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jedore's reviews
499 reviews
Lucky You by Erika Carter
Yikes…the reviews on this one are not good! Had I looked at them before I chose this as my BOTM selection, I wouldn’t have picked it. It’s really a book for 20-somethings; not many people in my 50+ age group would have liked it, let alone finished. That being said, I didn’t hate it! The writing was good…it’s the story and characters that are irritating.
This was my BOTM pick because it was a story centered on the less-than-ideal realities of living off the grid…the “Whole Story,” so to speak. (Something I’m passionate about sharing on my social platforms.) Having entered the post-honeymoon phase of my life in Panamá, after living without power for a year, this topic piqued my interest.
It’s definitely not a pretty story. The 23-ish year old characters are entitled, dysfunctional, irresponsible and have completely wonky moral compasses from beginning to end. The story brings to light how easy it is to start and be sucked into a cult. But, I was empathetic to some of their angst, particularly around work and purpose so there were parts I could relate to.
Honestly, if you’re past 40, the odds are you’ll find this book highly annoying, so I feel safe in recommending a hard pass. If you’re in your 20s, it’s definitely worth a shot!
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The quieter you become, the more you can hear.
Yikes…the reviews on this one are not good! Had I looked at them before I chose this as my BOTM selection, I wouldn’t have picked it. It’s really a book for 20-somethings; not many people in my 50+ age group would have liked it, let alone finished. That being said, I didn’t hate it! The writing was good…it’s the story and characters that are irritating.
This was my BOTM pick because it was a story centered on the less-than-ideal realities of living off the grid…the “Whole Story,” so to speak. (Something I’m passionate about sharing on my social platforms.) Having entered the post-honeymoon phase of my life in Panamá, after living without power for a year, this topic piqued my interest.
It’s definitely not a pretty story. The 23-ish year old characters are entitled, dysfunctional, irresponsible and have completely wonky moral compasses from beginning to end. The story brings to light how easy it is to start and be sucked into a cult. But, I was empathetic to some of their angst, particularly around work and purpose so there were parts I could relate to.
Honestly, if you’re past 40, the odds are you’ll find this book highly annoying, so I feel safe in recommending a hard pass. If you’re in your 20s, it’s definitely worth a shot!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and War
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, and Vomit
The Sound of Building Coffins by Louis Maistros
This book will take you on a captivating journey through the simultaneously colorful and dark streets of New Orleans in the early 1900s. Maistros perfectly captures the city's unique spirit and mysterious culture.
It’s definitely a dark and tragic tale filled with abortion, prostitution, demonic possession, devastating floods, and murder, yet somehow Maistros is able to convey a very subtle sense of hope….more for the city than for the individuals living in it.
While the character development is strong, I did find myself struggling to emotionally connect with the characters. Something caused me to remain detached from them, but not so much that I lost interest.
What sets "The Sound of Building Coffins" apart is its masterful storytelling, voodoo vibe, and little unexpected twists that keep you literally and figuratively in a dark place until the very end. There’s no doubt the man deeply knows and loves New Orleans.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Starting over is a funny thing. You only get one true start, on the day you are born. But as we get older and know better about the lives we’ve lived, every once in awhile we try to make ourselves a new beginning. Problem is that you can’t erase where you come from, the accumulation of your experience being undeniably who you are. Ain’t no one can be rebirthed out of a past that has come to define them, no matter if these things come by chance or design. You can only pretend to start again; never to forget, try as you might.”
This book will take you on a captivating journey through the simultaneously colorful and dark streets of New Orleans in the early 1900s. Maistros perfectly captures the city's unique spirit and mysterious culture.
It’s definitely a dark and tragic tale filled with abortion, prostitution, demonic possession, devastating floods, and murder, yet somehow Maistros is able to convey a very subtle sense of hope….more for the city than for the individuals living in it.
While the character development is strong, I did find myself struggling to emotionally connect with the characters. Something caused me to remain detached from them, but not so much that I lost interest.
