cghegan's reviews
454 reviews

The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family by Jesselyn Cook

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

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challenging informative slow-paced

3.0

The Prospects by KT Hoffman

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-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

4.25

So tenderly and thoughtfully written. I deeply appreciate the author’s keen understanding of the underlying romanticism of baseball and how this is woven in through this genuine, and genuinely sexy love story. I freaking love this book.
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

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funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

The conceit had a lot of potential, but it suffered from poor pacing and thin characters. It felt like not much at all happens in the first 200 pages to develop the characters, their relationships, or the world we find ourselves in. Not enough intention was given to each scene to propel the reader forward, and when we arrive at “the big turn” at the end, it felt so rushed and chaotic, and there wasn’t any real impact.
We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation by Eric Garcia

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informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Liliana's Invincible Summer: A Sister's Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

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Thicker Than Water: A Memoir by Kerry Washington

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.0

I picked this up upon learning that Kerry Washington, like me, learned as an adult that she was donor-conceived. It is a memoir that is not about that and completely focused on it—what is helpful to another writer is how she reflects on and illustrates a rippling sense of unease and tension she has felt throughout her life but never understood. The construction and choices she makes are informative and helpful in understanding craft choices, though I feel a super fan of her acting would appreciate the in between a lot more. 
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Lie with Me by Philippe Besson

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

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Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and THE WASHINGTON POST by Martin Baron

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
It’s a personal thing, really, but I couldn’t sit comfortably with the reverent tone given to Bezos. Perhaps the narrative looks at his ownership of the Post more critically and fairly later on, but it felt icky listening to this. Will read the revelatory “takeaways” elsewhere.