booksny's reviews
325 reviews

Knock Three Times! by Marion St. John Webb

adventurous fast-paced

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

4.0

An enjoyable read - liked the magical worldbuilding and creative quest plot

The Haunting by Margaret Mahy

mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

Enjoyed the wording - Mahy writes beautifully - but thought the plot was too thin and the story too short for me to get invested in any of the characters

Wolf by Gillian Cross

challenging emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed this - it packed a powerful emotional punch. Loved the complex dynamics and flawed humanness of the characters - Cassy felt like such a parentified thirteen-year-old, Nan, Lyall and Goldie cared for her but interacted with her as they would an adult. Loved the hint of surreal which came with the wolves.

The Downhill Crocodile Whizz and Other Stories by Margaret Mahy

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

A lovely feel-good read

The Winner Effect: The Science of Success and How to Use It. Ian Robertson by Ian H. Robertson

informative medium-paced

2.0

This book is full of interesting stories and thought exercises - I enjoyed learning about those. Unfortunately, I was very irritated by its writing style - a story would often be followed by four or five rhetorical questions, an observation that 'this does not answer the full question we are asking in this chapter', then go into a different story, with more rhetorical questions, and the same observation, over and over again. This was all meant to tie together by the end of each chapter, but the linkages sometimes felt spurious and the arguments too speculative; there was sometimes a lot of citations but definitely other bits could have benefited from more data evidencing. 

Also, I felt like the book had a strange take on winner and losers in  personal relationships. When it talked about Pablo Picasso's son, the focus was on how the son didn't achieve much in life for various reasons, but somehow didn't really link it up to how Pablo Picasso's emotionally abusive behavior could have played a part, even though the abuse was described. Same thing occurred when it described how a woman was verbally abusing her spouse - there was focus on how the couple showed different personalities after they found other partners, but the "winner's" problematic behavior felt like it was taken for granted because the "loser" couldn't/wouldn't push back.

A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold

adventurous funny lighthearted 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

4.0

A lovely read - lots of intricate and fascinating political worldbuilding 

The Haunting of Death Eric by Sam Llewellyn

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.0

Wasn't a fan of the characters, but thought the details were very creative

The Intelligence Trap: Revolutionise your Thinking and Make Wiser Decisions by David Robson

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money: Thirteen Ways to Right Your Financial Wrongs by Jill Schlesinger

informative medium-paced

4.0

Had some good advice written in decently clear language 

The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm

reflective slow-paced

3.0

I didn't align with a lot of the views in this book, as there were dated biases around sexual orientation, and a lot of the generalizations weren't backed up by evidencing, but found the writing to be occasionally insightful and thought-provoking.