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sarahweyand's reviews
378 reviews
Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O'Neil
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
It's simultaneously interesting and difficult to read a book about technology that could potentially be considered "out-of-date". This book was published in 2016, which is recent in normal-people-years but ages ago in terms of technology, especially as a pre-pandemic publication. Nevertheless, I found this book interesting and applicable to today.
I loved the framing of this book as a walk through everyday life and how malicious models and dangerous algorithms can affect the average (or primarily disadvantaged) person. Even as someone who is familiar with most of these unfair models and how they hurt people, this was an informative read that helped explain some lesser-known history and impacts.
The pacing of this book was a little slow for me, and I found myself thinking that the writing was pretty dry, even for nonfiction. I don't think this book provided me with enough new information where I would recommend it to colleagues, but I do think it would be a good read for a person who isn't familiar with data science and its potentially discriminatory effects.
I loved the framing of this book as a walk through everyday life and how malicious models and dangerous algorithms can affect the average (or primarily disadvantaged) person. Even as someone who is familiar with most of these unfair models and how they hurt people, this was an informative read that helped explain some lesser-known history and impacts.
The pacing of this book was a little slow for me, and I found myself thinking that the writing was pretty dry, even for nonfiction. I don't think this book provided me with enough new information where I would recommend it to colleagues, but I do think it would be a good read for a person who isn't familiar with data science and its potentially discriminatory effects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Racism
The Daydreams by Laura Hankin
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
3.25
Sometimes, you need a Break Book. You've been reading a lot of grimdark horror and sad nonfiction and you just need a nice, fast-paced romp to have a good time and clear your head. I deem this a wonderful Break Book. I'm going to try and keep this review short.
I liked: the fast pace, the primary sources at the end of some chapters to break up the plot, the narrators of the audiobook I got off Libby, the gooey happy ending, and that sweet, sweet, messy drama.
I didn't like: the catty girl-on-girl hate, some of the characters, a big seemingly out-of-character moment at the climax, plot contrivances that made the inciting incident possible.
This book is no stunning work of literature, nor would it come up on a list of books I'd actively recommend to people when there are so many better titles out there. But I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it! I, in fact, had a great time.
I liked: the fast pace, the primary sources at the end of some chapters to break up the plot, the narrators of the audiobook I got off Libby, the gooey happy ending, and that sweet, sweet, messy drama.
I didn't like: the catty girl-on-girl hate, some of the characters, a big seemingly out-of-character moment at the climax, plot contrivances that made the inciting incident possible.
This book is no stunning work of literature, nor would it come up on a list of books I'd actively recommend to people when there are so many better titles out there. But I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it! I, in fact, had a great time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Body shaming and Death of parent
Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thanks to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
When I finished reading this book, I remember my resounding thoughts being "damn, that was really good". And I'm devastated to say that now, a week and a half later, I've totally lost the plot. This book slipped out of my memory so fast. So I'm docking a few fractions of a star for staying power, but I did really enjoy this while reading, so I'll do my best to recap.
This book has a hell of a plot. So many seemingly unrelated points come together at the end to form a cohesive timeline and structure, which I was very impressed with. I really did have no idea where Sharpson was taking us half the time, and I always enjoy that in a good horror. Some of the imagery, especially the children's TV show, the night on the farm, and what happens during the climax, were especially unsettling and vivid and well-written. Slow burn folklore horror is perhaps one of my favorite horror subgenres, and I loved the Celtic/Irish influence here.
If I'm remembering correctly, there are a couple of questions that I had that were left unanswered in a rather unsatisfying manner (specifically about what happened to Etain that night), but I don't have many complaints. Definitely a good addition to any horror-lover's TBR.
When I finished reading this book, I remember my resounding thoughts being "damn, that was really good". And I'm devastated to say that now, a week and a half later, I've totally lost the plot. This book slipped out of my memory so fast. So I'm docking a few fractions of a star for staying power, but I did really enjoy this while reading, so I'll do my best to recap.
This book has a hell of a plot. So many seemingly unrelated points come together at the end to form a cohesive timeline and structure, which I was very impressed with. I really did have no idea where Sharpson was taking us half the time, and I always enjoy that in a good horror. Some of the imagery, especially the children's TV show, the night on the farm, and what happens during the climax, were especially unsettling and vivid and well-written. Slow burn folklore horror is perhaps one of my favorite horror subgenres, and I loved the Celtic/Irish influence here.
