staceen's reviews
104 reviews

The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

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slow-paced

3.0

Read for work. I can see why this was (is?) a best-seller. The science is definitely flawed, but it *feels* true, which is why it appeals. The author for sure made some claims and then dug around for studies to support. I did really like Chapter 3, in which he talks about "safetyism" and how parenting styles have contributed to social anxiety in children. If I sat next to the author at a dinner party, I would leave.

What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird by Sy Montgomery

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informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

Sy Montgomery has such a great voice, and listening to this book was like going to her house for a dinner party and meeting her "ladies." I love how it is rooted in cited science but also her personal stories and experience. Very short. 
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Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

Very creepy, atmospheric, and twisty. I thought the reveals paid off and weren't too unbelievable. A bit slow in the beginning but definitely picked up.
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-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

This was good, if a touch heavy-handed. I really enjoyed how fleshed out the characters in the town were. I listened to the audiobook which was well-done, but I would have liked to read it on my Kobo so that I could have quick searched characters names to keep them all straight. 
The Lake House by Kate Morton

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emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

A sweeping family mystery that slowly unravels over 70 years. Not my usual thing, but I did enjoy this, even if it didn't have me rapt turning pages. Also the ending was a little too unbelievable, but not in an entirely bad way?
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

Feeling a bit torn. While I loved the women's stories, which felt true and  authentic, the mixing of fiction and non here got a little slippery. I was really hoping for an author's note detailing her research and process. 
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The Good Part by Sophie Cousens

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was such a joy. It was fun to read a book on the fluffier side that wasn't all romance (not that there's anything wrong with romance). I loved the characters, even the VERY man-written-by-a-woman husband, Sam. I already miss them.
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You, with a View by Jessica Joyce

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lighthearted slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

This just wasn't for me. It was incredibly simplistic with vanilla characters. I was intrigued by the potential in the grandparents' story but there was no substance there either. The writing felt very YA except for the sex scenes, which also didn't do much for me. I'm happy so many others enjoyed it though!!
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

An intriguing idea, done well. I would have liked to have seen a few more "leaps".
You Get What You Pay For by Morgan Parker

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I found Morgan's prose really breathtaking. Each essay was thought-provoking, funny, and insightful.