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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-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
I wanted to like this. The idea was solid, but the timeline jumps were annoying and I don’t think Hannah’s POV chapters were really necessary.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wasn’t enough to keep me interested in continuing.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There’s not enough words to express how poignant a book like this is, especially in today’s political climate.
I’ve always loved books on history, fiction based around historical events and books about real events and real people and while The Librarian of Burned Books falls into the former rather than the latter, it’s still an important story to tell.
This book tells you of the importance of books, and the access to those books. The interlocking stories of Viv, Hannah and Althea seek to show you how important books and intellectualism can be at different stages of your life.
If anyone has any interest in seeing how easily the most educated and intelligent people can fall to such horrors as those of the Nazis, this is the book you should read.
I admired the way the author wrote how complicated things can get in the middle of a war. Too often now, issues - political and societal - are presented as inherently black and white.
There are plenty of times in this book where there are people who see the world as this and are shattered by the realization that the world is also made up of shades of gray. Some things can be inherently right or wrong, but rarely is it ever as clear to see.
As far as novels go, I can see myself one day buying this book for my personal collection - as I read this book from my local library - and rereading it when I feel like I will most need it.
I’ve always loved books on history, fiction based around historical events and books about real events and real people and while The Librarian of Burned Books falls into the former rather than the latter, it’s still an important story to tell.
This book tells you of the importance of books, and the access to those books. The interlocking stories of Viv, Hannah and Althea seek to show you how important books and intellectualism can be at different stages of your life.
If anyone has any interest in seeing how easily the most educated and intelligent people can fall to such horrors as those of the Nazis, this is the book you should read.
I admired the way the author wrote how complicated things can get in the middle of a war. Too often now, issues - political and societal - are presented as inherently black and white.
There are plenty of times in this book where there are people who see the world as this and are shattered by the realization that the world is also made up of shades of gray. Some things can be inherently right or wrong, but rarely is it ever as clear to see.
As far as novels go, I can see myself one day buying this book for my personal collection - as I read this book from my local library - and rereading it when I feel like I will most need it.
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked learning about the events that inspired the true story of the Council of Books in Wartime and the push to censure the books sent to servicemen. The book burning in Germany is a historical event that can be researched and has photos included. It is very sobering. This is the story I expected, not so much about the three ladies and their unfulfilled needs--not that that is bad, just not what I was looking for.
The F/F relationship was also a surprise. I don't think it was in the publisher's review.
The audiobook version made it a bit difficult to follow the three story lines as they jumped between the 1930s and 1940s. Each story is interesting in its own right and eventually blend into one--the effort to save the books they can.
The writing was good, the characters were well developed, the plot bogged a bit in the middle with too much similar emotion from the three women--- the ending wrapped things up nicely.
The F/F relationship was also a surprise. I don't think it was in the publisher's review.
The audiobook version made it a bit difficult to follow the three story lines as they jumped between the 1930s and 1940s. Each story is interesting in its own right and eventually blend into one--the effort to save the books they can.
The writing was good, the characters were well developed, the plot bogged a bit in the middle with too much similar emotion from the three women--- the ending wrapped things up nicely.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was extremely MEH. It wasn't great, not awful. It taught me about the ASE program which was lovely. Some romance, LGBTQ characters were a plus. Bit boring thought, it was a chore to read.
I read The Librarian of Burned Books for the March 2024 meeting of the Well Read Book Club.
I don't have any strong opinions of this book. It had its moments, but ultimately I didn't walk away with any great ties to the characters, it didn't make me think deeply about anything - and more of a personal hang-up than anything else - I am exhausted by the Western obsession with WWII, reading about it, and somehow because of one project or another, always find myself doing so (my fault, I realize). So my lukewarm feelings towards the story isn't so much a critique as acknowledgement I would just rather be reading something else (*heavy sigh* I realized only now, I need to give myself some breathing space before I start Zone of Interest in the next few weeks!).
Snapshots I liked --
The literary shout outs! Especially to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Frankenstein, two of my all time favorites & it made me curious to read Vanity Fair and Tender is the Night (which I just scooped up for Kindle).
The reminder we can read purely for entertainment's sake, and not for any higher literary purpose. Which, apparently I needed, due to currently reading a salacious bit of fluff I find myself all too embarrassed about enjoying; I can only take so much nuclear horror in my reading in a short period of time, it seems (God Bless you, Jeneva Rose).
When Althea admitted she preferred reading about flawed characters as opposed to likable ones (a drum that I feel I am always beating). One thing I hear myself repeat often - "the worst sin a character can commit is to be boring." Give me interesting over morally uncomplicated any damn day.
Speaking of...
I like the philosophical rationale of Dev's double-cross; the trolley problem put on its literary shoes.
I hope I remember enough of the story to talk about it next month, but am not sure I will. it'll be like trying to remember what I had for lunch last Thursday. It'll give me an excuse to be quiet, which I am sure won't be an unwelcome change. Ha.
I don't have any strong opinions of this book. It had its moments, but ultimately I didn't walk away with any great ties to the characters, it didn't make me think deeply about anything - and more of a personal hang-up than anything else - I am exhausted by the Western obsession with WWII, reading about it, and somehow because of one project or another, always find myself doing so (my fault, I realize). So my lukewarm feelings towards the story isn't so much a critique as acknowledgement I would just rather be reading something else (*heavy sigh* I realized only now, I need to give myself some breathing space before I start Zone of Interest in the next few weeks!).
Snapshots I liked --
The literary shout outs! Especially to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Frankenstein, two of my all time favorites & it made me curious to read Vanity Fair and Tender is the Night (which I just scooped up for Kindle).
The reminder we can read purely for entertainment's sake, and not for any higher literary purpose. Which, apparently I needed, due to currently reading a salacious bit of fluff I find myself all too embarrassed about enjoying; I can only take so much nuclear horror in my reading in a short period of time, it seems (God Bless you, Jeneva Rose).
When Althea admitted she preferred reading about flawed characters as opposed to likable ones (a drum that I feel I am always beating). One thing I hear myself repeat often - "the worst sin a character can commit is to be boring." Give me interesting over morally uncomplicated any damn day.
Speaking of...
I like the philosophical rationale of Dev's double-cross; the trolley problem put on its literary shoes.
I hope I remember enough of the story to talk about it next month, but am not sure I will. it'll be like trying to remember what I had for lunch last Thursday. It'll give me an excuse to be quiet, which I am sure won't be an unwelcome change. Ha.