If I'm remembering correctly, there are a couple of questions that I had that were left unanswered in a rather unsatisfying manner (specifically about what happened to Etain that night), but I don't have many complaints. Definitely a good addition to any horror-lover's TBR.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Thanks to Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for providing me a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
I had a big true crime phase in college a few years ago, and while I'm mainly out of that now, this book did pique my interest. Living in Utah, I know a fair bit about Ted Bundy, and was curious about this book's plot, which is so clearly based off of his crimes without mentioning him or any of the real victims. And you know what? I thought it was pretty good.
I greatly enjoyed both timelines present in the book, even if I got them a little confused at times; both were equally captivating, which I find can be difficult to achieve. I liked the different relationships between the main characters, and the cohesive themes of resilience, strength, and sisterhood over the backdrop of feminine rage were well-articulated and compelling.
Sometimes I worry about the usage of true crime for exploitation and profit off of real peoples' traumas, and this book REALLY toed that line. It was hard to differentiate between fact and fiction here, for better or worse. It does feel a little strange to base a book so clearly off a real serial killer (just because you don't say Ted Bundy doesn't mean it isn't so clearly obvious), but then also fictionalize the names of the victims, whose names are lesser-known already, seems a little like erasure. I dunno. I liked this book a good amount and thought it was well-done, and I would recommend it to those who like the true crime genre, but be aware of the context.
I had a big true crime phase in college a few years ago, and while I'm mainly out of that now, this book did pique my interest. Living in Utah, I know a fair bit about Ted Bundy, and was curious about this book's plot, which is so clearly based off of his crimes without mentioning him or any of the real victims. And you know what? I thought it was pretty good.
I greatly enjoyed both timelines present in the book, even if I got them a little confused at times; both were equally captivating, which I find can be difficult to achieve. I liked the different relationships between the main characters, and the cohesive themes of resilience, strength, and sisterhood over the backdrop of feminine rage were well-articulated and compelling.
Sometimes I worry about the usage of true crime for exploitation and profit off of real peoples' traumas, and this book REALLY toed that line. It was hard to differentiate between fact and fiction here, for better or worse. It does feel a little strange to base a book so clearly off a real serial killer (just because you don't say Ted Bundy doesn't mean it isn't so clearly obvious), but then also fictionalize the names of the victims, whose names are lesser-known already, seems a little like erasure. I dunno. I liked this book a good amount and thought it was well-done, and I would recommend it to those who like the true crime genre, but be aware of the context.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual violence
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
adventurous
dark
reflective
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? No
2.75
Guys I can't believe I'm in the minority for this one. I'm out here seeing rave reviews left and right and I'm so not there I'm feeling like I read the wrong book. On paper, The Vaster Wilds seems like it would be right up my alley. Survival historical fiction, beautiful prose, grim, bleak. That's my shit. But it has been a while since I've felt this disconnected from a book.
The best thing this book has going for it is its prose. I saw another reviewer describe Groff's writing as "cinematic" and I think that's the perfect descriptor. The writing is, without a doubt, wonderful in its descriptions. You can feel the atmosphere and the chill and the hardship leaking from the page. All 2.75 stars are devoted to the great writing.
Any further than that, though, and I simply could not bring myself to care. I felt the book moved along at a snail's pace, without any plot to feel like we were moving towards. And while the cinematic purple prose was wonderful for setting scenery and describing events, I felt it removed us from understanding and connecting to our protagonist. Third person limited is one of my favorite POVs, but when there are no other supporting characters to help development through dialogue, it's hard to feel a connection, even more so when our protagonist spends the whole book on the brink of death and starvation and hypothermia, so there aren't a whole lot of actions and charisma that can be used to develop her personality either.
I found myself tuning out pretty hard during this audiobook, despite concerted efforts to focus and rewind and understand. And frankly at some point, that stops being my fault. I really wished I had liked this book, but apart from some pretty writing, it didn't do much for me.
The best thing this book has going for it is its prose. I saw another reviewer describe Groff's writing as "cinematic" and I think that's the perfect descriptor. The writing is, without a doubt, wonderful in its descriptions. You can feel the atmosphere and the chill and the hardship leaking from the page. All 2.75 stars are devoted to the great writing.
Any further than that, though, and I simply could not bring myself to care. I felt the book moved along at a snail's pace, without any plot to feel like we were moving towards. And while the cinematic purple prose was wonderful for setting scenery and describing events, I felt it removed us from understanding and connecting to our protagonist. Third person limited is one of my favorite POVs, but when there are no other supporting characters to help development through dialogue, it's hard to feel a connection, even more so when our protagonist spends the whole book on the brink of death and starvation and hypothermia, so there aren't a whole lot of actions and charisma that can be used to develop her personality either.
