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paigeinthepages_sg's reviews
104 reviews
Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics by Richard M. Cash, Diane Heacox
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
A helpful book for teaching gifted and talented education.
Teaching with Love and Logic: Taking Control of the Classroom by Jim Fay
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
The overall themes in the book are pretty effective. I enjoy that this is a classroom management plan created to create less work on the teacher end, not more. Love and Logic focuses on teaching with empathy, not anger and allowing students to learn from mistakes and be intrinsically motivated.
I do however think this book is incredibly repetitive and could be organized way better. You could get the same points across effectively in half the page count. Also had to deduct a half a star because one of the authors admitted to hitting a special needs student ๐คจ. Also most of the "real life" anecdotes seemed very made up.
Long story short good theory bad execution.
I do however think this book is incredibly repetitive and could be organized way better. You could get the same points across effectively in half the page count. Also had to deduct a half a star because one of the authors admitted to hitting a special needs student ๐คจ. Also most of the "real life" anecdotes seemed very made up.
Long story short good theory bad execution.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
I think this is the first romance book I have given 5 stars. Just for the Summer is a refreshing read in the midst of the "smut just because" romance climate. It's been so long since I've read a romance where the author makes me actually care about the relationship between the characters.
The greatest thing about this book is I started reading it as a joke. I was at the bookstore with a friend, read the back cover, and said "how could I not read the redditor romance book". I genuinely went in to this book thinking it was going to be awful but it became one of my favorite romance books ever.
Emma and Justin are loveable and complex characters. I sometimes find that authors who put trauma in romance books do it in a way that feels over the top and corny, but Jiminez manages to really just do it well.
Just for the Summer is the perfect romance book for adults looking for romance novels about "adult" relationships that aren't overly edgy, but still more mature than a YA novel.
The greatest thing about this book is I started reading it as a joke. I was at the bookstore with a friend, read the back cover, and said "how could I not read the redditor romance book". I genuinely went in to this book thinking it was going to be awful but it became one of my favorite romance books ever.
Emma and Justin are loveable and complex characters. I sometimes find that authors who put trauma in romance books do it in a way that feels over the top and corny, but Jiminez manages to really just do it well.
Just for the Summer is the perfect romance book for adults looking for romance novels about "adult" relationships that aren't overly edgy, but still more mature than a YA novel.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Earthlings" is an unearthly exploration of the human race. It inspects abuse, loneliness, and childhood in a way I have never experienced before, and there is a stuffed hedgehog.
Murata's writing provided the sinister feeling that you get from reading Haruki Murakami piece without the grossness towards women. She manages to make a story so odd, yet so relatable that I was truly able to immerse myself in the book. I 100% recommend this book for any Japanese magical realism fans.
This is one of those books that I savored every second of, but have a hard time finding the words to really explain anything about it.
Murata's writing provided the sinister feeling that you get from reading Haruki Murakami piece without the grossness towards women. She manages to make a story so odd, yet so relatable that I was truly able to immerse myself in the book. I 100% recommend this book for any Japanese magical realism fans.
This is one of those books that I savored every second of, but have a hard time finding the words to really explain anything about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Overall it was a really fun and easy to read book. Insta-love in a book is one of my pet peeves, and there was definitely insta-love here. I also thought that Feyra had more chemistry with literally every other character in the book that wasn't Tamlin . He is so meh ๐. Some of the world building in the beginning was boring/confusing too. I will keep reading this series though because I feel like it really picked up in the last 30% of the book. I've heard that the rest of the series gets better.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"People love to believe in danger, as long as it's you in harm's way, and them saying bless your heart"
"It hit me pretty hard, how there's no kind of sad in this world that will stop it turning"
"A rotten little piece of American pie that everyone wishes could just be, you know. Removed"
Demon Copperhead explores rural life in a way that is often overlooked. Kingsolver beautifully describes the life of Demon, who has seen it all: love, foster care, death, addiction, and friendship. She writes in a way that makes all of these things feel so familiar even if you have never experienced it yourself. For a book that may seem grim at times, Demon's inner dialogue was consistently funny, and felt like a friend telling you a story. The only thing that kept it from being a full 5 stars was how long it felt, but then again that aspect makes sense for the story that is being told. It just lost my attention a few times.
