xandra_lyn's reviews
453 reviews

From Italy With Love by Jules Wake

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
I got a hunch that Laurie would end up cheating on her bf. I did some sleuthing on here and was correct. She was unhappy since chapter 2; she should have called it off then or asked for a break. I just can't enjoy a romance if there's cheating 
Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper

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informative reflective fast-paced

3.0

I have complicated feelings about this book. I don't like Piper's theology, and I think he's a surprisingly poor writer for such a famous one. He definitely has a theological bent, which I think is dangerous when examining the faiths of historical people. It's certainly not a good biography, but being a study of Wilburforce's faith, it was good. He used a lot of primary sources which was nice.

He also made some interesting points about how Christians should approach politics - namely, it is better to fight for/agaisnt something not for the common good, but because a policy offends God. Although at first glance this seems to imply right-wing politics, left-wing christians could just as easily use this logic on what they fight for (like better health care, etc.).
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The Iliad by Homer

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was the translation I read in college, and I wanted to reread it before reading Emily Wilson's translation. It's an ok, but rather difficult to understand at times. 
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Percy Jackson Demigod Collection by Rick Riordan

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

This is the first book of each of the three greek-based series Rick Riordan wrote. I would not suggest reading a compilation like this, as to finish it you have to read 8 other books in addition to this one. The reviews for each book are as follows:

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief: 5 stars, amazing book!! It got me hooked on Rick Riordan's books. His world building is amazing and I loved every moment!

The lost heroes of Olympus: 5 stars amazing book!! Same as before with the added bonus having having Roman lore!

The trials of Apollo: 2 stars, absolutely horrendous. It had very little plot and was just a set up for the series. Also, Apollo was INSUFFERABLE. I know that was the point but OMG it was so bad.
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The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

This was SUCH a.greta book!! It was about finding yourself and believing in yourself - and making unlikely friends.

There was a brief part in the middle where I wasn't sure where it was going and it began to drag, but before long it picked back up again.
Dating A Snow Goddess by Laura Greenwood

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

3.5

I found Skadi really awkward, and I felt the sex scene was kind of forced. I just didn't feel the chemistry between here and Erik.
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The Summer of Christmas by Keith Giglio, Juliet Giglio

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
This was very telling instead of showing, and the pov changed randomly. 
Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth by Mark David Hall

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informative medium-paced

4.0

This was a really interesting book. I was inclined to not agree with it, but the author uses a plethora of primary sources. Seeing the intent of the founders in their own words was helpful to persuading me of Hall's premise: that even if some of the founders were deists, they were still gradually influenced by Christianity. 

He did wax somewhat into contemporary politics, like abortion and Trump. This was written in 2019, however seeing how his most recent book's title concerns our Christian nationalism isn't as much of a threat as people think, he probably would not amend those opinions.

For all this later work and opinions (which I have noy read), this book was really helpful in thinking through how the founders viewed religious freedom in a political context.
The Hunger and the Dusk: Book Two #1 by G. Willow Wilson

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

3.5

This is an ok start to the second volume. It's a little more violent, and
I didn't like that they kind of flippantly said that cal was a prostitute for a time. Because our culture wants to be sex-work positive, we forget that for most of history prostitutes were victims of violence, not people who simply chose to sell sex.
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The Boy Wonder #3 by Juni Ba

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

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