I found myself tuning out pretty hard during this audiobook, despite concerted efforts to focus and rewind and understand. And frankly at some point, that stops being my fault. I really wished I had liked this book, but apart from some pretty writing, it didn't do much for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, and Cannibalism
Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie
adventurous
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
I have tried hard to nurture my love for nonfiction this year and I think I have really succeeded at finding a niche that is perfect and interesting for me. I love microhistories at the center of science and nature, and Eight Bears fits that description so well. This is an incredibly well-written, well-researched book about the eight remaining bear species on Earth and their respective histories and futures. It is so informative and so devastating, and I think it's an important read for everyone.
The author did well to make the longest and most in-depth chapters of her book focus on the lesser-known bear species, like the sloth bear, spectacled bear, and sun and moon bears. I am so glad she did. I appreciated the mix between textbook-like factual information about the bears and their history juxtaposed by the author's visits to the bears' native habitats and primary accounts of the species. The chapter about the sun and moon bears was, in particular, gut wrenching. I was very close to tears and we all know by now that books don't make me cry.
I appreciated the pragmatic approach to talking about the futures of these bears, which was sad and blunt without hyperbole, or including false hope to make the reader feel better. Frankly, I wish this book was longer and included more information. I'm trying not to let it affect my rating too much, but I also didn't love the audiobook narrator for this. Her voice wasn't particularly grating, but it's a pet peeve of mine when narrators pronounce foreign names and places in a very butchered/Americanized way, and a large portion of this book involved foreign travel and experiencing other cultures. Just unfortunate.
Overall, I think this is a must-read for people to understand how delicate our planet is and the impact we can have on it. I will absolutely read anything else Gloria Dickie puts out. What a delightful debut.
The author did well to make the longest and most in-depth chapters of her book focus on the lesser-known bear species, like the sloth bear, spectacled bear, and sun and moon bears. I am so glad she did. I appreciated the mix between textbook-like factual information about the bears and their history juxtaposed by the author's visits to the bears' native habitats and primary accounts of the species. The chapter about the sun and moon bears was, in particular, gut wrenching. I was very close to tears and we all know by now that books don't make me cry.
I appreciated the pragmatic approach to talking about the futures of these bears, which was sad and blunt without hyperbole, or including false hope to make the reader feel better. Frankly, I wish this book was longer and included more information. I'm trying not to let it affect my rating too much, but I also didn't love the audiobook narrator for this. Her voice wasn't particularly grating, but it's a pet peeve of mine when narrators pronounce foreign names and places in a very butchered/Americanized way, and a large portion of this book involved foreign travel and experiencing other cultures. Just unfortunate.
Overall, I think this is a must-read for people to understand how delicate our planet is and the impact we can have on it. I will absolutely read anything else Gloria Dickie puts out. What a delightful debut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Gore and Medical content
Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thanks to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
As someone who isn't big on westerns, I thought this was a very well executed horror-western-fantasy smörgåsbord . The writing was good, the characters were interesting and had compelling arcs and different dynamics with each other, and overall I really loved the atmosphere that was created. I enjoyed the feeling of dread I would get each time the group arrived to a new location because Grecian never failed to surprise and disgust me with where he was planning on going. Surprisingly, I found the ending to be touching and sweet and felt it was a great way to wrap up such a grim, dark novel.
I do wish this book was a little shorter and it did start to get formulaic/repetitive towards the end. I also felt like the overarching plot about Sadie Grace was a little anticlimactic and hastily resolved, but I didn't mind it too much; I understand what the author was going for and I know there has to be some inciting incident to get our gang together and on the road and the story is certainly more about the journey than the destination.
I think this is a wonderful addition to the horror genre this year and would recommend it to anyone who loves atmospheric horror. Definitely read the trigger warnings, but I wouldn't overlook this one!
As someone who isn't big on westerns, I thought this was a very well executed horror-western-fantasy smörgåsbord . The writing was good, the characters were interesting and had compelling arcs and different dynamics with each other, and overall I really loved the atmosphere that was created. I enjoyed the feeling of dread I would get each time the group arrived to a new location because Grecian never failed to surprise and disgust me with where he was planning on going. Surprisingly, I found the ending to be touching and sweet and felt it was a great way to wrap up such a grim, dark novel.
I do wish this book was a little shorter and it did start to get formulaic/repetitive towards the end. I also felt like the overarching plot about Sadie Grace was a little anticlimactic and hastily resolved, but I didn't mind it too much; I understand what the author was going for and I know there has to be some inciting incident to get our gang together and on the road and the story is certainly more about the journey than the destination.
