sophronisba's reviews
2493 reviews

Ask Me Again by Clare Sestanovich

dark reflective sad medium-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

3.25

Somewhat reminiscent of an American Sally Rooney but (it must be said) not as good.

The Howe Dynasty: The Untold Story of a Military Family and the Women Behind Britain's Wars for America by Julie Flavell

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I read this book for Charlotte, Caroline, and Juliana -- and I enjoyed the chapters dealing with their lives and political machinations very much. The chapters about the military history, on the other hand -- well, my eyes glazed over a bit, although I do now feel a little more sympathetic to the Howe brothers than I might have previously.

The Missing Thread: A Women's History of the Ancient World by Daisy Dunn

challenging informative medium-paced

3.0

I regret that this book did not work for me. From the title I expected a womancentric social/cultural history, but this book mostly retells the already well-known political/military history of the Greco-Roman ancient world, while emphasizing any women (usually the wives, mothers, and daughters of the men driving the events) who were somehow connected. 

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I guessed where this book was going fairly early on, so that may have spoiled some of the impact. But I found it beautiful and delicate and haunting nonetheless.

Colored Television by Danzy Senna

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book quite a bit despite not liking any of the characters very much. Excellent skewering of Hollywood, at the very least.

John Lewis: A Life by David Greenberg

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Five days after the dreadful election, this biography was an inspiring balm for the soul.

Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst

emotional reflective medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

Nothing happens but everything happens. I am a huge fan of Alan Hollinghurst's work and I thought this was a quite beautiful novel. Yes, it's long, and yes, I suppose it's slow if you're waiting for a big twisty plot development but it was exactly my cuppa at this point in time.

The Great Man: Sir Robert Walpole: Scoundrel, Genius and Britain's First Prime Minister by Edward Pearce

challenging informative slow-paced

3.25

Weirdly, given the subtitle, I didn't get as much of a sense of Walpole the person as I would have liked. Very career-focused. Convinced me that Walpole was, in fact, a huge pain in the ass to deal with (deliberately, I am sure). But not an easy read to get through and assumed I had more background knowledge about the machinations of eighteenth-century Parliament than I actually possessed.

The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire by Andrew O'Shaughnessy

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Thoughtful account of the British leaders who lost the American Revolution. I came away convinced that they were much less incompetent than they've been made out to be and also that -- contrary to O'Shaughnessy -- this was a war that Britain was never going to win. It's hard  not to sympathize with these men, who were not all that different in personality and character than the Americans on the other side.

Shakespeare's Sisters: How Women Wrote the Renaissance by Ramie Targoff

informative medium-paced

3.5

Good material here, but it isn't presented in an engaging or insightful way. I was left a bit disappointed.