Take a photo of a barcode or cover
booklistqueen's Reviews (634)
Four people who predicted the 2008 crash, and made lots of money doing so
The U.S. stock market crash in 2008 sparked a great recession that affected a generation. Michael Lewis explains that the real crash came a year earlier in the bond and real estate derivatives markets. The Big Short follows four Wall Street outsiders who predicted the credit and housing bubble collapse and made loads of cash doing so.
At first, I had a hard time keeping the characters straight while listening to the audiobook, but once I got into it, I was hooked. Michael Lewis always does take dense material and turning it into an easily understood, compelling character-driven drama.
The U.S. stock market crash in 2008 sparked a great recession that affected a generation. Michael Lewis explains that the real crash came a year earlier in the bond and real estate derivatives markets. The Big Short follows four Wall Street outsiders who predicted the credit and housing bubble collapse and made loads of cash doing so.
At first, I had a hard time keeping the characters straight while listening to the audiobook, but once I got into it, I was hooked. Michael Lewis always does take dense material and turning it into an easily understood, compelling character-driven drama.
A Far Will a Mother Be Willing to Go for Her Baby
Bree Cabbat wakes up one more to find a witch looking in through her window. She shakes it off as a nightmare, but then she experiences every mother's worst nightmare: her baby boy is abducted. Instead of a ransom note, she finds a message telling her to follow the instructions to get him back, forcing her to decide how far she will go for her child.
Mother May I starts off strong, with great twists and shocking moments, and then settles into an investigation story that, while more predictable, was still compelling enough to carry me through the story. A fun little thriller perfect for a quick summer read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from William Morrow Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Bree Cabbat wakes up one more to find a witch looking in through her window. She shakes it off as a nightmare, but then she experiences every mother's worst nightmare: her baby boy is abducted. Instead of a ransom note, she finds a message telling her to follow the instructions to get him back, forcing her to decide how far she will go for her child.
Mother May I starts off strong, with great twists and shocking moments, and then settles into an investigation story that, while more predictable, was still compelling enough to carry me through the story. A fun little thriller perfect for a quick summer read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from William Morrow Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A Practical Guide to Early Retirement
You don't have to wait until your 65 to live the life you want. Blogger Tanja Hester teaches you how to reach financial independence and retire early without pinching pennies, going into detail on things like health insurance and investment options. If early retirement is something you've considered, Work Optional will answer all your questions, and even some you hadn't thought to ask.
Although Work Optional didn't exactly get me fired up, it did a great job explaining the practical details of early retirement. I loved that she begins by forcing you to consider what you want your life to look like, giving you alternatives to full-on early retirement and helping you tailor your plan to your unique vision. The book is definitely pretty numbers heavy, so I would suggest a physical copy over the audiobook.
You don't have to wait until your 65 to live the life you want. Blogger Tanja Hester teaches you how to reach financial independence and retire early without pinching pennies, going into detail on things like health insurance and investment options. If early retirement is something you've considered, Work Optional will answer all your questions, and even some you hadn't thought to ask.
Although Work Optional didn't exactly get me fired up, it did a great job explaining the practical details of early retirement. I loved that she begins by forcing you to consider what you want your life to look like, giving you alternatives to full-on early retirement and helping you tailor your plan to your unique vision. The book is definitely pretty numbers heavy, so I would suggest a physical copy over the audiobook.
Slow Literary 1960s Family Drama
When Margreete's dementia becomes too bad to allow her to live alone, her daughter Liddie moves her family from Michigan to the coast of Maine. There they struggle with the changing family dynamics and the tumultuous events of the 1960s.
Margreete's Harbor is a literary family drama with a pace so slow that I found it downright boring. Although many reviewers love this character-driven story, I felt the narration jumped too frequently between characters, leaving me with just a glancing understanding instead of the deep connection I craved.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
When Margreete's dementia becomes too bad to allow her to live alone, her daughter Liddie moves her family from Michigan to the coast of Maine. There they struggle with the changing family dynamics and the tumultuous events of the 1960s.
Margreete's Harbor is a literary family drama with a pace so slow that I found it downright boring. Although many reviewers love this character-driven story, I felt the narration jumped too frequently between characters, leaving me with just a glancing understanding instead of the deep connection I craved.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Strong Idea but Outdated Context
David Allen suggests that your productivity is directly related to your ability to relax. By clearing your mind and organizing your thoughts into lists, you can get more done, all while staying stress-free. Getting Things Done is referenced in almost all the productivity books I've read. While the core advice is solid, the book strongly shows its age, spending an inordinate amount of time on filing cabinets.
David Allen suggests that your productivity is directly related to your ability to relax. By clearing your mind and organizing your thoughts into lists, you can get more done, all while staying stress-free. Getting Things Done is referenced in almost all the productivity books I've read. While the core advice is solid, the book strongly shows its age, spending an inordinate amount of time on filing cabinets.
Statistics Made Interesting
Why do most predictions, even those from experts, fail? From earthquakes to poker to political elections, Statistician Nate Silver uses interesting case studies to explain probability and uncertainty and demonstrate why predictions are often wrong. Though the book is numbers-heavy and a little too long, Silver does a great job simplifying the information for the average reader.
