American Sniper by Chris Kyle

American Sniper by Chris Kyle

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I have some pretty complicated feelings about this book and really don't feel like discussing them.



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On the Move by Oliver Sacks

On the Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What a great read. This guy knows/has known everyone! You don't need to be interested in neurology or science to enjoy this book, being interested in human beings is enough. Just be prepared to take note of a plethora of other books you will be introduced to that you will want to read.



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Born With Teeth by Kate Mulgrew

Born with Teeth: A Memoir by Kate Mulgrew

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


What an interesting life. I confess to not being a huge Trekkie and am too young to have watched Ryan's Hope so I know Kate Mulgrew as Red from Orange is the New Black and I love her character. This is a very well-written memoir and I would enjoy reading anything else she should choose to write. Ms. Mulgrew is truly a woman of many talents.



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100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The main character has a wonderfully unique way of looking at the world. The thinks in terms of distance instead of time. I love that. I don't think I could fully make the conversion but I think it might be useful to think in this way every once in a while.
Good coming of age tale.
My digital copy was a bit wonky. Not all the pages wanted to load and every once in a while it would skip pages. Don't think it impacted what I absorbed from the story.

This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from PulseIt.



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The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Well, I'm glad that's over. This feels like it could have been more effectively done in one longer book than drawn out over a trilogy. The last two books suffered from the lack of momentum that was built up well in the first book but not carried through. Interesting take on the vampire lore though.



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Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Oh. My. Frickin. Lord. This book was waaaaayyyy too long. Not only was it long, it was unnecessarily long. For every paragraph of plot and character development there was 10 pages of long-winded technological history (felt like it anyway). Although this does set the scene, I don't need that much scene. It was overkill. It was so detailed I couldn't follow it or imagine any of it properly in my own mind. There was obviously a ton of research that must have gone into this, but at the same time, it's fiction and all made up. Maybe I just read too many hyped up reviews. I'm just glad I'm done reading this book because it exhausted me.



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The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango

The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a fun short read. It's a pleasant treat when you read a book that surprises you. This is unpredictable, fresh, unique and very enjoyable. I can't really say too much without giving something away but I think this book would appeal to anyone that loves books with good characters.

This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from Netgalley.com.



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Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread by Chuck Palahniuk

Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread by Chuck Palahniuk

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Palahniuk has a wonderfully unique way of discussing the way people and the world can be such a disappointment. Fortunately, his narrative style is funny enough that you don't fall into an unscalable pit of depression.
I enjoyed how often he referenced Fight Club in the different stories. I thought you weren't supposed to talk about Fight Club, but I guess the author is exempt.

The title sums up these stories pretty well. When you are done with one, you kind of wish you hadn't read it but it's so well told you can't forget it.

This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from Netgalley.com.



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The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I can never judge how good a mystery or thriller is until I've reached the end. If I figure out what is going on too early, it's just no good. Or if the ending is just boring and anti-climactic (cough, cough, Gone Girl) I get really annoyed. You don't have to worry about either of those with this book. It's a fast, enjoyable read and the pacing is perfect. I really loved how broken and flawed the narrator was, it was nice that she wasn't perfect.



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Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


If I never hear the phrase "inner goddess" again my own inner goddess will do back flips.
I was going to rate this book two stars based my review system for book one but I decided to deduct a star because James didn't have the good sense to find a Dom who would order her to stop writing.



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Hugo & Rose by Bridget Foley

Hugo & Rose by Bridget Foley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


On one hand, this is a wonderfully unique story brimming with imagination. On the other, it is an interesting study dealing with trauma, family, denial, fear, and love. Really great combination and a much more full and robust book than I was expecting from the plot blurb posted by the publisher. Really great read.

This honest review is in exchange for a free copy received through GoodReads First Reads.



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Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I feel like John Green must have been listening to Leonard Cohen when he was working out how to write the end. "There is a crack in everything/That's how the light gets in."
Green is a good writer but I just didn't fall in love with this book. I didn't like Margot. She was too self-indulgent for me to care about her. I felt sorry for Quinten for being such a sap but that was about it. I suppose it's a good read if you feel about reading about growing pains.



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The Shepherdess of Siena by Linda Lafferty

The Shepherdess of Siena by Linda Lafferty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As someone who loved horses as a young girl, I could relate to the main character a little bit. Of course, it was okay for me to ride and not scandalous. Wonderful story paralleling the Di'Medici reign of Tuscany. The only problems I have with historical fiction is plucking the fact from the fiction. It makes the story interesting but I'd almost rather the two be separate. Aside from that, this story was vibrant with wonderful, actualized characters. I would recommend this to anyone interested in history, Italy, horses, or art. Very enjoyable read.

This review is in exchange for a free-galley from Netgalley.com.



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