Maddie

Ellie is a delight! Great to hear from a woman's perspective.

Age different romance is not for me. If we remove that part, it was a solid four-star read. I enjoyed the mix of settings - Italy and Scotland - and the references to other characters in the Ali-verse.

A bit outdated (still makes reference to Asperger's because it was written with the background of the DSM-4) but a good first introduction to ASD in general. I picked this up at the library and read it in one sitting. If you don't know anything about autism or the current terminology then you may get the wrong idea from this book. It was also very heavy on the amab side of things, with only a few references to afab children.

A lot of the sciency stuff was a bit of a snooze-fest at times, and it took me much longer to finish this book than I anticipated. The end chapter about mental health really pulled it from a three-star book to a four-star read for me.

The art style and magic system continue to impress!

A silly, goofy little romance. Some parts were a bit too cringy for me, and some parts seemed quite repetitive. I enjoyed the subplot of the mayoral campaign, and the world intrigues me. I am definitely up for reading the other books in this companion series.

A bit difficult to understand at times (perhaps because I listened to it while doing other things), but a poignant message overall. The mix of timelines was a bit confusing but after watching some videos about it and reading some articles, I understand why it is a classic. Toni Morrison's narration feels authentic which really added to the experience.

Even written 13 years ago, it all feels very relevant. The instructional nature of the book helped me to understand how things are produced and why they are produced that way. Hetzel acts as a sort-of-grandmother figure which adds to the readability and charm of the book. One I would like to have a psychical copy of, if only for the recipes!

A topic I find very interesting. The book is well written, however I wish it was longer! I would've enjoyed a deeper dive into the exact use of language used in cults.

I thought I knew the story pretty well before going into this just from how much impact it has had on culture, however I found the ending surprising. This is a classic for a reason, and always good to keep in mind.

Wayyyy better than Powerless, imo. Still not a great book but enjoyable on the whole. I much preferred the characters in this.

A dear friend gave me this to read following a tough time. Even though I didn't learn anything new (I have read a lot of similar books before), Daniel Howell's voice shines through as a friend, which I needed at the time.

A fascinating look into another child star's life. I have so much compassion for those thrust into the spotlight from a young age, and had no idea about the issues he faced later down the line. Of course, the Harry Potter stuff was bittersweet to read - re. Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, & Helen McCroy, as well as JKR - but overall enjoyable. Tom is still so involved with the Wizarding World which I don't really agree with (*cough* JKR *cough*), so it was interesting to read his story before he got signed on to reprise his role in The Cursed Child.

Reads exactly as you'd imagine. This had me laughing out loud and actually learning a few things!

Murderbot is so cool!

Man, I love Murderbot.

Kevin R. Free's narration and Martha Wells' characters are so charming. I enjoyed the return to some characters from All Systems Red and them witnessing Murderbot's growth as a person(?). The stakes felt more personal in this book too!