callmegoddess618's reviews
112 reviews

What's Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Mary McCormack, Melissa Fitzgerald

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emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

5.0

I've been a fan of West Wing since I was 12 years old. I've seen the series more than a dozen times and learned that you can actually wear out a DVD by watching ours too much. This book is an incredible behind the scenes book, with anecdotes on its creation that are funny and meaningful. My favorite parts weren't the behind the scenes look at casting or making of some of my favorite episodes, or stories of the actors. Instead, I enjoyed learning about the acts of service and the involvement of the entire cast in civil service and charity work. Finally, the final words, the Jed Bartlet speech cobbled together from the bits of the scripts was an incredible message. It's an amazing book, I loved it. 
Lying Next to Me by Gregg Olsen

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

5.0

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

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

5.0

Apostles of Mercy by Lindsay Ellis

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emotional inspiring tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

"Out of everyone on this planet who spends their life clawing for power, the Putins and the Julians of the world. Why them and not you?" Kol to Cora, later echoed by Cora to Ampersand, why the militarists and not us? This book is incredible, and very hard to put down. Using the transients and that whole conflict as well as showing the difference between
Esperas' and Ampersand's and Nikola's reactions to lead up to the finale and Cora blowing it all up on the Third Party to end in that exchange made for an incredible book. It also sets up the next one really nicely. 
The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this book so much. First off, any fiction book that has footnotes is incredible, I love those little world building details so very much. I laughed, out loud, so many times while reading. I fell in love with the characters, with the writing style (so witty, so complex, so cool), and I have a new favorite phrase "projectile autism", which was said as a slur but feels like a badge of pride when I think of all the amazing moments I learned cool new facts. River Gale is the fictional love of my life. Read this book. Fall in love the way I did. It's just so amazing. 
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

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5.0

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

5.0

This whole story was so cute and sweet. Viv and Tandri are adorable, and the found family element is so comforting, especially the ending.
The Endless Vessel by Charles Soule

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Like the other two books by Charles Soule I've read, the key takeaway of the Endless Vessel is hope and love and human connections are what can heal the world. Endless hope, boundless love, and the desire to use those to help the world be better than it is. I loved this book and it's message so much. I love the Lazarene and it's desire to learn and grow and build what it takes to make the world a better place. 
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book almost didn't exist, and I am so grateful to the few dozen strangers out there who helped it come into being because it is an incredible book. I went into it going "Ooh, Firefly-esque story, nice" and it is so much better than anything I could have imagined. While it does have a ragtag crew on a ship patched together by a loyal tech who loves the ship (and its AI), it has a world-building with aliens beyond anything I could have ever dreamed up, a central government that is trying its best to handle the politics of a variety of cultures and creatures that have competing needs, the crew is what breathes so much life into the story. I love all of them, and I'm sad to see them go, but they end on such a great note. I can't wait to read the next one.
Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink

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adventurous emotional inspiring tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"If a point of view becomes one's entire identity, what was monstrous on the inside can become monstrous on the outside". I loved this book so much. It starts as a horror story and goes through this incredible tale of love vs hate and I enjoyed it so much.