redheadreading's reviews
2113 reviews

Japanese Colour Prints: Colour Library by Jack Ronald Hillier

informative

3.5

Found the intro a little dense and not sure I agree with the basic concept of the introduction of non-plant based dyes as an "evil", but really enjoyed the variety of prints - excited to explore some artists further!

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Ghost Stories with Christopher Lee by M.R. James

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

The stories are perfectly fine with a good amount of classic ghost story tropes (I quite enjoyed the cat haunting one!), but it's Christopher Lee's performance that absolutely shines and makes this worth listening to! He was such a brilliant performer and I liked the framing of delivering these stories as if we're part of the group of students listening.

The Damned by Algernon Blackwood

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

I enjoyed the tension of wondering whether the house was indeed haunted or if it was all in our narrator's head - now it's finished I find myself thinking back to certain episodes and wondering how much I can trust the version that was portrayed. Our narrator is deeply sexist and the digs he makes about his sister pile up throughout the text, but in a way that is very deliberately done and I loved the glimpses you get of the real person she is as the story progresses. Perhaps a little anticlimactic but I did enjoy this!

The Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides by Aeschylus

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Little Sparrow Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

Always enjoy a Yokomizo and this was my first foray into trying him via audiobook! Kindaichi was oddly laid back, less hands on, in this one? Has the classic elements of heightened emotions, creepy folk song, isolated village and family secrets that always make for a classic crime.

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

The descriptions of the Kingdom of Back are luscious and the way nusic is written about truly gorgeous. Really appreciated the look at women's role in history - I did know things about Nannerl (largely from having visited Mozart's House in Salzburg) so it was fun to see the way her life was interpreted. I did find the conclusion quite quick. 

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

My first Dorothy Sayers! At times I felt a little lost in the dialogue and the writing style and mystery plotting is not my fave, but I can see glimpses of complexity to Peter's character that is intriguing. A hefty dose of anti Semitism from some characters.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

Silvia Moreno Garcia's work is always gorgeously written with great atmosphere and luscious settings. I found the pacing of this one a little off, not helped by the first part having the same scene replayed from the perspectives of both our protagonists. It did pick up in part three but I did chafe a little as it went on! I was also a little disappointed in how straightforward the narrative is, I realise it's less of a retelling and more just taking inspiration from the original scifi novel but I had wanted some more twists (that were less clearly signposted!). Lupe is actually the character I liked the most in this, she has far more drive than Carlota and I enjoyed her strong will and intelligence! At the end of the day, I will read anything SMG writes and enjoy it, but this one is not as glorious as some of her others.

Japan Story: In Search of a Nation, 1850 to the Present by Christopher Harding

challenging informative slow-paced

3.75

Enjoyed the angle of looking at the story Japan tells itself about its history verses the reality.