Joshua's Updates en-US Thu, 01 May 2025 20:12:19 -0700 60 Joshua's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Comment290141093 Thu, 01 May 2025 20:12:19 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua commented on "Overview for The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" in Book Club]]> /topic/show/23120814-overview-for-the-four-agreements-a-practical-guide-to-personal-freedom Joshua made a comment in the Book Club group:

Hello fellow readers-

Creating this thread for our 21st overall book but our first book of round 6.


Please share your final ranking and thoughts below ]]> Comment289358524 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 22:24:51 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua commented on "Round 6" in Book Club]]> /topic/show/23103730-round-6 Joshua made a comment in the Book Club group:

Round 6 ]]> GiveawayRequest700047890 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:42:39 -0700 <![CDATA[<a href="/user/show/165408514-joshua">Joshua</a> entered a giveaway]]> /giveaway/show/404825-the-survivor-wants-to-die-at-the-end The Survivor Wants to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
5 copies available, ends on May 05, 2025
Enter to win ]]> Comment289354462 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:07:31 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua commented on "Overview for The Midnight Library" in Book Club]]> /topic/show/23103658-overview-for-the-midnight-library Joshua made a comment in the Book Club group:

Hello fellow readers-

Creating this thread for our twentieth overall book but our fourth book of round 5.


Please share your final ranking and thoughts below ]]> ReadStatus9295069547 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 18:11:02 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua finished reading 'The Midnight Library']]> /review/show/6900308902 The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Joshua finished reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
]]> ReadStatus9203041178 Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:18:35 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua started reading 'Sunrise on the Reaping']]> /review/show/6565749188 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Joshua started reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
]]> Review7367380366 Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:11:08 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua added 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes']]> /review/show/7367380366 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins Joshua gave 4 stars to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0) by Suzanne Collins
I enjoy this book and loved the world building in the early stages of post dark days Panem. This book takes on a hefty task of giving a terrible man from the OG series more nuance and humanity. At times it succeeds, at other times it is just okay.

I think having the actual games being from an outsiders perspective makes them a bit hard to follow because we are getting Coryo's view on whats happening on a TV screen. This is one part where when watching a movie and reading the book, the games are much more eventful and entertaining in the movie to get through that narrative section.

Love our songbird & victor Lucy Gray. Her seemingly pure authenticity really is what drives any level of emotional response from Snow, besides that he is all just cold and calculating. I love how the story of the OG Lucy Gray ties into the actual story with her disappearing and no trace of her being left. She is a ghost that will always haunt snow. ]]> Comment288282783 Thu, 13 Mar 2025 21:33:47 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua commented on "Round 5" in Book Club]]> /topic/show/23005653-round-5 Joshua made a comment in the Book Club group:

The Final Girl Support Group - avg 7.2 ]]> Comment288282757 Thu, 13 Mar 2025 21:32:16 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua commented on "Overview for The Final Girl Support Group" in Book Club]]> /topic/show/23080081-overview-for-the-final-girl-support-group Joshua made a comment in the Book Club group:

Favorite Character: Heather DeLuca - Even though she is a messy addict, I can't help but love any/every scene that Heather is in. She provides fun comedic moments while also keeping it real. She has the harshest wit vibe to all of her dialogue. She is on a different level and basically has superpowers!

Least Favorite: Lynette Tarkington - Every negative consequence throughout this book can be circled back solely to Lynette's erratic behavior. Her paranoia, self-interest, and delusion I feel do more harm than it does good throughout the entirety of this story. She values a potted plant more than someone shes known for 15-20 years, leaving them to bleed out on the floor. Because of her greed and wanting to have notoriety she directly is responsible for a rehabilitation center burning down, a woman with cancer dying without the love of her life by her side, more bodily damage to an already paralyzed woman, and that's just in the first third of this book. She claims to be so careful and watchful for dangers in the world, but that action only does nothing but hurt everyone else. Being a "Final Girl" isn't solely about being a "survivor/victim", its about having the balls to stand up for other people at the risk of being killed yourself, which Lynette barely shows even at the end. She didn't end the "monster man" killer, and beat the "groomed female" killer by.... holding her in a headlock? Heather did it better with the toilet seat.

Rating: 6.5/10 - I’d say this book had a terrible start. Slow, annoying/confusing narration, seemingly felt like Grady knew how he wanted the 2nd half of the story to go, but just made up shit (literally) until we got to the last half of the book where it picks up. He does a good job at explaining everyones backstory, and when everyone is a horror movie surviving final girl, he does a good job at giving each girl their own voice and detailed characterization. Its just the times where we are alone with Lynette spiraling for an extended period of time this book really drags on. Wish we had a more ensemble cast throughout the book or rotating perspectives. Lynette not only drags down the group and everyone around her, she also drags down the book as a whole. ]]> Rating835822582 Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:37:45 -0700 <![CDATA[Joshua liked a review]]> /
Joshua liked Alex O.'s review of The Fury:
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
"I read the Silent Patient earlier this year and really enjoyed that, so I was looking forward to this read after a friend recommended it to me.

The book was entertaining and I’d read more by this author but it was a bit slow for my tastes and I’m not sure the “big pay off� was worth the wait."
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