booksny's reviews
325 reviews

At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald

mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

The writing was beautiful - very fairytale setting and lyrical prose about nature. The main character, Diamond, was very much a Gary Stu; liked him but he felt quite unreal. The North Wind character is very similar to the grandmother in Macdonald's Princess and the Goblin/Princess and Curdie i.e. a beautiful giant woman with supernatural knowledge and powers

Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict by Elizabeth Day

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

Really enjoyed reading this; took so many notes, and look forward to discussing it with other friends reading it! I really appreciated the self-reflection Elizabeth Day exhibits and the way she words her thoughts; it made me think of my own friendships and myself in new and interesting ways.

The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction by Erik Bork

informative medium-paced

3.0

Appreciate the help Bork is giving to aspiring screenwriters. I wasn't always clear on what Bork was trying to communicate e.g. he mentions towards the end that he keeps a document on his computer grouping thought fragments he might want to write about, and one of those groups is "arenas or worlds of activity". Wasn't sure what that meant, so couldn't take that advice.

Speaking from the POV of an audience member, I was also not keen on some of the generalizations made on what audiences want or don't want e.g. he mentioned that "audience don't like bleak". I personally don't like bleak, but there's definitely some successful shows which are majorly bleak. I tried to get past those by reminding myself that his interpretation might differ and it was his main message which I should be focusing on, but it was difficult to connect to the message when I kept stumbling on glib points like that. 

All in all, it might be the right book for others, but I don't think it was for me. 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

lighthearted medium-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

Found myself skimming a lot of the book. It has promise - the protagonist was surprisingly likable despite the rather questionable things he did, and I appreciated that people DID call him out on some of those questionable things and he seemed to learn from them. Did not like that he suffered no real consequences though, and the manic pixie dream girl love interest

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist by M.C. Beaton

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

1.0

 Did not like the main character or her love interest

The Isle of Glass by Judith Tarr

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

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

3.0

I do like the writing style; it drew me in a lot. However, am not a fan of multiple other aspects of the read:

• Alf was the quintessential Gary Stu; everyone loved him, those who didn't got their comeuppance, but most of what he did seemed to be brood and angst about his life, which was objectively a good one
• Alf (and to a smaller extent, Morwin) were prone to making decisions that endangered themselves; I'm not a fan of unnecessary recklessness
• Only one female character, clearly set up to be the romantic interest; she's a strong one but I vastly prefer there to be more

Lost in a Good Game: Why We Play Video Games and What They Can Do for Us by Pete Etchells

adventurous reflective slow-paced

4.0

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

Some thought provoking observations but much of it feels too glib. 

The Brave Little Puppy and Other Stories by Enid Blyton, Janet Wickham

adventurous 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? Yes

3.0

Blackberry Magic by Enid Blyton

adventurous funny fast-paced

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

3.0