jersy's reviews
645 reviews

New Grub Street by George Gissing

dark informative reflective medium-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

4.0

The first page set the mood pretty well: there is great character study, a pinch of humor but it's pretty gloomy as well. I loved reading about the literature market of the late 1800s but I was even more fascinated with these characters, which, for the most part, aren't that likable. Especially the Reardons made me think a lot: while I didn't like either, I empathized with both a bit.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Taylor Jenkins Reid is so good at drawing you into her characters lives, making you care about them and having them feel real. Just on a story concept level, I would probably not have gravitated towards this book, but TJR  just nails it and makes it all work for me. Her books are always great character work with a little bit of glamourous lifestyle and wholesome relationships. I just love it.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective 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

I love this mix of Chinese history and future technology, as well as the contrast between awesome fight scenes and the more political/tactical/quiet part of the pilot career. The writing sounds so pretty in the audio book and I totally ship the love interests in this. Following some morally questionable characters is s big plus, too.
I was a bit afraid that the feminism in this book would bei too on the nose and extreme and while the protagonist is all feminist rage, the book portrays the issues in a very nuanced way. There is a lot of unfairness and suffering for women but also extremely empowering moments, the book never encourages man-hating, the biases of Zetian towards boys are challenged and the real issues addressed.
The ending was more epic than I would have needed, but this is still a big recommendation if you want both a good time and interesting themes.

Kleines Bernstein by Rasa Aškinytė

challenging emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

3.0

Durch dieses Buch fühlt man sich wirklich in eine andere Zeit versetzt, eine Zeit, über die man nicht all zu oft liest und daher besonders interessant ist. Allerdings habe ich mir mehr Kontext gewünscht, zu den Motivationen der Figuren und ihrer Kultur. So wie es war fand ich es schwer einzuordnen, was persönliche Eigenschaft und was kulturell bedingt war, wodurch ich auch die Figuren schlecht einschätzen konnte. Dazu war mir auch der Schreibstil zu kühl, auch wenn ihn viele sicher ein- und ausdrucksvoll fänden.
Trotzdem waren die Themen, die in diesem Buch behandelt wurden, spannend. Besonders im Vordergrund steht dabei die Rolle und das Selbstbild der Frau. Die Figuren bilden einen guten Kontrast zueinander und ich fand den Blick in die Vergangenheit sehr interessant, konnte aber nicht wirklich eine Verbindung zu dem Buch aufbauen.

The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

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? No

5.0

Just as good as the first one, maybe even better. It takes interesting turns and I can't help feeling for the characters.

Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is exactly what I want from the Dune series: captivating from page 1, the intruige being on point and I'm really into the - lets call it mysticism. Herbert gets better with every book at developing characters befitting the kind of story he's writing, in my opinion.
There is all of the good stuff from the previous books but in this one every aspect of the novel finally came together perfectly for me.

Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

What I really like about the book are the ideas and the world, the overall premise and how it keeps you on your toes with constant revelations. What I didn't care for are the sterile characters and the constant hostility.
While this isn't non-stop action and more a game of threats and manipulation, it clearly had the tone of an action movie. If there had been something for me to latch on to I would have really enjoyed the story, but as it was, it lacked any kind of emotional Impact. Still a very easy and quick read.

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

challenging reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I feel pretty much the same about this as I do about the first book: It took me a while to get really into it and the themes, consequences and hidden depths are so much more interesting than the story at face value. It feels a bit short and like an incomplete novel, but I found the characters a bit more interesting than in Dune, maybe due to their vulnarability.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

adventurous hopeful relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

At first, this wasn't really what I wanted from a Beauty and the Beast story: it lacked the magical, fairy tale vibe and I didn't ship the couple. However, the things it did with the trope, and especially as its own story, convinced me anyway.
This is the first Beauty and the Beast I experienced that isn't just two people sitting in a castle and falling in love. Brigid Kemmerer opens up the world and lets our leads care for the wellbeing of their subjects. There are a lot of interesting characters and while they aren't that deep it makes the world feel like an actual place worth saving. While I didn't love the love interests, I did like our trio as allies and friends. There were a lot of great ideas in the story, both as a retelling and as its own light "lets save the kingdom" story. The parts connected to our modern world were my least favorite part, as expected, but there were only about 20 pages set there anyway.
I really enjoyed this a lot but I don't think I care much for what is set up for the sequel, although I would like to spend more time with the characters.

The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope, Sophie Gilmartin

3.0

While it has the typical charm of Trollope's books and it was wonderful to see so many characters from the series return, this book was way too drawn out and repetitive. I had to take several breaks reading other books to keep enjoying it at all.
However, I liked all the stories told in this novel and it was a very appropriate and heartfelt ending to this series.