lynnenad's reviews
154 reviews

Summerland by Michael Chabon

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Look it was okay. It was very long for a YA book. The creatures and the world they lived in was interesting. I found I could not care less about whether they succeeded in their mission or not though. 
If you have a deep interest in baseball and the philosophy of baseball (if that’s even a thing) then you might enjoy it more. 

The Beloved by Annah Faulkner

emotional sad 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

4.0

This is a lovely book and well crafted. The author has drawn very true to life characters involved in believable situations. Reading this is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster as you find yourself empathising with one character after another. It is essentially a coming of age story but I enjoyed reading about the relationship between the main character and her mother. I would be happy to read this book a second time. 

Killarney by Nikki Mottram

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

1.5

Full of cliches and very cringeworthy. Don’t bother. 

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

A nice little Australian mystery which also manages to explore relationships within families and the changes that growing older brings emotionally. Great ending. 

The Absolutist by John Boyne

dark emotional tense 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

5.0

Loved this book. Although the themes are commonly covered (WW1, male homosexuality) this author writes with such skill that he brings a freshness to the topics and makes my heart bleed for every single one of the characters who are each in their own way trying to make sense of a mad world. 

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

I found it all a bit confusing TBH. And this book has very little to do with the movie. Same characters but that’s about it. 

Post Office by Charles Bukowski

dark fast-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

3.0

This book moves along in a way that is deliberately unsophisticated. The male fantasy sex life, even if it was meant to be ironic, I found nauseating. Times have moved on from the Beat Generation thankfully and this hasn’t aged well. 

Red Sand Green Heart: Ecological adventures in the outback by John L. Read

funny informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

Really enjoyed this engaging book. Funny and informative. 

Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

2.5

Lots of angry people being angry (with good reason).. Evokes time and place and type of person very well. The plot was a little predictable but I still enjoyed the elucidation of modern First Nations life. 

Plum by Brendan Cowell

emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

What a great “Australian male” voice this author has. A book about chronic effects of brain injury in professional sportsmen in Australia and presented as a fiction clearly showing the struggle a man, who identifies as a footy hero, experiences recognising that his beloved sport has ruined the rest of his life and he needs to reconcile this and reinvent himself as NOT a sports hero. Nicely played, Cowell. 
Loved the tv series too.