Category Archives: Reason: It sounded interesting

December 17, 2022 · 8:13 pm

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Using the fake dating trope extremely well, The Love Hypothesis is very predictable (this is not a bad thing). Olive is pretty dense for such a smart woman, but her character is written so incredibly authentically that I can “see” people I’ve known in her. All the characters are well written for that matter. The sex scene is not overly graphic and I found myself laughing out loud a couple times at just how clinically Olive was viewing what was going on. I was a little sad when the book ended. I had grown to really care about Olive and Adam (and Malcolm too… he’s hilarious) so closing the book was like saying goodbye to friends. I recommend this book to adults who enjoy smart, funny romances.

4 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 109
Pages Read in 2022: 38,404
Graphic Novels: 3

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Filed under Contemporary Fiction, Reason: Grim Readers, Reason: It sounded interesting, Romance

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November 16, 2022 · 8:53 am

The Perfect Family by Shalini Boland

The Perfect Family by Shalini Boland

I thought The Perfect Family was a pleasant story, entertaining but predictable. From early on I thought I knew who did it and why. The whole thing was a bit crazymaking. Really well done for a psychological thriller, but still predictable. And I thought I was right all the way to the epilogue when everything I thought was true totally blew up and I was left with my mouth hanging open in shock about who actually did it and their motivation. I never suspected that character in the least, yet it being them, and why they did it, made complete sense. The clues were all there! In that epilogue the book went from a 3/4 star book to a 5 star book. Incredible writing and ending. I very highly recommend this book to adults who enjoy psychological thrillers.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 99
Pages Read in 2022: 34,954
Graphic Novels: 3

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Filed under Reason: It sounded interesting, Thriller

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February 12, 2022 · 3:56 pm

Saints 2: No Unhallowed Hand

Saints 2: No Unhallowed Hand

Saints 2 covers the period of 1846-93 and sees the pioneers moving west, Brigham Young and then John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff becoming prophet, and troubles with polygamy and the federal government. It is told in story form using lots of primary and secondary sources (with an extensive source list). While most of it centers in Utah since most of the members were there at that time, it also covers what was going on in the Pacific and other places. I found it very informative while also being easy to read and not like a textbook. I highly recommend it to other members interested in church history.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 14
Pages Read in 2022: 5271

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Filed under Reason: It sounded interesting, Religious

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April 23, 2019 · 2:04 pm

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

I decided to read Where’d You Go, Bernadette after I saw the trailer for the movie and thought it looked like it would be good. After reading the book I no longer have any interest in the movie. It was that bad. There is not a single likable character in the book. Bee was fine for the first 2/3, but then she showed her true colors and turned out to be just as obnoxious and unlikable as her mother. The affair between Bee’s father and his admin, resulting in the admin getting pregnant, is treated as no big deal and almost expected because his wife is a bit nuts. The health and medical claims are often just plain wrong. The actions of the psychiatrist are utterly ridiculous and unprofessional. The writing is mediocre. The author didn’t seem to know how to wrap up the story. The last ten pages rambled on way too long. I do not recommend this book at all.

1 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 49
Pages Read in 2019: 12,578
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Filed under Realistic Fiction, Reason: It sounded interesting, Reason: LitHub Bingo

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February 19, 2019 · 8:23 am

Texas by James A. Michener

Weaving the lives of families in Texas together over several centuries, Texas is an epic novel that sometimes reads as non-fiction. As with most books by Michener, it is exceedingly long, but that length is not a drawback in the least. Some storylines are more interesting than others, but they all constantly intersect in various ways. The biggest negative I could see was that it ends in 1985 (when it was published). I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Texas history with a lot of time to read a book!

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 18
Pages Read in 2019: 5532
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks (more book reviews!)

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Filed under Historical Fiction, Reason: It sounded interesting, Reason: LitHub Bingo

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January 29, 2019 · 4:22 pm

The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll

I’ve kept a Bullet Journal for a while now, but I still found some tips I could use in The Bullet Journal Method. It’s part how-to and part motivation. The basics of how to set up a bullet journal can be found on the website, but the book was quite enjoyable and much more fully explained than what is on-line. I very highly recommend this book to people interested in starting their own bullet journal as well as people who have been using one for a while. (Note: I usually read books on Kindle, but I decided to get this one in paper and I’m glad I did. I doubt the images would be easy to decipher on the Kindle.)

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 9
Pages Read in 2019: 2076
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks (more book reviews!)

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Filed under Non-Fiction, Reason: It sounded interesting, Reason: LitHub Bingo, Self-Help/Motivation

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January 27, 2019 · 9:53 am

Pink Boots and a Machete by Mireya Mayor

If there is one thing I learned from Pink Boots and a Machete it’s that I am glad I’m not an explorer and don’t work for National Geographic. However, Mayor’s sense of humor sure made it fun to go along with her on some virtual expeditions. Sometimes I laughed out loud, sometimes I was grossed out. Her excitement over discovering the mouse lemur and her love of lemurs in general are obvious. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes animals.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 7
Pages Read in 2019: 1595
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks (more book reviews!)

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Filed under Memoir, Reason: It sounded interesting, Reason: LitHub Bingo

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January 10, 2019 · 1:46 pm

Daughters in My Kingdom

Daughters in My Kingdom tells the history of the Relief Society. There are many interesting anecdotes and lots of quotes from general authorities. I learned quite a bit from it and recommend it to all sisters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2019: 2
Pages Read in 2019: 200
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks (more book reviews!)

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Filed under Reason: It sounded interesting, Religious

December 31, 2018 · 9:14 pm

The Temple Experience by Wendy Ulrich

The Temple Experience is a terrible book. As I read it, I alternately felt horribly sorry for the clients who go to the author (a therapist) and wondered if perhaps the author’s view of the world is terribly skewed to the point that she thinks absolutely everyone is extremely mentally unhealthy. Worse, though, many things she asserted throughout the book were not doctrinally correct. I absolutely cannot recommend this book to anyone.

1 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 141
Pages Read in 2018: 36,569
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks (more book reviews!)

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Filed under Reason: It sounded interesting, Religious

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December 17, 2018 · 8:01 pm

Covenant Keepers by Wendy Watson Nelson

Covenant Keepers is a short booklet absolutely packed with insights and a 21-day challenge that Sister Nelson assures will change your life. her positive, upbeat personality comes through in her writing. I took so many notes as I read it and definitely plan to put her challenge to the test. I highly recommend it to other women who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 137
Pages Read in 2018: 35,423
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks (more book reviews!)

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Filed under Reason: It sounded interesting, Religious

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