szdfan's reviews
276 reviews

Adventure Time Vol. 4 by Braden Lamb, Ryan North, Shelli Paroline

adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

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

4.0

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Alien by Alan Dean Foster

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Sex Without Stress: A couple's guide to overcoming disappointment, avoidance & pressure by Jessa Zimmerman

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

Star Trek: The Search for Spock by Vonda N. McIntyre, Harve Bennett

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Cirque Du Soleil: The Spark: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All by John U. Bacon, Lyn Heward

hopeful informative medium-paced

1.0

Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms Classics, Volume 1 by Jeff Grubb, Rags Morales

adventurous fast-paced

3.0

I Sing the Body Electric: And Other Stories by Ray Bradbury

mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Heloise & Abelard: A New Biography by James Burge

2.0

The tragic affair of Heloise and Abelard is one of the history's great romances. In the Twelfth Century, the Canon Fulbert castrated the young philosopher Peter Abelard for an illicit relationship with his niece Heloise. In the years following the castration, the two lovers continued to write each other as Heloise became an abbotess and Abelard continued to write philosophical and theological books. It's in a few surviving letters that we see glimpses of an extraordinary and passionate relationship -- a union that engulfed Heloise and Abelard, both romantically and intellectually.

James Burge's biography explores Heloise and Abelard's story in the context of medieval culture, religion and politics. It's a fascinating topic - too bad the book is so terribly written. Burge frequently commits a cardinal biographic sin by speculating on the feelings and motivations of people nine hundred years in the past. He also makes a number of unnecessary references to contemporary culture in comparison to medieval Europe. The story of Heloise and Abelard deserves a compelling biography -- unfortunately, I was too distracted by Burge's writing to really enjoy this attempt.