alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

So, this one is about plane crashes. Plural. And I read it in the airport before boarding a plane. Not my brightest idea. Not the best book either, but not the worst either. It was fun to read an adult book from Blume, and it was very readable, but it just didn't feel like much happened in the end, and again, like Infinite Home, the characters didn't really grab me at all. Solidly average book overall, not one I would buy, but worked well to pass the time when I had 7 hours in an airport to do nothing but read.

Oh, this story. Totally had me hooked. I had the feeling at one point while reading this that I might have read it before, but it's reminiscent of other time-travel stories too, so who knows. I don't believe we are reincarnated into other lives, but the thought is still fascinating, especially when you think about what it means to be a person (is it physical body that makes you you? or is it your soul, your spirit, your heart?). This one is beautifully written, it keeps you engaged as you follow these characters through their many lives and desperately want to see them end up together. Well-written, and a unique kind of love story that will whisk you away.

This one was surprising to me, and I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. It was vaguely similar to The Night Circus (my review on that one here!), with all the circus themes and focus on that world (which is bizarre but makes me super curious). A mysterious book falls into the main character's lap and sets him off on a journey to trace his family ties and learn more about their connections with the circus, all while fighting against the calendar to protect his sister as the date approaches on which all the females in his family drowned. It will definitely keep you reading and wondering what will happen, and I didn't see the end coming in this one, which is always great. I'm looking forward to reading more from Swyler!

This one was probably the most buzzed about book this summer, and I snagged it from Book of the Month club just before canceling my subscription (boo budgets!). It was a story about one woman's experience in a cult, and it was pretty messed up in most parts. I honestly didn't like this book because of just how uncomfortable that world and what happened there made me, but I also wanted to keep reading because of how totally and utterly unlike my own life it was... I just felt pretty iffy reading it the whole time and read it quickly so I could just see if it resolved well (not really) and get through it without lingering on it too long. If cult stuff interests you, definitely read this, but if not, I would probably pass.

Oh, Flannery. You are my soul sister, I'm sure of it. Your stories have the weirdest, twistiest characters, there's always some dark or broken or messy element, there's always amazing lines or quotes... you're a master of your craft and I'm sad your life ended so soon and we didn't get to see more of what you can do. This book took me a few months to get through, as I really wanted to take these stories in and not just rush through them all, and I'm glad I didn't. Girl has a way with words and such a great mind for fiction, and even though I'm not usually the biggest fan of short stories, I know I'll return to hers and dive back in to glean more from them as time goes on.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was the first audiobook I've listened to and I just couldn't get enough. I wasn't sure if I would follow well or track with some of the more scientific and technical parts, but the reader was fantastic and it was so engaging the whole time. I could not stop listening to this one and crushed it in like two work days. A must-listen (or must-read)!