I think this is a wonderful addition to the horror genre this year and would recommend it to anyone who loves atmospheric horror. Definitely read the trigger warnings, but I wouldn't overlook this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Racism, and Cannibalism
Minor: Suicide
How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I've never come across a book where the review is so clearly "it's not you, it's me". This book is objectively, I think, fine. It's mean to be a painfully feel-good, lighthearted, book club beach read. I think it succeeded at those things for the most part, but that kind of book is just so not for me. I wouldn't have picked it up if it weren't for the book club I'm a part of, so it almost doesn't seem fair for me to rate it. Alas, here we are.
I found Veronica to be insufferable for 90% of the book. She was selfish, judgmental, manipulative, rude, and had no respect for boundaries. I feel like most of this was played off for humor as 'curmudgeonly old lady' but I didn't find it funny in the slightest. Learning more about her past was interesting, but it doesn't excuse her behavior, it just means she needed therapy. I thought Patrick was an interesting character but was too underdeveloped to have any weight - most of his chapters ended up being about reading Veronica's journals, so why was he even there? My favorite part of the book was the penguins, but they honestly took more of a backseat than I had hoped.
This book has an audience and is well-loved according to its Goodreads rating, but that audience just isn't me.
I found Veronica to be insufferable for 90% of the book. She was selfish, judgmental, manipulative, rude, and had no respect for boundaries. I feel like most of this was played off for humor as 'curmudgeonly old lady' but I didn't find it funny in the slightest. Learning more about her past was interesting, but it doesn't excuse her behavior, it just means she needed therapy. I thought Patrick was an interesting character but was too underdeveloped to have any weight - most of his chapters ended up being about reading Veronica's journals, so why was he even there? My favorite part of the book was the penguins, but they honestly took more of a backseat than I had hoped.
This book has an audience and is well-loved according to its Goodreads rating, but that audience just isn't me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal death and Abandonment
Rouge by Mona Awad
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thanks to Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for providing me a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
I knew that the newest release by the author of Bunny was going to be a wild ride, but I think that might be an understatement. This is perhaps the weirdest book I've read all year, and I dug it. I hated our main character in a love-to-hate-them kind of way. The narration style was wild and unreliable and I enjoyed it for the most part. I appreciated the slow burn and dive into madness, but it ended up pretty absurd at the end regardless. There was some particular imagery at the end that I think is really going to stick with me. Also, the inclusion of Tom Cruise? Cracked.
I do feel like the plot meandered a little bit and got slightly repetitive and nonsensical. I think some of the relationships some of the secondary characters felt unnecessary and stilted as well.
Overall, Mona Awad girlies are going to absolutely eat this one up. Probably my favorite from her so far.
I knew that the newest release by the author of Bunny was going to be a wild ride, but I think that might be an understatement. This is perhaps the weirdest book I've read all year, and I dug it. I hated our main character in a love-to-hate-them kind of way. The narration style was wild and unreliable and I enjoyed it for the most part. I appreciated the slow burn and dive into madness, but it ended up pretty absurd at the end regardless. There was some particular imagery at the end that I think is really going to stick with me. Also, the inclusion of Tom Cruise? Cracked.
I do feel like the plot meandered a little bit and got slightly repetitive and nonsensical. I think some of the relationships some of the secondary characters felt unnecessary and stilted as well.
Overall, Mona Awad girlies are going to absolutely eat this one up. Probably my favorite from her so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
The New One by Evie Green
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is one of my more niche picks that my library happened to have on audiobook, and I was excited going in. The plot here is reminiscent of the Black Mirror episode Be Right Back, and Iain Reid's book Foe, but unfortunately I think both of those pieces of media explored this concept better. The premise was interesting enough and I thought the audiobook narrators did a good job, but this book kind of goes off the rails at the end in a way that I didn't find to be compelling.
For about 2/3 of the book my rating was closer to a four than a three, and I felt like there were a lot really interesting paths and conclusions The New One could have gone in. Hell, the big twist got me and I felt like I should have seen it coming, and I applaud the author for that. Really clever. But al of the more interesting endings were foregone in favor of a more typical sci-fi / dystopian ending. Blah.
It's not that this book was bad. But if you think it sounds interesting, just go read Foe by Iain Reid instead.
For about 2/3 of the book my rating was closer to a four than a three, and I felt like there were a lot really interesting paths and conclusions The New One could have gone in. Hell, the big twist got me and I felt like I should have seen it coming, and I applaud the author for that. Really clever. But al of the more interesting endings were foregone in favor of a more typical sci-fi / dystopian ending. Blah.
It's not that this book was bad. But if you think it sounds interesting, just go read Foe by Iain Reid instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Car accident