jeffphilly's reviews
233 reviews

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

Very hard for me to get through this book.  Like some other recent book club books of mine, I found it dull and uninteresting.  I really don't know how I made it through the whole book.  I'm very curious to see what other members of my book club have to say about it.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

dark mysterious relaxing fast-paced

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

4.25

An interesting and very peculiar book.  Imagine for a moment if animals by way of revolution overthrew their human masters on a farm and took over the farm.  That's essentially what we takes place here.  It really is a trult peculiar scenario as understanadably this is the only such farm in all of England.  Like so much of fiction, there is a deeper menaing behind the story.  The revolution in this scenario, is representative of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917

A Cornucopia of Dunderheads by John Kennedy Toole Jr.

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

5.0

Granted this was not written by John Kennedy Toole, however, I still found it like a confederacy of dunces to be an incredibly funny book. The book picks up in NYC after Ignatius had fled New Orleans with Myrna Minkoff. Like the original book Ignatius is always spreading his opinions about different things and is perplexed that others don’t see them the way that he does. He also continues with his love of hot dogs

The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War by H.W. Brands

informative slow-paced

4.75

I really liked this book as the author effectively chronicling the intense rivalry between Truman and MacArthur. A great deal of emphasis is placed on highlighting the peculiarites of each of the personalities.  AS understanding the differing personalities is key to understanding the rivalry.  There is also further emphasis placed on understanding the role of a commanding General in the U.S. military and  that of a President specifically as they relate to waging war.  

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

At least for me anyways, this book was dull and uninteresting.  This was selected by my book club and frankly after reading I'm not very happy.  However, it needs to be said this book is really not in my list of favorite genres.

Laugh Again: Are You Running on Empty? Maybe It's Time To... by Charles R. Swindoll

funny informative lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

4.0

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.0

I finished this book althought I seriously struggled through it.  This is Hemingway's historical fiction novel about the Spanish Civil War.  The book just never drew me in the way that some books have in the past. I really had a hard time getting through it.  Perhaps that is the case because coming into it I knew next to nothing about the Spanish Civil War.  The only thiiing related to it of which I was aware of for certain was Picasso's well known panting "Guernica".  I had long heard of this book as being one of Hemingway's more well known books, however it just didn't do anything for me

Welcome by Jen Oshman

informative slow-paced

3.0

The armor of light by Ken Follett

lighthearted sad slow-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

5.0

Another great work of historical fiction.  The book like all books in the Kingsbridge series, this principally takes place in the fictional setting of the English city of Kingsbridge.  The time is from about the start of the French revolution until several years after Waterloo.  Much of the things taking place in this book are related to the burgeoning industry of England at the time and likewise the English parliament making things difficult for the English working class by making trade unions illegal.  Other things discussed include the war against France and the impressment of Ehnglish citizens into the English navy.  Like other books in the Kingsbridge series their is plenty of political intrigue between the Anglican church, the Methodist church and the differing levels of English government as well. I was shocked that Follett elected to do another book in the Kingsbridge series, and while he could potentially do another centered around the World War I timeframe, I would be further shocked to see him do another book in the series

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

informative relaxing slow-paced

5.0

Simply an epic tome.  This book chronicles the life of one Alexander Hamilton.  Originally from the islands of the Caribbean, the name of which escapes me.  Eventually he emigrated to British colonies of mainland North America.  He settled in North America and attended Columbia University, at the time it was under the moniker of King's College.  With the onset of the American revolution,  he served as George Washington’s aide de camp before becoming in command of an artillery unit.  Post revolution and with the formation of the United States of America, he was appointed as the USA's first Secretary of the Treasury.  To hear the way Chernow describes it his mind was very will built for the position.  The time period was much like ours of today rife with political division.  People in those days if they felt offended to extreme measures.  Hence the penultimate outcome, a duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, a rival of his.  At over 700 pages of text, not including index and footnotes, this book is loaded with details.