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mayphoenix7992's reviews
644 reviews
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4⭐️
I wasn't expecting this book to be in another world, and then I wasn't expecting time travel but somehow! It works!
The plot was great and the worldbuilding superb! I loved the way the dragons were described and how the dragon lore worked so well with the bits of poetry, of tales we had st each beginning of chapter.
I've read a lot of reviews giving it a low number of stars because of the main characters and their romance and it *is* he weakest aspect of the book - but hey it was written in the 1960s! Considering at that time women couldn't even open bank accounts without their husbands' authorisation, the fact that T'lar acknowledged that the first dragon-mating was as good and rape and then tried to make up for it, is rather unexpected for a male character from the 1960s. Both T'lar and Tessa are feisty, cunning, manipulative, stubborn, but by the end of the book we can tell they genuinely care for each other.
All-in-all, I can definitely see the quality of that writing, even if some aspects would not go well in the 21st century. Anne McCaffrey deserved to be the first woman to receive a Hugo and Nebula awards.
I wasn't expecting this book to be in another world, and then I wasn't expecting time travel but somehow! It works!
The plot was great and the worldbuilding superb! I loved the way the dragons were described and how the dragon lore worked so well with the bits of poetry, of tales we had st each beginning of chapter.
I've read a lot of reviews giving it a low number of stars because of the main characters and their romance and it *is* he weakest aspect of the book - but hey it was written in the 1960s! Considering at that time women couldn't even open bank accounts without their husbands' authorisation, the fact that T'lar acknowledged that the first dragon-mating was as good and rape and then tried to make up for it, is rather unexpected for a male character from the 1960s. Both T'lar and Tessa are feisty, cunning, manipulative, stubborn, but by the end of the book we can tell they genuinely care for each other.
All-in-all, I can definitely see the quality of that writing, even if some aspects would not go well in the 21st century. Anne McCaffrey deserved to be the first woman to receive a Hugo and Nebula awards.
Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
4,25⭐️
*Book Club Read*
"When does the everyday become history?"
That book was a journey.
I wasn't sure how to approach it when I begun reading, but it immediately dragged me under a flow of concepts and storylines that delved into memory loss and identity loss. The value of remembering and how much it builds one person's sense of self.
Although it starts as a difficult-to-define genre, the shift to a dystopian story anchored it as a potential future that explores different pasts. The fear and danger of forgetting at the beginning are a mirror of the fear and danger provoked by the glorification of the past at the end.
Two literary tools were particularly brilliant: the character names and the narrator's role.
The first line we encounter tells us that "all real persons in this novel are fictional, only the fictional are real." It's written with all historical (fictionalised) characters being named while all fictional characters have only a letter, or a nickname, such as K., Mr N. etc. The only characters who are named are Emma (although mistaken at some point with a bird called Emma Bovary) and Gaustine. Gaustine itself is a nickname for Augustin Garibaldi, a fictional character not just for the novel but also in the narrator's mind.
The second aspect I found amazing was to slowly hint that the narrator was losing his memory, losing his ability to write, to recognise faces, to remember anything except a few bits and pieces that his mind may or may not have made up. The last part of the book goes in reverse chronology with the last scene from the narrator's perspective being his earliest and last memory as a 3yo. The narrator tells the story from a first person point of view, switches to third person for a short moment, then back at the first person point of view.
He goes from being the narrator of the story, to being another character of the story, to becoming the story itself.
It was a brilliantly written book that I'm very glad I discovered it through the Book Club.
*Book Club Read*
"When does the everyday become history?"
That book was a journey.
I wasn't sure how to approach it when I begun reading, but it immediately dragged me under a flow of concepts and storylines that delved into memory loss and identity loss. The value of remembering and how much it builds one person's sense of self.
Although it starts as a difficult-to-define genre, the shift to a dystopian story anchored it as a potential future that explores different pasts. The fear and danger of forgetting at the beginning are a mirror of the fear and danger provoked by the glorification of the past at the end.
Two literary tools were particularly brilliant: the character names and the narrator's role.
The first line we encounter tells us that "all real persons in this novel are fictional, only the fictional are real." It's written with all historical (fictionalised) characters being named while all fictional characters have only a letter, or a nickname, such as K., Mr N. etc. The only characters who are named are Emma (although mistaken at some point with a bird called Emma Bovary) and Gaustine. Gaustine itself is a nickname for Augustin Garibaldi, a fictional character not just for the novel but also in the narrator's mind.
The second aspect I found amazing was to slowly hint that the narrator was losing his memory, losing his ability to write, to recognise faces, to remember anything except a few bits and pieces that his mind may or may not have made up. The last part of the book goes in reverse chronology with the last scene from the narrator's perspective being his earliest and last memory as a 3yo. The narrator tells the story from a first person point of view, switches to third person for a short moment, then back at the first person point of view.
He goes from being the narrator of the story, to being another character of the story, to becoming the story itself.
It was a brilliantly written book that I'm very glad I discovered it through the Book Club.
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4⭐️
It was a bit slow at first but everything was tied up perfectly at the end!
I was expecting... *more* from the interactions with Nesta and Azriel but it also makes sense they wouldn't trust each other and Bryce would trick them. I wanted more of Bryce and Nesta's friendship.
Ithan and Tharion annoyed me for a while with their bad decisions, but Ithan became Prime - as expected!! - and Tharion is...doing better? BUT WHAT ABOUT SATHIA AND THAT ENCOUNTER WITH ARIADNE??
I cried for Danika. Again. Everytime she appears I just bawl 🥺
Ruhn and Lidia though..... Ruhn and Lidia were the stars of that book. I love then. They're my favourite couple of Crescent City series and they are probably in my top 5 of my favourite SJM couples!
