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lynnenad's reviews
156 reviews
The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Even better than the first one
Wanting by Richard Flanagan
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is incredibly sad. Every character is hopelessly trapped by “wanting”. It is, of course, written with great skill. Richard Flanagan knows Tasmania. But I will never read it again due to the anger and heartbreak it created in me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racism, Murder, Colonisation
Burke's Soldier by Alan Attwood
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The Burke and Wills expedition across Australia in 1860-61 was a tragedy, largely due to the incompetence and poor decision making of the leader. This book is a work of fiction based on fact, using multiple historical documents as the basis for a first person narrative by the only survivor of the expedition, John King. His sister Nora is also given a voice. The book is well written and engaging. It is a nice way to approach the learning of history and complements nicely Sarah Murgatroyd’s book The Dig Tree which I recently listened to
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
emotional
inspiring
tense
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
5.0
I loved this book. The work is so beautifully written. A tiny little microcosm of the world and how people find what they most need, regardless of their circumstances. Perhaps it’s also an attempt to explain the Stockholm Syndrome.
The First Stone: Some Questions about Sex and Power by Helen Garner
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
I loved this book no love how Garner writes. She has clear sight and can explain her thoughts and ideas with power. I did not agree with a lot of what she said and the book felt dated as feminism has moved on since then. However the book was thought provoking and resulted in long and energetic discussions with our adult daughter who is also a feminist and is a domestic violence lawyer. Most enjoyable and quick to read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A booker prize winner. Written in the second person which is hard to read (and must be very hard to write). Told from the POV of a dead person who has seven moons (seven days) to reconcile his worldly issues before committing to either the Light, or working for demons, of remaining in limbo. I learned a lot about Sri Lankan wars and crimes. There was a reasonable amount of action. It is a sophisticated book. Not sure I liked it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Torture
Phantom by Jo Nesbø
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Competently written thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use
All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was and continues to be very disturbing for me. Some of the scenes of violence will stay with me for a long time and I became angry with the author for the degree of horror introduced. On the other hand, the semi-spiritual mysticism and the whole-hearted embrace of the amazing landscapes of Australia were heartwarming. The plot was simple and so was the theme. Girl looks for sorcerer to remove a curse. On the way she becomes self-enlightened and demonstrates enormous resilience and learns to love again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
adventurous
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
3.5
Not a great work of literature. Escapist fun. An interesting idea of making magic from colours. Another interesting idea of not being certain who is “good” and who is “bad” even after 800 pages.
I plan to read more of the series although, at times, the writing is impossible to understand.
I plan to read more of the series although, at times, the writing is impossible to understand.
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
challenging
dark
informative
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? Yes
4.0
I found this a hard book to read. The pace never varied, although much of the writing was highly skilled and beautiful to read. For the first 400 pages I found the number of characters involved overwhelming and I needed to refer to the information about them provided in the front of the book to keep track. For the last 400 pages, although I found the plot intriguing and the book easier to follow, I found the story extremely depressing and all of the characters abhorrent. A masterpiece of a novel but I will not recommend it or read it again. I will, however, think about it for a long time to come.