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booksonawednesday's Reviews (487)
dark
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
After reading (well, listening to) Mythos recently, I knew I needed to read (well, listen to) Stephen Fry’s other books on Greek mythology.
Rather than focusing on the Gods, Fry now looks at the heroes: both demigods and mortals. I already knew most of the stories, but in every character, Fry highlighted something I hadn’t considered or heard before.
Having read a lot of Greek mythology books, one thing I didn’t appreciate was the lack of female perspective. Yes: most of the heroes are male. But there are so many interesting stories with women, and they were mostly glazed over.
I will certainly be reading (well, listening to - Stephen Fry’s narration is fantastic, aside from the odd, randomly chosen Irish accent) the rest of the series.
Rather than focusing on the Gods, Fry now looks at the heroes: both demigods and mortals. I already knew most of the stories, but in every character, Fry highlighted something I hadn’t considered or heard before.
Having read a lot of Greek mythology books, one thing I didn’t appreciate was the lack of female perspective. Yes: most of the heroes are male. But there are so many interesting stories with women, and they were mostly glazed over.
I will certainly be reading (well, listening to - Stephen Fry’s narration is fantastic, aside from the odd, randomly chosen Irish accent) the rest of the series.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Liv’s husband, Richard, disappeared under strange circumstances eleven years ago, leaving her with their young son. Yet Liv knows his ‘disappearance’ was part of their plan, and she’s expecting to hear from him very soon.
Liv’s plan starts to fall apart from the seams as her now-teenage son, Maddox, gets into the wrong crowd and she learns that her husband may have started a new life with another woman.
I was really gripped by the first half of the book, and I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. The different POVs and the timelines became a bit much in the latter half, and I lost track.
(As a side note, I’m not sure if there were mistakes in my proof copy, as names were seemingly mixed up throughout the book, i.e. Richard instead of Daniel, Olivia instead of Alicia.)
I didn’t see the twists coming, and I found myself thinking of different theories in between reading sessions (the sign of a good thriller). I enjoyed going back to the perspectives of the police too.
I would have liked to see more character development for Kait and Liv, and a bit more background for Kait as well.
I will be looking out for K. L. Slater’s other books!
Thank you to Bookourture for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Liv’s plan starts to fall apart from the seams as her now-teenage son, Maddox, gets into the wrong crowd and she learns that her husband may have started a new life with another woman.
I was really gripped by the first half of the book, and I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. The different POVs and the timelines became a bit much in the latter half, and I lost track.
(As a side note, I’m not sure if there were mistakes in my proof copy, as names were seemingly mixed up throughout the book, i.e. Richard instead of Daniel, Olivia instead of Alicia.)
I didn’t see the twists coming, and I found myself thinking of different theories in between reading sessions (the sign of a good thriller). I enjoyed going back to the perspectives of the police too.
I would have liked to see more character development for Kait and Liv, and a bit more background for Kait as well.
I will be looking out for K. L. Slater’s other books!
Thank you to Bookourture for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After I read Silence of the Girls earlier this year, I knew that I had to follow it up with the sequel.
The Greek (or rather, Trojan) retelling continues to follow Briseis, the former Trojan princess turned Greek slave turned Greek wife. Now pregnant with Achilles’s child, she is the wife of the soldier Alcimus and tries her best to help the Trojan women (slave or not) in the camp.
I just love Pat Barker’s writing: the language is modernised and yet still beautiful and relatable. Briseis’s perspective is insightful and painful, as she toes the line between staying faithful to her past and protecting her future.
The only thing I found lacking was the plot itself. Greek mythology is never devoid of drama, but ultimately not a lot happened within this book. However, I enjoyed the odd chapter focused on Pyrrhus (Achilles’s sociopathic son) and Calchas (disgraced soothsayer).
I’m certain that I will read on with the series.
The Greek (or rather, Trojan) retelling continues to follow Briseis, the former Trojan princess turned Greek slave turned Greek wife. Now pregnant with Achilles’s child, she is the wife of the soldier Alcimus and tries her best to help the Trojan women (slave or not) in the camp.
I just love Pat Barker’s writing: the language is modernised and yet still beautiful and relatable. Briseis’s perspective is insightful and painful, as she toes the line between staying faithful to her past and protecting her future.
The only thing I found lacking was the plot itself. Greek mythology is never devoid of drama, but ultimately not a lot happened within this book. However, I enjoyed the odd chapter focused on Pyrrhus (Achilles’s sociopathic son) and Calchas (disgraced soothsayer).
I’m certain that I will read on with the series.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
For anyone who loved Jacqueline Wilson books growing up, this one is for you. It is stylised as her first adult novel, and while there are adult themes and the main character, Ellie, has just turned 40, it’s written in a similar way to her children’s and young adult books. That’s not to say that it’s written badly, it just doesn’t feel as mature as perhaps was intended or desired by some readers.
