alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

This was a library find, and it was featured on a table and I liked the cover, so I grabbed it. This book was TOTALLY unexpected and I LOVED it. About 50 or so pages in, I was getting ready to give up, because it was a slow start and it hadn't hooked me. I'm so glad I kept going though. There is a major reveal that was a total plot game-changer and was nothing like I've ever read before. Read this if you want to know more -- it might spoil it a bit though! This book was surprising, intriguing, a bit haunting, eye-opening, nuanced, heart-breaking, and well-written. It brought to light a subject matter I had never considered before (animals used in science/research, etc), and in a way that made it shockingly real. It confirmed all of my vegan stances and really reminded me to check EVERYTHING to make sure nothing is tested on animals at all. Highly recommend this one if you want a different type of fiction read, but be warned that it might forever alter your worldview and it also might make you cry.

THIS BOOK. Couldn't put it down. It was sort of post-apocalyptic, but then not, so riveting, so fascinating, so well-written...I loved this one. The library did me so well this month! Imagining a world like this, when twenty-first century civilization like we know it comes to a total end, was so intriguing to me. This book wasn't depressing like The Road or similar end of the world books are, but instead made me really grateful for the life and world we have, and also really struck by the human experience and what we all would do if everything changed. Grab this one! Do it. It's so good.

Flannery is my favorite. She was young and brilliant and sassy and so honest in her writing and faith. I can't read enough by her. When I found this collection of prose by her in my local used bookstore, I was so excited. It's a mix of essays and pieces she published and things that were never published, which was really cool to me. O'Connor writes a lot about writing, a lot about the South, a lot about the church and faith, and a lot about fiction/literature. If any of those things interest you, READ HER STUFF. That is all. If Flannery wasn't such an odd name, I would seriously consider it for my future child.

I read this one during my two-week cross-country road trip, and it was the PERFECT choice. It's all about Steinbeck's adventures around America, and I absolutely loved how many parallels there were between his trip and mine. He wrote about a lot of places we saw, which was hilarious! I agreed with just about everything he wrote, too. This was a wonderful read if you have any wanderlust or love for this great country in you.

My mom was reading this one for her book club, and I happened to get it from the library at the same time, so we both read this one simultaneously. It only took us a night to read it, and neither of us liked it, honestly. It never really seemed to go anywhere and I never connected with any of the characters at all. It ended so abruptly with a strange sense of resolution that didn't really seem to fit how the book had been going, and it just left me totally dissatisfied and disappointed. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, it just isn't worth your time at all.

I had this book on my wish list for ages, but finally found it at the library and grabbed it. I'm a huge foodie and watch the Food Network whenever possible, so reading a book with such a focus on food was right up my alley. I was so enamored with this book-- the plot did not at all go as I expected (in such a delightful way) and I loved all the layers of story Reichl wove together. I was blown away that this was her first work of fiction-- it's fantastic and I would have expected her to be a fiction pro by the way it was written. You will absolutely fall in love with the characters, be surprised by the way the plot turns, and will want to eat every single thing Reichl writes about.

Recently, my grandma gave me a few big boxes of books she had read for book clubs and such, and I found this one among them. I had seen it around, so I was curious. It was such a great and unexpected read-- it's told from the perspective of the dog, Enzo, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It's heartfelt and heartbreaking and hearing it all from the dog's point of view just makes it better and richer than I think it would have been otherwise. If you've ever had a dog and wondered what goes on in their minds, you would love this story of true love through the crazy twists and turns of life.

I ventured back into the world of YA fiction with this one, and found that I blew through it in no time. I knew from the beginning that there was going to be some crazy twist (the writing style and everything just set things up for one) but I did not expect what happened at all. This wasn't an incredible work of literature or anything (it's not trying to be) but it's a great YA book with a strong pull and great twists along the way, so it was a solid read!

Ever since I heard that quote by Oliver, I've been dying to read more of her poetry. I finally got my hands on this collection, and I absolutely am in love. I spent several evenings curled up in bed just reading and re-reading these poems (and even reading some aloud to myself because that's when poetry truly shines). It's one I know I'll read over and over again-- her words are just gorgeous.

Okay, I STRUGGLED to get through this one. I know, I know. Everyone loves it. BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHY. I think my first big turn-off was the format...I do not like books that are written in the form of emails and letters and narratives all strung together. At page 50, I wanted to quit. I wasn't into it, wasn't feeling it...but because EVERYONE raves about it, I kept going. I admit, it got a little more interesting as the plot thickened and characters got more exciting, but I just never fell in love. This book was just mediocre to me, and I really don't get all the hype. Oh well.