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lisabreads's reviews
571 reviews
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
The Maid by Nita Prose
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Maid is a locked room mystery combining a main character, Molly, a maid who lives with social issues and some shady people who pretend to be her friend. When one of the clients is murdered in his suite, Molly is accused and must clear her name. A interesting mystery once it gets started, I did find it a struggle to get into the story as the pace was a little slow to start. Overall, a great choice for a mystery lover.
Content warnings for grief, drugs, mentions off page of spousal abuse, and typical on page descriptions of murder.
Content warnings for grief, drugs, mentions off page of spousal abuse, and typical on page descriptions of murder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Reckless Girls is a fun travel thriller with a little locked door mystery mixed in. Put a bunch of strangers on a tropical island and find all of them have mysterious pasts and alternate motives. Probably be a better movie than book but it was a fun and very quick read for those looking to escape the news and the cold this week!
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Drinking and drug use common in book
Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler
Thank you @sourcebookscasa for a copy of Enjoy The View by Sarah Morgenthaler for review. The third book in her Moose Springs series is out Tuesday, January 19th!
Enjoy The View was a fun read. River is a female action star who has been feeling the struggle of aging in front of a camera as well as suffering a few blows at the box office. She decides to take her chances behind the camera and film a documentary about Moose Springs, Alaska for the tourist board. The only problem is no one there is happy about her potentially bringing tourists to their lovely town so she can’t find anyone willing to be filmed in town. Easton is hired to take them up “The Old Man”, a mountain with a reputation for being a dangerous climb.
Easton and River have fabulous chemistry and banter. I will admit that I did not know it was a series before I requested it but I don’t think it hurt this book too much. There were some hints at what the previous books might have centred on but they were not necessary to the plot of this one. I also found it for a little slow waiting for them to get into the mountain climbing but once they do, this novel and couple really hit their stride. Action packed, fun banter, cute wildlife, this book has it all but the freezing temperatures and actual work of climbing a whole ass mountain.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.5
Thank you @sourcebookscasa for a copy of Enjoy The View by Sarah Morgenthaler for review. The third book in her Moose Springs series is out Tuesday, January 19th!
Enjoy The View was a fun read. River is a female action star who has been feeling the struggle of aging in front of a camera as well as suffering a few blows at the box office. She decides to take her chances behind the camera and film a documentary about Moose Springs, Alaska for the tourist board. The only problem is no one there is happy about her potentially bringing tourists to their lovely town so she can’t find anyone willing to be filmed in town. Easton is hired to take them up “The Old Man”, a mountain with a reputation for being a dangerous climb.
Easton and River have fabulous chemistry and banter. I will admit that I did not know it was a series before I requested it but I don’t think it hurt this book too much. There were some hints at what the previous books might have centred on but they were not necessary to the plot of this one. I also found it for a little slow waiting for them to get into the mountain climbing but once they do, this novel and couple really hit their stride. Action packed, fun banter, cute wildlife, this book has it all but the freezing temperatures and actual work of climbing a whole ass mountain.
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you @harpercollinsca and @netgalley for a copy of How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones. All opinions are my own.
Strong content warnings for domestic and sexual abuse including incest mentioned off page. DM for specifics if you need them.
How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House was an incredible read. Told from many perspectives, it’s the story of women and their struggles in a resort town of Baxter Beach, Barbados. One of the main characters is Lala who spends her days braiding hair on the beach. Lala lives with her abusive petty criminal husband and she broke my heart. The characters in this novel were so well developed and complex and yet the plot moves along at a decent pace so you never want to put it down. Highly recommend this read if you don’t mind something heavier.
Strong content warnings for domestic and sexual abuse including incest mentioned off page. DM for specifics if you need them.
How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House was an incredible read. Told from many perspectives, it’s the story of women and their struggles in a resort town of Baxter Beach, Barbados. One of the main characters is Lala who spends her days braiding hair on the beach. Lala lives with her abusive petty criminal husband and she broke my heart. The characters in this novel were so well developed and complex and yet the plot moves along at a decent pace so you never want to put it down. Highly recommend this read if you don’t mind something heavier.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
What Doesn't Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness - Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
What Doesn’t Kill You by Tessa Miller is a chronic illness memoir. The author has Crohn’s Disease, like I do, but like many chronic illnesses, our symptoms and treatment paths are completely different. I did find this one leaning heavily on her experience in US healthcare and her persistent infections with C. Diff, neither of which I have personally experienced. She also goes a lot into her own personal history with abuse and the affects that had on her mental health during this experience as well, which was very personal to her.
So if you are reading this as a primer on Crohn’s, you’ll get some great information, especially if you are a US patient. But you will also get a lot of personal chapters that you would expect from a memoir.
Having Crohn’s can feel isolating as most people don’t love much “bathroom” talk so I appreciate anyone willing to share their story so I can feel a little less alone.
So if you are reading this as a primer on Crohn’s, you’ll get some great information, especially if you are a US patient. But you will also get a lot of personal chapters that you would expect from a memoir.
Having Crohn’s can feel isolating as most people don’t love much “bathroom” talk so I appreciate anyone willing to share their story so I can feel a little less alone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
I made it 25% in and it just wasn't my style nor did the characters hold my interest. Very much a bro work culture that I just wasn't interested in exploring more.
The New Social Story Book: Over 150 Social Stories That Teach Everyday Social Skills to Children and Adults with Autism and Their Peers by Carol Gray
5.0
Very helpful when starting to use social stories for your own children. My son has had a few composed for him at his school but I was very unsure how to compose them and make them helpful for my son moving forward. There were lots of examples that I would not have thought to use a social story for. I also loved that there were tips in how to compose one and style it for your own child.