marisa_n's reviews
168 reviews

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

4.5

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A ​Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

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lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

4.0

A bonus chapter from the Barnes & Noble version of The Court of Silver Flames. This short chapter is from the POV of Ferye, takinf place right after a large announcement was made. The chapter is not necessary for the storyline, but may be nice to read after you finish the book.

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Spoiler: chapter contents
In this chapter, Ferye recalls the moment when she & Rhys realized she's pregnant. They discuss baby names & their friends' reactions. Ferye daysdreams about the future. Etc...
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

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dark informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

3.5

Just okay. I think her podcast, Sounds Like A Cult, is better. The book is interesting, but unorganized. It jumps from one "cult" to another seemingly at random.
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A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

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hopeful relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This felt like the book equivalent of a TV show Christmas special. It was cute and cozy. Reading about the winter festivities made me was to sit on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa. That said, it didn't really add anything to the series. There were no major conflicts or resolutions. Hopefully, it will provide some useful context for the next book in the series. 
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We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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

2.5

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Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

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

4.0

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Second Best Thing: Marilyn, JFK, and a Night to Remember by James L. Swanson

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informative lighthearted fast-paced

2.5

A Spy's Guide To Taking Risks by John Braddock

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adventurous informative reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

In this short book, A Spy’s Guide to Taking Risks, the author tells the story of his first day going undercover. He uses the twists and turns as a jumping-off point to discuss how he makes quick mental calculations when operating in highly uncertain, highly time-constrained, and highly risky situations.

Take-aways:
- You can use rough estimates of probabilities to calculate risks and decide on the best course of action.
- If you can remove a necessary condition of the risk, you can eliminate the risk
- Add slack/ flexibility to your plans, so you have room to pivot and still achieve your goals
- Be mindful of “and” and “or” operators in your mental calculus
- Create more “or” operators high in the model that something will go right.

I would have given it 5 stars if, at the end of the book, the author had tied everything together by summarizing the key takeaways in a way that the average person can use. For example, if you are job hunting, you can create more "or" operators by applying for more jobs, as this increases the likelihood one of those branches will be successful (i.e. that one application leads to an offer). As is, the reader must intentionally stop and reflect on how his ideas might apply to their own life.