spootilious's reviews
119 reviews

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

My thoughts on this book are a bit all over the place. I liked the characters well enough, and the world was quite unique. It was certainly entertaining…

The Color of Magic felt like Adams meeting Hubbert. The prose was over the top in some places and lacking in other. The world building was cumbersome here and there and smooth at other points. The descriptions were always well done but there was no real plot.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. I can understand why others love it so and look forward to seeing the miniseries which I feel may be a better medium for this particular story.

I still love Terry Pratchett but don’t feel like I will be continuing my journey through the Discworld series.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

One word is all that is needed to explain this book: Delightful

This is most certainly a feel-good book. A cozy coffeeshop AU with a gay couple in a D&D esc world. The descriptions are worthwhile and while the writing is simplistic it is easy to read and quite effective.

I will admit there is no real complexity to the story, but I don’t feel it is needed. In fact, Baldree’s writing reminds me quite a lot of TJ Klune. It is a simple story of love and found family with wonderful characters and settings.

It is not life changing or thought provoking… It is simply a nice steaming cup of coffee and a warm cinnamon roll on a cold morning.

Go read it! It’s worth it.

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

There was nothing too standout about this book, but it was executed almost perfectly with beautiful illustrations, a fun read, wonderful characters and an endearing plot.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

Oathbringer, despite not quite being in the middle, suffers from middle book syndrome, in my opinion. That, of course, is not to say that it isn’t good. Quite the opposite. I have yet to read a Sanderson book that is bad. The world building continues to entrance, the characters continue to be lovable and tormented, the writing continues to be strong.

I believe the issue I had with Oathbringer is that it dragged. The pacing seemed a bit slower than the previous two books. That paired with the slightly annoying love triangle and the ‘plot twist’ that I predicted in book one made it fall less than par for me.

However, this book is still a solid three stars! I enjoyed it for the most part and the series makes it all worth it. There were smaller ‘plot twists’ that caught me by surprise and the pacing was necessary to add to the series as a whole.

Quotes:

“Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man in the process of changing.”

“To love the journey is to accept no such end. I have found, through painful experience, that the most important step a person can take is always the next one.”

“The question... is not whether you will love, hurt, dream, and die. It is what you will love, why you will hurt, when you will dream, and how you will die. This is your choice. You cannot pick the destination, only the path.”

“A journey will have pain and failure. It is not only the steps forward that we must accept. It is the stumbles. The trials. The knowledge that we will fail. That we will hurt those around us.

But if we stop, if we accept the person we are when we fall, the journey ends. That failure becomes our destination. To love the journey is to accept no such end. "

“Life breaks us, ... Then we fill the cracks with something stronger.”

“As long as you keep trying, there's a chance. When you give up? That's when the dream dies.”

“Every moment in our lives seem trivial, ... Most are forgotten while some, equally humble, become the points upon which history pivots.”

“Logically... the bright side is the only side you can look on because the other side is dark.”

“Artists spend more of their lives making bad practice pieces than they do masterworks, particularly at the start. And even when an artist becomes a master, some pieces don't work out. Still others are somehow just wrong until the last stroke. You learn more from bad art than you do from good art, as your mistakes are more important than your successes. Plus, good art usually evokes the same emotions in people --- Most good art is the same kind of good. But bad pieces can each be bad in their own unique way.”

“Morality and law are built upon the bodies of the slain.”

“It is obscenely difficult-- if not impossible-- to make something that nobody hates, ... Conversely, it is incredibly easy-- if not expected-- to make something that nobody loves.”

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

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dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I finished this book hours ago and I haven’t really been sure what to say about it.

I am happy to be reading a book originally written in another language again, knowing there really aren’t enough in my reading circles, or advertised, now days. I’ve missed their feel, their cadence. There is something comforting about knowing that someone’s story is being shared with you even if you couldn’t hold a conversation…. Something heartwarming about knowing that no matter the barrier we all experience things similar, especially remorse, grief, and sorrow.

A started A Man Called Ove only one week after someone very dear to me and my family passed away. Someone who I could not help but make parallels to. Going into the novel, I knew nothing of what it was about, only that it came highly recommended. Looking back at it now, I can certainly understand why.

I won’t lie and say that the book was as good as everyone told me it would be. The start was very sluggish, and the cadence took some getting use to. Nothing really happened throughout the book, its more of a slice of life of a man trying to find his place in life after his wife paces.

It was depressing… and moving… funny… and heartbreaking.

Overall, it was delightful, and I am very glad I had a chance to experience it at such a time in my (and my family’s) life to really appreciate how our very own Ove had changed our lives.

