Scan barcode
dylanhenning's reviews
96 reviews
The Star Wars: Based on the Original Rough Draft Screenplay by George Lucas by J.W. Rinzler, Mike Mayhew, George Lucas
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This comic miniseries was interesting. It was neat to see some of the early ideas George Lucas had for the epic Star Wars franchise we all know today. A lot of characters, places, and plot points he already had in mind to use. It’s interesting to see what stayed the same from this rough draft idea to the final film and what got changed. For example here Han Solo is an alien reminiscent of DC’s Swamp Thing. Luke is the Ben Kenobi old Jedi, Owen Lars is with the Wookiees and Valorum is more of a threat.
The story honestly wasn’t that interesting. It was a fair amount of the plot from the original trilogy string together but this clearly is a rough draft because the story felt unpolished and I respect it for what it is but I have to review it fairly for what it is as well.
Overall if you’re a Star Wars fan this is a cool peek into what might have been Star Wars if it hadn’t had some significant changes along the way. It’s a neat bit of history for sure.
The story honestly wasn’t that interesting. It was a fair amount of the plot from the original trilogy string together but this clearly is a rough draft because the story felt unpolished and I respect it for what it is but I have to review it fairly for what it is as well.
Overall if you’re a Star Wars fan this is a cool peek into what might have been Star Wars if it hadn’t had some significant changes along the way. It’s a neat bit of history for sure.
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History by Katy Tur
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This book has been sitting on my kindle for years and here I am finally reading it in 2024. I figure it’s an election year so it fits with the theme of the year at least.
Having the privilege to know the full scope of what the Trump presidency looked like, a lot of the information in this book isn’t shocking anymore. In fact most of the comments or moments Katy Tur captured seem tame by comparison to what we know in the present day (January 2024). But this is still a fascinating book offering a peek at what it’s like to be a reporter on the campaign trail and especially following an erratic and unpredictable candidate.
If you like history, politics, or the bizarre train wreck that is Donald Trump this is an insightful read.
Having the privilege to know the full scope of what the Trump presidency looked like, a lot of the information in this book isn’t shocking anymore. In fact most of the comments or moments Katy Tur captured seem tame by comparison to what we know in the present day (January 2024). But this is still a fascinating book offering a peek at what it’s like to be a reporter on the campaign trail and especially following an erratic and unpredictable candidate.
If you like history, politics, or the bizarre train wreck that is Donald Trump this is an insightful read.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book was incredible. I knew I was going to enjoy this book from reading the pitch of a coffee shop where people can visit someone through time travel but they have to get back before the coffee gets cold. What I didn’t expect was that this book would make me ugly cry multiple times.
The writing is so beautiful and the English translation captured the essence of the story really well. These stories and their little ways of interconnecting was really cozy and I grew to love this cast of characters and the various facets of their lives.
I love a good time travel story but when you do a time travel plot and don’t have any rules it tends to get messy so I appreciate the rules this book sets up of how it all works.
My one minor complaint is that it did repeat the rules of time travel in almost every chapter. It made sense to the plot and the characters why it got repeated so often so I’m not docking any points from the book for it but as a reader it was my only gripe.
This book is cozy and beautiful. Get yourself a nice cup of coffee and settle in. But maybe have some tissues on hand too.
The writing is so beautiful and the English translation captured the essence of the story really well. These stories and their little ways of interconnecting was really cozy and I grew to love this cast of characters and the various facets of their lives.
I love a good time travel story but when you do a time travel plot and don’t have any rules it tends to get messy so I appreciate the rules this book sets up of how it all works.
My one minor complaint is that it did repeat the rules of time travel in almost every chapter. It made sense to the plot and the characters why it got repeated so often so I’m not docking any points from the book for it but as a reader it was my only gripe.
This book is cozy and beautiful. Get yourself a nice cup of coffee and settle in. But maybe have some tissues on hand too.
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
Jason Schreier is an incredible journalist/reporter covering the video game industry and with this book he pulls back the curtain to show us a peek at how video games are made.
The stories of ten different games are told through 10 different chapters covering everything from indies (video games made by a small group of developers not owned by a major company. Sometimes even consisting of just one person.) to major Triple A games (games made by large teams of people with a larger budget. Think Call of Duty, Super Mario, The Last Of Us).
What becomes immediately clear as you read this book is something that I think gets lost in the discourse within the gaming community: No matter how big or small your dev team is, no matter the genre of game you’re making, and no matter how much time you work on it, video games are incredibly hard to make. Each chapter reveals story after story of developers working early mornings and long nights and making incredible personal sacrifices just to get these games across the finish line and out the door.
Next time you buy a game that doesn’t live up to your expectations and you wanna fire off a nasty tweet about it remember that these devs put everything they had into it and no one sets out to make a bad video game.
