booksny's reviews
325 reviews

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I remember tearing up when I first read the book and watched the play half a decade ago - I really enjoyed the complicated dynamics between the highly flawed yet loving/kind characters throughout the story. There's less of an emotional impact upon this re-read - I found it a tad trickier to keep my attention on Christopher's stream-of-consciousness POV - but reckon it's still a worthy experience 

Granny's Wonderful Chair by Frances Browne

adventurous 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

4.0

A sweet read - I remember really enjoying this when younger, and still found it quite magical when I read it again now

How To Be Kind and Thoughtful: a Guide for Mindful Moments by

hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

5.0

A sweet, gentle little read

The Rose and the Ring by William Makepeace Thackeray

funny lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Some dated language and tropes which haven't aged well, but overall enjoyed the tight storytelling, satirical humor, cheeky illustrations and distinctive characters

The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War by Delphine Minoui

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this - found it a touching read. It should be noted that it's written as a memoir with a limited POV on a small handful of people trying to thrive (not just survive) under harsh conditios, so don't expect thorough detail on all the nuances of the Syrian war.

For Richer, For Poorer: Confessions of a Player by Victoria Coren

hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.0

I enjoyed this glimpse into a very unfamiliar world. Victoria writes eloquently and beautifully. Some parts, especially at the beginning, feel highly (and understandably) romanticized; other parts were brutally and fascinatingly honest. 

Phule's Errand by Peter J. Heck, Robert Lynn Asprin

adventurous slow-paced

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

1.0

Enjoyed some of the interactions the legion had with the general. Otherwise found this a very tedious story to read through - there was a lot of unnecessary choices made and general incompetence 

Full Volume by Yang Eun Ji, Albert

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Enjoyed this a surprising amount - excellent humor and character development 

Steal the Dragon by Patricia Briggs

adventurous fast-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

3.0

 I remember enjoying this book when I read it a decade ago and rating it a 4*. Unfortunately knocking it down to a 3* in this current re-read. 

The elements I enjoyed included engaging prose, a lot of promising characters and interesting worldbuilding. The elements I did not enjoy were
1. How heavily the plot relied on deux ex machina for further progression and resolution. Rialla, Ren and Laeth seemed like interesting, likable characters; they were also remarkably incompetent with bad strategic judgement considering their implied experiences as mercenaries and spies. There was no real need for Rialla to do a lot of the things she did e.g. give a public dance performance that drew attention, when she tasked with being quiet and unnoticed in the background listening to secrets. Rialla even had difficulty reading the script of the people that she wanted to spy on; she was incredibly lucky that she didn't end up sabotaging her own cause. Laeth made for a very poor spy, considering he just

left without asking Rialla what her plan was - it was a very flimsy plan (find a dagger that may have been thrown away for all they knew) that only became better after discussion

and also a very poor friend, considering that he didn't even bother to

go back to help her when he showed up near the end of the story

. As the spymaster, Ren was mostly there to provide exposition and no actual support. It was up to Tris, a random healer who had mostly lived in a secluded enclave and then a small village, to do most of the work of spying, communicating and rescuing, and he did it unbelievably well. 
2. The lack of well developed female characters aside from Rialla - this does not feel like a book that would pass the Bechdel test. 

We Are Feminist: An Infographic History of the Women's Rights Movement by Helen Pankhurst

informative medium-paced

3.0

The infographics were visually appealing and the information helpful, but presentation felt dry - the biographies lacked interesting narrative detail and a lot of pages felt like a litany of facts connected by the progression of years