Content Warnings

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

There isn’t much to say about this book…

Perfect ending. Perfect plot twist.

Unique world and characters (which is expected of Sanderson.

The character development is amazing

The religious symbolism is amazing.

The only negatives I have is its mostly slow pace and predictable plot (minus the big twist)

Absolutely loved this book and the series

[The only reason the review is short and to the point is because apparently, I didn’t write it right after I read it so I’m having to write it now, a year and some change later)

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I loved this book! Though, there were a number of places that fell short.

Compared to The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance picked up the pace and really embellished the foundation characters. I breezed through the book much faster than I expected. However, I found the ‘plot twists’ to be extremely predictable. Only once in the 1080 pages was I generally surprised (and the even was a small one that happened in the wrap up).

I’m worried that this book (and possibly the next) suffers from middle book syndrome.

The big fight at the end (specifically the bits between two main characters) was so drawn out and repetitive that I skimmed most of it and didn’t feel like I missed anything of importance.

The emotional depth of some of the characters (at given points, not all the time) was very well written. The writing wasn’t as poetic as The Way of Kings. The illustrations were stunning and helpful, and I absolutely ADORED the humor throughout the book. High Fantasy books tend to take themselves too serious at time, and that does not seem to be the case with Stormlight.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It may not have been as good as the first, but it was fun and exciting. Highly recommend this series to Fantasy lovers.

Quotes:

A woman's strength should not be in her role, whatever she chooses it to be, but in the power to choose that role.

I say that there is no role for women--there is, instead, a role for each woman, and she must make it for herself.

Power is an illusion of perception.

Two blind men waited at the end of an era, contemplating beauty.

All stories told have been told before. We tell them to ourselves, as did all men who ever were. And all men who ever will be. The only things new are the names.

Expectation wasn't just about what people expected of you. It was about what you expected of yourself.

For glory lit, and life alive, for goals unreached and aims to strive. All men must try, the wind did see. It is the test, it is the dream.

To age truly was to suffer the ultimate treason, that of one’s body against oneself.

Beauty was out there, all around. To create art was not to capture it, but to participate in it.

The sensation—it’s not sorrow, but something deeper—of being broken. Of being crushed so often, and so hatefully, that emotion becomes something you can only wish for. If only you could cry, because then you’d feel something. Instead, you feel nothing. Just . . . haze and smoke inside. Like you’re already dead.

All people are musicians" Wit countered. "The question is whether or not they share their songs.

Circe by Madeline Miller

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Read: January 19, 2022

Title: Circe

Author: Madeline Miller

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology/Historical Fiction

Rating: 2.5/5

Review:

I went into Circe having read The Song of Achilles and thus had very high expectations. As such, I feel I was a bit bias on my opinion of this beautifully written novel but cannot be faulted for it.

Any work by Miller is bound to be stunningly written, with wonderous prose and breathtaking imagery. Circe is no different. She continues with her unique perspectives of Greek tragedies with her mimic of their iconic styles and the beautiful symbolism that is present in both.

The major downfall of this novel is simply the pacing. Much like the first half of The Song of Achilles, Circe drags on at a crawling pace (a beautiful one, but a crawl none the less). The plot remained steady throughout the novel, making it feel as if there were no major climax (despite what the obvious climax of the book actually is).

Overall, the writing is stunning, but the story fell flat for me. It is certainly a book I would recommend but would probably not reread.

Quotes:

But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth.

The thought was this: that all my life had been murk and depths, but I was not a part of that dark water. I was a creature within it.

But perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look, we see only the mirror of our own faults.

It was my first lesson. Beneath the smooth, familiar face of things is another that waits to tear the world in two.

Content Warnings

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Read: January 16, 2022

Title: The Way of Kings

Series: The Stormlight Archives (Book 1)

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Epic Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Rating: 4/5

Review:

The Way of Kings has been on my TBR for a very very long time. The Stormlight Archives is my husbands favorite book series, and he has been recommending it since he read it (before we were even married). As the years went on, other recommended it to me as well, but I was always hesitant to pick it up. What if I don’t like it? What if I do what I always do and pick it apart piece by piece? They’ll hate me for it.

Ten years later and that’s exactly what I did. Turns out… I didn’t hate it.

I eased my way into Sanderson’s work, starting with The Wheel of Time, moving into Mistborn, and rounding it out with Warbreaker. So, I finally felt that I had a decent enough grasp of Sanderson’s style to acknowledge that even if The Way of Kings disappointed me, I would still enjoy it.

