annaroosvw's reviews
97 reviews

The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History by Kassia St. Clair

challenging informative mysterious medium-paced

3.75

A fantastic deep dive into different fibers for those who have a deeper passion for textiles - not fashion. Written with wit, attention for detail  and subjectivity 

Unguarded Hours by A.N. Wilson

adventurous dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

A read that goes anywhere you didn’t see coming. A bit sad to see how the protagonist sinks down into a sad past driven future that does t really make him thrive as a person. On the other hand relativizing to see how life can lead you to find a home in unexpected places and how work and learning turns people into craftsmen. Slightly hard to stay in it, but good enough to finish it.  

Night of Many Dreams by Gail Tsukiyama

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

3.75

I was looking for an easy introduction of Chinese culture and found it in this one. Slightly too soft, very girly, but warming and matches the ideas I have around Chinese cinema in this genre. Set in war times gives it the roughness it needs. Interesting to see how differently the sisters develop and how they change over time due to what life brings. 

My Mother/My Self: The Daughter's Search for Identity by Nancy Friday

reflective medium-paced

4.0

Hits the heart in places where you didn’t want to go, until you’re glad you did. Nancy addresses some of the deep taboos around mothers and daughters that wil hopefully be normalized in the upcoming decades. She makes the point that to be timely seperated from mother is necessary for a healthy development of the understanding of romance and what is means to be loved in general. Bold, sometimes taken too far, but activates deep questioning of thoughts that have been lurking in all of us and suppressed to keep things as they are. A recommendation for people with mom issues as well as those with the healthiest family ties out there.

Sara: de dochter van de wijnbouwer by Kristen Harnisch

5.0

Lovely descriptions of settings, feelings and details. Easy to follow and to empathize; I was in France in a jif :) Wonderful debute, dreamed away for some wonderful hours.

De zeven zussen by Lucinda Riley

3.0

A bit too simple in my opinion; clichees, lots of things are too perfectly random. But fun writing and exotic locations. Good enough for a nice getaway.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

4.0

To quote Tsukiko “The finest of pleasures are always the unexpected ones”. I did not know what to expect from this title. As reluctant as I am to read books that contain magical elements and unrealistic plots, Morgenstern convinced me to challenge this attitude. The night circus evolves from a messy puzzle of unrelated characters and plotlines throughout nonchronological time period to a clear whole with sharp messages about what is real and the role of individual and collective purposes in life. It reminded me of how mystical life actually is and how often us humans keep convincing each other that an engineered society is an actual possability - which is not the case if we allow ourselves to think thoroughly, right? Perhaps magic is the true reality that we we mistake our beloved 'scientific facts' for.

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

4.0

Not at all what you expect when you turn the first page, not in a bad way. I love the adequate balance in suspense and romance that makes you want to read on. The title is chosen a bit poorly if you ask me. I don't think linking dolls as a typical scary metaphore to the story adds to the quality of the plot. The book is dark, but in a way that is still doable for people like me that are usually not into the horror genre and prefer plain historical fiction.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: A Play by Richard R. George

5.0

I enjoyed the movie so much as a kid and now the book happens to be even more jolly. The descriptions are so honest (like a child would say it), so true and I love that. Wonka seems different than Depp in the movie, I like him better this way. And the grandpa of Charlie is even more Hilarious: jippie!!!

Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard by Jennie Allen

3.0

Indeed this one was rather repetitive, but I needed that a little and I believe this is the case for many readers who were looking for the wisdom within this book. I have not heard anyone describe the story of imperfection better than Jennie. It feels like someone put my inner thoughts on paper, only she knew the answere that I could not come up with. A very calming, true, honest message that I believe should be heard by believers ánd non-believers.