alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

I've been hearing lots about this one since the new Hulu show came out, and I realized I had never read it. I had heard talk of it being a feminist novel and I knew it was dystopian fiction, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I wasn't a huge fan, but did think it was super fascinating and a pretty terrifying look at how societies can get SO messed up SO fast. Parts were hard to read due to sexual content that made me uncomfortable, but I can see why this is a classic and why so many people are intrigued by the storyline. I'm curious to see how the show is now!

This poetry collection is heartfelt and honest, ranging in themes from love and relationships to faith and forgiveness and more. It's one I feel many girls in their teens and early 20s will be able to relate to -- nothing is sugar coated, and the words are relatable and real. (A free copy was gifted to me by the author in exchange for my review!)

This book wasn’t one I probably would have grabbed were it not for a bunch of rave reviews online (the cover just didn’t seem to scream at me personally!) but I ended up really enjoying it! She is totally real and unfiltered and funny in this one, and the way she took each chapter to tackle a lie she had been believing made this book one that covers a lot of ground and will resonate with a lot of women. Plus, she really GOES THERE. Like, #nofilter goes there (especially about sex!) and isn’t afraid to give you the kick in the pants and the reality check you might just need.

My church is currently going through a sermon series called "If There Were an Enemy" based on this book, and I figured it was a good time for a re-read. (I so very rarely re-read books!) This one will really get you thinking, as it's written from a senior demon to a younger one, and is all about how to trip up Christians and "win" them to the dark side, essentially. Really makes you think more seriously about how Satan is at work in our lives, and really helps you to better be on guard.

I was given a free copy from Random House in exchange for my review! This one was such a treat! It’s my “book about food” for A RAD Reading Challenge — I have loved Reichl's books and loved reading this memoir of her career journey from food critic to editor in chief of Gourmet magazine. The foodie and writer in me was all all about it, and her writing was glorious as always. I so badly wish the recipes she included were vgf, but somebody please try them and enjoy for me! This is such a lovely one — the perfect blend of food, career, personal story, leadership, reflections, recipes, and publishing.

I got this one from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my review! // I don’t know much about Pyle but his story and his writing are compelling and I’m so grateful for this book. He shares honestly and openly, and even though my life and circumstances look different than his own, it’s easy to relate and connect with his thoughts. I highlighted entire chunks and pages of this one (and even read a bit aloud in my stories because I was so moved by a passage!) and found it so helpful as someone who has definitely faced seasons where life felt like so much more than i could handle. This is such an encouraging and really grace-filled read for anyone in a hard circumstance or season and one I would readily pass along to friends in rough places.

Thanks Random House for the free book! // I needed a quick, easy read like this one this week (my reading has been SUFFERING this month!) and I flew through it but I’m honestly not sure how I feel about it? It started strong and hooked me, but the story felt a little jumbled and not particularly engaging from there. I didn’t like the characters at all, and kept finding myself confused as to where the plot was going and what was actually happening and WHY. Not a rave review here.

100% bought this because SHARKS. (I love sharks so freaking much, you should just know this about me.) It was a quick middle grade read (yay) but honestly not that solid of a story (boo). It felt clunky and not super cohesive, with a lot of death and loss for a kid’s book and not enough development around the grief process or other elements around the loss of loved ones. It just fell flat for me, but I believe it was the author’s debut, and I’m clearly not the target audience... so maybe I’m just expecting too much. At least there were lots of sharks!!!