delaney

In The One, Heinrich Pas presents an impressive argument for a new [physics] perspective of reality. I seriously enjoyed challenging my brain to understand the various concepts and postulations expressed throughout this book — the explanation as to why we have been so focused on our current perspective of physics since Bohr and beyond, the deep dive into the historical context of the central idea, and the presentation of so many ways this theory fits into our current landscape.

My only negative note, which I see as a relatively significant one, is that this book is 100% not for a reader who does not have a background in physics. I have an entire degree in this stuff, and plenty of chunks of the text went right over my head. I wish there was a way to remedy that.

(3.5 stars)

In Raven Wakes the Dawn, Stambaugh creates a uniquely mystical yet realistic world that intrigued me consistently. The characters feel as though they were pulled from an actual fairytale, with magical qualities that kept me on my toes. The storyline itself was overall a wonderful reading experience: during the slower plot moments, I found myself pretty invested in ideas of what I'd hoped would happen, and I just as often found myself enthralled with the scenes that were driven momentously to ends that I didn't at all expect. Some elements became slightly repetitive (such as the main character stating to herself what she must do repeatedly), but in the end everything tied together and was certainly enjoyable!

3.5 stars

I received a free advanced reader copy via The Niche Reader.

Consider me thrilled—my heart was audibly racing as I ripped through this book.

Filled with true crime energy, <i>Tell Me What You Did</i> takes a unique approach to a classic structure—upon starting this, I was a bit worried that nothing would be super suspenseful or interesting because key information is presented right away. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Even with minimal twisting and turning, Wilson built insane tension that keeps building to the end.

Our main protagonist, Poe, & her father had a genuine dynamic that was realistic and a little tear-jerking in the best way. They are both pleasantly self-aware. <b>What I most enjoyed is that Poe is the epitome of unapologetic (& just) female rage</b>.

A gory-fun read!

<i>I received a free advanced reader copy of this book through NetGally.</i>

It doesn't feel right to give this book a rating.

I will say, it was beyond shocking & heart wrenching... many times over! My heart goes out to brittney—it's easy to forget that underneath all the superstardom, she is simply another human being who has been through things I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

While the technical elements that usually make writing breathtaking were lacking, I don't think that was at all the point, and I am very glad I was here for the story regardless!

Honestly, this was fantastic. I ate up every page—this kind of fantasy world with fights and dragons and magic is bound to be a wild ride, and it did not disappoint. Yarros definitely writes with spunk.

I didn't 100% connect with the characters (didn't cry once reading this which is rare for me...) & while still enjoyably satisfying, many moments felt predictable (except the very very end)

I did not expect to love this book nearly as much as I did. Initially, the lighthearted nature of the characters and dialogue made it seem like it would be a fun, comfortable read all the way through. However, I believe you'd be hard pressed to make it through this story without reflecting on your own experiences with grief & the big choices you've made regarding how to live life. Somehow Mikki Brammer's writing actually welcomed this reflection entirely without fear and instead with open (& comforting) arms.

I felt deeply connected to the main character because she was so clearly...human... I also appreciated that no part of this book felt like it was trying too hard to be convincing or epic in it's attempts to elicit an emotional response from the reader; yet, here I am drying tears well after turning the last page. Highly recommend.

I was so excited for this one, but in the end it was a let down. The characters were not written in a way that makes you feel anything for them. Every time I sensed a spark of some development happening it flickered out just as quickly. I had trouble even staying engaged with the story because a lot of it dragged on and on and on. While this group of men were waiting for things to pick up along their journey toward battle, so was I... for the majority of the book. Rather than the anticipation building throughout the entire plot, I was simply bored and barely made it to the end. Pretty disappointed.

I really lost my momentum with this installment of IPB... There was just something off in the vibes.

One of the most alluring aspects of this series is that the male characters are the ideal balance of manly-protective man & sensitive-caring-giving man. I also love how the women are constantly empowered in various ways. However, both of those felt pretty lost here to my dismay. I also felt a little icky about the intimacy between the two main characters due to their circumstances... Bummer!

I really did not like this book – the second star is because even with all the [in my opinion] shortcomings, the writing itself was simply beautiful.

I kept getting the feeling that I must have been missing out going into this read without much knowledge on the time period and place. Most historical fiction immerses the reader so thoroughly that I typically close a book feeling like I've just had a crash course on said culture, but I did not have that experience with this one. I wonder if it would have been more enjoyable if I went into it with more knowledge prior...

