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erinfinn5's reviews
64 reviews
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was a pleasant, short read that made me feel pretty happy. No complaints, and of course I loved George and Lucy.
Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults): A True Story of the Fight for Justice by Bryan Stevenson
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
Very inspiring, though a bit simple. This is, of course, due to its young adult status. Should I read the full version, I’m sure I’ll give it a higher ranking.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
For as long as I could remember, or more specifically the age of 5, I have been terrified of death.
I wrote an extremely long review of this book but the app crashed, which perhaps is symbolic of the book itself. I will try again, however.
This book is filled with death. It’s ever present, haunts every page. Theo Decker’s life is a tragedy. This whole book paints the unfairness of life, and the absurdity of living. Yet, even with that tragedy, he loves. At his lowest points he has a support system, in fact he has many. He is surrounded by love even when he thinks he’s lost it, and this causes him to be forced to reflect on his actions and their impacts on others. Because he does many stupid things in this book, pero, as my mother would say, así es la vida.
Love is irrational and foolish, and yet we keep on loving. It exists in pain, but like hope, prevails. That’s awfully trite, I’m aware, but alas. Of course, this isn’t a book solely about the beauty of life or whatever, and to say that would be… well, stupid is a word. Because, as I mentioned, life is unfair. It’s blind with its cruelty, and this is a book about reckoning with that. It’s about realizing that you’ll never be the person you were ever again, and that well, maybe that’s alright.
I have a lot of feelings when it comes to this book. It’s all very… conflicted, but all in all I think I loved it. I loved reading this book. I couldn’t put it down, which is an amazing feeling (as destructive as it is). I love reading. Thank you, Donna Tartt. I don’t know what else to say.
“This is too long” I LOVE 800 PAGE BOOKS !!!
I wrote an extremely long review of this book but the app crashed, which perhaps is symbolic of the book itself. I will try again, however.
This book is filled with death. It’s ever present, haunts every page. Theo Decker’s life is a tragedy. This whole book paints the unfairness of life, and the absurdity of living. Yet, even with that tragedy, he loves. At his lowest points he has a support system, in fact he has many. He is surrounded by love even when he thinks he’s lost it, and this causes him to be forced to reflect on his actions and their impacts on others. Because he does many stupid things in this book, pero, as my mother would say, así es la vida.
Love is irrational and foolish, and yet we keep on loving. It exists in pain, but like hope, prevails. That’s awfully trite, I’m aware, but alas. Of course, this isn’t a book solely about the beauty of life or whatever, and to say that would be… well, stupid is a word. Because, as I mentioned, life is unfair. It’s blind with its cruelty, and this is a book about reckoning with that. It’s about realizing that you’ll never be the person you were ever again, and that well, maybe that’s alright.
I have a lot of feelings when it comes to this book. It’s all very… conflicted, but all in all I think I loved it. I loved reading this book. I couldn’t put it down, which is an amazing feeling (as destructive as it is). I love reading. Thank you, Donna Tartt. I don’t know what else to say.
“This is too long” I LOVE 800 PAGE BOOKS !!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
adventurous
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I hated reading this book
Got very close to DNF’ing it, but I powered through. The satire is grand, don’t get me wrong, it’s just so boring. I was in middle school when I read it, but whatever. I got the version with a pretty cover which helps me like it a bit more.
I vividly despised the main character, our Gulliver, and thus found it hard to care about anything he did. At the end he just becomes insufferable. But that’s the point, no? Sorry Johnathan Swift, Irish king. This just isn’t for me.
Got very close to DNF’ing it, but I powered through. The satire is grand, don’t get me wrong, it’s just so boring. I was in middle school when I read it, but whatever. I got the version with a pretty cover which helps me like it a bit more.
I vividly despised the main character, our Gulliver, and thus found it hard to care about anything he did. At the end he just becomes insufferable. But that’s the point, no? Sorry Johnathan Swift, Irish king. This just isn’t for me.
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.25
This book single handily got me into Russian history, which if you know me irl, you’d know has since come to define me in some ways. A marvelous book, great intro into this intriguing world.
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“‘I know myself,’ he cried, ‘but that is all’”.