Following the Girls in Love series, starring schoolgirls Ellie, Nadine and Magda, we now follow Ellie’s life as she turns 40. She has a daughter, Lottie, who is grown up herself, and is fumbling through her dating life and career. She’s still best friends with Nadine and Magda, but they aren’t a central part of the book.
The plot was predictable but in a comforting and nostalgic kind of way, and the characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked.
Mr Windsor, Ellie’s school teacher crush, makes an appearance and I was a little annoyed that the creepiness of his behaviour towards 13 (?!) year old schoolchildren was still glossed over.
I’ve seen some reviews about Ellie’s character being immature and still acting like a child. Personally, I felt that she was quite relatable - most people are affected by what happened to them when they were at school!
I was entertained while reading, but I have to admit, there were some problems with Jacqueline Wilson’s first adult novel. The nostalgia made it worth it, and I can’t say that I was expecting (or desiring) a literary masterpiece anyway!
Following the Girls in Love series, starring schoolgirls Ellie, Nadine and Magda, we now follow Ellie’s life as she turns 40. She has a daughter, Lottie, who is grown up herself, and is fumbling through her dating life and career. She’s still best friends with Nadine and Magda, but they aren’t a central part of the book.
The plot was predictable but in a comforting and nostalgic kind of way, and the characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked.
Mr Windsor, Ellie’s school teacher crush, makes an appearance and I was a little annoyed that the creepiness of his behaviour towards 13 (?!) year old schoolchildren was still glossed over.
I’ve seen some reviews about Ellie’s character being immature and still acting like a child. Personally, I felt that she was quite relatable - most people are affected by what happened to them when they were at school!
I was entertained while reading, but I have to admit, there were some problems with Jacqueline Wilson’s first adult novel. The nostalgia made it worth it, and I can’t say that I was expecting (or desiring) a literary masterpiece anyway!
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you want to read a book that makes you think about the world we live in, wealth disparity, religion, climate change, big tech billionaires and above all, the Future, then I think you’ll like this.
The novel is centred on these themes more than plot or even the characters.
Much of the book is focused on three big tech billionaires who hold unimaginable power over the rules of society. We also meet several characters who are closely connected to them - a secretary, a wife, a child and an outcast former boss. A survivalist becomes entangled in their world, beside the backdrop of an apocalyptic world.
I really enjoyed the themes and the messages that the author conveyed. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.
However, the writing style and the editing left me confused more than I felt necessary. The timeline and POVs were also quite hard to follow.
The novel is centred on these themes more than plot or even the characters.
Much of the book is focused on three big tech billionaires who hold unimaginable power over the rules of society. We also meet several characters who are closely connected to them - a secretary, a wife, a child and an outcast former boss. A survivalist becomes entangled in their world, beside the backdrop of an apocalyptic world.
I really enjoyed the themes and the messages that the author conveyed. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.
However, the writing style and the editing left me confused more than I felt necessary. The timeline and POVs were also quite hard to follow.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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:
No
I loved this conclusion to the Divine Rivals duology!
The book begins only a week or so after the conclusion of the first. Iris is back in Oath, confused and unsure about the whereabouts of Roman. Meanwhile, Roman is recovering on enemy lines.
I enjoyed the resurrection of the love letters through magic typewriters, and just the world in general has an oddly nostalgic and whimsical vibe.
The main characters, Iris and Roman, are believable and have such a genuine romance and relationship.
I would have liked to know more about Enva and Dacre’s backstory and their relationship. It was hinted it a few times, but I wanted more explicit information.
I also really enjoyed the Fairyloot bonus content at the end.
The book begins only a week or so after the conclusion of the first. Iris is back in Oath, confused and unsure about the whereabouts of Roman. Meanwhile, Roman is recovering on enemy lines.
I enjoyed the resurrection of the love letters through magic typewriters, and just the world in general has an oddly nostalgic and whimsical vibe.
The main characters, Iris and Roman, are believable and have such a genuine romance and relationship.
I would have liked to know more about Enva and Dacre’s backstory and their relationship. It was hinted it a few times, but I wanted more explicit information.
I also really enjoyed the Fairyloot bonus content at the end.
emotional
reflective
sad
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
I’m so, so glad that I read this book. It’s really well written, and I learned a lot about the modern history of Koreans in Japan.
Since I listened to this on audiobook, I’m not even going to try and attempt to spell names, as it’ll probably be embarrassingly different. The book follows a specific family - in Korea initially - focused on a young woman who gets pregnant by a married man. From the kindness of a stranger, she marries another to save her from ruin, and they travel to Japan. The book follows the descendants of the family, going from the 1930s to the late 1980s.
I preferred the first half of the book, as it focused on less characters and felt more like historical fiction. As we got closer to modern day and more and more characters were introduced (some of them with confusing motivations), it felt like it lost the plot ever so slightly.
I still enjoyed reading about the family over the decades, particularly seeing the effects of decisions made a long time ago reverberate years later.
