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randanopterix's reviews
79 reviews
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
adventurous
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book got pretty conceptual. I just want someone to give Will a hug he’s only twelve for God’s sake.
Certain parts of this book felt very cathartic for my inner child and I appreciated that Pullman never really loses sight of the fact that these are children who are simply going through Too Much.
Certain parts of this book felt very cathartic for my inner child and I appreciated that Pullman never really loses sight of the fact that these are children who are simply going through Too Much.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
I have so much to say about this book it’s honesty impossible to say it all. As far as I’m concerned, it’s perfect. No book has made me laugh as often and few books have made me cry as hard. I have BIG FEELINGS about this book.
It’s heists are genius in their construction, the characters are insanely loveable, the dialogue is realistic and hilarious, and the relationships built between the cast are surprisingly heartwarming. Now, if you think the stakes are high 100 pages in, friend, I hope you’re ready to be stressed as FUCK because the stakes only get higher and higher.
I’m obsessed with this book, not much more to say past that.
Tagging the rest of this review as spoilers as it’s pretty much going to include notes from my annotations:
• Jean Tannen is a murderous, sensitive, smart, fat king and I hope he lives to be 200 and the rest of his life full of happiness and joy.
• Locke is a terrible little rat of a man who I desperately want to be happy. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that, king.
• Calo and Galdo, real ones. Y’all didn’t deserve any of that.
• Bug absolutely fucking broke me. Heartbroken. The worst part was that I read up to Calo and Galdo’s death when I had to clock out from work. I had the whole ride home to be shattered about them and scheme about how Bug, Jean, and Locke were gonna take revenge before I finally got home to read the rest of the chapter….
• WHERE. IS. SABETHA.
• Bondsmagi OP, plz nerf /s
• Doña Vorchenza keeps taking those L’s.
• Let me preface this by saying that I LOVED the way women were written and portrayed in this book. Absolutely none of it was patronizing or unrealistic and they were all distinct characters capable of the same level of cunning and brutality as any of their male counterparts. THAT BEING SAID: Was a little disappointed that the two women characters who had potential to be a part of the main crew as it were (Nazca and Sabetha) were neatly folded up and put away for the majority of the novel. Hoping I get to know what the deal is w Sabetha in the next book because she didn’t even show up in the flashback portions of this one and it made her feel like she wasn’t even a part of the Bastards…
• The bank scene is genuinely one of the most insane, most clever, and most hilarious things I’ve ever read. POOR BENJAVIER.
• I was on the toilet during the scene where Locke speaks Bug’s true name and let me tell you, crying heartily about that while pooping was not my most dignified moment.
It’s heists are genius in their construction, the characters are insanely loveable, the dialogue is realistic and hilarious, and the relationships built between the cast are surprisingly heartwarming. Now, if you think the stakes are high 100 pages in, friend, I hope you’re ready to be stressed as FUCK because the stakes only get higher and higher.
I’m obsessed with this book, not much more to say past that.
Tagging the rest of this review as spoilers as it’s pretty much going to include notes from my annotations:
• Jean Tannen is a murderous, sensitive, smart, fat king and I hope he lives to be 200 and the rest of his life full of happiness and joy.
• Locke is a terrible little rat of a man who I desperately want to be happy. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that, king.
• Calo and Galdo, real ones. Y’all didn’t deserve any of that.
• Bug absolutely fucking broke me. Heartbroken. The worst part was that I read up to Calo and Galdo’s death when I had to clock out from work. I had the whole ride home to be shattered about them and scheme about how Bug, Jean, and Locke were gonna take revenge before I finally got home to read the rest of the chapter….
• WHERE. IS. SABETHA.
• Bondsmagi OP, plz nerf /s
• Doña Vorchenza keeps taking those L’s.
• Let me preface this by saying that I LOVED the way women were written and portrayed in this book. Absolutely none of it was patronizing or unrealistic and they were all distinct characters capable of the same level of cunning and brutality as any of their male counterparts. THAT BEING SAID: Was a little disappointed that the two women characters who had potential to be a part of the main crew as it were (Nazca and Sabetha) were neatly folded up and put away for the majority of the novel. Hoping I get to know what the deal is w Sabetha in the next book because she didn’t even show up in the flashback portions of this one and it made her feel like she wasn’t even a part of the Bastards…
• The bank scene is genuinely one of the most insane, most clever, and most hilarious things I’ve ever read. POOR BENJAVIER.
• I was on the toilet during the scene where Locke speaks Bug’s true name and let me tell you, crying heartily about that while pooping was not my most dignified moment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual content, Slavery, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Abandonment, War, Classism
A City Inside by Tillie Walden
emotional
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
4.0
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I just loved this so much more than the original Dune. It shocked me because this one is almost universally listed as the worst Dune book.
I feel like the true themes of the first book only become clear in Messiah and the way it wraps those themes around the personal tragedy of Paul is amazing. I finished this yesterday and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I feel like I get the hype around Dune now and I can’t wait to read more.
I feel like the true themes of the first book only become clear in Messiah and the way it wraps those themes around the personal tragedy of Paul is amazing. I finished this yesterday and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I feel like I get the hype around Dune now and I can’t wait to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, War
Moderate: Incest, Violence
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
adventurous
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? Yes
4.25
Dream Warfare: The Book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I definitely wouldn’t call this a “good” book, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. It feels like something I’d watch on TV in 2005. Junk food type media. There are lots of women characters in this book, but they’re all pretty flat and Butcher spends most of the text about them talking about how cool and sexy they are.
Dresden is smug and the one liners are mostly cringey but somehow he still comes across as lovable in human-disaster sort of way. The plot was a pulpy, one episode mystery that was enjoyable enough. I definitely felt like the mystery solving was 10% detective work and 90% tripping on an important clue by accident.
This gets extra points for the audiobook performance. I’m convinced I might’ve hated this book if not for James Marsters reading as Harry Dresden. He comes across as the perfect amount of jaded and tired wizard detective hiding a heart of (silver if not) gold.
An Okay Book. Would definitely recommend to my dad.
Dresden is smug and the one liners are mostly cringey but somehow he still comes across as lovable in human-disaster sort of way. The plot was a pulpy, one episode mystery that was enjoyable enough. I definitely felt like the mystery solving was 10% detective work and 90% tripping on an important clue by accident.
This gets extra points for the audiobook performance. I’m convinced I might’ve hated this book if not for James Marsters reading as Harry Dresden. He comes across as the perfect amount of jaded and tired wizard detective hiding a heart of (silver if not) gold.
An Okay Book. Would definitely recommend to my dad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse