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booksny's reviews
322 reviews
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.0
An easy read with decently likable characters. Provides a glorified view of old-fashionedness, and restricted opinions on ideal womanhood
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is very, very beautifully written. The plot is meandering and highly metaphorical, which won't be for everyone (and I had occasional trouble as well with reading without taking it in), but I feel that this is a book where the focus should ideally be on the atmosphere it evokes and the gorgeous fantasy setting it describes
The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers by Richard McGregor
informative
slow-paced
3.0
The scope of The Party is well-defined in accordance to its thesis and main objectives. McGregor focuses strictly upon Chinese domestic politics; international relations issues
such as the global financial crisis and hostilities with Taiwan are mentioned only in passing. This is because McGregor’s argument is that the CCP’s biggest challenges comes from within rather than without.
The Party’s stated objectives is to explain how the CCP has survived and prospered until
today, and to place the CCP ‘back at the heart of the modern Chinese society’. This it successfully does by providing a detailed exploration of the CCP’s adaptability and
pragmatism. It clearly explains the factors - fear of collective action, determination to
stay in power - which influence how the CCP operates. However, readers are left to ruminate upon why these factors are so important. What makes the individuals leading the CCP so desperate for power? Is it a matter of greed, of ideology, of inertia? These are admittedly difficult questions to answer, but the ensuing result is that the secret world of the Chinese Communist Party still remains, for the most part, disappointingly secret.
It is always interesting to observe how an author’s professional background guides the tone and arguments formed in their work. The first key point of note is that McGregor is writing The Party from a journalistic, rather than academic perspective. Thus, the target audience of The Party is the general public rather than the academia, and The Party does not directly acknowledge or reference alternative works or academic theories about Chinese politics. The second key point to keep in consideration is McGregor’s previous service as the China bureau chief for the Financial Times, a paper with a focus on business, financial and economic news. Consequently, it stands to reason that he has a particular interest in the role and impact of the Chinese economy. These two points bring both advantages and drawbacks to the table. As The Party is aimed at the edification of the wider populace, McGregor uses a lively, engaging writing
style which renders the complex subject of Chinese politics easily understandable to the average layman. As a journalist, his investigative style, resources and informant network may be markedly different from that of academics, and so the anecdotes and observations he recounts are a unique, compelling source of primary data. His in-depth explanations of the role and impact of the Chinese economy - not just in relation to CCP leadership decisions, but also in relation to corruption, personnel selection and the military - adds value to mainstream beliefs that said economy is a key factor in influencing Chinese politics.
On the other hand, The Party lacks academic objectivity. An academic paper of quality would have gathered both supporting and opposing literature on the subject and presented it alongside their own argument. This would have allowed readers to place the book in the wider context of China studies. As it is, readers for which The Party is their introduction to understanding China would be hard pressed to evaluate its argument, question its assumptions and notice its limitations.
such as the global financial crisis and hostilities with Taiwan are mentioned only in passing. This is because McGregor’s argument is that the CCP’s biggest challenges comes from within rather than without.
The Party’s stated objectives is to explain how the CCP has survived and prospered until
today, and to place the CCP ‘back at the heart of the modern Chinese society’. This it successfully does by providing a detailed exploration of the CCP’s adaptability and
pragmatism. It clearly explains the factors - fear of collective action, determination to
stay in power - which influence how the CCP operates. However, readers are left to ruminate upon why these factors are so important. What makes the individuals leading the CCP so desperate for power? Is it a matter of greed, of ideology, of inertia? These are admittedly difficult questions to answer, but the ensuing result is that the secret world of the Chinese Communist Party still remains, for the most part, disappointingly secret.
It is always interesting to observe how an author’s professional background guides the tone and arguments formed in their work. The first key point of note is that McGregor is writing The Party from a journalistic, rather than academic perspective. Thus, the target audience of The Party is the general public rather than the academia, and The Party does not directly acknowledge or reference alternative works or academic theories about Chinese politics. The second key point to keep in consideration is McGregor’s previous service as the China bureau chief for the Financial Times, a paper with a focus on business, financial and economic news. Consequently, it stands to reason that he has a particular interest in the role and impact of the Chinese economy. These two points bring both advantages and drawbacks to the table. As The Party is aimed at the edification of the wider populace, McGregor uses a lively, engaging writing
style which renders the complex subject of Chinese politics easily understandable to the average layman. As a journalist, his investigative style, resources and informant network may be markedly different from that of academics, and so the anecdotes and observations he recounts are a unique, compelling source of primary data. His in-depth explanations of the role and impact of the Chinese economy - not just in relation to CCP leadership decisions, but also in relation to corruption, personnel selection and the military - adds value to mainstream beliefs that said economy is a key factor in influencing Chinese politics.
On the other hand, The Party lacks academic objectivity. An academic paper of quality would have gathered both supporting and opposing literature on the subject and presented it alongside their own argument. This would have allowed readers to place the book in the wider context of China studies. As it is, readers for which The Party is their introduction to understanding China would be hard pressed to evaluate its argument, question its assumptions and notice its limitations.
Fish Preferred by P.G. Wodehouse
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A typical Wodehouse plot, though it felt slower than some of his other works that I've enjoyed. Liked the absurd humor and creative writing style as always. My favorite characters were Sue and Galahad - they were unapologetically madcap. Was not a fan of Millicent and Ron; wish Sue's love interest was someone else. Baxter and Pilbeam were intriguing but found their motivations a bit thin
The Desert Moon Mystery by Kay Cleaver Strahan
mysterious
medium-paced
2.0
I liked the vast cast of characters and the intricate mystery.
I strongly disliked the execution - there was a lot of foreshadowing with very little payoff. The detective abruptly showed up 60% into the novel, everyone was running around being useless up til then.
The narrator was particularly unlikeable - she was prone to making erroneous judgements that gave her an air of prejudice and incompetence. There were a lot of race and gender stereotypes that haven't aged well that the narrator was frequently espousing.
I strongly disliked the execution - there was a lot of foreshadowing with very little payoff. The detective abruptly showed up 60% into the novel, everyone was running around being useless up til then.
The narrator was particularly unlikeable - she was prone to making erroneous judgements that gave her an air of prejudice and incompetence. There were a lot of race and gender stereotypes that haven't aged well that the narrator was frequently espousing.
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I struggled to like the protagonist in first six chapters - she was so monotonously self-pitying. Seen through her eyes, her family members were also universally unlikable. I nearly gave up on the read as a result. Am glad I didn't though, as the story picked up after Valancy started interacting with colorful characters beyond her family. I enjoyed watching her growth and her appreciation of nature - her description of the scenery was often beautiful and lyrical. Ended up feeling quite satisfied with this read.
Simple Sabotage Field Manual by U.S. Office of Strategic Services
funny
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Straightforward and interesting insights into simple sabotage acts and thinking
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A creative read - the plot feels a tad more meandering than Alice's adventures in wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It's been more than a decade since I read this ; still enjoyed this as much as I did before
Angel Light by Andrew M. Greeley
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Found this monstrously boring - the protagonist is a perpetually horny Gary Stu with a cartoonishly unlikable family