Braden Dowdy

This was a super interesting summary of the history of astrophysics! I loved learning about the makeup of the cosmos, from the planets in our solar system to the CMB. Honestly, the book made me think more deeply about how, since our planet alone is complex beyond my understanding and our universe is immensely more so, my perspective on God isn't nearly great enough.

Age range: 16+
I think an IQ range might be better than an age range here. Any adult could skim this, but to really get it you need to be as smart as Aniah.

My favorite book of the series, just for the satisfaction of seeing the pieces that the author had been setting up for so long finally come together. If you've made it this far you can't just stop here.

Age range: 10+
Younger readers may find it a little scary. Older readers may find the tone a little juvenile.

I legitimately cannot recommend this series enough. Without knowing anything about the Cosmere (Sanderson's multiverse that connects many of his books), the setting of this book is fascinating. Plus, I don't think I have ever enjoyed a character's story arc as much as this protagonist's. If the series is too big an ask, this book is 100% worth the time as a standalone.

Age range: 14+
This rating is less about mature content and more about the depth and length of the book. It may be hard for younger readers to keep track and not get bored with reading the same story for so long.

For fans of Percy Jackson, this is Rick Riordan's other, not-as-good series based on the exact same concept. There's a noticeable drop in quality of characters and tightness of plot. I definitely still enjoyed it as a kid, though. The first book is definitely the best of the series, and is worth the read as a standalone if you ignore the foreboding dark clouds of doom that foreshadow the sequels.

Age range: 9-15
Not recommended for older readers, may not hold interest.

An interesting introduction to the authors theory of how to beat the market. Not having read much on the subject, it seems legitimate enough to me. His arguments were reasonable, and I appreciated his math lessons.

Age range: 18+
I doubt the most financially savvy teenager needs to read a book about index funds, but I could be surprised.

Faz muitos anos que eu não li essa história, mas alcançou e mereceu todo elogio que eu lembro de ter o dado. Mas, para falar a verdade, minha experiência de ler esse livro foi muito impactado (e aperfeiçoado) pela a cópia específica que eu li. Eu ganhei de presente a série inteira com todos os desenhos e uma capa muita bonita. Esse estilo elevado combinou muito bem com a nostalgia da história e até o jeito que C.S. Lewis escreve. As palavras, ideias, e personagens foram tudo muito da década 40 ou 50. Amei a experiência com esse livro, mas mesmo não lendo uma edição luxo assim, a história vale muito a pena!

Faixa etária recomendada: 7+
Eu indicaria esse livro para qualquer criança que consegue lê-lo. Na minha mente, não tem nenhuma preocupação sobre conteúdo. Aliás, indicaria esse livro também para qualquer adulto que nunca tenha lido!

There were a few chapters of this book that were REALLY good. There were a few of chapters of this book that felt like the author was just trying to impress us with how many people he could quote. Then there were a few chapters that I just wasn't sure if I agreed with them. If you're looking for a spiritual disciplines book, I'd recommend Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney.

This was a fun read. I've always heard about this book as a classic of the genre, and I really enjoyed the specific version I read. The illustrations were super cool, and definitely added something to the book because the author didn't put a lot of work into describing the appearance of characters and things. That said, it wasn't all that I had hoped it to be in terms of plot. I could definitely see how it was released as a serial, and by the author's own admission he didn't plan it out beforehand.

Age range: 15+
Lots of substance-related jokes that probably wouldn't be appropriate for younger readers.

Going into it, I was prepared for this book to be just okay. I thought that it just couldn't live up to the originals and would feel cheap, but I was wrong. Not everything can be about the fate of the entire world with an ancient evil being rising from the depths, and I thought the author did a great job of getting me invested in the plot without it not making sense in the PJO universe.

Percy is so likeable as a character and I'm a sucker for the wholesome moments in this book: with his family, with Grover and Annabeth.

Age range: 10+
If you can read, there shouldn't be any concerns about this.

I struggled a lot with what to rate this book. On the one hand, it's a classic and I have loved it since I was a teenager. On the other hand, on this read-through, I felt like I had jumped in to the middle of a series rather than the first book. There were so many more ancient-historical references (I'm talking Silmarillion old) than I remembered. I felt like it distracted from the characters and made it hard to read.

