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srm's reviews
1044 reviews
Olav Audunssøn: II. Providence by Sigrid Undset
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It's so heartbreak, and yet realistic, to see the path the relationship between Olav and Ingunn takes from Book 1 through this one. And I was not expecting it to ultimately go where it did. It makes me all the more curious to see what could possibly happen in the next two books. Of course, as always, Undset's writing and characterization is brilliant, and Nunnully's translation is fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Child death, Pregnancy, Death, and Grief
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.5
Enjoyable enough, but not really anything new that hasn't been covered in the first two books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Torture
Dom Casmurro: A Novel by Machado de Assis, Machado de Assis
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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
5.0
Such a hard book to describe in a short review. It's a middle-aged man remembering the great love of his life, his jealousy, and possible betrayal. The tone is magnificent and even harder to explain than the plot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Slavery and Child death
Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What an absolutely charming and weird (and nearly impossible to describe) little book!
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Death, Medical content, Cancer, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots by Nancy Goldstone
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Interesting era an idea, but it could have been more focused and better organized.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
dark
mysterious
slow-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? No
3.75
There's a lot I like about this book, but ultimately it's a loooooooooooong time to spend to get where we got.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, Miscarriage, Alcohol, and Gun violence
Into Siberia: George Kennan's Epic Journey Through the Brutal, Frozen Heart of Russia by Gregory Wallance
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I knew a little something about the exile system, but the depth here, combined with the portrait of the remarkable George Kennan, made this an extremely fascinating and worthwhile read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Medical content
Don Carlos (Dodo Press) by R. D. Boylan, Friedrich Schiller
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0