Now, here’s why I gave this a 4.5: I said this book offers a peek behind the curtain and as I was reading it I felt like there were several moments in telling these stories for Jason to go deeper and talk more about the struggles and challenges these dev teams faced. This book is incredibly close to getting a 5 star rating if it had just given us a bit more at times.
The stories of ten different games are told through 10 different chapters covering everything from indies (video games made by a small group of developers not owned by a major company. Sometimes even consisting of just one person.) to major Triple A games (games made by large teams of people with a larger budget. Think Call of Duty, Super Mario, The Last Of Us).
What becomes immediately clear as you read this book is something that I think gets lost in the discourse within the gaming community: No matter how big or small your dev team is, no matter the genre of game you’re making, and no matter how much time you work on it, video games are incredibly hard to make. Each chapter reveals story after story of developers working early mornings and long nights and making incredible personal sacrifices just to get these games across the finish line and out the door.
Next time you buy a game that doesn’t live up to your expectations and you wanna fire off a nasty tweet about it remember that these devs put everything they had into it and no one sets out to make a bad video game.
Now, here’s why I gave this a 4.5: I said this book offers a peek behind the curtain and as I was reading it I felt like there were several moments in telling these stories for Jason to go deeper and talk more about the struggles and challenges these dev teams faced. This book is incredibly close to getting a 5 star rating if it had just given us a bit more at times.
The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? N/A
4.5
It’s hard to bring a new and fresh feeling to a series when it’s already three books in but Robert Jordan did that here. Immediately from chapter one the book corrects one of my criticisms of the previous book.
This book takes bold risks with how it lays out its narrative and I respect the hell out of Robert Jordan for that. The wide cast of characters get fairly equal time in the spotlight for much needed character development. There are finally answers and explanations for why some of the things in this world are the way they are and why some characters do what they do. Robert Jordan is giving a lot of direct answers and descriptions that enrich the world building and the plot.
I’m trying to keep this review spoiler free for anyone who hasn’t read The Dragon Reborn or started The Wheel of Time series but the thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me is there was one character in particular that was mostly absent from the book. I’m grateful we got POV (point of view) chapters from so many characters that definitely needed it but we really only spent a couple handful of pages with this one character and I feel the book needed just a bit more time with them. Maybe a whole chapter or two.
But that’s my minor complaint that just keeps this book from being perfect in my eyes. I’m excited to continue my journey with this series.
This book takes bold risks with how it lays out its narrative and I respect the hell out of Robert Jordan for that. The wide cast of characters get fairly equal time in the spotlight for much needed character development. There are finally answers and explanations for why some of the things in this world are the way they are and why some characters do what they do. Robert Jordan is giving a lot of direct answers and descriptions that enrich the world building and the plot.
I’m trying to keep this review spoiler free for anyone who hasn’t read The Dragon Reborn or started The Wheel of Time series but the thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me is there was one character in particular that was mostly absent from the book. I’m grateful we got POV (point of view) chapters from so many characters that definitely needed it but we really only spent a couple handful of pages with this one character and I feel the book needed just a bit more time with them. Maybe a whole chapter or two.
But that’s my minor complaint that just keeps this book from being perfect in my eyes. I’m excited to continue my journey with this series.
A Frozen Heart by The Walt Disney Company, Elizabeth Rudnick
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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
3.0
This book is a retelling of the 2013 Disney animated film Frozen told through alternating POV chapters from the characters Anna and Hans.
Alternating POVs is usually a way to keep the story fresh and there are some unique character insights and internal thoughts that you don’t get from the film but the biggest issue here is Hans is designed to be a one note character. He’s evil and selfish and his motivations is simply trying to further his own agenda. While it’s interesting at first and includes some backstory about his family and upbringing, it quickly becomes repetitive and dull making his chapters feel like a chore most of the time. Anna on the other hand is a well rounded character who goes on a wonderful arc with meaningful character development and she makes up for what the Hans chapters lack.
Alternating POVs is usually a way to keep the story fresh and there are some unique character insights and internal thoughts that you don’t get from the film but the biggest issue here is Hans is designed to be a one note character. He’s evil and selfish and his motivations is simply trying to further his own agenda. While it’s interesting at first and includes some backstory about his family and upbringing, it quickly becomes repetitive and dull making his chapters feel like a chore most of the time. Anna on the other hand is a well rounded character who goes on a wonderful arc with meaningful character development and she makes up for what the Hans chapters lack.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What can be said about A Christmas Carol that hasn’t already been said?
Ive seen many adaptations of this classic Dickens tale over the years and many more movies that were inspired by it so I was concerned that I wasn’t going to find this interesting or it wouldn’t live up to the hype I had given it in my head. I’m happy to say it’s definitely worth the hype in my opinion.
I’m reading this in December 2023 and it’s perfect to lead into the holiday season with it. The writing gives me cozy visuals of the classic Victorian era London around winter time. The ghosts were actually kinda creepy at times almost leaning into horror territory just a little bit.
