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paigeinthepages_sg's reviews
107 reviews
A Court of Mist and Fury (Full Audio) by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
funny
relaxing
slow-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
3.5
I definitely liked this one better than book #1 plot and character wise. I was a Tamlin hater from day 1 so the direction of the book was very appealing. I do however feel like this book was much longer than necessary. I ended up switching to audiobook halfway through which was helpful in finishing it. Had I not done that I think I would have abandoned the book. I really felt the tension at the ending and it made me want to read more, I just think some middle parts could have been cut to help the pacing of the book.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Switched to audiobook
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
adventurous
funny
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a casual and cozy read. It was perfect for decompressing at the end of the day. This book takes place in NYC follows the two main characters, Ari the comedian and Josh the chef, through a decade of ups and downs. I would recommend this to someone who likes watching "The Bear" and enjoys an occasional rom-com. Overall the book was pretty good. The banter between the two characters was witty and enjoyable, and the author built two people who I actually cares about and rooted for. Truthfully the only things keeping it from a 5 are that it did not really evoke much emotion from me, and there were some moments in the book that just felt far too millennial for me. With that being said it is the book I needed at this point in time!
Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics by Richard M. Cash, Diane Heacox
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
A helpful book for teaching gifted and talented education.
Teaching with Love and Logic: Taking Control of the Classroom by Jim Fay
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
The overall themes in the book are pretty effective. I enjoy that this is a classroom management plan created to create less work on the teacher end, not more. Love and Logic focuses on teaching with empathy, not anger and allowing students to learn from mistakes and be intrinsically motivated.
I do however think this book is incredibly repetitive and could be organized way better. You could get the same points across effectively in half the page count. Also had to deduct a half a star because one of the authors admitted to hitting a special needs student ๐คจ. Also most of the "real life" anecdotes seemed very made up.
Long story short good theory bad execution.
I do however think this book is incredibly repetitive and could be organized way better. You could get the same points across effectively in half the page count. Also had to deduct a half a star because one of the authors admitted to hitting a special needs student ๐คจ. Also most of the "real life" anecdotes seemed very made up.
Long story short good theory bad execution.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think this is the first romance book I have given 5 stars. Just for the Summer is a refreshing read in the midst of the "smut just because" romance climate. It's been so long since I've read a romance where the author makes me actually care about the relationship between the characters.
The greatest thing about this book is I started reading it as a joke. I was at the bookstore with a friend, read the back cover, and said "how could I not read the redditor romance book". I genuinely went in to this book thinking it was going to be awful but it became one of my favorite romance books ever.
Emma and Justin are loveable and complex characters. I sometimes find that authors who put trauma in romance books do it in a way that feels over the top and corny, but Jiminez manages to really just do it well.
Just for the Summer is the perfect romance book for adults looking for romance novels about "adult" relationships that aren't overly edgy, but still more mature than a YA novel.
The greatest thing about this book is I started reading it as a joke. I was at the bookstore with a friend, read the back cover, and said "how could I not read the redditor romance book". I genuinely went in to this book thinking it was going to be awful but it became one of my favorite romance books ever.
Emma and Justin are loveable and complex characters. I sometimes find that authors who put trauma in romance books do it in a way that feels over the top and corny, but Jiminez manages to really just do it well.
Just for the Summer is the perfect romance book for adults looking for romance novels about "adult" relationships that aren't overly edgy, but still more mature than a YA novel.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Earthlings" is an unearthly exploration of the human race. It inspects abuse, loneliness, and childhood in a way I have never experienced before, and there is a stuffed hedgehog.
Murata's writing provided the sinister feeling that you get from reading Haruki Murakami piece without the grossness towards women. She manages to make a story so odd, yet so relatable that I was truly able to immerse myself in the book. I 100% recommend this book for any Japanese magical realism fans.
This is one of those books that I savored every second of, but have a hard time finding the words to really explain anything about it.
Murata's writing provided the sinister feeling that you get from reading Haruki Murakami piece without the grossness towards women. She manages to make a story so odd, yet so relatable that I was truly able to immerse myself in the book. I 100% recommend this book for any Japanese magical realism fans.
This is one of those books that I savored every second of, but have a hard time finding the words to really explain anything about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Overall it was a really fun and easy to read book. Insta-love in a book is one of my pet peeves, and there was definitely insta-love here. I also thought that Feyra had more chemistry with literally every other character in the book that wasn't Tamlin . He is so meh ๐. Some of the world building in the beginning was boring/confusing too. I will keep reading this series though because I feel like it really picked up in the last 30% of the book. I've heard that the rest of the series gets better.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"People love to believe in danger, as long as it's you in harm's way, and them saying bless your heart"
"It hit me pretty hard, how there's no kind of sad in this world that will stop it turning"
"A rotten little piece of American pie that everyone wishes could just be, you know. Removed"
Demon Copperhead explores rural life in a way that is often overlooked. Kingsolver beautifully describes the life of Demon, who has seen it all: love, foster care, death, addiction, and friendship. She writes in a way that makes all of these things feel so familiar even if you have never experienced it yourself. For a book that may seem grim at times, Demon's inner dialogue was consistently funny, and felt like a friend telling you a story. The only thing that kept it from being a full 5 stars was how long it felt, but then again that aspect makes sense for the story that is being told. It just lost my attention a few times.
"It hit me pretty hard, how there's no kind of sad in this world that will stop it turning"
"A rotten little piece of American pie that everyone wishes could just be, you know. Removed"
Demon Copperhead explores rural life in a way that is often overlooked. Kingsolver beautifully describes the life of Demon, who has seen it all: love, foster care, death, addiction, and friendship. She writes in a way that makes all of these things feel so familiar even if you have never experienced it yourself. For a book that may seem grim at times, Demon's inner dialogue was consistently funny, and felt like a friend telling you a story. The only thing that kept it from being a full 5 stars was how long it felt, but then again that aspect makes sense for the story that is being told. It just lost my attention a few times.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Before the coffee gets cold is a collection of short stories about the Funiculi Funicula cafe, a place where customers can go back in time to speak with a loved one in the span of time or takes their drink to cool. The 4 stories of this book explore love and loss in a unique way.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold is a
perfect short story collection for fans of Japanese magical-realisim. I also think it could be a great introduction to the genre, especially with a lack of Murakami-like descriptions of women.
Many readers who I highly respect have given this book 5 stars, which makes me think I was just not in the proper headspace for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I had a really hard time keeping track of the characters which I think may have muddled the experience a little.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold is a
perfect short story collection for fans of Japanese magical-realisim. I also think it could be a great introduction to the genre, especially with a lack of Murakami-like descriptions of women.
Many readers who I highly respect have given this book 5 stars, which makes me think I was just not in the proper headspace for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I had a really hard time keeping track of the characters which I think may have muddled the experience a little.