sullyisreading's reviews
83 reviews

Cyberpunk 2077: Your Voice by Aleksandra Motyka, Marcin Blacha

adventurous mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

It was an enjoyable read but ultimately shallow. Nice twist though.

The Heart of the Warrior by John Gregory Betancourt

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

It's enjoyable and perfectly suited for what I wanted from the story. In fact it did impress me in a number of ways because I hadn't expected the story to be as fun as it was. Clearly the author is skilled. Although I did find that the author explained the character's thoughts and feelings unnecessarily a lot of the times, although that didn't stop me from enjoying the story. 

The ending was rushed in all honesty, at least that's how I felt. And in some regards the ending didn't amount to much satisfaction, besides having finished the book and having enjoyed overall the story it told. I think perhaps one serious flaw it had was the simple fact that because it was told during the events of the show, the book was limited to telling a story that could not have long-lasting effects, since it would have otherwise contradicted canon. I understand it, but it is a shame, since it undermined some dramatic tension that otherwise would have made the story all the more exciting.

Carrie by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This story has been recommended countless times by my partner, so I'm glad I did read it. Went through the whole thing in under 24hours, and it's been a while since I've been left so affected by a book. I can understand how this book came to be and see what it says plainly and it brings a painful sadness to me. It's beautiful and despicably true to life. 

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This year has been good for me finding books that I've absolutely loved. I wasn't sure what to expect from the book but I ended up loving every moment. The prose was a style of descriptive that I feel isn't quite appreciated anymore. My only wish could be that the ending was drawn out a little more, but I always say it's better to have been left wanting more.

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.

Hamnet had some good ideas. Ultimately though it couldn't keep me engaged, which is not necessarily its own fault. 

Memoirs Found in a Bathtub by Stanisław Lem

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.75

Some of Stanislaw's stories can be long and sometimes hard to read through, owing using to clunky writing - the fault of the translator? Who's to say. This story however does not have that issue, in fact, this may be his best flowing story I've read as of yet (and I've gone through a solid number of his stories by now, check my other reviews for proof). 

The story is charming, clever, funny, bizarre, and captures a certain charm that is seen in modern media even today, I believe. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading something very different to what they're used to. My only criticism is held for the beginning's prologue - it is easily the hardest bit of reading done throughout the whole story.

The Conquest of Violence: an Essay on War and Revolution (The Libertarian Critique) by Bart De Ligt, Peter van den Dungen

challenging informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

An absolute must-read. Even today, almost 100 years later, you see how politics has evolved in the worst ways possible from the point in time which Bart De Ligt wrote. 

Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadio Hearn

informative mysterious reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

The book was a fast and enjoyable read. The range of stories was diverse and I feel illuminated many sides of Japanese culture that have developed since the book was first written - in terms of Junji Ito's stories for instance, you can draw parallels from these classic Japanese tales to the modern day. Great stuff.

Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber

funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

This was my second time reading this story, and I still love it to pieces. My only criticism is it's ending, very abrupt and out of nowhere, wrapped up in a way that left me questioning why it was done in such a fashion. Otherwise, the rest of the book is worthy of 5 stars.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

Philip K. Dick is an absolutely impressive writer. This is the second book of his I read, and honestly, after loving the movie for so long and reading the book, I'm all the more glad to say I found both versions of the story incredible. The differences are a little startling but at the same time, refreshing on either end.

I liked the focus on Android-life that the story had. In the movie, it felt rather vague, never quite shown off like it was in the book. That makes sense. Loved it.