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khazlettwrites's reviews
49 reviews
The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution by Francis Fukuyama
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
2/5, wanted to like it
Sojourn by R.A. Salvatore
adventurous
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
3.0
The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly by Gail Carson Levine
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
The target audience is young writers, but even as an adult I learned a lot to improve my own writing craft. The fact that the book is so short and written simply, with its young audience in mind, makes this even better. I read it in about 2 hours, compared to the nearly 6 I spent reading Stephen King's On Writing just before (which I also really liked). Great for getting a lot out of a particular topic if you don't have lots of time.
Each chapter has a writing exercise. They start out simple in the early chapters, but later exercises build on previous ones and/or really get you thinking and being creative. I didn't do any of them myself (yet) because I was just trying to get through the book, but they're all really good for young writers, and I'll probably be revisiting some of the more complex ones myself.
I initially thought to give this 4*, but considering I'm not the target audience and thinking about it from that perspective, it's a solid 5* from me.
Each chapter has a writing exercise. They start out simple in the early chapters, but later exercises build on previous ones and/or really get you thinking and being creative. I didn't do any of them myself (yet) because I was just trying to get through the book, but they're all really good for young writers, and I'll probably be revisiting some of the more complex ones myself.
I initially thought to give this 4*, but considering I'm not the target audience and thinking about it from that perspective, it's a solid 5* from me.
Exile by R.A. Salvatore
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Tragedy of the Templars: The Rise and Fall of the Crusader States by Michael Haag
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
I'm not a fan of religious history, so I found this difficult to engage with. It's also 350 pages wherein its main topic, the Templars, aren't actually brought up until Part 3, over 100 pages in. I prefer a more direct approach to a topic.
While not a good book for me, I WOULD RECOMMEND to those with more interest in religious history and the history of the Templars with a large amount of context provided around their founding and what brought the Holy Land to where it was at their founding after the First Crusade. The book is well written, but very dense. And while it takes forever to get to the point of the title, everything leading up to that point is historically relevant and puts things into context.
While not a good book for me, I WOULD RECOMMEND to those with more interest in religious history and the history of the Templars with a large amount of context provided around their founding and what brought the Holy Land to where it was at their founding after the First Crusade. The book is well written, but very dense. And while it takes forever to get to the point of the title, everything leading up to that point is historically relevant and puts things into context.
The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Cloisters by Katy Hays
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Sexual harassment