erinbrenner's reviews
504 reviews

Cottage for Sale, Must Be Moved: A Woman Moves a House to Make a Home by Kate Whouley

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

4.0

The Voyage of Freydis by Tamara Goranson

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This book is a retelling of the Freydis Eirikdötter's sagas in the Icelandic sagas. The sagas were told for centuries among a sexist culture before being written down by a different but equally sexist culture. What might have Freydis might really have been like? What would have pushed a woman out of her usual role? Why might a society make her a villain?

This is not a book for those with strong triggers. Please see the many content warnings. We're walking with a woman who suffered greatly. If you can handle it, this book is a tremendous opportunity to understand someone trapped in an abusive relationship and maybe why they stay.
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Chakras Beyond Beginners: Awakening to the Power Within by David Pond

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informative medium-paced

4.0

The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Song for the Basilisk by Patricia A. McKillip

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

John Koening spent about a decade putting words to feelings that many of us experience but don't know how to describe. Feelings like "the loneliness of having to keep a secret" ("hiddled" (adj.)), "the hidden vulnerability of others" ("socha" (n.)), and "the sorrow of imagining the wealth of knowledge forever lost to history" ("kerisl" (n.)). 

Some definitions are brief and to the point. Others are short essays that help you dig deep into the feeling. All are sorrowful in one way or another, which is why I took so long to read it. I'd read a few pages now and then. I thoroughly enjoyed them, but reading too much at once left me sorrowful and tired. 

This is a great book to dip in and out of or to use to define that undefinable feeling your having.
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

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

4.0

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Once Upon a Two by Four by Ann Combs

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inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

Od Magic by Patricia A. McKillip

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I first read this when it came out, loved it, and pit it away. I came across it recently and couldn't remember anything about it. Clearly time for a reread! 

The book stands up to time. It says a lot for a short book, and there's a lot going on beneath the surface of this delightful story. Accepting people who are different, finding your truth, and seeking to be accepted for yourself are all themes that we need today, as much as we did when this book came out. Such a joyful rediscovery!
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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? Yes

4.5