The themes and message of the book is fortunately or unfortunately just as timely and relevant as they were in 1843 with themes of kindness and giving and how you live your life is how you’ll be remembered.
If you’re like me and somewhat new to classics and want to give one a try this is a safe one to start with because you more than likely already know the story and it won’t feel to intimidating.
Ive seen many adaptations of this classic Dickens tale over the years and many more movies that were inspired by it so I was concerned that I wasn’t going to find this interesting or it wouldn’t live up to the hype I had given it in my head. I’m happy to say it’s definitely worth the hype in my opinion.
I’m reading this in December 2023 and it’s perfect to lead into the holiday season with it. The writing gives me cozy visuals of the classic Victorian era London around winter time. The ghosts were actually kinda creepy at times almost leaning into horror territory just a little bit.
The themes and message of the book is fortunately or unfortunately just as timely and relevant as they were in 1843 with themes of kindness and giving and how you live your life is how you’ll be remembered.
If you’re like me and somewhat new to classics and want to give one a try this is a safe one to start with because you more than likely already know the story and it won’t feel to intimidating.
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
It’s important to know peoples stories. I read this in 2023 where unfortunately anti-trans rhetoric and violence is the worst it’s ever been and I think this book written nearly a decade ago is as important as it’s ever been.
Janet Mock has a story that is uniquely her own. She details her struggles growing up in Hawaii as a person of color, of growing up lower middle class, of growing up with various forms of abuse, and of growing up trans. While all these things that make up her story is uniquely hers it’s also very relatable to different groups of people.
No matter who you are or your place in life you can read this memoir and find a piece of yourself in it. It’s the relatability and vulnerability in Janet’s writing that take these various characteristics of herself and mold them into a fully three dimensional person that you can find yourself in and begin to dismantle any preconceived beliefs you have about transgender folks.
It’s important to know people’s stories.
Janet Mock has a story that is uniquely her own. She details her struggles growing up in Hawaii as a person of color, of growing up lower middle class, of growing up with various forms of abuse, and of growing up trans. While all these things that make up her story is uniquely hers it’s also very relatable to different groups of people.
No matter who you are or your place in life you can read this memoir and find a piece of yourself in it. It’s the relatability and vulnerability in Janet’s writing that take these various characteristics of herself and mold them into a fully three dimensional person that you can find yourself in and begin to dismantle any preconceived beliefs you have about transgender folks.
It’s important to know people’s stories.
Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Lost Christmas! by Alastair Heim
adventurous
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? Yes
3.5
It’s a hard task to try to write a sequel to a Dr. Seuss book. It’s an impossible task to live up to the classic that is How The Grinch Stole Christmas. But Alastair Heim tries his best and dost a pretty decent job.
The plot itself is unique but the plot structure is almost 1 to 1 the same as what it was for How The Grinch Stole Christmas and it didn’t feel as much like a tribute to that classic as being afraid to branch out and do something different.
The rhymes were just ok. Part of what makes Seuss books so memorable is their witty and well written rhymes so it’s damn near impossible to try to match that. While some of the rhymes were interesting others do fall flat and others are just clearly copying How The Grinch Stole Christmas and feels forced more than a tribute.
Overall this book is for children and they’ll probably enjoy the art and the rhymes but I don’t see this joining the original book on the list of classic Christmas stories.
The plot itself is unique but the plot structure is almost 1 to 1 the same as what it was for How The Grinch Stole Christmas and it didn’t feel as much like a tribute to that classic as being afraid to branch out and do something different.
The rhymes were just ok. Part of what makes Seuss books so memorable is their witty and well written rhymes so it’s damn near impossible to try to match that. While some of the rhymes were interesting others do fall flat and others are just clearly copying How The Grinch Stole Christmas and feels forced more than a tribute.
Overall this book is for children and they’ll probably enjoy the art and the rhymes but I don’t see this joining the original book on the list of classic Christmas stories.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I haven’t read this book since I was a kid and while I’m very familiar with the story I wanted to re-read it through the eyes of an adult and there’s a reason this book is a classic and has stood the test of time.
It’s simple in it’s message that Christmas isn’t just a physical gift from a store and how the Grinch has to learn that for him to understand and have compassion for other people is a great lesson for children. They’ll also enjoy the whimsical rhymes.
The art work throughout the book is as iconic as the story itself. The drawings in this book has been translated to animation , live action, and countless live stage adaptations and it’s because of how identifiable the art is.
It’s simple in it’s message that Christmas isn’t just a physical gift from a store and how the Grinch has to learn that for him to understand and have compassion for other people is a great lesson for children. They’ll also enjoy the whimsical rhymes.
The art work throughout the book is as iconic as the story itself. The drawings in this book has been translated to animation , live action, and countless live stage adaptations and it’s because of how identifiable the art is.