What next, Sarah? 👀
It was a bit slow at first but everything was tied up perfectly at the end!
I was expecting... *more* from the interactions with Nesta and Azriel but it also makes sense they wouldn't trust each other and Bryce would trick them. I wanted more of Bryce and Nesta's friendship.
Ithan and Tharion annoyed me for a while with their bad decisions, but Ithan became Prime - as expected!! - and Tharion is...doing better? BUT WHAT ABOUT SATHIA AND THAT ENCOUNTER WITH ARIADNE??
I cried for Danika. Again. Everytime she appears I just bawl 🥺
Ruhn and Lidia though..... Ruhn and Lidia were the stars of that book. I love then. They're my favourite couple of Crescent City series and they are probably in my top 5 of my favourite SJM couples!
What next, Sarah? 👀
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
4⭐️
Holy moly, I'm so glad I don't have to wait for the last book to come out!
The main plot of the rebels was less interesting than the murder mystery of Book 1, but it set up really well the revelations at the end. I was not expecting the Asteri to be feeding on first light and that they had basically conquered the universe.
I was not surprised by the Hind being Agent Daybright, nor Cormac dying but Baxian being Danika's mate was like a hammer.
On a side note, Ruhn and Lidia's romance is my favourite from Crescent City series.
Ruhn might be my favourite character. I really like Tharion too but I'm so disappointed he gave himself to the Viper Queen.
FINALLY, Crescent City and ACOTAR are connected!!!
"Hello, Bryce Quinlan. My name is Rhysand."
I knew it. I had sene spoilers so I *knew it* and I still screamed.
The SJM Multiverse has begun.
Holy moly, I'm so glad I don't have to wait for the last book to come out!
I was not surprised by the Hind being Agent Daybright, nor Cormac dying but Baxian being Danika's mate was like a hammer.
On a side note, Ruhn and Lidia's romance is my favourite from Crescent City series.
Ruhn might be my favourite character. I really like Tharion too but I'm so disappointed he gave himself to the Viper Queen.
FINALLY, Crescent City and ACOTAR are connected!!!
"Hello, Bryce Quinlan. My name is Rhysand."
I knew it. I had sene spoilers so I *knew it* and I still screamed.
The SJM Multiverse has begun.
近代郵便のあけぼの Dawn of Modern Postal Service by Communication Museum
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Nice introduction to the Postal service in Japan. It was very interesting to see the influence of the West on the development of communication in Japan.
It had quite a few typos and mistakes in the English translation but the beautiful artworks make up for it.
It had quite a few typos and mistakes in the English translation but the beautiful artworks make up for it.
Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts: A Guide to the Legendary Creatures from Celtic-Welsh Myth and Legend by C.C.J.Ellis
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.25
4,25⭐️
It's such a nice book that introduces nicely and easily the monsters and stories from Welsh mythology. I wish there had been some more details on etymology or the sources but the illustrations were so beautiful that I forgive it!
It's such a nice book that introduces nicely and easily the monsters and stories from Welsh mythology. I wish there had been some more details on etymology or the sources but the illustrations were so beautiful that I forgive it!
The Welsh Language: A History by Janet Davies
informative
fast-paced
3.25
3,25⭐️
It was an interesting dive into the Welsh language and its history. I wish such books existed for every language. I was mostly interested in origins of Welsh, old Welsh and the medieval period so I passed quickly over anything beyond that. I only wish it had gone into more details- it seemed *too* much of an overview to my tastes.
It was an interesting dive into the Welsh language and its history. I wish such books existed for every language. I was mostly interested in origins of Welsh, old Welsh and the medieval period so I passed quickly over anything beyond that. I only wish it had gone into more details- it seemed *too* much of an overview to my tastes.
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
4⭐️
"Light it up."
I waited SO LONG to read this book and I don't regret having the whole trilogy waiting for me now.
As always, SJM's books just *do it* for me but Crescent City had a particularly interesting and amazing worldbuilding. It was like love at first sight with this world.
Bryce is an amazing main character and, so is Hunt. Their romance is, in my opinion, one of the most solid of all of SJM's couples, especially after only one book. I'm looking forward to see what happens next.
Another amazing aspect was the plot and murder mystery- I suspected Micah from the get-go but I still managed to get surprised by some twists.
The love between Bryce and Danika is precious. I'll miss Danika so much, even though we only had her for a short while... she's never really gone from the story.
Finally all the side characters are also interesting and endearing - Ruhn, Syphinx, Lehabah...
Onto to Book 2 now 👀
"Light it up."
I waited SO LONG to read this book and I don't regret having the whole trilogy waiting for me now.
As always, SJM's books just *do it* for me but Crescent City had a particularly interesting and amazing worldbuilding. It was like love at first sight with this world.
Bryce is an amazing main character and, so is Hunt. Their romance is, in my opinion, one of the most solid of all of SJM's couples, especially after only one book. I'm looking forward to see what happens next.
Another amazing aspect was the plot and murder mystery- I suspected Micah from the get-go but I still managed to get surprised by some twists.
The love between Bryce and Danika is precious. I'll miss Danika so much, even though we only had her for a short while... she's never really gone from the story.
Finally all the side characters are also interesting and endearing - Ruhn, Syphinx, Lehabah...
Onto to Book 2 now 👀
Contemplations by Victor Hugo
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
4⭐️
"Ce livre où vit mon âme, espoir, deuil, rêve, effroi,
Ce livre qui contient le spectre de ma vie,
Mes angoisses, mon aube, hélas !"
- À celle qui est restée en France, I
"Ce livre où vit mon âme, espoir, deuil, rêve, effroi,
Ce livre qui contient le spectre de ma vie,
Mes angoisses, mon aube, hélas !"
- À celle qui est restée en France, I