets than I did in the novel itself. Other than that weirdness, it was a super cute fun book!
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
One of my 2023 reading challenges asks me to pick up a Newbury award winner. And wouldn’t you know it, my house sit had this right on the shelf! I saw this book all over as a kid but never seemed to pick it up. It’s definitely a very quick read as an adult but Lowry is a really talented author. It’s shorter than The Giver (less world building; we all know WWII historical fiction, even as children), but she still packs a lot of major issues into a kids’ book. My takeaway now as an adult is that breaking the rules isn’t always bad, if the rules themselves are immoral. This main character shows an immense amount of bravery, and I was rooting for her the whole time!
The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I didn’t realize until I was done, but this is a modern retelling of Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy. Modern indeed, in that it’s set up to mirror a true crime documentary, with multiple narrators and voice actors. Knowing that gave me more appreciation for the book, but even if the structure was an interesting literary experiment, the execution left something to be desired. I struggled to believe these characters and their motives, and it just felt too engineered. Like the authors (there are two, writing under one pseudonym) took every Millennial stereotype or trope and tried to stuff them in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I truly struggled with this for the first 4 or 5 hours. It was so depressing. But Ben said it was a great book, so I persevered, and I’m really glad I did. This was not only an extremely well-written novel with a classic Bildungsroman structure, it was a timely message. My coastal elite privileged self has heard of stories like Demon’s, but to experience it so intimately is extremely powerful. It gives me more empathy for people who are probably very far from my political leanings, and I think that’s a good thing. Ben has also recommended I follow this read up with Empire of Pain. I’m sure that will be depressing too, but I want to better understand this opioid epidemic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
An interesting premise fell short of the mark for me on this one. The plot felt convoluted, trying to be its own book while also trying to be a Christie mystery. The constant jumping around of time was confusing. That all may be my own fault for not paying attention enough while I was packing, but what definitely wasn’t on me was the mystifying POV. It’s supposedly first person narrative, but then it suddenly switches to third with no warning? Or the first person narrator tries to explain how she knew these things, even if she wasn’t there?? It made no sense to me. Almost DNF, but it was a quick read anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Pregnancy
Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most by Ryan McAnnally-Linz, Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This is a popular course taught at Yale, brought into book format. It really does read like a college course, rather than a pop psychology text. I didn’t expect to get so deep into some of these concepts. It’s like a Philosophy 101 and World Religions 101 wrapped up in a short book. I think I would have enjoyed the long format course structure with writing assignments and class discussion. One of my biggest takeaways is a lovely Nietzche quote on how sadness and happiness are sisters, twins even, with a direct relationship. His idea was that decreasing one will decrease the other. Can’t have light without dark, basically. A very thought-provoking read!
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam M. Grant
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
At first I wasn’t sure if this book was for me. I’m not an entrepreneur, and I’m not climbing any corporate ladders. But then I realized this book is actually for everyone, especially Americans right now. It takes a very middle-of-the-road approach, suggesting how we might open our minds to other possibilities or how we might approach opening up someone else’s mind. Grant shows many examples of how we normally try to defend our beliefs: as a preacher, prosecutor, or politician. None are very effective, and there was a common thread throughout the book that stopping to listen and find common ground is a good place to start.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Inspector Gamache is an automatic five star for me, sorry not sorry! This series is such a comfort read for me. Though I missed the Three Pines villagers in this installment, the Paris setting was fun and different. The mystery was complex to keep it dynamic, but not so complex you can’t follow along. My favorite element was finally getting to explore Gamache’s relationship with his son. Gamache is so well-loved and respected by just about everyone (except the murderers he catches). But his own son essentially can’t stand him. Digging into those family dynamics is always entertaining to me. I’ll never stop recommending this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, and Medical content
Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change & Consumerism by Aja Barber
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
I love when people I follow on socials take a long form approach and write a book! If you don’t understand why the fashion industry is harming humans and the planet, this book is a great place to start. Most of this information wasn’t brand new to me, but I appreciated two aspects in particular. First is that our collective need to buy more clothes is directly related to issues of self worth. Shopping as an emotional antidote is not sustainable and isn’t addressing the core issue of not feeling “enough” with what you already have. Second, meditation practice and realizing that we are all one is totally related! The less separate you feel from other humans and from the earth itself, the more likely you are to take more care in your consumption.
The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This is such a fun little companion piece to the Heartstopper collection. Sometimes these extra books can feel like “how much money can we milk out of this franchise,” but not so here! I got to know Alice Oseman better and learn how Heartstopper came to be. It’s a great reminder for anyone creative that “success” doesn’t happen overnight, and your style is allowed to change over time. Everyone is a beginner at some point! The focus on all the characters is of course so fun, because they’re all so intensely lovable! I loved how each character got a song. I need to make a playlist, because they’re all so good!