What sets "The Sound of Building Coffins" apart is its masterful storytelling, voodoo vibe, and little unexpected twists that keep you literally and figuratively in a dark place until the very end. There’s no doubt the man deeply knows and loves New Orleans.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal cruelty and Sexual assault
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This one threw me a bit of a curveball with its interview-style narrative, which initially had me unsure. The interviewer's silence and the constant jumping around between characters threw me off, creating an emotional distance, but as the story unfolded, it surprisingly grew on me.
Despite the unique writing style, I ended up enjoying the book. It even sparked my interest in Fleetwood Mac, rumored to be the inspiration behind the tale, leading me to delve into their story.
True to Taylor Jenkins Reid's style, there's a little twist at the end that adds that extra punch. Overall, it's a journey worth taking, even if the road starts a bit bumpy.
emotional
inspiring
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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“…loving somebody isn’t perfection and good times and laughing and making love. Love is forgiveness and patience and faith and every once in awhile, it’s a gut punch. That’s why it’s a dangerous thing, when you go loving the wrong person. When you love somebody who doesn’t deserve it. You have to be with somebody who deserves your faith and you have to be deserving of someone else’s. It’s sacred.”
This one threw me a bit of a curveball with its interview-style narrative, which initially had me unsure. The interviewer's silence and the constant jumping around between characters threw me off, creating an emotional distance, but as the story unfolded, it surprisingly grew on me.
Despite the unique writing style, I ended up enjoying the book. It even sparked my interest in Fleetwood Mac, rumored to be the inspiration behind the tale, leading me to delve into their story.
True to Taylor Jenkins Reid's style, there's a little twist at the end that adds that extra punch. Overall, it's a journey worth taking, even if the road starts a bit bumpy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Death
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Lady Chatterly’s Lover is a risqué visit to the English countryside just after World War II…filled with passion, drama, and enlightenment.
It was after I watched the Netflix movie (with Emma Corrin and Matthew Duckett as Lady Chatterly and Mellors, respectively) that I was searching at the beginning of my To Be Read list for my next read. It was an obvious choice!
While the movie focused almost solely on Lady Chatterly’s marriage and sizzling affair, the book dives deeper into the parallel societal evolution going on at the time (the shift from titled property ownership and farming to industry), as well as sexism, classism, sex, and the (timeless) differences between men and women. Like many classics, there is a fair amount of pontificating, but I found it surprisingly relatable and enlightening.
Fortunately, the book doesn't shy away from steamy sex scenes and has the added perk of covering the philosophical aspects of romantic relationships. Though, Lawrence’s obsession with “loins,” “wombs,” and “bowels” was definitely chuckle-worthy and mildly distracting.
As a woman who was stifled on the “good girl” path for 39 years, I was cheering Lady Chatterley on and reveling in her newfound physical AND emotional intimacy with Mellors. You go, girl.
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I’ve never met the man yet who was capable of intimacy with a woman, giving himself up to her. That was what I wanted. I’m not keen on their self-satisfied tenderness, and their sensuality. I’m not content to be any man’s little petsy-wetsy, nor his ‘chair à plaisir’ either. I wanted a complete intimacy, and I didn’t get it. That’s enough for me.”
Lady Chatterly’s Lover is a risqué visit to the English countryside just after World War II…filled with passion, drama, and enlightenment.
It was after I watched the Netflix movie (with Emma Corrin and Matthew Duckett as Lady Chatterly and Mellors, respectively) that I was searching at the beginning of my To Be Read list for my next read. It was an obvious choice!
While the movie focused almost solely on Lady Chatterly’s marriage and sizzling affair, the book dives deeper into the parallel societal evolution going on at the time (the shift from titled property ownership and farming to industry), as well as sexism, classism, sex, and the (timeless) differences between men and women. Like many classics, there is a fair amount of pontificating, but I found it surprisingly relatable and enlightening.