Why do most predictions, even those from experts, fail? From earthquakes to poker to political elections, Statistician Nate Silver uses interesting case studies to explain probability and uncertainty and demonstrate why predictions are often wrong. Though the book is numbers-heavy and a little too long, Silver does a great job simplifying the information for the average reader.
A Good Plot Ruined by Poor Writing
A story so good you can't help but steal it. Jacob Bonner was once a promising young novelist, but now he's a down-on-his-luck professor struggling with writer's block. When one of his students dies, Jake decides to use that student's sure-fire plot. Yet, with success comes threatening messages that make Jake realize he got in deeper than he ever intended.
Korelitz's book hinges on the premise that with a plot so good, anyone can write it. Yet, I've found the opposite to be true. Good writers can make watching paint dry interesting whereas poor writers can screw up even the best of stories. Sadly, The Plot falls more into the latter end of the spectrum.
The entire book consists of the protagonist worrying about his guilty conscience. With no red herrings and a tiny cast of characters, the ending was obvious from the beginning. Or rather the middle since the story developed so slowly. I kept wanting to read Jake's sure-fire story from the book rather than the book I was actually reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celadon Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A story so good you can't help but steal it. Jacob Bonner was once a promising young novelist, but now he's a down-on-his-luck professor struggling with writer's block. When one of his students dies, Jake decides to use that student's sure-fire plot. Yet, with success comes threatening messages that make Jake realize he got in deeper than he ever intended.
Korelitz's book hinges on the premise that with a plot so good, anyone can write it. Yet, I've found the opposite to be true. Good writers can make watching paint dry interesting whereas poor writers can screw up even the best of stories. Sadly, The Plot falls more into the latter end of the spectrum.
The entire book consists of the protagonist worrying about his guilty conscience. With no red herrings and a tiny cast of characters, the ending was obvious from the beginning. Or rather the middle since the story developed so slowly. I kept wanting to read Jake's sure-fire story from the book rather than the book I was actually reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celadon Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In a last-ditch effort to save Earth from an extinction-level event, a group of astronauts is sent on a desperate mission in a cobbled-together spacecraft. But when Ryland Grace wakes up, he has no memory of his mission or why the rest of the crew is dead. The sole survivor, he must take on an impossible task with no margin for failure.
Andy Weir returns to many of the elements that made The Martian a best seller: a desperate space mission where a sarcastic protagonist MacGyver's his way through with science. Unfortunately, Project Hail Mary doesn't have the mass appeal of The Martian. Ryland Grace is an annoying version of Mark Watney, the mission was less realistic, and the science was overwhelming at times.
I didn't connect with the story until over halfway through and struggled to stay awake through the middle of the book. I would only recommend this book to strong science fiction readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Andy Weir returns to many of the elements that made The Martian a best seller: a desperate space mission where a sarcastic protagonist MacGyver's his way through with science. Unfortunately, Project Hail Mary doesn't have the mass appeal of The Martian. Ryland Grace is an annoying version of Mark Watney, the mission was less realistic, and the science was overwhelming at times.
I didn't connect with the story until over halfway through and struggled to stay awake through the middle of the book. I would only recommend this book to strong science fiction readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
3.5 Stars for this Atmospheric Slow Build Mystery
After a personal tragedy, Anna Hart leaves her life as a missing persons detective in San Francisco to return home to Mendocino, California. When she arrives, she gets drawn into the case of a local missing teen, one that is hauntingly similar to an unsolved murder from her childhood.
Known for her historical fiction, Paula McLain successfully tries her hand at the mystery & thriller genre. When the Stars Go Dark is a character study of a cop haunted by her own traumas who sees herself in the victims. Instead of page-turning action, you get a slow atmospheric build-up similar to Liz Moore's Long Bright River.
After a personal tragedy, Anna Hart leaves her life as a missing persons detective in San Francisco to return home to Mendocino, California. When she arrives, she gets drawn into the case of a local missing teen, one that is hauntingly similar to an unsolved murder from her childhood.
Known for her historical fiction, Paula McLain successfully tries her hand at the mystery & thriller genre. When the Stars Go Dark is a character study of a cop haunted by her own traumas who sees herself in the victims. Instead of page-turning action, you get a slow atmospheric build-up similar to Liz Moore's Long Bright River.
1930s Manhattan Comes alive in this Gorgeous Historical Fiction Novel
On New Year's Eve 1937, Katey Kontent and her roommate Eve Ross meet a handsome young banker named Tinker Grey. Over the next year, Katey's friendship with Tinker will introduce her to the upper echelons of Manhattan society, altering the course of her life. Despite its gorgeous prose and enveloping setting, I didn't love this one quite as much as I expected, feeling it lacked the spark of A Gentleman in Moscow. Don't let my 3.5 star rating fool you, Rules of Civility is certainly worth a place on your reading list.
On New Year's Eve 1937, Katey Kontent and her roommate Eve Ross meet a handsome young banker named Tinker Grey. Over the next year, Katey's friendship with Tinker will introduce her to the upper echelons of Manhattan society, altering the course of her life. Despite its gorgeous prose and enveloping setting, I didn't love this one quite as much as I expected, feeling it lacked the spark of A Gentleman in Moscow. Don't let my 3.5 star rating fool you, Rules of Civility is certainly worth a place on your reading list.