Reviews by Andrea (65)

Andrea 2026-06-10 Thirteen Lives Saved Aquanaut

A fascinating deep dive into the life of a cave diver

Thirteen Lives Saved Aquanaut

Discover the deeply weird and oddly wonderful world of a dedicated cave diver. It's not great literature, but what a fascinating true story it is. I can't imagine wanting to be a cave diver myself, but when I read this book, I began to see the power of adventure and discovery at work. Absolutely authentic, tragic in places, exciting in others, this is the life story of one of the divers leading the rescue effort to save 13 people trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.

Andrea 2026-04-24 Aftertaste

Very Strange. Thoroughly Enjoyed It

Aftertaste

Very unusual! I found it quite hard to put down. Great literature? No, but it's definitely a fascinating read. In a sense, there is a deeper message, as it explores themes of grief, memory, and love. That sounds slow and depressing, but though it's shot through with sadness, it's anything but slow-moving.

Andrea 2026-04-24 Maurice and Maralyn

Interesting in a Way

Maurice and Maralyn

It's a simply written and astonishing tale of survival. I'm afraid I skimmed through quite a lot of it. Maurice's character is perhaps the most interesting part. He's a very solitary soul, and I can believe that he wasn't easy to get along with, but he loved his wife more than anything. The book goes beyond their survival story and follows their lives until their passing in the 2000s. It's not particularly well-written, but I suppose with a story like that to relate, it doesn't really have to be. It leaves me feeling a little sad, especially after listening to the interview with Maurice (posted link here).

Andrea 2026-04-06 My Favourite Mistake

Light, Mildly Amusing

My Favourite Mistake

No need to engage your brain. Just cruise into the story and enjoy it. Ideally, you shouldn't think too much. If you don't, you'll find it funny and rather sweet. If you do, you'll wonder how a woman of that age could have the emotional intelligence of a teenager. Mildly amusing and very undemanding - just what we need at times.

Andrea 2026-04-06 Mistaken Identity

A Christian Book, Still Inspiring

Mistaken Identity

A truck strikes a minibus full of students. Only one survives. A family is told their daughter is dead, and another family is told their daughter has survived, but is gravely injured. 5 weeks later, the truth comes out. The girl in the hospital has been misidentified. I skimmed a lot of this book. There's a lot of praying and American-style Christianity. God is mentioned on every second or third page, and sometimes 3 times on a single page. Nevertheless, I have the greatest respect for the people involved. They were subjected to extreme emotional trauma and handled it as well as any human being possibly could. So, despite skimming it at the speed of hot pie and peas, I found the story inspiring.

1 2 3 ... 13