sindri_inn_arsaeli's reviews
1118 reviews

Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds by Billy Collins

emotional reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.0

A lovely and well built little collection. Picked up at a library discard sale, and while I can see why it was discarded, (not new, not a stand out classic, specific reader appeal only,) I'm quite glad I picked it up! 

The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.

I did really want to enjoy this book. But it is mostly anecdotal, which on reflection does make sense for a book of this length, but it just got dull. I wasn't invested in people based on itty bitty snippets of their lives, and the premise of the book, the depth of friendship and level of commitment, could have been summed up in about one chapter. I was interested in the history of cultural norms surrounding different views of friendship, but the modern anecdotes drown out any historical or cultural commentary. I read about a quarter and then skimmed a good amount more, but decided I didn't want to skim that much of a book.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

5.0

This book was recommended to me and so moved up my To Be Read list. I'm so very glad it did! The story was charming, and dealt with it's subjects with such gentleness that it was just a cozy and sweet read. The themes were very serious. The story is at it's core about prejudice and racism and how the children who are already harmed by this are often failed by systems meant to care for them. But I was relieved that the style of writing made it clear that this story would not be about the worst possible outcomes, it was going to show the light that can be found in dark places. 

I will say I wish I had read it instead of listened. The reader used many (I felt oddly chosen) accents but not a single British one for a story that felt so British in setting. Some of the accents were actively off-putting, which was devastating as one of them was the adorable Chauncey. And I honestly abhorred the way he pronounced "ga-zay-bo".

Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie

challenging informative medium-paced

4.25

Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.

I knew this wasn't going to match my usual fare, but I wanted to give it a shot as a main source for the fictional Da Vinci Code. But regardless of whether you give credence to the conspiracy of it or not, the writing got denser, less organized, and more badly edited the further in I got. I didn't think there was a translation barrier to overcome, but the sentence structure made me think so at times, and the leaps and bounds through history don't even try to link together for the entire first half of the book. Not worth my time.

William Henry Harrison: Young Tippecanoe by Howard Peckham

fast-paced

1.0

Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition by Howell D. Chickering

5.0

Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going by Chris Barton

hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

I fall into the camp that is not a fan of glitter. Sparkles are lovely, I love a good sparkly thing, but keep that static electric glitter away from me. This book was definitely still for me! It claims to be for glitter loves and haters alike, and it follows through on that promise.
This is a fun, fast, and still decently detailed mini history of glitter. I absolutely learned a thing or two. A quick read for adults, a fun history for young readers, I found it accessible and very enjoyable.

James K. Polk: The American Presidents Series: The 11th President, 1845-1849 by John Seigenthaler

informative medium-paced

3.0

Refugees by Brian Bilston

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

5.0