Fortunately, the book doesn't shy away from steamy sex scenes and has the added perk of covering the philosophical aspects of romantic relationships. Though, Lawrence’s obsession with “loins,” “wombs,” and “bowels” was definitely chuckle-worthy and mildly distracting.
As a woman who was stifled on the “good girl” path for 39 years, I was cheering Lady Chatterley on and reveling in her newfound physical AND emotional intimacy with Mellors. You go, girl.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Classism
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: War
Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
“It's everybody, I mean. Everything everybody does is so — I don't know — not wrong, or even mean, or even stupid necessarily. But just so tiny and meaningless and — sad-making. And the worst part is, if you go bohemian or something crazy like that, you're conforming just as much only in a different way.”
This is one of those classic literature books that consists of pure pontification…from cover-to-cover with no apologies. If you’re looking for some level (any level) of action in a book, you’ll want to skip this one.
There are three pontificators in this story: 1) Little sister Franny, 2) Ma Bessie, and 3) Big brother Zooey. The only one I had any sort of connection to was the totally burned out Franny. That being said, although Zooey’s section went on (and on and on), he did have some spot on points.
What surprised me most was the religious slant of the pontificating…I would never have guessed that Salinger would write in support of Jesus and prayer. No matter how well done a book is, this topic is just not my cup of tea.
On the upside, Salinger’s mastery of dialogue was totally impressive. I could hear Franny, Zooey, and Bessie‘s voices going on (and on) in my head – it almost felt like I was eavesdropping on profound and private conversations. Salinger's ability to capture subtle conversational nuances deserves a nod.
Nevertheless, I’m gently placing this one on my “Forgettable” stack.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
I couldn't pry myself away from this literary gem, finishing it in only two days. It had every ingredient I cherish in a book – a resilient and relatable female lead, layers of emotions, an air of anticipation, and a narrative that imparts invaluable lessons.
Lisa Genova's background in neuroscience brings an authentic voice to the story of a Harvard professor grappling with early-onset Alzheimer's. Every nuance of Alice's battle was palpable and heart-wrenching. Genova masterfully illustrates the harrowing progression of the disease and Alice's struggle as the condition worsens.
Now, while I gave this book a well-deserved 5-stars, it wasn't perfect. The final chapter left me a bit disappointed...but, the brief letdown at the end didn't come close to overshadowing the journey this book took me on.
This book is a profound exploration of human resilience and vulnerability that has left an indelible mark on me. I highly recommend it! Now for the movie adaptation...
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
...My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment.
I couldn't pry myself away from this literary gem, finishing it in only two days. It had every ingredient I cherish in a book – a resilient and relatable female lead, layers of emotions, an air of anticipation, and a narrative that imparts invaluable lessons.
Lisa Genova's background in neuroscience brings an authentic voice to the story of a Harvard professor grappling with early-onset Alzheimer's. Every nuance of Alice's battle was palpable and heart-wrenching. Genova masterfully illustrates the harrowing progression of the disease and Alice's struggle as the condition worsens.
Now, while I gave this book a well-deserved 5-stars, it wasn't perfect. The final chapter left me a bit disappointed...but, the brief letdown at the end didn't come close to overshadowing the journey this book took me on.
This book is a profound exploration of human resilience and vulnerability that has left an indelible mark on me. I highly recommend it! Now for the movie adaptation...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
I wish I had known that this delicious book is best served up with Dickens’ Great Expectations as the first course! I read it, but it was too long ago (2008) to serve me while reading this book. There’s no doubt my rating would have been 5 stars had my memory not faded.
Despite missing a lot of the Great Expectations references, I absolutely loved this book. It’s very well written, the characters were wonderful (especially Matilda, the narrator and main character), and the story was incredibly touching, heartbreaking, and tragic. Loved the message about imperfect people still being able to do perfect things…something I needed to be reminded of these days. You’ll also learn about a beautiful place called Bougainville, a small island in Papua New Guinea that I knew nothing about before picking up this book.
