Amanda Gradisek
@amandagradisek.bsky.social
English Ph.D, nature, family, kids, equity, pets, travel, and books
This was ok, but while I found the romance lackluster, I thought the portrayal of pregnancy (especially especially twin pregnancy) compelling. It’s interesting how books from even 15 years ago feel so dated because of the lack of smartphones.
⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️.5
August 31, 2025 at 8:39 PM
This was ok, but while I found the romance lackluster, I thought the portrayal of pregnancy (especially especially twin pregnancy) compelling. It’s interesting how books from even 15 years ago feel so dated because of the lack of smartphones.
⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️.5
Read this for neighborhood book club and enjoyed it. It definitely did not end the way I expected, although it felt a bit unlikely. I did like cast of characters thoigh, set in a boarding house during the red scare of the 50s.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
August 22, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Read this for neighborhood book club and enjoyed it. It definitely did not end the way I expected, although it felt a bit unlikely. I did like cast of characters thoigh, set in a boarding house during the red scare of the 50s.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This book was jarring, set in a not-too-distant future of descent into climate disaster. It was disorienting and bleak, but also a reflection on sisterhood and family. The end was insane. Who recommended this???
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August 21, 2025 at 1:39 AM
This book was jarring, set in a not-too-distant future of descent into climate disaster. It was disorienting and bleak, but also a reflection on sisterhood and family. The end was insane. Who recommended this???
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This was an interesting book recommendation from my Uncle about how maps and geography shape global politics, wars, and economies. I liked having the companion maps to go along with the histories and analysis.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
August 19, 2025 at 2:10 AM
This was an interesting book recommendation from my Uncle about how maps and geography shape global politics, wars, and economies. I liked having the companion maps to go along with the histories and analysis.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I like this author, but some of her older work is very long in style (not pages). This was a good take on a long marriage and handled the issue of abortion and women’s sexuality in the 50s and 60s well.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
August 17, 2025 at 1:34 AM
I like this author, but some of her older work is very long in style (not pages). This was a good take on a long marriage and handled the issue of abortion and women’s sexuality in the 50s and 60s well.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I can’t remember why I read this but I did not like it. The story is pretentious and heavy handed. I liked the topic of art and colonialism, but the writing was too obvious. Too much talk of cheekbones and college kids acting like they’ve had years of struggle.
⭐️.5
⭐️.5
August 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
I can’t remember why I read this but I did not like it. The story is pretentious and heavy handed. I liked the topic of art and colonialism, but the writing was too obvious. Too much talk of cheekbones and college kids acting like they’ve had years of struggle.
⭐️.5
⭐️.5
Eerie, fantastical, beautiful. The story didn’t quite come together for me, but the imagery was great.
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August 8, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Eerie, fantastical, beautiful. The story didn’t quite come together for me, but the imagery was great.
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This was a different, creepier kind of fantasy novel. It was interesting in that, while there was a love story, it was not foregrounded. The story was a big strange, and at times it seemed too long
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August 7, 2025 at 11:12 AM
This was a different, creepier kind of fantasy novel. It was interesting in that, while there was a love story, it was not foregrounded. The story was a big strange, and at times it seemed too long
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This was an interesting not-too-unrealistic imagination of what would happen if government imprisoned people based on their dreams.
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August 5, 2025 at 1:43 AM
This was an interesting not-too-unrealistic imagination of what would happen if government imprisoned people based on their dreams.
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Back to reading after not getting much done on my active vacation. This was a cool historical fiction book that did not follow a formula. It did a great job asking questions about history and legacy while weaving through a story.
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July 24, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Back to reading after not getting much done on my active vacation. This was a cool historical fiction book that did not follow a formula. It did a great job asking questions about history and legacy while weaving through a story.
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This was ok. The historical part was interesting and the characterization of the pressures of Chinese culture was good, but the storytelling was flat.
July 11, 2025 at 7:10 PM
This was ok. The historical part was interesting and the characterization of the pressures of Chinese culture was good, but the storytelling was flat.
This was unexpectedly good for a fantasy I don’t remember putting on my list. It felt different from some others and the story was interesting. Good slow burn!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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July 6, 2025 at 5:05 PM
This was unexpectedly good for a fantasy I don’t remember putting on my list. It felt different from some others and the story was interesting. Good slow burn!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heartbreakingly beautiful novel about love, loss, nature, the damage we’re doing to the earth, and the ways we survive, against all odds
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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June 25, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Heartbreakingly beautiful novel about love, loss, nature, the damage we’re doing to the earth, and the ways we survive, against all odds
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I thought this books was dumb. Someone finds themselves in a town from a novel, but what really annoyed me is how the writer didn’t understand what it means to be an English professor. Probably more importantly, I never really saw the characters. Weak!