"It hit me pretty hard, how there's no kind of sad in this world that will stop it turning"
"A rotten little piece of American pie that everyone wishes could just be, you know. Removed"
Demon Copperhead explores rural life in a way that is often overlooked. Kingsolver beautifully describes the life of Demon, who has seen it all: love, foster care, death, addiction, and friendship. She writes in a way that makes all of these things feel so familiar even if you have never experienced it yourself. For a book that may seem grim at times, Demon's inner dialogue was consistently funny, and felt like a friend telling you a story. The only thing that kept it from being a full 5 stars was how long it felt, but then again that aspect makes sense for the story that is being told. It just lost my attention a few times.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
Before the coffee gets cold is a collection of short stories about the Funiculi Funicula cafe, a place where customers can go back in time to speak with a loved one in the span of time or takes their drink to cool. The 4 stories of this book explore love and loss in a unique way.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold is a
perfect short story collection for fans of Japanese magical-realisim. I also think it could be a great introduction to the genre, especially with a lack of Murakami-like descriptions of women.
Many readers who I highly respect have given this book 5 stars, which makes me think I was just not in the proper headspace for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I had a really hard time keeping track of the characters which I think may have muddled the experience a little.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold is a
perfect short story collection for fans of Japanese magical-realisim. I also think it could be a great introduction to the genre, especially with a lack of Murakami-like descriptions of women.
Many readers who I highly respect have given this book 5 stars, which makes me think I was just not in the proper headspace for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I had a really hard time keeping track of the characters which I think may have muddled the experience a little.
How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
" 'Just clean as you go' sounds nice and efficient, but most people don't appreciate the hundreds of skills it takes to operate that way"
As someone who has struggled with keeping spaces clean for my whole life, this book was incredibly refreshing. I have always been told "just clean as you go" or "don't let it get this way" but I have never been able to simply just do that. KC Davis, LPC discusses many methods to keep spaces functional without needing perfection. This was a great short read, and it taught me a ton. I will say it is a bit repetitive at times for how short of a book it is.
As someone who has struggled with keeping spaces clean for my whole life, this book was incredibly refreshing. I have always been told "just clean as you go" or "don't let it get this way" but I have never been able to simply just do that. KC Davis, LPC discusses many methods to keep spaces functional without needing perfection. This was a great short read, and it taught me a ton. I will say it is a bit repetitive at times for how short of a book it is.
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This book was just really disjointed. I found myself searching for and begging for plot to make me care about the characters just a little bit. It also seems like it's supposed to be an enemies to lovers book but they just fall in love instantly with little explanation. There ended up being some plot at the end (but then the epilogue ruined it for me), but I really feel like there was no build up at all in the beginning to make me feel invested in this book. It really just felt like a random collection of scenes that could have been edited and condensed into a book about half the length of this one. It also referenced the concept of romance novels multiple times in the book and that for some reason is always so off putting to me, but that's a me problem.
I will say that some parts of this book are cute, I really like Robbie and JJ as characters, but Hannah Grace lables herself as a "fluffy comfort book" author in her bio and I find that to be far from the truth. Most of the fluff is still centered around sex. I'm sure other people may like this book but it has honestly put the nail in the coffin for me and NA Romance books (except for One Last Stop that was good AF).
I honestly feel like I've read more well put together and interesting romances on Wattpad when I was 12, which brings me to my other gripe. WHY has the publishing industry become so comfortable with advertising smut to minors!!!! I get having the cutesy covers makes romance novels more appealing to adults too, but for real there needs to be visible content warnings so parents don't let their 12 year olds read this.
I will say that some parts of this book are cute, I really like Robbie and JJ as characters, but Hannah Grace lables herself as a "fluffy comfort book" author in her bio and I find that to be far from the truth. Most of the fluff is still centered around sex. I'm sure other people may like this book but it has honestly put the nail in the coffin for me and NA Romance books (except for One Last Stop that was good AF).
I honestly feel like I've read more well put together and interesting romances on Wattpad when I was 12, which brings me to my other gripe. WHY has the publishing industry become so comfortable with advertising smut to minors!!!! I get having the cutesy covers makes romance novels more appealing to adults too, but for real there needs to be visible content warnings so parents don't let their 12 year olds read this.
Foster by Claire Keegan
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
"Neither one of us talks, the way people sometimes don't when they are happy"
Foster by Claire Keegan was a wonderful novella, my only complaint is that it was not a full novel because I craved so much more when I finished reading. Foster so clearly illustrates love and care from the eyes of a child. My heart melted with every turn of the page. At 92 beautifully written pages this is a perfect binge read.
Foster by Claire Keegan was a wonderful novella, my only complaint is that it was not a full novel because I craved so much more when I finished reading. Foster so clearly illustrates love and care from the eyes of a child. My heart melted with every turn of the page. At 92 beautifully written pages this is a perfect binge read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Abandonment