I added this to my reading list more than 20 years ago…I wish I could remember how and why it ended up there. So glad it did!
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I had found a new friend. The surprising thing is where I’d found him – not up a tree or sulking in the shade, or splashing around in one of the hill streams, but in a book. No one had told us kids to look there for a friend. Or that you could slip inside the skin of another. Or travel to another place with marshes, and where, to our ears, the bad people spoke like pirates.
I wish I had known that this delicious book is best served up with Dickens’ Great Expectations as the first course! I read it, but it was too long ago (2008) to serve me while reading this book. There’s no doubt my rating would have been 5 stars had my memory not faded.
Despite missing a lot of the Great Expectations references, I absolutely loved this book. It’s very well written, the characters were wonderful (especially Matilda, the narrator and main character), and the story was incredibly touching, heartbreaking, and tragic. Loved the message about imperfect people still being able to do perfect things…something I needed to be reminded of these days. You’ll also learn about a beautiful place called Bougainville, a small island in Papua New Guinea that I knew nothing about before picking up this book.
I added this to my reading list more than 20 years ago…I wish I could remember how and why it ended up there. So glad it did!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Rape, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Gore
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
Apparently I read this book a couple decades ago, but it was all new to me this time around.
Having been the victim of various degrees of bullying from the first day of 4th through the beginning of 9th grade, I thought I would connect deeply with this book. I totally related to much of what Elaine (coincidentally my middle name) went through…though it was quite a bit harsher and more focused than my experience. We even shared the experience of one of the bullies’ parents being a POS and a mother who knew it was happening, but did nothing to stop it. But Atwood lost me at the point Elaine’s abuse ended, which was quite a large portion of the book.
Maybe it’s because I’m such a sensitive soul, but being bullied totally wrecked me for the first three decades of my life. I was so terrified of females that I steered clear of them until my thirties. I thought it was totally unbelievable that Atwood had Elaine reunite with her primary abuser in high school and remain best friends for several more years, seemingly without any repercussions. Once I escaped my bullies (also in early high school), I would NEVER, EVER have returned! I also found it unrealistic that Elaine joined women’s groups in early adulthood. It was disappointing that Atwood didn’t dive deeper into Elaine’s damage and true feelings toward women. I also became hyper-focused on males because they didn’t play the mind games and treated me so much better (albeit that was always because they wanted something from me, which was also damaging in a different way). While on several occasions Elaine mentioned her preference of males, it didn’t go deep enough given the severity of her abuse at the hands of females.
To this day, as a result of being bullied as a young girl and a consistent flow of baffling situations and/or minor to moderate bullying by grown women, I’m in a strange place with women…I absolutely love and support them from afar, but I can only claim one deeply loving and mutually supportive female non-familial relationship. I’ve accepted that it must not be meant to be in this lifetime.
So, overall, the book missed the mark for me, which was disappointing considering the massive potential the story held for me. I may be wrong, but my hypothesis is that Atwood didn’t actually live what she wrote about in this book, she just believed herself capable of writing about it.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“Little girls are cute and small only to adults. To one another they are not cute. They are life-sized.”
Apparently I read this book a couple decades ago, but it was all new to me this time around.
Having been the victim of various degrees of bullying from the first day of 4th through the beginning of 9th grade, I thought I would connect deeply with this book. I totally related to much of what Elaine (coincidentally my middle name) went through…though it was quite a bit harsher and more focused than my experience. We even shared the experience of one of the bullies’ parents being a POS and a mother who knew it was happening, but did nothing to stop it. But Atwood lost me at the point Elaine’s abuse ended, which was quite a large portion of the book.
