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one4ale's reviews
78 reviews
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
5.0
Loved it, start to finish.
I was surprised by how much of my attention was drawn to the imagery and scenery ACD describes in this work, such that I often felt like it was stronger than the mysteries. That's not to say the mysteries weren't good, however; I think shorter format suits Holmes' cases really well, and after 12 of them I can't say I didn't particularly enjoy any one of them. Personally, some stand out more than others, like "A Scandal in Bohemia," "A Case of Identity," or "The Copper Beeches," but all of them had their highlights.
I think the best thing about them is that the stories, while thrilling, were not as sensational as the first two novels. The novels' cases were large in scale and had crazy plot points (which was good, to me) but The Adventures shine in that they're more condensed, grounded mysteries. The solutions and conclusions Holmes draws from his logic is also more readily apparent, and I can see a real person being able to use similar ideas, so the mysteries felt like they were perfectly solvable in hindsight.
I was surprised by how much of my attention was drawn to the imagery and scenery ACD describes in this work, such that I often felt like it was stronger than the mysteries. That's not to say the mysteries weren't good, however; I think shorter format suits Holmes' cases really well, and after 12 of them I can't say I didn't particularly enjoy any one of them. Personally, some stand out more than others, like "A Scandal in Bohemia," "A Case of Identity," or "The Copper Beeches," but all of them had their highlights.
I think the best thing about them is that the stories, while thrilling, were not as sensational as the first two novels. The novels' cases were large in scale and had crazy plot points (which was good, to me) but The Adventures shine in that they're more condensed, grounded mysteries. The solutions and conclusions Holmes draws from his logic is also more readily apparent, and I can see a real person being able to use similar ideas, so the mysteries felt like they were perfectly solvable in hindsight.
Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler
5.0
What a crazy ride. I absolutely loved this, start to finish. I was not expecting such an engaging fantasy when I started this, very interesting eugenic stuff, definitely recommend it.
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
2.0
Two star only because at least things happened. It's just so bland I could hardly pay attention for more than a few minutes. Nothing about this really engaged me, not the ghosts, not the alternate perspective, not a thing.
Dubliners by James Joyce
4.0
This took me an ungodly amount of time to read, way more than it should have. The book was alright, every time I finished a story I thought "That was it? Nothing happened." but I think that's supposed to be the point. Some of the stories here were really memorable though, so it's a worthwhile collection of stories in the end.
Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka
5.0
I could read this fifteen times and never get bored. A simply incredible piece of fiction, I loved every character, every moment, every line. Everyone should pick this up at least once. I can't wait until I forget enough to reread this again and again.
Even better on the second time, too, after reading the pre and sequels. So much information, and none of it "necessary" to enjoy it (the book is good as a standalone or sequel). Though having read three Assassins it is nice to see all the details I missed the first go-around.
Even better on the second time, too, after reading the pre and sequels. So much information, and none of it "necessary" to enjoy it (the book is good as a standalone or sequel). Though having read three Assassins it is nice to see all the details I missed the first go-around.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
1.0
A book so worthless I don't even feel like i had my time wasted; it's just nothing.
You can tell this was written by a "radical atheist," it's like pure distilled reddit r/ifuckinglovescience injected into you against your will. I almost gave it half a star more because some of the concepts and plot points are interesting, but nothing goes anywhere or is explored enough.
The best thing I can say about this book is that I have something to say when asked what my least favorite book is.
You can tell this was written by a "radical atheist," it's like pure distilled reddit r/ifuckinglovescience injected into you against your will. I almost gave it half a star more because some of the concepts and plot points are interesting, but nothing goes anywhere or is explored enough.
The best thing I can say about this book is that I have something to say when asked what my least favorite book is.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
4.0
2nd Read: I stand by my review below.
The book was short, sweet, and perfect for an afternoon oneshot read for anyone who'd enjoy a "cozy, fun" time.
I do not like this type of book and was prepared to write it off as a decent 3 star with a very predictable ending and tropey, non-unique and non-subversive plot about book lovers whose lives are shaped by books; though, two standout moments in the book did surprise me and left me surprised in hindsight how I did not see the obvious twists.
Besides these small moments, nothing in this book felt new or particularly worth a higher-than-3 (the ending wasn't particularly crazy and many characters didn't seem to develop overall [though that can be the fault of being a shorter story]), except that I found myself relating a lot to Fikry as a snob and picky reader, which let me feel more for the book as it is rather than what I want it to be.
A later excerpt basically sums up why I liked the book as much as I did:
The book was short, sweet, and perfect for an afternoon oneshot read for anyone who'd enjoy a "cozy, fun" time.
I do not like this type of book and was prepared to write it off as a decent 3 star with a very predictable ending and tropey, non-unique and non-subversive plot about book lovers whose lives are shaped by books; though, two standout moments in the book did surprise me and left me surprised in hindsight how I did not see the obvious twists.
Besides these small moments, nothing in this book felt new or particularly worth a higher-than-3 (the ending wasn't particularly crazy and many characters didn't seem to develop overall [though that can be the fault of being a shorter story]), except that I found myself relating a lot to Fikry as a snob and picky reader, which let me feel more for the book as it is rather than what I want it to be.
A later excerpt basically sums up why I liked the book as much as I did:
"In terms of plot, the twist is a latecomer and not enough to redeem the story's flaws. 'The Bookseller' really shouldn't be on this list - it is not an exceptional Dahl offering in any way. Certainly no 'Lamb to the Slaughter' - and yet here it is. How to account for its presence when I know it is only average? The answer is this: Your dad relates to its characters. It has meaning to me. And the longer I do this (bookselling, yes, of course, but also living if that isn't too awfully sentimental), the more I believe that this is what the point of it all is. To connect, my dear little nerd. Only connect."This is, of course, not a 5 star despite all that. That is my attempt to be objective of the quality of a book that I rate with subjectivity in mind.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
4.0
4.5 stars.
Had a really fun time listening to this, all the characters were really endearing. My only issue is that
"…and then they realized they were no longer little girls. They were little women."
Had a really fun time listening to this, all the characters were really endearing. My only issue is that
Spoiler
Beth did nothing and died. It made it hard to care about her death when she never really did anything.
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays by Albert Camus
4.0
Absurdism goes well with having a job. One must imagine me happy, too.
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
4.0
emphasis on brief (the Einstein glazing was crazy btw)