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reading_to_write's reviews
208 reviews
Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Excellent book, best fiction of 2024!
Holly by Stephen King
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
Simplistic writing, characters that were all…. Typical/ cookie-cutter…. And a premise that is easily seen…
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
Montell is a good writer: this is entertaining and informative. However, it began to read very formulaic very quickly. And it struck me as a book written around a thesis, where the writer just looks for evidence that supports their arguments.
Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.75
It took me a bit to settle into the rhythm and spirit of this book, but once I did- wow! Rich prose, wonderful place and landscape writing, and a profound exploration of the human experience, along with the very Deep subterranean spaces of the earth. If you struggle with this book at first, stick with it a few chapters. Payoff is worth it.
— this is the most panicky i have ever felt reading a book. I’m claustrophobic, and just reading his writing about passing through some of the tight spaces he did made me feel as though I was there. That is good writing!
— this is the most panicky i have ever felt reading a book. I’m claustrophobic, and just reading his writing about passing through some of the tight spaces he did made me feel as though I was there. That is good writing!
The Time Machine: H.G. Wells' Groundbreaking Time Travel Tale, Classic Science Fiction by H.G. Wells
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I read this in concert with “The Underland: A Deep Time Journey,” a nonfiction book by Robert McFarland. I had no idea this book existed: I found it tense in that you know there’s some type of horror at its center, well conveyed by the Time Traveler, thrown in with some philosophy.
Bad Kids by Zijin Chen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Dark material, unlike able characters; wasn’t hitting me right.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Murder
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Murder Road by Simone St. James
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A page-turning ghost mystery and a delightful summer read.
Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country by Patricia Evangelista
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
It’s dark material. But it’s an important work, and well balanced between reportage and lyrical writing. There’s so much art in the writing, which is what makes it an emotional book and read. I loved the authors voice, and how she alternated between a literary and a narrative journalism voice. It CAN be hard to spend so much time immersed in so many wanton deaths, but the epilogue more than makes up for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Murder