annaki_laila's reviews
160 reviews

The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays by Oscar Wilde

3.0

A mixed bag. Skipped 'An Ideal Husband' during act one because I found it boring. My favourite was 'A Woman Of No Importance'.

Blue Water by Leonora Nattrass

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medium-paced

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

3.5

It had tense moments, but I definitely wouldn't class it as a thriller like the blurb does. However it was still a fun read, especially after about halfway as that's when I (finally) got to grips with all the characters at play. The first-person narration in a report style was a particularly enjoyable element.

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Footprints: In Search of Future Fossils by David Farrier

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informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

The literary links were long-winded and skippable at times, so I could've done with less of that, but overall it was an interesting - if a little depressing here and there - read.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

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slow-paced

1.0

An incredible disappointment which has put me off the possibility of reading any more Woolf. When reading Mrs Dalloway, there were plenty of moments when the writing got away from itself and I completely lost what Woolf was actually talking about, but the plot and characters made up for that by being decently interesting. Orlando severely lacked those redeeming factors for me, and so when the writing got away, it got away. By the end of it I was heavily skim-reading and it would've been a DNF, but my frustration powered me through, I guess.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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dark reflective 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

4.5

The kind of book that just feels... solid. Like you get to the end and it feels truly complete. It was also wonderful in the way it was so easy to slip into thinking these characters were real; it scratches that itch of delving into celebrity without actually involving real-life celebrities, with all the good and the bad that comes from fame. Immersive is the word I'm looking for, essentially.

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The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World by Malcolm Gaskill

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dark informative slow-paced

3.0

Some boring moments, some interesting moments. I'm not a usual reader of history books so the depth of detail on the boring bits was both unexpected and unwanted - but it's a thorough description of a moment in time, so I can still see the appeal.

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