Since I listened to this on audiobook, I’m not even going to try and attempt to spell names, as it’ll probably be embarrassingly different. The book follows a specific family - in Korea initially - focused on a young woman who gets pregnant by a married man. From the kindness of a stranger, she marries another to save her from ruin, and they travel to Japan. The book follows the descendants of the family, going from the 1930s to the late 1980s.
I preferred the first half of the book, as it focused on less characters and felt more like historical fiction. As we got closer to modern day and more and more characters were introduced (some of them with confusing motivations), it felt like it lost the plot ever so slightly.
I still enjoyed reading about the family over the decades, particularly seeing the effects of decisions made a long time ago reverberate years later.
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
While being an exceptionally short story, it has certainly left a lasting impact.
I had only known Galatea’s story as a ‘happy’ one (relative to other Greek mythology stories). It was emotional to read Madeline Miller’s reimagining of the story from Galatea’s perspective. I didn’t realise that the original story didn’t mention Galatea speaking at all.
Galatea’s husband, a sculptor, prayed to the gods for his kind and pure statue to come to life, and Aphrodite grants his wish. Galatea is now bound in a life of servitude and obedience, but she yearns for freedom for herself and her daughter.
It was incredibly moving for such a short story, and it was very well-written. I only wish that it was longer.
I had only known Galatea’s story as a ‘happy’ one (relative to other Greek mythology stories). It was emotional to read Madeline Miller’s reimagining of the story from Galatea’s perspective. I didn’t realise that the original story didn’t mention Galatea speaking at all.
Galatea’s husband, a sculptor, prayed to the gods for his kind and pure statue to come to life, and Aphrodite grants his wish. Galatea is now bound in a life of servitude and obedience, but she yearns for freedom for herself and her daughter.
It was incredibly moving for such a short story, and it was very well-written. I only wish that it was longer.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’ve read nearly all of Jane Austen’s novels now, and this one must be an unfortunate outlier.
Fanny Price is taken in by her mother’s sister and brother-in-law (Mr & Mrs Bertram) to live in Mansfield Park, who are more affluent and respectable. She falls in love with her cousin Edmund (which I appreciate was more normal for the time) and spends most of the novel pining after him (inexplicably, in my opinion). Henry and Mary Crawford, brother and sister, then enter the scene and bring some immorality to the Bertram family.
To me, this was not a romance book. While Fanny is in love with Edmund, he only loves her for the past five pages, which doesn’t make a great love story. Besides them being cousins, there’s also the fact that there’s a significant age gap, and that he knew Fanny from when she was 10 years old.
The characters were all unlikeable, and Fanny, as the protagonist, exceptionally weak and whiny. Edmund was also a boring love interest.
While we’re not supposed to like the Crawfords, I was glad that they bought a bit of drama to the table, which this book was sorely missing.
Of course, there were some beautiful sentences interspersed with the boring mundane dramas (does anyone care about what carriage to use, or what the necklace represents?).
There was also a lot of social commentary, which perhaps a historian could appreciate, but not me.
Fanny Price is taken in by her mother’s sister and brother-in-law (Mr & Mrs Bertram) to live in Mansfield Park, who are more affluent and respectable. She falls in love with her cousin Edmund (which I appreciate was more normal for the time) and spends most of the novel pining after him (inexplicably, in my opinion). Henry and Mary Crawford, brother and sister, then enter the scene and bring some immorality to the Bertram family.
To me, this was not a romance book. While Fanny is in love with Edmund, he only loves her for the past five pages, which doesn’t make a great love story. Besides them being cousins, there’s also the fact that there’s a significant age gap, and that he knew Fanny from when she was 10 years old.
The characters were all unlikeable, and Fanny, as the protagonist, exceptionally weak and whiny. Edmund was also a boring love interest.
While we’re not supposed to like the Crawfords, I was glad that they bought a bit of drama to the table, which this book was sorely missing.
Of course, there were some beautiful sentences interspersed with the boring mundane dramas (does anyone care about what carriage to use, or what the necklace represents?).
There was also a lot of social commentary, which perhaps a historian could appreciate, but not me.
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
You can’t go wrong with a good thriller that has a cast of characters and a whole host of impending deaths.
This book had a lot of references to And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, and for good reason - it was very similar.
Nine people are posted a list of names: eight of which are unrecognisable and one is their own. The nine people then begin to die, one by one.
If you’ve read Christie’s works, then this novel won’t be groundbreaking. It was still fun enough to read, and I got through it very quickly.
Considering there were nine characters, they all had very distinct personalities and were memorable in their own way.
The ending was interesting enough, and I would be up for reading more of Swanson’s books.
This book had a lot of references to And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, and for good reason - it was very similar.
Nine people are posted a list of names: eight of which are unrecognisable and one is their own. The nine people then begin to die, one by one.
If you’ve read Christie’s works, then this novel won’t be groundbreaking. It was still fun enough to read, and I got through it very quickly.
Considering there were nine characters, they all had very distinct personalities and were memorable in their own way.
The ending was interesting enough, and I would be up for reading more of Swanson’s books.