errantreads's reviews
219 reviews

So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men by Claire Keegan

mysterious reflective 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

4.5

Keegan can do a character study like no other.

I Am the Light of This World by Michael Parker

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

Fantastic story of a boy in search of himself only to have his life upended by those around him. The prose is terrific with masterful character development. The narrative can sometimes be a bit chaotic, but is reflective of the events proceeding. And the story is as bittersweet as the protagonist himself. Some other reviewers did not "get" the ending, IMHO, but the author utterly nailed it. Inspired writing.

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Content Warnings

Literary

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

hopeful reflective 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

3.5

An interesting character study, where each explores various paths seeking a way forward in the world while still heavily influenced by their past.

The translator did a decent job though I felt it was a bit awkward and distracting at times.

Aristotle for Novelists by Douglas Vigliotti

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

Solid advice presented very succinctly. I thought I had read every bit of advice out there, and I probably have, but this book still made me think and consider. It's essentially a merging of the author's and Aristotle's (via Poetics) thoughts on what makes for a good story, whether it be a tragedy or a comedy. A good book. It could have used one more round of edits, ironically though, there's a section in there that discusses when to stop editing. Apparently, he did. Heh. Anyway. Recommend.

Never Let Me Go: Introduction by David Sexton by Kazuo Ishiguro

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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? N/A

5.0

Foster by Claire Keegan

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Tremendous. Simply tremendous. 

"""
'Are you afraid of the dark?'

I want to say I am afraid but am too afraid to say so.
"""

…

"""
There's a big moon shining on the yard, chalking our way onto the lane and along the road. Kinsella takes my hand in his. As soon as he takes it, I realise my father has never once held my hand, and some part of me wants Kinsella to let me go so I won't have to feel this.
"""

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

"And fantasy it was, for we were not strong, only aggressive; we were not free, merely licensed; we were not compassionate, we were polite; not good, but well behaved. We courted death in order to call ourselves brave, and hid like thieves from life. We substituted good grammar for intellect; we switched habits to simulate maturity; we rearranged lies and called it truth, seeing in the new pattern of an old idea the Revelation and the Word."

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

adventurous reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Dracula by Bram Stoker

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

I kind of had a love/like/WTF relationship with this book. It's so darn clever and yet ridiculous at the same time. The characters are exaggerations and silly. And the dialogue, Gah!

On top of that, the "rules" for this whole vampirism thing make no sense at all, and there are no explanations for how they figured out those rules. The good doctor just knows from some dude who told him and assumed it all to be true, no matter how far fetched.

But still, Dracula is an enjoyable romp that explores some interesting themes that I'm unsure the author knew were even there.

This Everyman Library edition (they are always the best editions) includes an introduction by Joan Acocella who concludes with "Dracula is like the work of other nineteenth-century writers. You can complain that their novels are loose, baggy monsters, that their poems are crazy and unfinished. Still, you gasp at what they're saying: the truth." I think I can agree with that.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75