sylcooper's reviews
43 reviews

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

Very fast, cute read. Felt like the right book at the right time for me. Loved the characters and excited to read about Chloe’s sisters 

Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell

adventurous dark slow-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

Fun to read a different take on a classic story. The pacing felt a bit off.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

Enjoyed this one even more than the first entry in the series. Especially the relationship between Murderbot and the other boy. 

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

informative inspiring slow-paced

3.75

A lot of interesting and useful content with ton of examples. The examples are a bit dated however and some the advice seems very limited. All in all a good read and will read again soon

How to Think Like a Cat by St'phane Garnier

lighthearted slow-paced

2.0

The idea was cute, but it gets preachy and repetitive very fast. 

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

The book is a bit repetitive and crass sometimes, definitely not for everyone, buuuuut it was exactly what I needed to listen to right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Shadows Rising by Madeleine Roux

adventurous medium-paced

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

2.5

This book has a lot of characters and repetitive scenes despite the fact that nothing actually happens. Unlike the previous Warcraft book I read, this tie-in does not offer any interesting context to the game. The part of the book I enjoyed the most was the epilogue which basically rehashes the cinematic from the game with a bit more context. 

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

Lighthearted contemporary fiction/romance is super far out of my comfort zone (i'm usually a plot heavy sci fi person), but I could not put this book down. It was addicting, it had twists and turns that had me literally gasping and I especially loved the main character, Bea. I also really loved the writing style, mainly because it nailed the way people communicate in 2020/2021. Loved it, my favorite read of the year so far.

Solid recommend for everyone that loves reality tv, romance stories or just a juicy fast paced adventure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

Minor: Bullying

Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder

informative fast-paced

2.0

This book was definitely not for me. I did not connect with the author's tone of voice, the way he dismissed certain movies that didn't fit his narrative, and I wasn't a fan of his by the numbers approach to screenwriting. This had some interesting insights into the industry for sure, but got buried under all the talk about making your screenplay as cookie cutter as possible to sell it. Not a fan.