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peppypenguin's reviews
222 reviews
Hide by Kiersten White
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
In the acknowledgments, the author writes that this book is a “scream of rage”. In hindsight, you can glean that from the writing. There are many injustices in the story and in the characters’ pasts, and all the emotions that come along with this. I think the characters were archetypical but great to follow nonetheless. Villains are doing their villain thing, but while only one is given depth, the point is that they represent an overarching wrong, and while you can understand how it got to that point I don’t think there’s meant to be room for sympathizing.
The mystery reveal was well-paced, as was the overall plot. I really liked the characters, though sometimes they felt a little hollow. The author did do a solid job giving background and motivation where needed.
Overall, really enjoyed this. Kept me on my toes and anxious for the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, and Lesbophobia
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A beautiful blend of intriguing mystery, humour and heart. I never felt that one aspect was sacrificed for another - it is superbly well-balanced. I fell in love with the characters in the first book and I fell in love with them all over again in this one. I can’t recommend this series enough and I can’t wait to see what trouble the Thursday Murder Club gets into next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture and War
Tiptoes around some agoraphobia.
Frankenstein Dreams: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Science Fiction by Michael Sims
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A really solid collection of Victorian Science Fiction. It’s a great way to see how the genre was approached by different authors, and what the thoughts and sentiments of the times were. It’s well-curated, with short backstories of each of the authors to provide some context. Some of the stories are more interesting than others, but it all works well together and has good variety.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I was a bit nervous after the first book's ending, but the author knew exactly what she was doing. This book explores the universe more and gives the reader an understanding of the bigger picture. Action-packed but veeeery slow with the reveals so that when something does come to light it makes a big impact. Most are teased until the final quarter or so of the book, like a mystery novel where in the end you can see if any of your suspicions were right. The characters are fun and have a variety of shades of grey in terms of morality and relatability which keeps things unpredictable and interesting. I can't wait to continue reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit by Mel Robbins
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
Listened to the audiobook. It's great having someone like Mel Robbins telling things to you plain and simply in your ear. She brings a level of kindness and understanding while maintaining a tone that reminds you to get your butt into gear just because you can.
I had heard about the High 5 Habit and thought it would be cool to learn more, thinking it would help me with self-confidence if I took it on. The book does a great job of explaining the theory behind it and why it's helpful for your brain. What I appreciated most was the aspect of accountability it emphasizes. You can and should take control of your life, and this gives some great ways to about it.
I think it was important and vulnerable for the author to share parts of her life where she applied or realized the importance of what she is sharing. It makes it more relatable, more tangible, and it's inspiring.
I have a feeling I will either be purchasing a physical copy so I can annotate for myself or relistening to the audiobook.
I had heard about the High 5 Habit and thought it would be cool to learn more, thinking it would help me with self-confidence if I took it on. The book does a great job of explaining the theory behind it and why it's helpful for your brain. What I appreciated most was the aspect of accountability it emphasizes. You can and should take control of your life, and this gives some great ways to about it.
I think it was important and vulnerable for the author to share parts of her life where she applied or realized the importance of what she is sharing. It makes it more relatable, more tangible, and it's inspiring.
I have a feeling I will either be purchasing a physical copy so I can annotate for myself or relistening to the audiobook.
Sex in Canada: The Who, Why, When, and How of Getting Down Up North by Tina Fetner
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.25
I really appreciate that there was a study conducted in Canada! It was interesting to see some trends and insights. Some solid explanations of gender studies and culture make the reading more interesting.
I'm not a research professional, so maybe it's not fair of me to say, but I'm not sure a sample of less than 3,000 people is enough for me to take the trends found as extremely official. I think this is an excellent start to open dialogue, educate Canadians, and hopefully encourage more studies in this field of research.
I'm not a research professional, so maybe it's not fair of me to say, but I'm not sure a sample of less than 3,000 people is enough for me to take the trends found as extremely official. I think this is an excellent start to open dialogue, educate Canadians, and hopefully encourage more studies in this field of research.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
To be read with a critical eye.
I feel like a lot of the advice is tailored for the entrepreneur. The book does provide tips for the 9-5ers that are very helpful, such as time management and being efficient versus just working for work's sake. The idea of designing your ideal life is also very handy. But it's hard to imagine this applying to certain positions that require regular live collaboration on projects.
It feels a little sleazy at times. The section that provides advice to manipulate your boss into thinking you're more efficient working from home and eventually anywhere in the world... The example of someone who used an assistant overseas that has less labour cost to help with their professional and personal life (I mean, come on, even to send your wife flowers and an apology because you can't be bothered to develop basic skills to do it yourself?). Perhaps these aspects didn't age well, but I'm sure they were revolutionary at the time.
Despite my hesitations, I feel this can be a very beneficial read/listen if you absorb the information with a critical eye/ear! Many specific tips are super helpful, and it's very inspiring to know that if you dedicate time to it, you can live a life you intentionally design, and you don't need to have millions of dollars to do it. I feel it's just important to keep in mind that for people to join the 'new rich' and live the life of their dreams, someone has to be the assistant fielding those calls all day and answering emails.