HOWEVER... I know that even with more prior knowledge, I wouldn't have been any more satisfied.
The majority of this book was about a pathetic affair fronting as some kind of steamy “relationship” that I grew woefully tired of as it progressed. I wish with all my heart that (1) a 50yr old, married-with-child man sleeping with a woman half his age wouldn't be painted as seductive or mysteriously complicated ((4 affairs? He's not a good dude??)) and (2) a young woman living in a complex environment wouldn't be painted as a damsel totally incapable of making positive decisions that may have actually reflected some level of self-respect or dignity. Instead of giving Cushla an opportunity to find a solution to this mess, Kennedy gave her a tragic yet remarkably easy way out [from a plot perspective] that had me rolling my eyes and ready to DNF.

Sadly, I do not recommend and don't really understand the positive experience other readers have had.

Knee Ability Zero was a great quick read! As a personal trainer, I spend a huge amount of time troubleshooting knee issues with 99% of my clients—I can't name anyone in my life who doesn't have knee issues. Ben Patrick's perspective reduces things down to a simple approach that really clicks for me, and I cannot wait to try this methodology out for myself & my clients.

Emily Henry hits the nail on the head when it comes to writing heart-breakingly impossible scenarios that force you to keep reading through your teary eyes just to see if everything somehow works in the end.

I loved the dynamics happening across characters, timelines, plot points, etc., but got a bit hung up on the sister's frequent judgement of Nora (& didn't feel like that was actually ever resolved). Thus, this wasn't my favorite from Henry, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless.

Even in a fantasy setting, SJM managed to capture one of the best/realest stories of triumph and friendship I've ever read. Nesta was definitely my most misunderstood character for a long time, but now I see and feel her clearly. It meant a lot for me as a reader that I could relate to her in multiple ways and feel inspired by her revelations. While her romance was wonderful, her journey with friendship moved me significantly. I loved it.

spoiler I think F's pregnancy plot line took away from the ending. Nesta proved enough, and I found the birth scene tie-in quite odd and unnecessary.

I do not consider myself to be a typical reader of this genre by any stretch of the imagination. That said, I've never had so many of my intangible thoughts and experiences articulated so clearly. Simone de Beauvoir speaks on such specific generalizations that it feels impossible for her words to be accurate, but she simply did not miss a beat. This was a push to read all the way through, but I'm glad I did...

The Second Sex is a behemoth of an analysis on female otherness—childhood, adolescence, marriage, abortion, motherhood, etc. Every chapter hit me with painful truths that I probably never would have identified otherwise. Each time I had a reading session of this, I felt seen on a level I actually did not know was possible. I'd recommend everyone make this a reading project at some point—the relief & understanding it exposes is otherworldly despite that it's not particularly delightful to read.

Dune surely earned its place in the sci-fi hall of fame half a century ago—with mystical prose and a third person omniscient perspective, this reading experience was definitely unique. Usually I can't stand when the author writes so chaotically that things are overly difficult to understand, but the lack of explanation for little details actually added to the overall hazy tone of the desert planet, which I enjoyed.

I wish that alone was enough for me to rate this more highly, but my massive dislike for the protagonist, Paul, really choked out my enjoyment. After his first few actions, I questioned whether this child would become any better as a character, but he only gets worse. His attitude and entitlement led me to simply hating him. If Frank Herbert wanted Paul to come across as a bratty teenager with a god complex, he succeeded...

Even if I could get past my hang up on Paul, I have an overall sense that this world could've been so much cooler if it had true plot peaks and valleys and tangible tension throughout. I liked it but probably will not continue the series.

So flowery... too flowery... I don't get the hype... I think other readers must enjoy the experience of prose formulated to be so abstract that it becomes poetic and whimsical without actually making much sense, but I do not. Boo.

P.S. I do WISH this one clicked for me; I caught glimpses of that tangible sci-fi/romance plot in the second half, but they weren't enough for me to say I enjoyed the book more than just the idea of the book.

Oh my GOODNESS, I ate this up. The ebbs and flows along with the pacing and unique structure of this book made it impossible to stop thinking about, let alone put down.

TJR paints her characters with real, distinct voices and behaviors so vividly that I felt everything written between the lines without her having to explicitly say anything. That talent of TJR allows the storylines to shape themselves before the characters can catch up quite frankly, and as things rev up at the end, the explosion of emotion and feeling in each prominent character becomes that much more real because of it.

As a gen z baby gaining a deeper understanding of the crazy 70's beyond the movies through TJR's writing, I really really enjoyed this!

This was okay. The story's main idea of a man mysteriously losing steady weight without losing mass grabbed my attention, but not much else developed, and the characters were one-dimensional. The ending was also the most basic possible way out of the situation. I did find the couple moments of appreciation for life endearing.

I mildly enjoyed the intermittent trials and almost-adventures sprinkled throughout Circe. The plot lines that I expected to blossom ended up leaving me with that feeling you get after eating a veggie burger when you were craving a real one. Miller's beautiful prose could not save the overarching blandness of the story.

Disclaimer: I do recognize that I set myself up for failure by falling head over heels for The Song of Achilles, which is a much better work by MM.