Sanderson continued his unique world building, breath-taking cultures, and stunning characters that I have witnessed in his other novels. With imaginative creatures, and a magic system only he could come up with, there is so much to learn in this new world that it is no wonder the first book is 1200+ pages.

As with all of his books his cadence is steady, attention to detail commendable, descriptions absolutely beautiful. He is thorough in building each political system, belief style and even personality of his characters.

All of this is expected of him, and it is certainly no wonder he is one of the leading names in Fantasy. Though, I will say that the story drags quite a bit in The Way of Kings. I grew a bit worried when I reached the last hundred pages and there was no climax in sight. Sanderson has always floored me with his ability to write a perfect ending and yet how would he achieve this in a hundred pages?

Somehow… He managed it. Though, ‘perfect’ is not the descriptor I would use for the ending of The Way of Kings. Fitting is a better word. There was no real revelation, some of the twists were quite predictable but it got the job done and set the story up for the next book. Overall, I’m satisfied (not thrilled).

I would also like to add that it, at times (specifically the prologue), seems that Sanderson had started writing this book long before his others. Occasionally a repetitive word or the occasional mundane descriptor feels a bit below the skill of his consistent prowess he has shown over the years. This of course is not a bad thing, but something to note. To me it marks this book as the start of a passion project years in the making and makes me all the more excited to continue reading.

Quotes:

The purpose of a storyteller is to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.

And so, does the destination matter? Or is it the path we take? I declare that no accomplishment has substance nearly as great as the road used to achieve it. We are not creatures of destinations. It is the journey that shapes us. Our callused feet, our backs strong from carrying the weight of our travels, our eyes open with the fresh delight of experiences lived.

Sometimes the prize is not worth the costs. The means by which we achieve victory are as important as the victory itself.

A man’s emotions are what define him, and control is the hallmark of true strength. To lack feeling is to be dead, but to act on every feeling is to be a child.

Somebody has to start. Somebody has to step forward and do what is right, because it is right.

Must someone, some unseen thing, declare what is right for it to be right? I believe that my own morality -- which answers only to my heart -- is more sure and true than the morality of those who do right only because they fear retribution.

Too many of us take great pains with what we ingest through our mouths, and far less with what we partake of through our ears and eyes.

Ignorance is hardly unusual, Miss Davar. The longer I live, the more I come to realize that it is the natural state of the human mind. There are many who will strive to defend its sanctity and then expect you to be impressed with their efforts.

Weakness can imitate strength if bound properly, just as cowardice can imitate heroism if given nowhere to flee.

Death is the destination. But the journey, that is life. That is what matters.

Better to exist in agony than to vanish entirely.

Books can store information better than we can—what we do that books cannot is interpret. So if one is not going to draw conclusions, then one might as well just leave the information in the texts.

A story doesn’t live until it is imagined in someone’s mind.

Scared to go onward... but terrified to go back to what you were.

Don't try to stop yourself from feeling. You'll hate who you become.

There are worse things to be than a disease... When you have one, it reminds you that you're alive. Makes you fight for what you have. When the disease has run its course, normal healthy life seems wonderful by comparison.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I was very conflicted when I decided on the rating for this book. In a way it was breathtaking and unique, in another it took quite a bit of effort to finish. Still at a solid 3.5 I feel this book is well worth the read.

The fact that I hadn’t heard much about Belle Da Costa Greene before The Personal Librarian was published, saddens me. However, Marie Benedict has a way of resurrecting lessor known historical figures and breathing new life into them. Exploring the life of this incredible woman is both entertaining and eye opening as the book addresses prejudice, racism, and sexism without remorse. With elegant writing and wonderful use of language The Personal Librarian draws the reading into the life of a woman torn between two worlds and determined to not only survive but to conquer.

While I loved the subject matter and the historical aspect of this novel, there are a few places where I felt it fell a bit short. While it is obvious that certain dates and events of Belle’s life were adjusted for pacing issues, there were points where the book dragged on and I had to make a conscious effort not to skim through a few paragraphs/pages. There were also points where it felt as though I was reading romance and not historical fiction, as the novel dove into fairly detailed accounts of her affairs, without which I feel the story would be just as well received (while still addressing the consequences of those affairs).

Aside from these instances, I would have loved to have learned more about her career, including how she managed to acquire certain pieces and the career connections she made, or the influences she provided. At the same time, I suppose the book was just enough to get a taste of the intrigue behind the woman and push me to do my own research of her.

I look forward to learning so much more about this incredible individual!

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spootilious's reviews 119 reviews

spootilious's reviews
119 reviews