thespicelessreader's Reviews (827)

True Beauty, Volume 4

Yaongyi

4.0

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: Complicated

Heavenly Tyrant

Xiran Jay Zhao

4.25

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis: Advances in the Origins Debate

John H. Walton

2.5

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

First of all a big thank you to NetGalley for providing the audiobook version of this book to review.

I think that if I had acquired this book as a physical copy I would have scored it closer to a 3.5 to 3.75 but due to the intense academic nature of the text listening to the material via audiobook worked against it. There were so many references both to the authors previous texts and the texts of others that I found the book hard to follow and stay engaged with. If I had access to the physical book I likely would have been highlighting and seeking out the reference materials for expanded context.

It's worth being aware that this is a highly academic text, this will recommend it to some and dissuade others. I found it interesting as I have previously taken courses on ancient near eastern religions and was able to recognize many of the references made to the context that the old testament was written in. That being said, I feel like without that context I would have been completely lost in the weeds.

Overall while I cannot recommend the audiobook I do feel that this is a series I would seek out as physical copies to allow for better absorption and understanding of the text.