sphynxreads's reviews
746 reviews

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

Incredibly thoughtful, but also just profoundly okay. I'm not quite sure what kind of book I was expecting going into this, but I was delighted to find how it is an inspection of humanity and how it interacts with nature, history, culture, and each other—ratings included. I can't say I was entertained, enlightened, or moved by any of the essays. My entire experience of listening to the audiobook was mostly just "oh that's interesting" or "that's an interesting takeaway from so-and-so observation". I will say, however, that I'd like to write like John Green does—in this book specifically, as I hated TFIOS. I'd like to record my own personal musings on my life and experiences the way he does. Despite my mediocre experience with this book, at the very least it inspired me to spend more time writing.
The Art of DreamWorks the Wild Robot by Jerry Schmitz

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emotional informative inspiring relaxing medium-paced

4.0

When the original book, the film adaptation, and the art book all make you emotional, you know you have something special in your hands. Absolutely gorgeous artwork and an inspiring recollection of the creative process behind it.
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

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

1.5

A fascinating world and a beautiful magic system that is viciously bogged down by an uninteresting plot, bland characters, and dragging pacing.
How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

3.5

I'm probably not the type of person who needs this book the most, but I like how it challenged my thinking about cleaning, home organization, and productivity in general. It's almost funny reading this back-to-back with Atomic Habits. Both are gentle in their own way, but the approaches and motives are vastly different. I liked how this book made me question the parts of my life where I feel I could do better—not just in terms of keeping house—and evaluating where that pressure is coming from. If anything, I think this book helped me realize I need to be nicer to myself. If something in my life is functioning well enough, there's no moral imperative to keep improving it. Anything that warrants improvement should be driven by necessity and function, and not by any other unrelated form of merit.
Roswell Johnson Saves the World! by Chris Colfer

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adventurous funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Predictable yet still funny and entertaining. Without the fairy tale charm, it's not quite as good as The Land of Stories but still has Colfer's signature humor and heart. I'm curious as to where the next installment will take the story.
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

I don't know if I should send Fredrik Backman the therapy bill or if I ought to thank him for the free therapy. In terms of craft I do think this is a little bit of a step down from the first book, with the writing more unnecessarily repetitive, lacking creativity, and unevenly paced. I also didn't particularly care for Richard Theo's plotline. But by Jove does this sequel hit so much harder emotionally. There were definitely times when the plot felt a little manipulative, but the end result is still heartfelt and strong. Believe what fans have been saying all this time: Fredrik Backman's books are a masterclass in empathy and nowhere is that more evident than in the Beartown trilogy. He displays such an affinity for humanity and an intimate desire to understand the best and the worst that individuals—and the towns they make up—have to offer. This is destined to be one of my favorite trilogies ever.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

While the individual tips Clear provides here are nothing particularly new or remarkable, it is his approach to goals, productivity, and self-improvement that makes this book stand out among most self-help books. He really dives into the core of how habits are built and broken which is basically based on who we are and who we decide to be. Simple, thoughtful, and grounded.
Pet Sematary by Stephen King

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dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

Overall a solid story with great narration work by Michael Hall in the audiobook, but I don't quite get the hype. This is my first Stephen King novel and while I generally enjoyed the writing and how atmospheric the world-building is, I don't think there's anything particularly outstanding about how he tackles grief here. While the story unsettled me a bit, I wasn't as scared as I wanted to be either. I'm not usually a prude when it comes to sexual content, but I thought some of the descriptions here were unnecessarily sexual and very male gazey. I'm not even sure whether they showed how certain characters were simply mesnt to be unlikeable or the writing just didn't age well. Either way, I am still interested in reading more of King's work, so I'll take any recommendations for my next King read.
Fence Vol. 2 by C.S. Pacat

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Not as strong as the first but still very engaging!
The Mythology Class: A Graphic Novel by Arnold Arre

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful 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

I think we as a Filipino society have been sleeping on this masterpiece for far too long. I don't even think this gets nearly as much praise and attention as Tan and Baldisimo's Trese when it deserves paralleled adulation. Mythology Class is incredibly rich in story, with flawed and funny characters you can't help but root for, and runs at a breakneck pace that will have you turning page after page despite being dialogue-heavy. The artwork is astounding too—blending a nostalgic classic style with a more modern approach when it comes to the fantastical elements. I mean, wow, reading this was like watching a movie!! Highly, highly recommended!