bookbrig's reviews
1771 reviews

Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke

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informative medium-paced

3.5

A breezy and informative history, this would be a great pairing with Paulina Bren's The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free. I enjoyed the history and the individual women's stories, and since I knew very little about Pan Am to begin with I learned quite a bit. It did make me pine a bit for larger planes and more roomy seating arrangements, but oh well.
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Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This was such a fun read! It took me a bit because I was only reading it on my lunch breaks, but I enjoyed every moment. No need to read Legends & Lattes first, honestly. These work wonderfully as true companion novels rather than series order reads. I deeply enjoyed the return to this world, Viv, and the tasty foods and cozy story notes. Highly recommend!
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The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks by Susan Casey

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adventurous informative fast-paced

3.75

This was a fascinating read, and I loved the shark descriptions and wildlife portions. That said, the stretch about the human history on the islands was one of the least engaging, and the final stretch of the story was (understandably) much more focused on the humans than the creatures at the island. The epilogue also felt really abrupt for an honestly really big plot reveal. I would have liked more reflection or information about the fallout of the end of the story. 

Anyway, I'm glad I read this, but it also left me wanting to read more about sharks so I'm going to look for something more recent on a similar subject.
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Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell: A True Story of Violence, Corruption, and the Soul of Surfing by Chas Smith

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Did not finish book.
I tried this audiobook because the premise sounded interesting, but after about 30 minutes I decided it wasn't for me. The tone struck me as cocky and aggravating, rather than interesting, and the direction of the story immediately left me uninterested in how this particular author was going to handle the upcoming situations. Just not for me.
The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
I just need to come back to this at another time. My library copy returned itself, I checked it out again, and ran out of time before I got back to the story again. Anyway, will read. But not right now.
Exit Black by Joe Pitkin

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tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I picked this up because of the "Die Hard in space" pitch, and while I really enjoyed some of the characters and the first half of the book, I lost momentum for the second half. The characters were excellent, well drawn and genuinely interesting. I really loved both Chloe and Dion. Part of what I was hoping for was more story for Dion, but his arc ended pretty abruptly and it left me wanting more from the book than it delivered,

Overall the resolution fell a little flat for me, as it read a tiny bit predictable. Still, it was worth the read, and if you want a relatively quick sci-fi thriller, you could definitely do worse. It mostly took me so long to read because my library copy returned itself and I needed to wait for my hold to arrive before I could finish.
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How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

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adventurous funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This has an excellent audiobook and it's a really compelling story with a great main character. I enjoyed the whole adventure, thought I didn't realize it was a series opener because I am oblivious. It took me until the last 30 minutes of the book to go, oh, wait. I'll happily pick up the next one when it comes out, and I think I'd try the audiobook again just for the wonderfully expressive reader.
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Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Sonia Paoloni, Christian Staebler

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informative slow-paced

3.5

I learned quite a bit from this, and the art style worked really well-almost melting between scenes and giving the work a distinctly time period accurate vibe at different parts. That said, it was a fairly slow read, and when I put it down in between reading sessions I didn't find myself reaching for it often. I think that even with the great art, there's a fair bit of telling the story in an almost academic way which reads a bit dry for my taste. Still glad I picked it up, and I particularly appreciated the interview included at the end.
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The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

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adventurous emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This is very sweet and would work as a great bedtime read aloud. I really loved Roz. As an adult reader, it didn't hold my attention as much as I think it will for younger kiddos. It actually reminded me a little bit of Becky Chambers' Psalm for the Wild Built, but gentler. Would happily gift this to someone, but don't think I'll need to come back for a reread.
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Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

3.75

At the start, I wasn't sure if this was the book for me because as someone who works in libraries and reads for work, it felt a bit twee. But the more I got into it, the more I enjoyed the casual and charming tone, and I ended up really enjoying it by the finish. It's a nice audiobook, and a lovely reflection on lots of different books. 
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