staceen's reviews
104 reviews

Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West

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funny lighthearted relaxing

4.0

I skipped the movies I didn’t know well. The audiobook is mandatory. 
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

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emotional hopeful reflective relaxing slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Sobbed through the last 50 pages. So sweet and thoughtful, Ann Patchett really is such a queen. Listening to Meryl Streep do the audio was such a treat, but if I’m honest, her cadence got stale about 3/4 through and I switched to the text. 
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The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved it! When Christina Lauren hit, they really hit. The characters were smart, fun, and likeable, and they made good, logical choices (no misunderstanding tropes here). The audiobook with dual narration was great. 
Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom by Gypsy-Rose Blanchard

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hopeful informative reflective

3.0

It was nice to check in with Gypsy-Rose as she prepared for her release from prison. It’s great to see how much she took upon herself to learn and how reflective she’s become. Since she only recently got any real education, I won’t be too hard on the writing quality. However, the format was tough to read. I didn’t need the prison phone “this is a call from an inmate…” nearly every page, although I get what they were trying to reinforce there. The interview style also made the book feel stilted. It maybe should have been a podcast. 
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The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories by Danny Pellegrino

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

I love Danny's podcast, and I loved his first book as well. These were funny, heartwarming, nostalgic, and sometimes tearful stories (some true, some less true) about the holidays. I'll go back to this year after year. I recommend the audiobook read by the author. 
Wild and Precious: A Celebration of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

4.0

Part biography, part tribute, part poetry reading, this felt like a long podcast, in a good way. The audio design was very well done, with subtle sound effects like crickets or waves. I thought it did a good job of  honoring Mary Oliver while being real about who she was as a person. Carmen Maria Machado tells a story that absolutely gutted me. I would listen to this if I couldn’t sleep because it’s so gentle and evocative. 
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Inverse Cowgirl: A Memoir by Alicia Roth Weigel

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.0

I read this for my work’s DEI initiative and really enjoyed it. I wasn’t familiar with Alicia Roth Weigel’s work before reading. She’s certainly lived a very interesting life, as a world traveler, activist, and political campaign manager who didn’t realize her androgen  insensitivity syndrome meant she was intersex until she was 19. I learned I didn’t know much about the intersex community before reading and appreciated her insight, even if she did paint some things with a broad brush. 
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Erasure by Percival Everett

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challenging funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I wanted to read this before seeing American Fiction. It's given me a lot to think about, and I do feel like some of it is too smart for me, but overall I really enjoyed it. I can't recommend the audiobook enough. 
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

It took me a minute to get into the 70s plot, but once I did, I flew through this book. A fun thriller that I thought was really different. I was a little surprised by some of the author's choices, but not mad. 
For example, Matt actually wasn't poisoning Em, Chess was telling the truth about only sleeping with him once, and are we not going to address the fact that Chess stole Em's book and wanted to take credit with her agent? I did love Mari's last secret at the very end.
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Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

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emotional funny hopeful relaxing medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I loved The Bodyguard and I loved this as well! As a fellow brain surgery recipient, I actually felt that those topics were handled really well. I typically hate the misunderstanding trope in romance, but this one was clever and self-aware, even if I was screaming at my book during some parts. Predictable, adorable, and heartfelt, this was a standout for me.