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lilacsandliterature's reviews
319 reviews
The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice by Benjamin Gilmer
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This was an amazing read that covered so many topics - a terrible crime, mental illness, incarceration, humanity and dignity. It was an inspiring read about those who put time into the right causes and look beyond statistics and numbers to the person behind bars. It opened such a great conversation about how we treat the mentally ill (in a “reactive not proactive way”) and the importance of competent doctors, lawyers, and law enforcement that should be working together, not against each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Murder
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
If you’re tired of the same old psychological thriller where the protagonist is a “crazy woman” then I’d definitely recommend this one. It jumps around from timelines and characters and is done in a way that definitely keeps your interest and the pages turning. While I didn’t necessarily guess what was happening it was there if you enjoy trying to figure out the whodunnit. The only reason this wasn’t a 5 star for me was because it was pretty similar to other thrillers I’ve read and nothing completely shocked or surprised me, but that’s what happens when you read many thrillers. For fans of Wendy Walker’s Don’t Look For Me and Christian White’s The Wife and the Widow I think you’ll enjoy this one. Side note - the audio with Brittany Pressley was well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, and Murder
The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This was a fun read with so much information about music and the way Dave Grohl got started. It was really interesting to see how he got started, the people he met along the way, and the stories from the road. From playing through sicknesses to broken bones to losing his band mates and everything in between - it’s a rock and roll history playbook.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a sweet and fun romcom with some heart, a lot of science, and top notch banter. I’d recommend this to people who like heart with their comedy, a pining/fake dating storyline; and the classic miscommunication but not overly done or too frustrating. I enjoyed the characters and when I found out this was Reylo fanfic it made a lot more sense when picturing the characters. I’m very picky with romance but enjoyed this one and I didn’t find TOO many cringy moments.
7th Circle by Tate James
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story by Julie K. Brown
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.0
A great deep dive into Epstein’s background and his subsequent arrests, incarceration, release, rearrest, reincarceration, and death. It follows Brown’s investigatory reports into Epstein and her life following his case. Great for someone not already familiar with all of the intricacies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Will by Will Smith, Mark Manson
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I absolutely loved this memoir. It was real, raw, honest, and Ioved the audio - full of raps and sound bytes from his life, it was so well done. It covered everything from his early home life, how he got started rapping, his rise to fame, success, but also the downfall and hard times. It was full of hilarious anecdotes and teenage stories, his humor permeating throughout but never shying away from the difficult times. Highly recommend for anyone who loves memoirs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ll admit that I’d seen people praising this book up and down but 3/4 of the way through and I thought it was only mediocre. However, the ending changed it all for me. I ended up really enjoying it.
Cooper and Finch, a father and daughter live alone in a cabin in the woods, away from society. When the only man who knows where they are fails to show up with their yearly supplies, they’re forced to take matters into their own hands to survive.
I didn’t love Cooper at the beginning but I did love Finch from the first pages and she’s definitely a big part of why I stuck with the sorry. You’re given flashbacks that explain how they ended up in the woods off the grid but I didn’t necessarily love the way that was done. I found it all a little convoluted and super far fetched but it’s important to remember it’s fiction and sensationalized, so it made a good story.
Overall I was at a 3 with some of the writing and repetitive words that annoyed me, but ended up at a 4 by the end and may have shed a tear as well.
Cooper and Finch, a father and daughter live alone in a cabin in the woods, away from society. When the only man who knows where they are fails to show up with their yearly supplies, they’re forced to take matters into their own hands to survive.
I didn’t love Cooper at the beginning but I did love Finch from the first pages and she’s definitely a big part of why I stuck with the sorry. You’re given flashbacks that explain how they ended up in the woods off the grid but I didn’t necessarily love the way that was done. I found it all a little convoluted and super far fetched but it’s important to remember it’s fiction and sensationalized, so it made a good story.
Overall I was at a 3 with some of the writing and repetitive words that annoyed me, but ended up at a 4 by the end and may have shed a tear as well.
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was not a huge fan of The Sun Down Motel but wanted to give this one a shot. I was pretty underwhelmed. The concept was okay - a true crime blogger runs into the number one suspect of a female serial killer from the 70s who was acquitted. The accused, Beth Greer, now in her 60s grants Shea, the crime writer, an exclusive interview and she’s thrown into the story. What follows is an unbelievable story, a haunted house and numerous victims.
St. James is able to write some spine tingling scenes, just like in Sun Down Motel but for me there’s still something missing. The story is so far fetched and things don’t quite make sense or add up which leads to a mediocre thriller. I was never fully invested and while I usually can read thrillers quickly this one dragged for me and I found myself just rushing to get to the conclusion. Not a thriller I’d recommend as anything mind blowing.
St. James is able to write some spine tingling scenes, just like in Sun Down Motel but for me there’s still something missing. The story is so far fetched and things don’t quite make sense or add up which leads to a mediocre thriller. I was never fully invested and while I usually can read thrillers quickly this one dragged for me and I found myself just rushing to get to the conclusion. Not a thriller I’d recommend as anything mind blowing.