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diary_of_a_hobbit's reviews
25 reviews
Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Rewards and Fairies is a sequel to Puck of Pook's Hill, and takes place a year after the events of the first book.
It feels quite nostalgic, and I can't help but want the stories to continue on and on, so finishing the book is always bitter-sweet for me.
(Note: I read the Russian translation by Grigory Kruzhkov.)
The Longing of the Dervish by Hammour Ziada
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This book really took me by surprise. What I anticipated was dense writing and heavy themes, and while the latter turned out true (and even darker than expected), the prose was very readable.
The structure of this novel allows it to keep its suspense until the very last page. There are so many quotes that were not only poetic, but also gave me so much to think about.
While there were some grammatical errors and a name mix-up, I think that the translator did a good job, overall.
The structure of this novel allows it to keep its suspense until the very last page. There are so many quotes that were not only poetic, but also gave me so much to think about.
While there were some grammatical errors and a name mix-up, I think that the translator did a good job, overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, and Torture
Moderate: Racism, Trafficking, Cannibalism, and War
Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World by Philip Matyszak
informative
4.0
This was a very interesting and informative read. I found the information to be easily absorbable and there were quite a lot of images such as maps, photos of relevant artefacts/archeological sites etc, and that greatly complimented the text and it made things easier to follow.
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This is my first time reading The Fellowship of the Ring (I've previously only read The Two Towers and the Return of the King), and I've heard people say that they find it slow and boring.
Did I find it slow? Yes, but not in a bad way at all, after all, such an epic tale needs time to fully flesh itself out. Was it boring? Not, at all! I loved every page of it, and if it wasn't for my struggle with anxiety and university workload, I would have finished it much sooner, but alas.
[ Note: I've actually finished it on 20/1/2024, but since I've read most of the book in 2023, I decided to cheat a bit and count it as one of my reads of last year.]
Did I find it slow? Yes, but not in a bad way at all, after all, such an epic tale needs time to fully flesh itself out. Was it boring? Not, at all! I loved every page of it, and if it wasn't for my struggle with anxiety and university workload, I would have finished it much sooner, but alas.
[ Note: I've actually finished it on 20/1/2024, but since I've read most of the book in 2023, I decided to cheat a bit and count it as one of my reads of last year.]
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A wonderful little book that I coincidentally read at the very right time. The story of the four March sisters gave me a lot to think about, especially on the topics of flaws, personal growth and faith.
Can safely say that this is one of my favourite classics!
Can safely say that this is one of my favourite classics!
Saving Jessica by Lurlene McDaniel
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
Saving Jessica is a young adult novel that follows the story of Jessica McMillian and Jeremy Travino. It's a fairly short book that I managed to finish in one day (I've read it before years ago, but wanted to reread it as I could barely remember the plot).
It's a very average read in my opinion and I found the dialogue too cringy (particularly at the start). The characters weren't well-fleshed out. Jessica was quite likeable overall, but pretty bland since she was written without any flaws. Jeremy switched between being immature to being rational without proper xharacter development or arc.
Two things in particular bugged me.
At the start of the book, Jessica mentions that her parents were going to have a powwow with her doctors (the use of that word in this context is cultural appropriation).
Then at a later point, Jeremy argues with his father and basically states that human life is more valuable than that of animals, a stance that I don't agree with.
In general, the themes presented in this book are important, but I feel that they weren't executed well and the above mentioned points didn't improve the matter.
CW: kidney failure, description of dialysis & other medical procedures, death of a sibling due to a car crash
It's a very average read in my opinion and I found the dialogue too cringy (particularly at the start). The characters weren't well-fleshed out. Jessica was quite likeable overall, but pretty bland since she was written without any flaws. Jeremy switched between being immature to being rational without proper xharacter development or arc.
Two things in particular bugged me.
At the start of the book, Jessica mentions that her parents were going to have a powwow with her doctors (the use of that word in this context is cultural appropriation).
Then at a later point, Jeremy argues with his father and basically states that human life is more valuable than that of animals, a stance that I don't agree with.
In general, the themes presented in this book are important, but I feel that they weren't executed well and the above mentioned points didn't improve the matter.
CW: kidney failure, description of dialysis & other medical procedures, death of a sibling due to a car crash
Конек-горбунок by Петр Ершов, Виктория Дунаева, Pyotr Yershov
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
adventurous
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Peter Pan is one of the many children’s classics that my mother read to me and my sister when we were little, but I have to admit that it is one of the ones that I didn’t feel as much of an attachment too. I believe that I preferred the Soviet musical adaptation of it, but I haven’t watched it in so long so I can’t be very sure of how I’d feel about it now.
It’s quite a short read and on the surface looks like a tale of a fun and magical adventure, but in reality has a very tragic undertone.
Except that, in spite of that undertone, this book didn’t make me feel as emotional as I would expect. Though, it certainly did make me ponder upon topics like the transition from childhood to adulthood, which made me reflect on a great deal of things.
While there were some aspects that I enjoyed, overall Peter Pan was an okay read that I might revisit sometime in the future to see if my opinion has changed.
Also, this book is definitely a product of its time, thus has some racist and prejudiced notions, so keep that in mind if you'd like to give it a chance.
It’s quite a short read and on the surface looks like a tale of a fun and magical adventure, but in reality has a very tragic undertone.
Except that, in spite of that undertone, this book didn’t make me feel as emotional as I would expect. Though, it certainly did make me ponder upon topics like the transition from childhood to adulthood, which made me reflect on a great deal of things.
While there were some aspects that I enjoyed, overall Peter Pan was an okay read that I might revisit sometime in the future to see if my opinion has changed.
Also, this book is definitely a product of its time, thus has some racist and prejudiced notions, so keep that in mind if you'd like to give it a chance.
Find The White Horse by Dick King-Smith
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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? No
5.0
A childhood favourite that is criminally under-rated. If you like heartwarming stories with animal protagonists that still manage to touch upon some deep themes while remaining light-hearted, give this book a chance!
Adventures in Fern Hollow by John Patience
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Fern Hollow is such a lovely series of books! Unfortunately, the edition that I own only contains six out of the sixteen tales, but I'm sure that the rest of them are just as good as the ones I've read.
These stories are so cosy and awaken in me a desire to move to the countryside and live in a small cottage in a little village.
And I must give special credit to the John Patience for the wonderful illustrations, because they are absolutely beautiful! No matter how many times I go back to this collection, I never get tired of looking at them.
All in all, if you are into children's literature and love animal protagonists just like I do, please consider checking Fern Hollow out. I'm sure you won't regret it!
These stories are so cosy and awaken in me a desire to move to the countryside and live in a small cottage in a little village.
And I must give special credit to the John Patience for the wonderful illustrations, because they are absolutely beautiful! No matter how many times I go back to this collection, I never get tired of looking at them.
All in all, if you are into children's literature and love animal protagonists just like I do, please consider checking Fern Hollow out. I'm sure you won't regret it!