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jeffphilly's reviews
236 reviews
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
3.75
One of the better novels ever written. This novel focuses on the madness and insanity that is war. Not everyone knows or understands what this insanity is like and that is what Heller in his novel attempts to show to the broader world. War is of course a serious topic, yet Heller makes this an enjoyable and yet at times funny read.
The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History by Margalit Fox
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Who would ever to think to attempt an escape from a POW camp by using a ouija board. That's exactly what happened here. Most of this book take place in a World War I POW camp in Turkey. Here 2 British POWs begin making these plans to use the ouija board. But alas, there was a change of plans necessitated by circumstances. The change of plans that would come about would see these 2 British POWs switch to faking insanity in the hopes that they would be a part of a prisoner exchange among prisoners who were sick or injured. That's really as much as I should tell you as I feel like I have already told you too much.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.75
A terrific and funny book. This is a novel taking place in New Orleans. In the 1960s or 1970s I believe. The main character Ignatius Reilly, is really quite a unique character. The interactions that Reilly has with others is the others is a story in itself. From interactions with his mother to coworkers to the police. All these interactions made for an interesting tale.
How the Hell Did This Happen?: The Election of 2016 by P. J. O'Rourke
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
One of the funniest books that I have ever read!! This book is written by a political punditt who is described a die hard Republican. That being said the author pokes fun at both sides. He pokes fun at all parties in the democratic and republican primaries, Hillary and Donald in the national election and he also pokes fun at the mess that is the American process of electing a president.
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
The second book in the Earthseed series. While I don't believe that the second book is quite at the level of the first book, it's still a good quality book. One reason that I did like the book was that I liked how the book wrapped up the series. I have a great appreciation for the extended length of time in which the book took place under. It was an extended period of time and yet the book still held my interest throughout.
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Gillian McCain, Legs McNeil
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
A very thorough look at Punk Rock, going back to the stooges and MC5. It was in a manner that I forget the description of but it's a non-traditional manner in tha the book reads more like you are reading someone's conversation. The book did keep my interest though and I learned a lot about the early days of Punk.
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.75
Incredibly boring and truthfully one of the worst and most painful books to read that I have ever read in my life. I was so thrilled to be done with this book as it was just putting me to sleep.