redheadreading's reviews
2111 reviews

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

Really enjoyed the first part of this which was essentially magical Project Runway (absolutely my jam), but then the book becomes a journey narrative with a fairly classic YA romance plotline which just didn't interest me as much. 

The Poem of the Cid: Dual Language Edition by

adventurous slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The Lion House: The Coming of a King by Christopher de Bellaigue

adventurous informative fast-paced

2.5

I tend to prefer my narrative non-fiction to he interspersed with more analytical non-fiction so this was a little too novelistic for my taste - it mainly just caused me to have lots of questions about details which I'd like to have known more about! That said, I can really see how that "reads like a novel" aspect will make this super accessible for some readers and potentially help people get into consuming historical non-fic. I'm not super familiar with Suleyman the Magnificent so I was excited to learn more about him, I will say I feel I have come away with a stronger sense of Ibrahim than Suleyman! This was a fun and light non-fic read but not as dazzling as I'd hoped and I fear I may forget a lot of it due to the way the narrative jumped around in the telling. 

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

There are some electric scenes in this novel, particularly the closing one of part one! My favourite parts were definitely one and four, they had the most drive to them, but every part had one of those scenes which seizes attention and oozes drama. I found some portions left me feeling a little lost, particularly when people were expounding on topics (be it the railways, Catholicism or just Ippolit's nonsensical writings!), but that was made up for by the brilliant scenes between characters which are intense and scandalous. 

It has been extremely interesting reading a book where the narrator is deliberately asking you to rely on yourself to understand what's going on, particularly in the final book when it seems like so many characters are misunderstanding each other constantly to such detrimental effect. Some of these characters are painted so distinctly that they'll really stay with me and I can see some of the deliberate contrasts and messages, even if I know I've definitely not understood everything fully. I confess sometimes the plot got a little repetitious (good lord, lads, just make up your mind who you're marrying!!) But now I'm done I can say that this story of a man apart from society who is drawn in and highlights its corruption will have me thinking for a while. 

Defoe // Volume Two by Pat Mills

adventurous dark fast-paced

3.0

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

Fascinating reading this after listening to Malorie's autobiography - I could really see how much of her own experiences she put into Callum as well as the historical moments she was drawing on to create the world. Blackman's writing style is quite simplistic here which I appreciate will make it super accessible for young readers but is a little too pared down for my personal taste. I feel similarly about the romance - there just isn't enough there between them for me to really root for (perhaps also because, aside from Sephy being a bit younger than Callum anyway, her perspective just also feels noticably immature in comparison to his for a lot of the book - albeit this might be a commentary on the way Callum has been forced to act older than his years by society as well, widening the gap between them). 

I can really see how this book will help young readers either see their experiences reflected or help them to begin thinking critically and grappling with understanding injustice. It seems like the series grows and expands a lot which is intriguing. Luckily, my library has it all on audio so I can explore a bit further!

Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz

dark reflective slow-paced

3.25

Bethany Joy Lenz was a good narrator, you can tell she's an actress! I think this did a good job of showing how easy it is to be sucked in and manipulated by the types of group shown, one thing after another serves to isolate and condition you into perceiving your situation as normal. I was particularly interested in the brief passage where Lenz draws parallels between the way she manipulated by her church group and the way studios and executives in Hollywood use similar tactics on young actresses. I do think this was overlong - I can understand from a catharsis point of view wanting to set the record straight and really show everything you've gone through but it did drag at times. 

The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise by Olivia Laing

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

One of those delightful books that has added a bunch more books to my to-read pile alongside feeding my deep longing to have a garden of my own to plant.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Sometimes you just have to gobble up a book in a day, you know?

Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

This book really felt like sitting down with a glass of wine and having Cher just chat away to you. The additional narrator did a great job and captured her essence, so much so that when Cher would hop back in for a bit it felt like a jump scare! My favourite moments were when Cher's voice jumped through so strongly (e.g. "I left Sonny for another woman - me") and I wonder if there will be more of that in part two as she becomes even more the icon we know. An enjoyable celeb memoir and I will certainly take out part two from my library when it's released!