ladybugwrites's reviews
281 reviews

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

4.5

Paradise Lost by John Milton

3.75

One of those that I just don't really know what to think about. It's boring enough that I had a hard time staying awake for a lot of it, but whenever I payed close attention to what was written, what I read was beautiful (not story wise, but composition and writing wise. it's amazingly written). there are some fantastic references and lines. and yeah, i will not pick it up again unless i absolutely have to, but i am happy to have read it.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

4.0

I get why people like Agatha Christe, and I get why detective novels are so popular. The classic whodunnit is a classic for a reason and I really enjoyed it. I did find parts of it boring at times, due to the constant rehashing of things we'd already been over, but I did enjoy it. Still very unsure whether or not I actually liked the ending.

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett

5.0

I have very little to say other than how much I am in love with Terry Pratchett's stories. There's something so magical about them that has me smiling and just enjoying listening to them. I wasn't expecting this to be 5 starts, but adding everything up together, it definitely is.

I wish I'd discovered Discworld as a kid. I would've loved it, in another way than I am now, but I would've absolutely loved it and I would've benefitted from reading about someone like Tiffany growing up. If I ever have kids, I'm gonna read Terry Pratchett to them.

Moliere's Don Juan: Comedy in Five Acts, 1665 by Molière

4.0

This was funny, which is good because it is a comedy (not technically comedy in the funny sense, bc it's a theatre genre, but still, it was funny). This play can really relate to what we today call 'fuckboys', and I really enjoyed the parallels and what is the same and what we still shun as things 'not to do'. That to be said, I'm fairly certain it's okay to hate Don Juan and I will because he actually hates women and I don't think the translator realized that. Whilst that is said, he is a 3D character who's smart and cunning and handsome and who wouldn't fall for that, right? It's all three things people look for in book boyfriends.

I'm kidding, but I did really enjoy it and whilst I don't really like the thought that Moliere used Don Juan to speak for himself on the subject of women, I do think the monologues highlighted problem areas within society that still exists today, over 350 years later. I also do quite enjoy Moliere and his works. They're classics for a reason.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Terry Pratchett breathes life into the whimsical part of the world that often gets to go on unchecked. It's fun, it's exciting, and I love the narrators for this book. Going on a Terry Pratchett reading spree (mainly audiobooks) is definitely the right call. He weaves stories so well and they leave me somehow different and the same, but espcially happy and joyfull.

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus

funny mysterious 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

3.5

I read Karen McManus's books for entertainment. I don't think either of the rest I've read live up to One of Us is Lying, but they're all fairly entertaining despite that and I do enjoy myself. I'm noticing that McManus does use a lot of the same things in books, though the premise is usually different, the plot in itself and the way it moves forward is not. This is fine and kinda boring at times.

Still, I am entertained and I enjoy myself. I like the characters and I like a mystery where I can hash out theories even if it feels like I've read it before. I only have one book of hers left and I'm hoping I'll like that one, but I doubt I'll by more after this. Even though I liked this one, I think most of the stories are tired and overdone by now, and it's lived it's life. 

But, if all you want is an entertaining young adult mystery that's an easy read, this is absolutely the right place to be.

Dette er ikke farvel by Han Kang

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

This is a highly emotional book that deals with a bunch of heavy topics that I cannot review in a coherent way, I think. This is a book that deals with grief, with loneliness (in multiple ways), with being left behind. It's a book that deals with the consequences of a highly traumatic event that affected thousands of people, and it's... it's a lot. It's a book that asks a lot of questions and raises topics that needs to be discussed.

I'm not entirely sold on the ending, mainly because it leaves a few questions unanswered that I felt didn't need to be open-ended. But it doesn't take a lot away from the book, and once again, Han Kang has showed me what an amazing and brilliant writer she is.

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I was not sure what I expected from this book, but the moment it started, it gave me Terry Pratchett vibes and I was hooked. I didn't need more than that to enjoy this funny book that someone also deals with heavier topics (though not as much, but never in a bad way). I found it entertaining and fun. It didn't keep the Pratchett-ness the entire way through, but it kept the humor and satire of government institutions that I now associate with Pratchett (granted I've only read four of his books so that may be inaccurate). 

Anyways, this was lovely and I'll be checking out more of T. Kingfishers books.

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

funny slow-paced

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

3.0

Somehow, this book is three stars, which I say is completely owed to the parts where the books is funny (there's aren't that many, but they hit). This is a book that's occasionally funny, at times fascinating, but mostly so detail oriented that it makes you fall asleep. If I ever read the words "but I don't want to bother the Reader with too many details..." or something along those lines, ever again, I will riot. I think it's meant ironically that whenever this sentence comes up, it's at the end of a long-winded paragraph where he goes into way too much detail.