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celiarl's reviews
355 reviews
Nature I Loved by Bill Geagan
3.5
This was a nice read but definitely got to a point where I wasn't super eager to pick it up anymore. It felt very similar to what Walden has already totally excelled at, but I did love it as an informational piece about Maine's nature and day-to-day in the backwoods. The scene of falling through ice had my jaw clenched fr.
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
5.0
Loved the pace at which this moved along. Am always seriously impressed with Finkel's ability to report a story in its entirety without it meandering for too long/causing boredom. He even had you at times thinking Breitwieser wasn't doing anything that bad... and then would flip that on its head. Loved every minute of this!!!
DallerGut Dream Department Store by Mi-Ye Lee 이미예
That was a lot of negativity! Here’s what I liked:
2.5
This book was cute but not anything special.
- the translation felt very simple and juvenile, meaning there was very little depth & it read like YA
- it feels like it’s been “done” before (before the coffee gets cold; what you’re looking for is in the library, etc.)
- the narrator was a bit choppy and it was never revealed who they are/how they gained knowledge. narrator would be very knowledgeable on some things but completely shocked by others.
- at times it felt more like a short story collection. there was some cute ties between the stories, but overall it seemed to bounce around a lot.
- our main character felt flat, with the least backstory of anyone working at the store.
- the bank robbery thing was random? Lol
That was a lot of negativity! Here’s what I liked:
- very creative world building that is easy to marvel at. Lee came up with a very unique idea (that maybe she even thought up in a dream!) and ran with it well.
- the reasons people visited for dreams was sweet. I especially liked that people who are passing can preorder dreams to send to loved ones later on.
- it was a quick, mindless read. perfect for reading before bed or if you want something easy to read, and easy to put down.
Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time by Jeff Speck
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
4.5
Loved my experience with this audiobook.
- Creative production that included a theme song by Janelle Monáe, real snippets of interviews/memoirs, and acting out of interrogations.
- Highlighted our main flaws while talking to strangers, including our default to truth (believing the other person is telling the truth), coupling (believing a person and a context always go together), and confusion with “mismatching” (persons actions and perceived characteristics do not match).
- Well thought out, and offered a great vouch for grace towards others as we are all doing our best (specifically with the Sandra Bland case— “who was the officer’s boss who thought using a “haystack search” method was right in a low-crime area?”)
- Intrigued by the focus on current event stories— Sandra Bland, Chanel Miller/Brock Turner, Al Qaeda, Cuban spies, etc.
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler
challenging
reflective
relaxing
5.0
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5