There is nothing quite so delightful, I think, than picking up a book, opening it up, and discovering it to be British. Doubly so for this treasure whiThere is nothing quite so delightful, I think, than picking up a book, opening it up, and discovering it to be British. Doubly so for this treasure which manages to be unique among my small army of Monopoly-centric books, which must be over a half-dozen at this point. Excellent strategy and lore, although a bit dated and occasionally inaccurate (looking at you, "History of Monopoly" chapter I skipped after realizing it credited exclusively Charles Darrow)....more
Is this book Nobel prize worthy? No. Is it a little bit contrived? Yes. Is it morally messy? Yes. Does it fit well in the Star Wars galaxy? Yep. (Mostly)Is this book Nobel prize worthy? No. Is it a little bit contrived? Yes. Is it morally messy? Yes. Does it fit well in the Star Wars galaxy? Yep. (Mostly). While it's definitely a bit more PG-13 than the average Star Wars novel, Lost Stars is a new canon classic for a reason. It's got interesting lore, worldbuilding, and characters in a YA book that's a breeze to read but a LOT to unpack and think about afterwards....more
I had high hopes for this book, and while there were a very few moments which I loved, overall I found it overwhelmingly, relentlessly bad. The plot wI had high hopes for this book, and while there were a very few moments which I loved, overall I found it overwhelmingly, relentlessly bad. The plot was nothing to write home about, characterization was all over the place, and don't get me started on the new characters or the romance. Seriously, I had to skip scenes; it was far more suggestive than any other Disney-era Star Wars book I've read. The only reason I even finished reading was because the audiobook narration and sound mixing was excellent. I listened on 1.6x speed and could not get through fast enough. While there were, again, a couple scenes that felt spot on and gave me feels, there doesn't seem to be anything important for Survivor. The precious few things that happened that might have an impact do not do much to justify this book's existence. Save your time and just read a summary....more
Gripping, thought-provoking, morally complex; I'd say more but college requires far too much literary analysis for me to enjoy writing novel reviews aGripping, thought-provoking, morally complex; I'd say more but college requires far too much literary analysis for me to enjoy writing novel reviews at the moment....more
One of my most gripping listens of the year, I binged Pandemia in three days. Contrary to other media surrounding COVID-19, Berenson maintains an easyOne of my most gripping listens of the year, I binged Pandemia in three days. Contrary to other media surrounding COVID-19, Berenson maintains an easy, non-reactive tone as he explains the flaws in our response. ...more
4.5* rounding up. I promise, there will be a book review eventually; but first, this is the story of how I discovered Gifted because it was really awes4.5* rounding up. I promise, there will be a book review eventually; but first, this is the story of how I discovered Gifted because it was really awesome.
I'll never forget the first time I saw this book. I'd met the author, Linette, and her cat once before. And then I saw her again at the college Entrepreneur Fair. WITH A BOOK. A really cool looking superhero book! Alas, she was out of copies. So, at the next available opportunity - another event with student vendors, Harvestival - I picked up a copy. And then, just hours later, I got stuck in quarantine for a week. Thankfully, I had a brand spankin' new book to keep me company.
Gifted was the perfect read for that moment; transporting me far away and into a world of undercover heroes. It's a bit far-fetched at times, but the main characters and their struggles felt real and raw. The action was fun, and the noodles sounded delicious. I'm eager for the next installment!...more
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