ailurolily's reviews
159 reviews

Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb

Go to review page

adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing by Walter Murch

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.

Editing hasn't been something I've been in the mood for recently. Maybe when I feel more excited about it I'll pick it up again.

Letters to a Young Scientist by Edward O. Wilson

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 58%.

Ok so as someone who's not planning on going into any science-y fields, this book isn't really applicable to me. I mostly picked it up out of curiosity. But I'm sure people who are planning on pursuing science would find this helpful, so give it a try

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Go to review page

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

I was a bit confused at times, and felt like I missed a lot of the symbolism. Towards the end it began feeling somewhat repetitive. But I like McCarthy's writing style, and overall I enjoyed it and would read more of his works.

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

A very cozy and relaxing read. The primary conflicts are tense enough that you want them to suceed, but the stakes are fairly low which makes this a very good book to read if you're looking for something casual. There are some fantasy elements, but it's an extremely soft magic system and the fantasy is light. Alrhough I enjoyed this book more than not, my feelings towards it are a bit mixed.

I found the writing style didn't resonate with me much. I didn't like the way the dialogue or character interactions were written, which pulled me out of the story. But, I tend to be picky when it comes to writing style, so take this criticism with a grain of salt. And obviously if you're not somebody who notices or cares much for prose, this criticism probably won't be relevant for you.

While the lead characters were interesting enough to follow, the side characters felt bland and flat. I understand you can't make every single character round and dynamic, but most of the townspeople were entirely indistinguishable from each other. The main characters (Trav, Grace, and Sarah) didn't suffer quite as much from this. Of the three perspectives we read, Grace is the most nuanced and developed, with Trav coming in close second. I didn't feel Sarah was as interesting as Sarah and Trav, but I would put her above the side characters at least.

In general, my overall opinion of it was that it was OK. I would reread it, or read its sequel, but I don't regret reading. It has a specific purpose: to tell a story about grief and feeling lost, and about finding a family you learn the lean on. And it does that well. So take this review as you will. 3.25 stars seems a bit harsh, but that mostly reflects my own personal enjoyment of the story. If you think you may like, you probably will.

Content Warnings

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Go to review page

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

I really didn't enjoy this one much, sadly. I want to like Gaiman's writing, and I'm not gonna give up on him just yet, but so far the books I've read by him haven't clicked with me.

I read the illustrated version and paired it up with audiobook narration, and I felt doing that added to the presentation of the story more than if I had just done one or the other.

How the World Looks to a Bee: And Other Moments of Science by Don Glass

Go to review page

informative relaxing fast-paced

3.75

Picked this up at my library out of curiosity. It promises short tidbits of interesting scientific facts, and it does exactly that. There are over 100 segments, covering a wide array of categories, so I feel most people of any background would be able to find something in here that intrigues them.

Each segment is only a page long, occasionally two at most. This makes it an incredibly easy and relaxing read. At the end of each topic, the author also includes a short list of citations, telling the reader where they can look into the information further (generally 1-3 links), which I found to be helpful, as there were some things I learned in this book that I would love to look further into.

It's not a book that's meant to be read linearly. The topics don't build off of each other, so skipping around to the titles that spark interest is really the best way to read this IMO.

I think it's a good read, and would recommend it. :)

Fave segments:
"Can a Theory Evolve Into A Law?"
"Wrong Name!"
"Dog Facial Expressions and Humans"
"Bad Grades and Biological Clocks"
"Antimatter"

How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Go to review page

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced