pamela22's reviews
91 reviews

adventurous challenging dark funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

What a thought provoking text. This is one that will stay with me. Post modernism at its best. Just as you think you’ve got a handle on things yet another twist and turn occurs. Now to watch the film adaptation.

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I listened to this text and found a few phonetic pronunciations quite interesting… for example, buoy. It begins deceptively gentle, switching time periods and making skilful use of third person narration. I considered quitting the book around the six hour mark when an unexpected event occurred that I found quite triggering but am glad that I persevered.
Explores what it means to be human, often messily so, and really brings home of living your one life well.
Don’t be put off by the romance labeling; I really cannot stand the romance genre and this text is so much more.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

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dark funny fast-paced

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

3.5

Stumbled across this book looking for a lighter read than the dark text I’ve been reading. I must confess, I was lead astray by the title, thinking of more well known series containing elderly characters sleuthing. So still dark but highly entertaining.

The Good People by Hannah Kent

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Took me months to get through the first half in paper form as I usually read paper booksof an evening to unwind and relax. The relentless bleakness of this book is certainly not suited for that kind of reading. Made the switch a few days ago to audio and flew through the reminder as I drove etc.
Gritty, poetic writing. Glad I stuck with it. Powerful insight into a time long gone and the forces that shaped women’s lives, including the force of superstition.
But hey, we live in times where people believe in lizard people….

Wild Dogs by Michael Trant

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Action packed from the very beginning. Loved the setting. As important as the characters.

Hooked: The Secrets of a High-Class Call Girl by Samantha X

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reflective sad medium-paced

2.5

Picked up in a street swap library. I read more on the author after finishing after finishing the text as it was very easy to find out who she was. Enhanced my feeling of sadness towards her. A life shaped by, at that point, undiagnosed mental health concerns.

Making It So by Patrick Stewart

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Stewart struck me as being open and honest in this memoir. Liked the blend of professional and personal life reflection. Can’t say I ended up particularly liking aspects of the man.

The Banksia House Breakout by James Roxburgh

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced