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turrean's reviews
2285 reviews
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.0
The grand sweep of it was so well done. Readers can see the shape of things to come with excitement, anticipation, and—quite frequently—with dread, as various storylines slowly converged.
Slowly.
Very, very, very slowly.
I would guess all his editors are afraid of this author. There is a tremendous amount of world building detail: mythology, history, superstitions, weaponry, cultural practices, architecture. (It is, in fact, an almost Silmarillion level of detail, with all the delight, awe, boredom, and utter stupefaction that attend such creations.)
A parody of Sanderson’s writing practically writes itself. Young woman character? Her laugh will be tinkling, her physical charms many, and she will likely blush every few pages.Shallan blushed with tedious regularity. A battle scene? Sword, thrust, mighty, vitality, strength, blood! Sword! BLOOD! Flashbacks illuminate the “present-day” narrative, but the action moves so slowly, inexorably, toward a future the reader already knows that anticipation tips into impatience. Yes, yes, I know he’s going to die! Get on with it!
Audiobook vs. text:
I went back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook. The woman reader (Kate Reading) is marvelous. I recognized her voice immediately. The audio production must have been a bitch to produce, with so many voices, accents, timelines, and sheer length (45 hours long !!!)
Slowly.
Very, very, very slowly.
I would guess all his editors are afraid of this author. There is a tremendous amount of world building detail: mythology, history, superstitions, weaponry, cultural practices, architecture. (It is, in fact, an almost Silmarillion level of detail, with all the delight, awe, boredom, and utter stupefaction that attend such creations.)
A parody of Sanderson’s writing practically writes itself. Young woman character? Her laugh will be tinkling, her physical charms many, and she will likely blush every few pages.
Audiobook vs. text:
I went back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook. The woman reader (Kate Reading) is marvelous. I recognized her voice immediately. The audio production must have been a bitch to produce, with so many voices, accents, timelines, and sheer length (45 hours long !!!)
Trains by Byron Barton
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Lovely book for the transportation-obsessed toddler & preschool set. The board book version is perfect for babies.
LunarTale (An Abrams Trail Tale): A New Year's Adventure by Stella Hong, Stella Hong
4.25
Beautifully constructed board book with flaps and fold out pages. The double page spread that illustrates the parade’s arrival in Chinatown is alone worth the price of purchase.
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
dark
medium-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
4.25
Easton is less oppressed by the atmosphere in this novella, and makes frequent wry comments and humorous asides. This plot is more straightforward than the previous tale, though its resolution is less clear. This is both more realistic (as Easton observes, not every tale wraps up neatly) and less satisfying to the reader. (At least, to readers who like their stories’ conclusions to be neatly wrapped.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
Wordhunter: A Novel by Stella Sands
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Main character was such a cliche I could barely make myself turn the pages.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.75
Excellent period horror with a science fiction overlay; creative language use; compelling storytelling.
I want to go clean my house now, and I’m definitely buying a water filter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Death
What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.5
A sweet and gentle novel about self-discovery (at the library!)
The POV characters, each featured in one section of the book, are at different stages in their lives, but each starts off down new roads after meeting the wise librarian. They cross paths with one another,, too, which is great fun.
I did roll my eyes mightily at the chapters narrated by Natsumi, a woman balancing home, baby, and career. (I would like to have a heart-to-heart with her husband about the concept of mental load. No, dear, she doesn’t need to make you a list 🤦🏻♀️)
The book really highlighted some fascinating differences between Japanese and American beliefs about self identity, gender roles, and the value of work.
The different voice actors varied quite a bit in ability.
The POV characters, each featured in one section of the book, are at different stages in their lives, but each starts off down new roads after meeting the wise librarian. They cross paths with one another,, too, which is great fun.
I did roll my eyes mightily at the chapters narrated by Natsumi, a woman balancing home, baby, and career. (I would like to have a heart-to-heart with her husband about the concept of mental load. No, dear, she doesn’t need to make you a list 🤦🏻♀️)
The book really highlighted some fascinating differences between Japanese and American beliefs about self identity, gender roles, and the value of work.
The different voice actors varied quite a bit in ability.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.5
A clever and humorous graphic novel that retells a number of folk and fairy tales with a feminist spin. The artwork is drawn with bold strokes, and in some places resembles woodcut prints. I found the font and font size to be hard on the eyes.
The frame story, of a woman holding off a “suitor” (using the term ironically…) by telling a new story each night, comes from The 1001 Nights / Arabian Nights. The tales the clever storyteller relates come from other traditional tales and songs, like The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Buried Moon, and the folk song The Two Sisters of Binnorie, and other sources I didn’t recognize.
This worked beautifully as an antidote to a surfeit of beautiful maiden-in-the-tower stories and big-eyed cartoon princesses.
Oh, and there’s a Madeline homage! 😀
The frame story, of a woman holding off a “suitor” (using the term ironically…) by telling a new story each night, comes from The 1001 Nights / Arabian Nights. The tales the clever storyteller relates come from other traditional tales and songs, like The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Buried Moon, and the folk song The Two Sisters of Binnorie, and other sources I didn’t recognize.
This worked beautifully as an antidote to a surfeit of beautiful maiden-in-the-tower stories and big-eyed cartoon princesses.
Oh, and there’s a Madeline homage! 😀
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
3.75
The author has created an intricately detailed world for the reader. The multifaceted point of view characters take turns telling us how the realities of this harsh world play out for men, women, royalty, servants, devotees of various religions, and so on. The story is compelling, epic, and dark.
Every now and the dialogue or inner musings of the characters would take a wry, pragmatic, or tender turn, leading to some of the most human scenes. “I’m hallucinating, Priya, try to keep up.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0