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oashackelford's reviews
347 reviews
Summer of Blood: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 by Dan Jones
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Cole and Laila Are Just Friends by Bethany Turner
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? It's complicated
3.0
dont read again
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Wow.....
I don't know what I was expecting when I opened this book. I had read the mistborn trilogy and loved it, but it felt like that one was more about politics and taking down political systems and so I guess I figured the way of kings would be similar. I was not prepared for the in depth discussions about honor, the right way to rule, what makes a good man, or the betrayals that came up in the book. I do feel like this book, while fantastic and still having conflict and a purpose, was mostly exposition to set up the sequels. The level of world building in this book is so high. I feel like in Harry Potter, the fact that Harry is raised by muggles does a lot for helping the audience get into the rules of his world, because we are learning right alongside him. Sanderson does not hold your hand in this series. He gives enough context for you to figure out what is happening but I did feel that I had to pay a lot of attention or risk getting confused.
Seriously a good read though. I have a book hangover now, and while I have other books on my TBR to get to, I am having a hard time getting into them because the stakes are lower.
adventurous
challenging
sad
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
5.0
I don't know what I was expecting when I opened this book. I had read the mistborn trilogy and loved it, but it felt like that one was more about politics and taking down political systems and so I guess I figured the way of kings would be similar. I was not prepared for the in depth discussions about honor, the right way to rule, what makes a good man, or the betrayals that came up in the book. I do feel like this book, while fantastic and still having conflict and a purpose, was mostly exposition to set up the sequels. The level of world building in this book is so high. I feel like in Harry Potter, the fact that Harry is raised by muggles does a lot for helping the audience get into the rules of his world, because we are learning right alongside him. Sanderson does not hold your hand in this series. He gives enough context for you to figure out what is happening but I did feel that I had to pay a lot of attention or risk getting confused.
Seriously a good read though. I have a book hangover now, and while I have other books on my TBR to get to, I am having a hard time getting into them because the stakes are lower.
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.5
This book made me so sad. It was incredibly interesting how the Klan used peoples' fear of otherness to their advantage, but so sad that when humans get into large groups that normally logical people will give in to their worst qualities and join in on a mob mentality.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Violence
this is an important book, and it talks about assault in a clinical way, but it is still hard to read.
Chasing Eternity by Alyson Noël
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I really did not enjoy this one and I would not recommend it to people who like all of their loose ends tied up at the end of books.
Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75