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iamjudgedredd's reviews
260 reviews
Morning Star by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A predictable end to a popular sci-fi trilogy. I can see why people like it, and it does what it sets out to do well enough. It’s good without being great, even though this one was the best of the three it may not have been my favourite.
Probably won’t bother with the others in the series, as there’s a lot and the time commitment is warranted with the quality of the books.
Probably won’t bother with the others in the series, as there’s a lot and the time commitment is warranted with the quality of the books.
The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville by Shelby Foote
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
The first in the trilogy, and my Odyssey into the American Civil War. I think if I hadn't done the audio version I may have been reading this for six months, so the audiobook is absolutely indispensable. The few rudimentary maps that are in the book are barely worth it, so I picked up The Civil War Battlefield Guide and am reading that concurrently for pictorial context.
The book itself is a <i>narrative</i> of the Civil War. You're not going to get all the facts, nor are you getting something unbiased. However, I'm trying to get the broad strokes and contexts of the war, campaigns, and battles so that I can know where and why a particular wargame titles falls. For that purpose this book has been excellent, and I look forward to the next two, even though they're even longer!
Foote's Southern biases are both clearly on display, and also overblown by his detractors. Perhaps that'll change in the later volumes, but his biases aren't subtle, but nor are they as egregious as I was lead to believe. However, all that being said, I'm okay with reading it knowing those biases because his style as a novelist makes this one of the least dry history accounts I've read in a long time.
Foote never met an anecdote he didn't love, and it shows, and he waxes poetic about many an aspect of the war, the south, and the commanders, but the narrative flows well, is decently paced all things considered and I look forward to completing my Odyssey.
The book itself is a <i>narrative</i> of the Civil War. You're not going to get all the facts, nor are you getting something unbiased. However, I'm trying to get the broad strokes and contexts of the war, campaigns, and battles so that I can know where and why a particular wargame titles falls. For that purpose this book has been excellent, and I look forward to the next two, even though they're even longer!
Foote's Southern biases are both clearly on display, and also overblown by his detractors. Perhaps that'll change in the later volumes, but his biases aren't subtle, but nor are they as egregious as I was lead to believe. However, all that being said, I'm okay with reading it knowing those biases because his style as a novelist makes this one of the least dry history accounts I've read in a long time.
Foote never met an anecdote he didn't love, and it shows, and he waxes poetic about many an aspect of the war, the south, and the commanders, but the narrative flows well, is decently paced all things considered and I look forward to completing my Odyssey.
The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Everything that I liked about The Three Body Problem was basically absent in this sequel, which was a crying shame because those heights were just never achieved in this one. None of the interesting historical/cultural setting, a wide cast of new characters that are wafer thin plot movers, and a formulaic structure make the first 300 pages a slog. The payoff wasn't worth that.
I still like the main themes, and interesting set ups, and the last 150 pages were much better, but I'm hoping that the trilogy picks up and ends on a high in the next one.
I was also unhappy with the translation in this one. It feels different, and much more course than book one.
This sounds very negative, but I did enjoy it, but it was probably a lot more work than it should have been.
I still like the main themes, and interesting set ups, and the last 150 pages were much better, but I'm hoping that the trilogy picks up and ends on a high in the next one.
I was also unhappy with the translation in this one. It feels different, and much more course than book one.
This sounds very negative, but I did enjoy it, but it was probably a lot more work than it should have been.
The People Immortal by Vasily Grossman
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Okay, so, I originally picked up Life and Fate, but then I picked up Stalingrad as the first in that 'duology'. Then I picked up The People Immortal as it seemed a little less intimidating, so here we are!
The People Immortal is a 1942 piece of Soviet war propaganda. So, just know that it's filled with state authorized ideologies, and speeches etc. If you can set that aside, Grossman also highlights the effects of Total War on everyone and everything. From the lowliest bugs and birds, to peoples as a whole, nothing is left untouched and ravaged by the course of conflict.
Sometimes the passages are harrowing, other times they're a joyous celebration of brotherhood, patriotism, and victory. But all the time they are heavily tinted with the idea of tying every single Russian together and unifying them in the cause of the defense of the motherland, and soviet communism.
You need to be able to separate the two, and the discerning reader can easily do that - Soviet propaganda isn't very subtle. The prose are at times wonderful, and the Chandler's did an excellent job on the translation. I look forward to his other novels, which being written after the war hopefully aren't quite so in-your-face with the Red Army Gung-Ho etc.
