nora__reads's reviews
201 reviews

The Bell by Iris Murdoch

emotional funny mysterious slow-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

Funny, heartbreaking and just a little bit mysterious. Shame that a nonce is supposed to be a sympathetic character - would have been 4 stars if not for that. 

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

funny sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A startlingly accurate depiction of rural life - married to a satire about literary appreciation 

The Stranger by Albert Camus

challenging dark 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? Yes

4.0

I feel like this one needs some more pondering tbh 

The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Stunning. I might come back and update this when I’ve had time to process. 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

Potentially one of the best pieces of journalism I’ve ever read - this book is heartbreaking and fascinating in equal measure. 

All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.75

A sweet, subtle story about friendship, love and the differences between the two. 

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

dark funny fast-paced

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

4.0

A dark twisted story, compulsive and unputdownable. 

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

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

4.0

A sad and sprawling retelling of the Trojan war story from the perspective of the women who suffered from it. 

Down in the Valley: A Writer's Landscape by Laurie Lee

informative reflective fast-paced

3.5

A nice reflection on home and the writers life from the author of Cider with Rosie - he was definitely a bit of a grumpy old man by the time this interview was given though! 

I sort of wanted it to have more structure and for more of the audio files to be used in the version I listen too though! 

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

5.0

This is a brand of true crime I can really get behind - narratives which valorise the victim not the villain.