alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

I had heard some buzz about this one (a story inspired by a famous piece of artwork, which I thought was really cool!) and grabbed it from the library. I haven't read Orphan Train so I wasn't familiar with Kline's work, but this one was enjoyable even if I didn't find it to be anything extraordinary. It flashed back in time and to the present day, but there wasn't a ton of action or much to really drive the plot forward in my opinion, but I don't think it was trying to be that kind of book, either. It was solidly three stars to me! Liked, didn't love, didn't dislike.

This was one that I was both excited and nervous about -- I definitely battle anxiety in my life and while it can be helpful to read about it, it can also be triggering. This book wasn't triggering for me personally, but I'd be sure to read it carefully if that's a concern for you! I thought Petersen did a great job of weaving her own story of anxiety in with the research, information, and greater story of anxiety as a whole, but there were points where it felt dry, points it felt too dramatized, and points where I lost interest entirely (like the chapter on medication, as someone who tries to avoid that industry at all costs). Overall, I'm glad to have read it, feel grateful that people are writing books like this that talk openly about anxiety, and feel less alone in my own struggles with it.

THE DEETS: I received this one from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review!

Guys. I don't get this book. At all. Masterpiece? Uhhh... It was so boring to me. (I read more than half of it, thinking it would get better any second!) I had heard this one lauded as someone's favorite book, but I do not see why... I abandoned this one but highly doubt I'll ever come back to it.

This was yet another Girls' of Summer grab, and I LOVED it. Word puzzles and scavenger hunting and books and San Francisco? Yes. This one is SO much fun, so clever, full of drama and suspense, and perfect for late elementary readers! I'm sending this one to a girl I used to babysit and I know she'll get such a kick out of it!

The subject matter of this book is 150% up my alley, and I absolutely LOVE that cover, so I was super excited to snag this one and give it a read. I have known about Dillon and the work he does for a while, and it was so cool to hear more of his story and how he found his soul dream in the process. He weaves together his story with stories of slavery around the word really powerfully, drawing the reader in and really opening their eyes to what we can so easily miss in the world around us. This book is compelling, heart-wrenching, eye-opening, and necessary for our world today.

THE DEETS: I received this one from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my review!

I am obsessed with this book. I'm obsessed with the enneagram. I can't shut up about it. I'm going to write a whole blog post about it. For now, just get this book ASAP and fall down the enneagram personality type rabbit hole with me so we can talk all about it. I can't get enough. Most helpful tool, and BEST book about it!

Rohr is the most common name associated with the enneagram, and I was looking forward to reading his take on the whole personality type system. This book is dense, but it's brilliant and helpful and so, so good. I didn't read this one cover to cover (mostly just all the really fascinating introductory material, the chapter on my type, and all the really really intriguing deeper theories and thoughts about the subtleties of the types found toward the end!) but it's one I highly recommend, for sure.