The People Immortal is a 1942 piece of Soviet war propaganda. So, just know that it's filled with state authorized ideologies, and speeches etc. If you can set that aside, Grossman also highlights the effects of Total War on everyone and everything. From the lowliest bugs and birds, to peoples as a whole, nothing is left untouched and ravaged by the course of conflict.
Sometimes the passages are harrowing, other times they're a joyous celebration of brotherhood, patriotism, and victory. But all the time they are heavily tinted with the idea of tying every single Russian together and unifying them in the cause of the defense of the motherland, and soviet communism.
You need to be able to separate the two, and the discerning reader can easily do that - Soviet propaganda isn't very subtle. The prose are at times wonderful, and the Chandler's did an excellent job on the translation. I look forward to his other novels, which being written after the war hopefully aren't quite so in-your-face with the Red Army Gung-Ho etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death of parent, Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Rape, War, Sexual assault, Gun violence, and Suicide
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Very well written hard sci-fi that's not in a western setting. I really liked this book, but also just know that it's 100% just the first in the trilogy. You could read this stand alone, and it'd be a good book, but much of the book is setting up the broader situation we will explore next volume.
Having this science, culture, and social commentary set against the background of The Cultural Revolution, and communist China frames research questions differently from western sci-fi. There's a lesser (although not absent) focus on individualism at the root of the issues. I also really liked how in theory it's setting up a larger cooperative effort across humanity, which I always like to see (as a change from our reality and my pessimism).
All in all, I had a blast, and flew through this book and am desperate to start the next one.
Having this science, culture, and social commentary set against the background of The Cultural Revolution, and communist China frames research questions differently from western sci-fi. There's a lesser (although not absent) focus on individualism at the root of the issues. I also really liked how in theory it's setting up a larger cooperative effort across humanity, which I always like to see (as a change from our reality and my pessimism).
All in all, I had a blast, and flew through this book and am desperate to start the next one.
A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.0
I read A Month in the Country for a few reason. Firstly, to get me out of a reading slump. Secondly, to read something that was perhaps a little more hopeful than many of the books I've been reading lately. Thirdly, to read something English. J. L. Carr's novel fulfilled all three of those objectives, and more. It's a short novella, about an August in a Yorkshire village in 1920. A WWI veteran is tasked with uncovering a medieval mural in the parish church, but his exploration of the art, artist, local people, and the countryside end up providing him with much more than a job. At times healing, hopeful, an wistful, and at other times, sad, mournful, and complex, I found this book to be really enjoyable, and beautiful, without being crushingly sad like many classic novels can be.
It makes you want to move to a village up north and assimilate into a simpler life and time.
It makes you want to move to a village up north and assimilate into a simpler life and time.
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Light years better than the Red Rising, Golden Son takes a step forward in it's scope, maturity, and quality. It's still pretty generic Dystopian sci-fi, but the cast of characters are fun and the action compelling. Are the female characters any better written? No. Do they still literally piss on each other.. yes. Some of the infantile decisions are a bit cringe, and the drama at times predictable, but it was much more enjoyable than the first book. I'll finish the trilogy and then decide if I want to continue.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Fun, light, dystopian sci-fi book, if you can excuse the sexism. Written in the first person and basically just a hyper violent YA novel, Red Rising was totally fine. The writing is average, and the characters are more like caricatures. Based on the length of time between this and the sequel, as well as some other factors, I've heard the next one in the series is a lot better/mature (if it sucks I will not give the rest of the series another look)
Female characters in this books are a joke. Pierce Brown has no idea how to write a woman, and refrigerators the MC's wife up front, and then uses the rest of the female characters as love interests, r*pe objects, or just inferior students. It's pretty embarrassing.
Female characters in this books are a joke. Pierce Brown has no idea how to write a woman, and refrigerators the MC's wife up front, and then uses the rest of the female characters as love interests, r*pe objects, or just inferior students. It's pretty embarrassing.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
I know this was compulsory reading for many people at school, but I missed the boat on this one. I think it's very polarizing simply because it was compulsory. The book is an arresting window into mental health. You've never read a portrait of the complexity of mental well-being quite like this before. There were parts where I almost dropped the physical book it's so accurate. The Bell Jar contains a lot of truth, and whilst there's a lot of awful things and people in it, there's also a theme of hope, healing, freedom, and joy. I'm so glad I read this later in life, as a more mature reader. I feel like if I'd read this as a teen I too might have missed a lot of the depth and richness of it. Outstanding novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked it. I'm glad I've read it. Did it blow my socks off? No. The first half of the novel (book I) has all the dark academia vibes. The second half that really drops off, but there's more interesting plot points. I don't think there's a ton of depth to a lot of the book, it's really like 100% aesthetics, vibes, and a few cool moments here or there.