Adventurous Reader
“Sometimes, you see a tall ride peaking toward the sky, and you know you shouldn't get on. Your stomach will fall. Maybe you'll get motion sickness. But the potential excitement is too deliciously intriguing to walk away.”
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Such a cute story!!! A small town girl, in love with roller coasters, goes toe to toe with the big wig engineer who built the roller coaster that hurt her. The tension is palpable, but after being forced to work together all summer things change. A fun push pull dynamic, with just enough spice. I fell in love with Honeywood and all the characters.
“The Sack of Rome was the logical endpoint of an overstretched emperor's attempts to have it all”
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Patrick Wyman did a great job turning 40 years of history into a captivating narrative. Stepping out of my comfort zone I found this book to be not a dry retelling of history, but enthralling short stories of people who lived during this time and their impact on shaping the world we now know. For those interested in the earlier years of European history, the figures who influenced society, and the impactful role of money, or those just looking to step out of their comfort zones and give history another go, this book may be for you.
“Sometimes we get so tied up in our idea of what we think we want that we miss out on the amazingness of what we could actually have.”
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A modern day, movie quoting, 80's teenage romcom, and I am here for it! Liz must have the perfect boy, and to do so she enlists the help of her annoying neighbor to get her there. Teen drama ensues; plenty of laughs, a bit of tears, and of course frustrations at Liz not seeing what is right in front of her.
“Art could be beauty, but it was also power. Look, it demanded, and don't turn away.”
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What a deep, yet fun and thrilling story. We meet five Chinese American college kids who are given an offer to “return” artifacts to China, the catch is they have to steal them from famous museums. I really enjoy the depth we get to see in each character, their past and present, fears and desires. The heists bring unexpected challenges to their lives and relationships, and we get to see how they overcome these speed bumps on their way. The ending took me by surprise, but overall the author has woven some deeper topics into an exciting storyline.
A gorgeously illustrated book!! Filled with the meanings behind flowers, and the occasional history of said meaning. Definitely using it to pick flower gifts.
“You think I'm cute.” “In a gross way.” This makes him smile wider. “Cute in a gross way. Okay.”
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I'm not sure I would go on someone else's honeymoon with someone I thought hated me, but Olive and Ethan stuck together in paradise was fantastic. Plenty of bickering, laughable and awkward moments, flirtation, and a pinch of family drama to top it off.
“A story carves deep grooves into our brains each time we tell it. But we aren't one story. We can change our stories. We can write our own.”
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What a comical and insightful look into the life of Amy Poehler. She is hilarious on the screen and via the written word. This was a fun read with a pinch of life lessons and lots of ridiculous stories.
“Like a good book or an incredible outfit, being on vacation transports you into another version of yourself.”
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Poppy and Alex's journey speaks to me! I love their varying summer trips and the way nothing goes perfectly, like life, but for the most part they still have fun. Emily Henry did a wonderful job of bringing two very different personalities together as friends, their dynamic is adorable and frustrating, yet my heart swells for them. A must read for a travel lover looking for a little bit of friendship, romance, and funny stories.
“One archaeologist noticed two rude lines of verse, scratched on the rock wall, in front of their very noses: If any fools this high samootch explore, Know Charles Masson has been here before.”
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The story is a fun, adventurous, and wild journey through the Middle East in the early 1800s in search of freedom, lost history, and a little recognition. Following a deserter, who becomes a historian, I found Charles Masson captivating as he evaded the East India Trading Company, dined with rulers, was forced into espionage, and fell in love with the search for a lost history. At times the story is exciting, at some it is mundane, and at others a little bit sad, but overall it is fascinating. Masson's love for Afghanistan at that time is contagious, and his search for one of the cities of Alexandria is enchanting.
“Cities might not always function as smoothly as we might wish, but given the number of different people working to keep them going, well, it's pretty amazing that they work at all.”
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Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstecdt did a fun job of bringing into the light many hidden features built into the cities around us. This was an entertaining and captivating narrative, sharing the many intricate, yet overlooked details built into our everyday lives. Like revolving doors: they can cause anxiety and joy in people, but they were made to be a door that is always open and always closed, mainly to reduce strain on heating and cooling systems. There are so many interesting facts in this book and I highly recommend giving it a try, you never know how many new things you will learn.
“Everything worthwhile in life is won through surmounting the associated negative experience.”
An aptly named book. I was surprised by how much I agreed with Mark's reasoning and concepts. Highly recommend for anyone looking to take the time to step back and reevaluate their lives and focus on the more meaningful aspect of life. One of the ways to do this, as Mark points out in a funny and example ridden way, is to not care about every little thing.
“Step-by-step, year-by-year, the world is improving. Not on every single measure every single year, but as a rule. Though the world faces huge challenges, we have made tremendous progress. This is the fact-based worldview.”
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What an eye opening book. An informal read full of interesting information. Before reading this book I would say I had a pretty good grasp on the general trends of the globe, but after reading Factfullness I realized I was basing my opinions and information on outdated facts and I was very far from the truth. The world is doing quite well and Hans does a wonderful job of relaying this idea with different topics and facts. He keeps you engaged and moves through his ideas in an almost story-like manner.
“Of all the girls in all the world, here she was on a spit of beach in the Red Desert, astride an Asterion horse, racing faster than the wind. Most would never experience this - she would never experience anything like this again. And for that one heartbeat, when there was nothing more to it than that, she tasted bliss so complete that she tipped her head back to the sky and laughed.”
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I really enjoyed this collection of short adventures that provide some history to Celaena's life and some background to her person. Maas did a great job of making each story captivating and emotional, setting up the start of Throne of Glass.I really enjoyed the collection of short adventures that Maas put together to provide some history to Celaena's life and background into her person. Maas did a fantastic job of making each story captivating and emotional, setting up the start of the Throne of Glass.
“What's the point in having a mind if you don't use it to make judgments?” “What's the point in having a heart if you don't use it to spare others from the harsh judgments of your mind?”
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Tortured past assassin, Celaena, brings her A-game to the palace of the glass throne to kick some butt and get herself out of sticky situation, while getting mixed up in so much more. There is action, hints of flirtation, a pinch of magic, and lots of sparring. Looking forward to the rest of Celaena's journey.
“He looks like revolution. He looks like compassion. Blue eyes and gentle hands and quick feet and a core of strength and steel”
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We are introduced to Tessa and Wes, Robinhood figures, stealing medicine from the rich to give to the poor, but trouble comes when there are sparks of revolution and they have to pick a side; side with the dangerous rebels or the royals trying to uphold the law. Kemmerer has given us characters to love and hate, and maybe a bit of both, and woven a tale that keeps us on the edge of our seats. A delight to read, and highly recommendable!