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baffi's reviews
101 reviews
Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
The writing is cold, sterile, overly technical. The characters felt flat and hollow to me, the world building didn't have much going for it either. Chiang's fiction seems based pretty much entirely in ideas which, as I've always suspected, is not my cup of tea.
The two stories I read didn't touch me in any way, and after reading several reviews stating similar issues with the remaining stories, I decided to let it go. It's just going to be one of those super popular, highly acclaimed books that did nothing for me. Wasn't the first, won't be the last. Shit happens.
The two stories I read didn't touch me in any way, and after reading several reviews stating similar issues with the remaining stories, I decided to let it go. It's just going to be one of those super popular, highly acclaimed books that did nothing for me. Wasn't the first, won't be the last. Shit happens.
The Long Night of Centauri Prime by Peter David, J. Michael Straczynski
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Your Republic Is Calling You by Young-Ha Kim
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-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
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The story of the young boy with extraordinary talents who strives to become a wizard is rather well known nowadays. From Harry Potter to Patrick Rothfuss's Kvothe in his Kingkiller Chronicle (and certainly more I don't know) - the 'magical' variation of the coming-of-age trope celebrates an unbowed popularity.
Ursula K. Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea" is probably aimed at a younger readership, judging from the rather simple language compared to "The Left Hand of Darkness" or "The Lathe of Heaven". My experiences with YA literature are mostly unpleasant, but with Le Guin I was in for a surprise.
With a few literary brush strokes she establishes the archipelago of Earthsea in which powerful mages fight evil, protect and support the natives, where dragons roam and darkness threatens to destroy the hero's bright future.
Ged, a stubborn, poor, ambitious loner with a natural sense for magic, encounters friendship, competition, wisdom and frightful dangers. Hunted by an unspeakable evil, he has to face his own limits, self-doubt, pain and learn to discover who he truly is.
For a book so short, it has an astonishing amount of depth, and despite some flaws (passages which drag a bit), it deserves its place among the classics of fantasy literature.
Ursula K. Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea" is probably aimed at a younger readership, judging from the rather simple language compared to "The Left Hand of Darkness" or "The Lathe of Heaven". My experiences with YA literature are mostly unpleasant, but with Le Guin I was in for a surprise.
With a few literary brush strokes she establishes the archipelago of Earthsea in which powerful mages fight evil, protect and support the natives, where dragons roam and darkness threatens to destroy the hero's bright future.
Ged, a stubborn, poor, ambitious loner with a natural sense for magic, encounters friendship, competition, wisdom and frightful dangers. Hunted by an unspeakable evil, he has to face his own limits, self-doubt, pain and learn to discover who he truly is.
For a book so short, it has an astonishing amount of depth, and despite some flaws (passages which drag a bit), it deserves its place among the classics of fantasy literature.
The Handmaid's Tale (Graphic Novel) by Margaret Atwood
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0