sophronisba's reviews
2493 reviews

The Party by Tessa Hadley

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? It's complicated

3.5

Beautifully written, as Tessa Hadley's work always is, but either forty pages too long or 150 pages too short. 

Wild Faith: How the Christian Right Is Taking Over America by Talia Lavin

dark emotional informative medium-paced

3.75

Between having grown up in this world and having watched the destruction of the previous week, this book made me feel very hyperventilate-y. I think there's valuable information here if you know nothing about the topic but for me the breathless tone just made me feel anxious.

Wolf at the Table by Adam Rapp

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

There's a lot about this big fat family saga that is pretty compelling, and I had a hard time putting it down most days, but on the other hand I think I would have liked it better without the Big Twist.

The Scandal of Empire: India and the Creation of Imperial Britain by Nicholas B. Dirks

challenging informative slow-paced

4.0

Interesting but dense, and probably requires more working knowledge of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British politics than I have to fully appreciate.

Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See by Bianca Bosker

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I enjoyed Cork Dork but it is still a fun ride through the world of contemporary art. 

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

I am obsessed with sea voyages so of course I loved this book to bits. Sides showed  real insight into both Cook and the native populations he encountered on his final journey. 

Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This isn't as much fun as Lady Audley's Secret but it's still pretty entertaining, and Aurora is a surprisingly realistic character -- she certainly feels more like a human being than most of the women in Dickens.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.25

I'm not really a romance reader usually but it was set in Michigan and it was a tough week so here we are. And honestly it was just what the doctor ordered.

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer

informative medium-paced

4.25

Brutal and depressing, especially given *gestures broadly at everything*.

George IV: The Rebel Who Would Be King by Christopher Hibbert

informative slow-paced

3.75

Was this book well-researched and well-written? Yes. Did I learn a lot about George IV? Yes. Do I think that this man merited a 900-page biography? I DO NOT.