⭐️.5
⭐️.5
June 24, 2025 at 2:59 AM
I thought this books was dumb. Someone finds themselves in a town from a novel, but what really annoyed me is how the writer didn’t understand what it means to be an English professor. Probably more importantly, I never really saw the characters. Weak!
⭐️.5
⭐️.5
This was odd, but I didn’t generally feel smart enough for it. I get that it was about how we act parts and lose track of reality, but why she wrote it this way, I don’t really get. I loved her book Intimacies, but this missed for me.
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June 21, 2025 at 2:38 AM
This was odd, but I didn’t generally feel smart enough for it. I get that it was about how we act parts and lose track of reality, but why she wrote it this way, I don’t really get. I loved her book Intimacies, but this missed for me.
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This was dark and violent but also got at the way people work through their prejudice. Thrilling and sad tale of revenge. Great audiobook reader.
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June 21, 2025 at 12:57 AM
This was dark and violent but also got at the way people work through their prejudice. Thrilling and sad tale of revenge. Great audiobook reader.
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Once again, I didn’t feel invested in this couple. I liked the setting and the dog, and I also had trouble buying the main character’s body issues.
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June 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Once again, I didn’t feel invested in this couple. I liked the setting and the dog, and I also had trouble buying the main character’s body issues.
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This was a nice romance with a great setting (Prince Edward Island). I liked the focus on self-discovery and friendship while figuring out other kinds of love. I don’t like books that present annoying characters as charming in a lazy way—this had a side character like that, but still decent
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
June 17, 2025 at 2:22 AM
This was a nice romance with a great setting (Prince Edward Island). I liked the focus on self-discovery and friendship while figuring out other kinds of love. I don’t like books that present annoying characters as charming in a lazy way—this had a side character like that, but still decent
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I always enjoy Ali Hazelwood.
She’s funny and her stories are sexy. There is a lot of pining and men who see a woman once and then swear off all others though…. I did enjoy the appearances from previous novels, Sicily, and the fact that she doesn’t write characters who need perfect weddings.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
She’s funny and her stories are sexy. There is a lot of pining and men who see a woman once and then swear off all others though…. I did enjoy the appearances from previous novels, Sicily, and the fact that she doesn’t write characters who need perfect weddings.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
June 16, 2025 at 4:29 AM
I always enjoy Ali Hazelwood.
She’s funny and her stories are sexy. There is a lot of pining and men who see a woman once and then swear off all others though…. I did enjoy the appearances from previous novels, Sicily, and the fact that she doesn’t write characters who need perfect weddings.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
She’s funny and her stories are sexy. There is a lot of pining and men who see a woman once and then swear off all others though…. I did enjoy the appearances from previous novels, Sicily, and the fact that she doesn’t write characters who need perfect weddings.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Fast paced crime thriller with a surprising ending. Not deep or written with any style but a page turner
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June 13, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Fast paced crime thriller with a surprising ending. Not deep or written with any style but a page turner
⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a dark psychological theory that reminded me at times of “The Yellow Wallpaper” and The Bad Seed. The pandemic setting in Egypt added to the eerie story. Pretty good.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 10, 2025 at 10:19 PM
This was a dark psychological theory that reminded me at times of “The Yellow Wallpaper” and The Bad Seed. The pandemic setting in Egypt added to the eerie story. Pretty good.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️
A hauntingly beautiful story set in the wilds of an island near Antarctica, chronicling the violence of the sea and the terrors of climate change. Somehow, also a mystery and a love story and a tale about grief, for humans and the earth both.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 8, 2025 at 4:39 AM
A hauntingly beautiful story set in the wilds of an island near Antarctica, chronicling the violence of the sea and the terrors of climate change. Somehow, also a mystery and a love story and a tale about grief, for humans and the earth both.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This was a great read filled with mystery, drama, and regret. I didn’t predict parts of it, and enjoyed the 1960s setting in rural England
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June 5, 2025 at 10:38 PM
This was a great read filled with mystery, drama, and regret. I didn’t predict parts of it, and enjoyed the 1960s setting in rural England
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Lombardo’s books capture family and marital relationships in a poignant way. She earns each character and our investment in them with her attention to relationships’ details. This books is sad and sweet and right.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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June 2, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Lombardo’s books capture family and marital relationships in a poignant way. She earns each character and our investment in them with her attention to relationships’ details. This books is sad and sweet and right.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I can’t figure out why I really disliked this book. It seemed like the narrator was too earnest about the characters. They just aren’t that great—but that’s all of us humans. Please stop acting like you’ve created amazing, perfect humans. You haven’t earned it.
⭐️.5
⭐️.5
May 31, 2025 at 2:27 PM
I can’t figure out why I really disliked this book. It seemed like the narrator was too earnest about the characters. They just aren’t that great—but that’s all of us humans. Please stop acting like you’ve created amazing, perfect humans. You haven’t earned it.
⭐️.5
⭐️.5