Maybe it’s because I’m such a sensitive soul, but being bullied totally wrecked me for the first three decades of my life. I was so terrified of females that I steered clear of them until my thirties. I thought it was totally unbelievable that Atwood had Elaine reunite with her primary abuser in high school and remain best friends for several more years, seemingly without any repercussions. Once I escaped my bullies (also in early high school), I would NEVER, EVER have returned! I also found it unrealistic that Elaine joined women’s groups in early adulthood. It was disappointing that Atwood didn’t dive deeper into Elaine’s damage and true feelings toward women. I also became hyper-focused on males because they didn’t play the mind games and treated me so much better (albeit that was always because they wanted something from me, which was also damaging in a different way). While on several occasions Elaine mentioned her preference of males, it didn’t go deep enough given the severity of her abuse at the hands of females.
To this day, as a result of being bullied as a young girl and a consistent flow of baffling situations and/or minor to moderate bullying by grown women, I’m in a strange place with women…I absolutely love and support them from afar, but I can only claim one deeply loving and mutually supportive female non-familial relationship. I’ve accepted that it must not be meant to be in this lifetime.
So, overall, the book missed the mark for me, which was disappointing considering the massive potential the story held for me. I may be wrong, but my hypothesis is that Atwood didn’t actually live what she wrote about in this book, she just believed herself capable of writing about it.
The Secret of Roan Inish by Rosalie K. Fry
Set in Scotland, this short and sweet magical tale for all ages tells the story of a young girl searching for her baby brother who was swept out to sea when the family left the tiny island where they had lived for generations.
The magic is in the form of selkies, which are mythological creatures that are both seal and human, and the life of the baby, then little boy, they both kept and protected.
As I read this story, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite books—Bridge to Terabithia. Like this book, The Secret of Roan Inish was also made into a movie.
This is a super short young adult book, so character development doesn’t go very deep, but you do get a solid taste for life in Scotland’s seaside and island communities. This was an absolutely delightful treat in between two grown-up books!
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I've no idea of the future, but I can see the past quite well. And the present, if the weather's clear.
Set in Scotland, this short and sweet magical tale for all ages tells the story of a young girl searching for her baby brother who was swept out to sea when the family left the tiny island where they had lived for generations.
The magic is in the form of selkies, which are mythological creatures that are both seal and human, and the life of the baby, then little boy, they both kept and protected.
As I read this story, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite books—Bridge to Terabithia. Like this book, The Secret of Roan Inish was also made into a movie.
This is a super short young adult book, so character development doesn’t go very deep, but you do get a solid taste for life in Scotland’s seaside and island communities. This was an absolutely delightful treat in between two grown-up books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Abandonment
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Well, THAT was weird. Definitely not my type, but I was curious because of its high rating here and its inclusion in 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die. While I can imagine others enjoying this book, I’m a little befuddled about it being on this list. Just goes to show you that, like beauty, lists are solely in the eyes of their beholders!
The ending was so blunt and pointless I thought I had somehow gotten a bad Kindle version. After doing some Googling, I found out it’s because it’s a series…still poorly done, in my opinion.
I did laugh a few times. And, I’m the kind of reader who is still glad I read a book I didn’t really care for if I get some sort of insight…even if it’s just about popular culture.
This book was (is) very popular. They even made a movie out of it (which I’m going to watch out purely out of curiosity). I respect that. It just wasn’t my thing.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movement of small green pieces of paper, which was odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.
Well, THAT was weird. Definitely not my type, but I was curious because of its high rating here and its inclusion in 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die. While I can imagine others enjoying this book, I’m a little befuddled about it being on this list. Just goes to show you that, like beauty, lists are solely in the eyes of their beholders!
The ending was so blunt and pointless I thought I had somehow gotten a bad Kindle version. After doing some Googling, I found out it’s because it’s a series…still poorly done, in my opinion.
I did laugh a few times. And, I’m the kind of reader who is still glad I read a book I didn’t really care for if I get some sort of insight…even if it’s just about popular culture.
This book was (is) very popular. They even made a movie out of it (which I’m going to watch out purely out of curiosity). I respect that. It just wasn’t my thing.