booksoversecondbreakfast's Reviews (79)

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Warbreaker

Brandon Sanderson

5.0
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

Lab Girl

Hope Jahren

DID NOT FINISH: 24%
It might have something to do with the fact that I couldn't get past the whisper-like voice of the audiobook reader or the slowness if the story, but something about this book felt uncomfortable to me. I agree with some other reviewers that I don't like how she talks about students who don't live up to her expectations. There was a certain magical essence to the lab work that she captured and beautifully shared with the readers, but my enjoyment of those components of the story were overshadowed by my discomfort.

I can't quite put my finger on what it was that made me uncomfortable. The narration reminded me a bit of classmates who looked down on those who didn't love spending 80 hours per week on the kind of class work they loved to do. I'll admit that it's possible I'm projecting some of my own insecurities onto the author, but either way, it just wasn't a book I enjoyed reading, and I just couldn't get into it.
Inferno by Dan Brown

Inferno

Dan Brown

5.0
adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
This book has me sitting on the edge of my seat. I loved how it was so rooted in the history of the plague, all of the mysterious ventures into the depths of historical locations, and the tense ending.
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown

4.25
adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
Not as engaging as other Dam Brown books but this one was still pretty good. 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things

Jenny Lawson

5.0
dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
An amazing, beautiful, weird book. So encouraging and funny. Filled with so much wisdom and relatable reflections of mental illness all interspersed chaotically between hilarious and weird anecdotes, and yet it's done so gracefully and meaningfully. I love this book so much and bought a copy for myself.
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Sing Anyway by Anita Kelly

Sing Anyway

Anita Kelly

DID NOT FINISH: 44%
I enjoyed the rich character development and the romance, but it just ended up being too graphic for my comfort.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

J.K. Rowling

4.75
adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
A cute classic. Such great writing and such a cute and engaging story.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

The Lost Apothecary

Sarah Penner

4.5
adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
Overall, I loved this book, especially Caroline's (the modern character's) story. I enjoyed the fact that her story mirrored thematically the stories of the past. I also enjoyed the fact that the Nella kept her log book because she believed that women deserved to have their stories told, and I liked how this was reflected in Caroline's story in her investigation. It truly was a story of women helping other women, even if in a way that's shrouded in darkness. Everything got pulled together so neatly at the end and it was so poetic and satisfying.
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Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot

Heart Berries

Terese Marie Mailhot

DID NOT FINISH: 13%
Too slow for me and it felt a bit too personal
Educated by Tara Westover

Educated

Tara Westover

4.5
challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
I share so much of my story with this author. We have so many shared experiences and I had never heard those experiences expressed so clearly until I read this book. She made me feel like I was there beside her throughout her life and she summarized the main points she was making very thoroughly. I really liked this book, and subtract a quarter of a star only because of how negatively she cast a light towards being uneducated. It made me feel a bit too uncomfortable how angry she was, but I remain understanding of it due to the fact that she has been through so much. There were so many quoteworthy parts to this book, however, and I expect it will be a book I come back to throughout my life. She shared so many great lessons and ways of seeing the world, and I'm really grateful for that.
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