If I stopped developing as a person at the age of 10, and went into this book with the mindset I once had, this would pry be my favorite novel. Within Amory I saw myself, though more in an abstract ideal way than anything concrete. Which is to say that within him I saw perhaps not my worst, but certainly some of my more infamous traits. He is practically a more grown version of that 10 year old self I mentioned, though perhaps in a whiter and richer way.
But enough about myself, and instead more of the novel. I much preferred this novel to The Beautiful and the Damned, which I read last year. Perhaps for this is more of a coming of age story, and ends on a much kinder note than the other did, this one of hope and potential instead of the other’s cynicism. Of course, Amory is identical in many ways to Anthony Patch, which should not surprise anyone even vaguely familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald, as all that man could write were self-inserts. This book surprised me with its lack of a doomed, unhappy marriage, the type quite frequent in Fitzgerald’s other works. Perhaps that is because he was younger when he wrote this, and less absorbed by his own misery.
Which is not to say this novel is devoid of misery, in fact it has much. But it’s in a more immature, early life way, the type that you feel sure is close to its end. It’s easier to power through, especially because some of the misery is quite reasonable and unavoidable (see WW1). I don’t know. I think the easiest way to simplify it is to say that The Beautiful and the Damned is much more insufferable than this novel could ever be.
On a final note I want to discuss characters. I actually cared about the characters here, in contrast to BaD where I hated everyone. My favorite, to the shock of nobody, was Tom. I’m running out of room, so I will simply finish by saying Tom, you will always be famous.
If I stopped developing as a person at the age of 10, and went into this book with the mindset I once had, this would pry be my favorite novel. Within Amory I saw myself, though more in an abstract ideal way than anything concrete. Which is to say that within him I saw perhaps not my worst, but certainly some of my more infamous traits. He is practically a more grown version of that 10 year old self I mentioned, though perhaps in a whiter and richer way.
But enough about myself, and instead more of the novel. I much preferred this novel to The Beautiful and the Damned, which I read last year. Perhaps for this is more of a coming of age story, and ends on a much kinder note than the other did, this one of hope and potential instead of the other’s cynicism. Of course, Amory is identical in many ways to Anthony Patch, which should not surprise anyone even vaguely familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald, as all that man could write were self-inserts. This book surprised me with its lack of a doomed, unhappy marriage, the type quite frequent in Fitzgerald’s other works. Perhaps that is because he was younger when he wrote this, and less absorbed by his own misery.
Which is not to say this novel is devoid of misery, in fact it has much. But it’s in a more immature, early life way, the type that you feel sure is close to its end. It’s easier to power through, especially because some of the misery is quite reasonable and unavoidable (see WW1). I don’t know. I think the easiest way to simplify it is to say that The Beautiful and the Damned is much more insufferable than this novel could ever be.
On a final note I want to discuss characters. I actually cared about the characters here, in contrast to BaD where I hated everyone. My favorite, to the shock of nobody, was Tom. I’m running out of room, so I will simply finish by saying Tom, you will always be famous.
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
Read for English class — A beautiful tale of the battle against grief, generational struggles, and political injustice. I was very moved by this one, as I related to the protagonist’s struggles with connecting to a culture he feels entirely separated from, living in America and being mixed. Ugly cried at the end. I love a good hopeful conclusion, and this book had just that.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this, shockingly, in a 10 minute interval at 5 Below. Certainly an intriguing setting, but even more intriguing was the story itself.
I read it, of course, for the title was familiar, which it was for obvious reasons: that one movie from 2008. I’ve never watched the movie, and from what I’ve heard it’s only a loose adaptation, but whatever.
This story finds charm in its brevity, had it gone on for even a smidge longer I’m not sure I would’ve liked it as much. It certainly made me consider things, if I can say anything about it. Yes. This definitely was a curious case.
I read it, of course, for the title was familiar, which it was for obvious reasons: that one movie from 2008. I’ve never watched the movie, and from what I’ve heard it’s only a loose adaptation, but whatever.
This story finds charm in its brevity, had it gone on for even a smidge longer I’m not sure I would’ve liked it as much. It certainly made me consider things, if I can say anything about it. Yes. This definitely was a curious case.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
See Goodreads for full review, let’s just say I love my dark modern classics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest