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bookmaddie's reviews
1107 reviews
The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It’s impressive how perfectly this captured being eighteen and trying on adulthood.
The Forgotten Girls: A Memoir of Friendship and Lost Promise in Rural America by Monica Potts
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
I read this on audio (exciting for me!!), and even though it took me awhile, I really enjoyed it. Very intense, sad and thoughtful memoir.
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I decided to dip my toes back into audiobooks, and I think I’m ~lightly~ hooked! They’re such a nice companion to cooking, cleaning, and going on walks, and perfect for when I need a bit of a break from tunes (I’m not much of a podcast girl). I started with this book on a whim, and while it took me a month to get through, I found it to be a very valuable, heartrending read.
Potts chronicles her childhood in rural Arkansas, focusing on her friendship with a girl named Darcy and how, and why, their lives went in completely different directions. Potts journalistic roots shine through as she deftly weaves facts and studies about the living in rural areas with her own story, and that of Darcy. By examining how her and Darcy’s paths diverged, Potts questions how and why living in rural areas results in worse health, educational, and employment outcomes for these communities.
Yet hidden just below a somewhat journalistic tone, Potts’ story is full of emotion. Her friendship with Darcy, both as children and then reconnecting in adulthood, is an endless push-and-pull, yet full of loyalty and hope. Potts’ recollections of her childhood, and returning to her hometown, were brought to life through her heartfelt narration. I’m so glad I came to this story on audio!
This is a very balanced memoir with a lot of hope and insight to build better communities in rural areas. I may not have picked up this book in print, but I’m so glad I gave it a listen. It’s a deeply felt love letter to Potts’ home, and all those who prefer open skies to crowded roads. Definitely not one to overlook!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.
This novel isn’t as character driven as I’d prefer. I was basically halfway and realized I didn’t really feel much for any of the characters, I think because the narrative doesn’t focus on a single person. I did appreciate the chapters that were little pauses in the story to widen our perspective or provide a different point of view, but I wish these chapters were anchored by a more character driven “main” story. I look forward to reading what Mengiste writes, because I did enjoy her way with words. Just not for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, and War
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Abortion
Minor: Kidnapping
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
This book is too much about publishing and writing for me to enjoy, considering I work in publishing. Also, maybe Im not meant to be a contemporary commercial fiction reader. I need a genre or literary fiction..
Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
This book is WILD!!
The Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Céspedes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Give this woman a vacation!! Insightful writing, almost convinced me that I like to journal (I do not).
Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“Always the beggar for his love. I was like the desperate ocean, wearing away at him. The ceaseless questioning of the tide to the shore that I heard from our bedroom window all winter long. Asking, Do you love me? Do you love me?”
This is a book that’s a tribute to love, and to the sea, so I thought it would be fitting to post this review while I’m at the ocean. Lucas’s writing is melancholy and mesmerizing as she documents the relationship of a young woman and older man, set against the backdrop of the Australian coast. The ocean holds so much in this story, and I loved how the salt water seeped into the cracks between the two lovers. To me, this book felt wistful, passionate, poetic, windswept, weaving from past to present, bouncing from wave to wave. A literary story, but one I got completely wrapped up in. I’d definitely compare this to Sally Rooney, but with a bit more communication, nature, and yearning.
“I suppose I’d been playing, the way I did sometimes when I was out there alone—making arcs, pointing my feet like a dancer—because in the water I could love my body the way I never did on land.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Abortion
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury