ellaep's reviews
325 reviews

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

informative

3.25

This story was super interesting, it feels almost like fiction when you're reading it. I just didn't feel very engaged with the story. It was short, but felt really repetitive, and I wish we could've gotten some more of the psychological. 

The Egyptian by Mika Waltari
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

It's been over a month since I started and I'm not even 100 pages in, clearly I'm not very invested 

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

4.0

A fantastic read. Well-researched, interdisciplinary, and incredibly easy to follow. Makes you feel like there is more good in the world than you ever thought possible 
(maybe a little bit long, but that's okay)

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

4.0

This story is gorgeous, important, and real, but honestly I found it so difficult to read. Because this is a super famous novel, I didn't even think to check for content warnings but I definitely should have! But the biggest difficulty for me was the main character. The MC is meant to be a flawed character, I understand that, but the knowledge that it's deliberate doesn't change how hard it was to be stuck in his head. He is a selfish, insecure, coward, and I hated him<3. I like to read because I get to completely understand another person, but with this story I honestly wish I knew less. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, War

Moon Palace by Paul Auster

4.25

I can't explain this book, and I won't try. No plot just characters, so if you enjoy that, just go in blind and take it slow. 

The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer

2.75

Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann by Jonas Jonasson

3.25

The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer

adventurous funny mysterious

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

3.0

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, as I only read it because my dad wanted me to (and he hasn't even read it yet, just bought it because he likes the comedian). It was funny and engaging, with the vibe of absolute confusion from the main character that I always love to read. 

Listening to the author narrating a book always makes for a special experience, and the story (especially the comedy elements) really fits with his voice. 

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

emotional reflective

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

4.0

I want to begin by saying the audio-book narrator did a phenomenal job with the storytelling and voices, just so good! The writing is different from anything I've ever read, somehow managing to be flowery and descriptive, whilst also succinct and clear. The main character is so well written, I felt her every feeling, and the way she describes her (very tough) life without any malice. Regardless of the situation, the tone of the story remains welcoming and hopeful, as though in the main-characters soul there is pure love for life and gratitude to be alive. It's hard to explain, because the book deals with so many difficult topics and the main characters life is full of hardship from the start, and yet somehow I came out of the story feeling lighter because I got to exist in the main characters mind for a few hours. 

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

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

2.0

The writing is really good. That’s the one thing this book had going for it, and honestly makes me optimistic to try another James Joyce in the future. What I didn’t like about the book is basically the main character. I’ve summarized it in this one thought: I cannot understand a characters whose personal growth is completely independent of others. I feel no connection to characters who walk around the world with no consideration for other people. As I was listening to the book I couldn’t remember any of the side characters, they had no important role except to be vessels of long philosophical lectures. Maybe this feeling is due to my own misunderstanding of the book, and maybe this lack of important side characters is some manifestation of loneliness, but in that case I’ve read much better books on loneliness.

To summarize, this book wasn’t for me. I’m a character-focused reader and I felt no connection to the main character