Age range: 15+
Read with a dictionary in hand, and a willingness to just blow past things you don't understand.

I liked it, but it definitely wasn't my favorite Sanderson book I've read. The point of this book (according to the author's note) was to give some background about the meta plot happening across the Cosmere (Sanderson's multiverse) but it made it hard to understand/enjoy the book if you haven't read some specific other books.

Before picking up this book, I'd recommend reading:
All of the Stormlight Archive series
Dawnshard
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
Arcanum Unbounded
Mistborn series 1 and 2

Basically, he ran in to the problem of needing to reference lots of specific backstory, which took away from the story for me. But it was still entertaining! This is one I would only recommend to a die-hard Sanderson fan.

Age range: 14+
Some violence and stuff but nothing crazy.

This book was so FUN to read! I really like Brandon Sanderson, and I loved how lighthearted and heartwarming this story was. Plus, since it's a standalone, it's definitely a lot easier than the 3-5 book epic series he normally writes. The characters and world were great, and I loved how witty the narration was!!! (which makes sense, considering which character is the narrator - iykyk) Honestly would recommend for anyone.

Age range: 15+
A few little dicey references, but would definitely go right over the head of anyone not paying super close attention.

This is a really cool idea for a series: following the world through different eras in its development and seeing the ways that the “magic” is used differently with different levels of technology available. I really liked the Wild West theme and I really liked the characters! It was a little confusing going from Mistborn to this series because I felt like there were a few things that just weren't explained super well and because (by design) the complexity and depth of this series is a lot lower. But all in all, a fun read.

I would definitely say that this wouldn't make much sense if you haven't read the original Mistborn trilogy first.

Age range: 16+
Lots of violence, not to the level of the original trilogy but definitely still gory.

In the first 3 books, Harry clearly had a saving people thing. But, in life or death situations, it's easy for a hero to be a hero. Seeing Harry do the right thing as a competitor and as the victim of journalistic liberty makes his character that much more believable.

Age range: 11+
If a younger reader could handle the third book, this one may be no problem. But there are some scenes that could definitely be distressing.

If you have you ever thought, “Man, I wish the Hunger Games was ridiculous and took place in a poorly-defined world of unexplained supernatural beings,” then this book is for you! I saw it in a Walmart at the beach, if that tells you anything.

Age range: 14-16
Too much romance for younger readers. Too much romance for older readers. Also, the quality of writing might be a deterrent for the latter.

I was pretty disappointed in this book. I think that Brandon Sanderson is good at making interesting characters who feel 3-dimensional and realistic, but I just felt like all of these characters were cartoony. They just weren't believable and I couldn't make myself care about them. It also felt like he was trapped by wanting to make this a trilogy, because he has villains that he wants to use in the future, and he kept them around in this book only to remind you that they exist, even though they didn't move the plot along at all. Just kind of disappointing.

Age range: 15-18
This is the first book in a while that I'm putting an age cap on, but I just don't think this book would hold an adult's interest. I definitely won't read it again. Violence and such.

Classic autobiography mistake (in my opinion) - assuming that readers are already familiar with your history. Picked it up to learn more about his life not knowing anything about his life and found it a little hard to follow. Cool story, entertainingly told. Plus, a beautiful take on fatherhood.

Age range: 15+
The rock band lifestyle (and the fact that this is non-fiction) may be a non-starter for younger readers.

You can tell that, by the time the third installment of the series rolled around, Sanderson's focus had really shifted to his other projects. I think he had a really great plot going, but then he decided to change the fundamental rules to the world (or reveal that the rules had always been different than they appeared). Disappointing, bur definitely still entertaining.

I love Sanderson's world building and uniqueness, but this one felt a little bit derivative. Maybe because he was less comfortable and felt constrained by the science fiction genre?

Age range: 11-16
There's something for a pretty big range of readers in this one. Definitely aimed more toward younger audiences than Sanderson's other books, but still may be too complex for younger readers.