I feel like a lot of the advice is tailored for the entrepreneur. The book does provide tips for the 9-5ers that are very helpful, such as time management and being efficient versus just working for work's sake. The idea of designing your ideal life is also very handy. But it's hard to imagine this applying to certain positions that require regular live collaboration on projects.
It feels a little sleazy at times. The section that provides advice to manipulate your boss into thinking you're more efficient working from home and eventually anywhere in the world... The example of someone who used an assistant overseas that has less labour cost to help with their professional and personal life (I mean, come on, even to send your wife flowers and an apology because you can't be bothered to develop basic skills to do it yourself?). Perhaps these aspects didn't age well, but I'm sure they were revolutionary at the time.
Despite my hesitations, I feel this can be a very beneficial read/listen if you absorb the information with a critical eye/ear! Many specific tips are super helpful, and it's very inspiring to know that if you dedicate time to it, you can live a life you intentionally design, and you don't need to have millions of dollars to do it. I feel it's just important to keep in mind that for people to join the 'new rich' and live the life of their dreams, someone has to be the assistant fielding those calls all day and answering emails.
Anna O by Matthew Blake
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The storytelling in this thriller is so good and I genuinely enjoyed the ride, but it stumbled across the finish line in the last quarter.
The author did an excellent job of switching between character POVs, managing unreliable narration, and adding a neat twist that makes you rethink the way you've digested the entire story. Great, I loved it, couldn't put it down. I was questioning motivations and developing theories galore. It was exciting I loved it.
Then there is the final part where all is revealed in a lackluster explanatory unsatisfying narrative dump that I felt did not dive nearly enough into the final motivations of the character that we needed it from most. Based on the first twist I mentioned, it's logical that this is how it was done. It just wasn't entertaining and it felt like something was missing.
I also didn't care for the way some of the themes were handled, for example women in the spotlight and how their stories are determined by everyone except themselves. It was a bit heavy handed, with characters actually directly pointing these things out, pulling me out of the state of suspended disbelief.
Despite this feedback I do recommend this read because the ride is enjoyable. Other readers may also completely disagree with my sentiments about the ending!
The author did an excellent job of switching between character POVs, managing unreliable narration, and adding a neat twist that makes you rethink the way you've digested the entire story. Great, I loved it, couldn't put it down. I was questioning motivations and developing theories galore. It was exciting I loved it.
Then there is the final part where all is revealed in a lackluster explanatory unsatisfying narrative dump that I felt did not dive nearly enough into the final motivations of the character that we needed it from most. Based on the first twist I mentioned, it's logical that this is how it was done. It just wasn't entertaining and it felt like something was missing.
I also didn't care for the way some of the themes were handled, for example women in the spotlight and how their stories are determined by everyone except themselves. It was a bit heavy handed, with characters actually directly pointing these things out, pulling me out of the state of suspended disbelief.
Despite this feedback I do recommend this read because the ride is enjoyable. Other readers may also completely disagree with my sentiments about the ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I absolutely love how meta this book is. It's an excellent concept that I feel is handled well as a character driven action-filled story. It does go over the top but I think that was part of the point as a slasher/mystery set in a world difficult to really define. That makes it hard to suspend disbelief but if you just roll with it it's great.
The meta analysis of Final Girls versus their monsters is cool. The author explores this in a fascinating way and it works well, as unhinged as it is.
I enjoy Lynette's character arc and the author's take on how each of the Final Girls would handle their traumatizing experiences years later. The plot itself has some nice twists and turns and there is never a dull moment, which made the read fun.
It's extremely cheesy in many ways, but I like the themes of sisterhood, fighting until the end, there is more to life than fearing death, etc.
The meta analysis of Final Girls versus their monsters is cool. The author explores this in a fascinating way and it works well, as unhinged as it is.
I enjoy Lynette's character arc and the author's take on how each of the Final Girls would handle their traumatizing experiences years later. The plot itself has some nice twists and turns and there is never a dull moment, which made the read fun.
It's extremely cheesy in many ways, but I like the themes of sisterhood, fighting until the end, there is more to life than fearing death, etc.
Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World by Bill Nye
A bit outdated as this was written in 2015, but this is an excellent introductory breakdown of the science of the climate crisis and possible technological, political, economic, and sociological solutions. At the same time as he explains the dire situation we are in, Bill Nye writes with the hope that we will make a difference and pivot to make positive changes. Grounded in realism but remaining optimistic, I think the writing style is very digestible and not too technical. I still found myself skipping over a lot of the science because that is simply something I have trouble absorbing, but despite that I finished the book with a better understanding than I did when I started and that's what counts.
If you're interested in a journey to learn more about the topic I think this is a solid place to start.
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
If you're not optimistic, you will not accomplish much.
A bit outdated as this was written in 2015, but this is an excellent introductory breakdown of the science of the climate crisis and possible technological, political, economic, and sociological solutions. At the same time as he explains the dire situation we are in, Bill Nye writes with the hope that we will make a difference and pivot to make positive changes. Grounded in realism but remaining optimistic, I think the writing style is very digestible and not too technical. I still found myself skipping over a lot of the science because that is simply something I have trouble absorbing, but despite that I finished the book with a better understanding than I did when I started and that's what counts.
If you're interested in a journey to learn more about the topic I think this is a solid place to start.