octavii42's reviews
156 reviews

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

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adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I enjoyed the second in the trilogy much more than the first. I loved the second half with Frodo and Sam. Some beautiful descriptions of the land and lovely moments between the two characters. I also really enjoyed the section with Merry, Pippin and the Ents. Some great themes explored here including our disconnect with nature. The conversation between the Orcs in the tunnel was very interesting as we don't get a lot of the enemy perspective. Really looking forward to reading the final book.
John Clare by John Clare

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

A lovely collection of John Clare poems bound in a beautiful hard back edition. Those who are interested in nature (particularly birds) will enjoy Clare's poetry.
A Brief History of Black Holes: And Why Nearly Everything You Know About Them Is Wrong by Becky Smethurst

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challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

3.75

I enjoyed the narration by the author. It was very well read with and never became monotonous or boring. Lots of really interesting facts. However, I did find my interest start to wane half way through.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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challenging funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My first Jane Austen novel. I knew the story from TV adaptations, particularly the BBC one which I now know to be quite faithful to the book. I thought Austen wrote very interesting characters with good dialogue. Some of the language was a bit tricky at times but it retained my interest. I noticed that Austen never really described anything to the reader. The story was very much character focused. Lots of witty dialogue but also a lot of introspection which, I understand from the introduction, was a new literary technique at the time.
The Life of Birds by David Attenborough

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informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

A great book that gives an overview of birds of all types. Suitable for those with a casual interest in birde. Lots of nice pictures although I wish they had been interspersed throughout so that I didn't have to keep googling every bird that was mentioned. So many species of birds are mentioned as examples of particular behaviour that you would never remember them but there were some really interesting and surprising facts. 
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

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adventurous dark hopeful 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

5.0

Be careful what you wish for! A fantastic book that I could not put down. I loved the whole concept and the writing style was easy and addictive. I really liked the main character and was fully invested. Gives new meaning to the expression "out of sight, out of mind"
Babylonia by Costanza Casati

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dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A retelling of the only female Assyrian ruler (that we know of) based on historical texts from Herodotus and Diodorus. This is a well written historical fiction. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book. However, I did start to lose interest with the last 100 pages. The themes were strong throughout but I wish we could have seen more of the relationship between Ninus and Onnes. Most of it was told to the reader rather than shown and so I had no emotional stake in what happened to either of them.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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funny lighthearted fast-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

4.5

Not my usual kind of book but I really enjoyed it. There were several LOL moments, particularly in the first half. A quick, fun and easy read. Perfect for summer.
The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North

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adventurous dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

My favourite of the whole series but then I am probably biased as Athena is my favourite of the Greek Goddesses and the narrator of this third installment. I really liked Athena's 'voice' and the way she thought. There was also another character who I thought was represented well but won't say who as could be a spoiler. The pace could be a bit slow at times and a little repetitive in the action but otherwise a great book!
Evocation by S.T. Gibson

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book is not at all what I expected! It is much more character focused and more of a romance than an urban fantasy. I enjoyed the writing and found it easy to read through. I liked the characters and the dialogue. However, I would have liked a bit more world building and focus on the fantastical elements. They felt more like a backdrop to the romance plotline. I believe this is going to be a series so perhaps there will be more of that in the next book.