octavii42's reviews
156 reviews

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Badly written 
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
It was starting to irritate me
Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to British Birds by Bill Bailey

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informative lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

House of Odysseus by Claire North

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This one took me a lot longer to read compared to the first in the duology. I enjoyed the narration by Aphrodite though she commented A LOT on the smallest little actions which became tedious after a while. Still, I do really like the writing style. It had a murder mystery feel to it which is not my favourite genre which might be why it took me so long to get through.
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

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

2.0

I only bothered to finish because I was so near the end anyway
Julius Caesar: The Oxford Shakespeare Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

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challenging dark tense fast-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

2.0

I was quite underwhelmed by this. Its a great subject for a tragic play and yet I feel so much opportunity was missed to really lean on the drama. There wasn't enough at the start to really explain why Brutus was conspire to kill Ceasar. He just immediately agrees to it. The speeches (especially Mark Anthony's) were not as tense as they should have been. I also think more could have been added. A scene showing the triumvirate diclscussing murdering all those senators for example would have been great and it would have cast a shadow over the apparent "heroes" of the story.
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

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

4.0

The rating is purely based on enjoyment of the book as this is a classic! The plot and themes of this story are epic and very interesting to unpick. Tolkien's prose is beautiful and I quite liked the addition of the odd poem or song. The detail of the world is extraordinary and a little overwhelming at times. The pace is very slow and this first book definitely feels like the journey portion. Very descriptive! I felt like I had been on a real Odyssey that was only just beginning. This reminded me a lot of epic poems such as The Odyssey, The Aeneid and Beowulf. Personally, I found the pace too slow and there was far too much description of the environment, painfully so at times. It also lacked depth of emotion for me. We don't get to peer inside the minds of the characters enough. I am hoping that the next book will change and become more action packed and emotional. 
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Edit: I have lowered the rating of this from a 4.5 to a 4 after thinking about this one a bit more. Whilst I enjoyed the ride, there are a lot of issues with this book. A few examples, very little world building, main character reads quite young for her age, strange jump from dark and violent to silly and flirty.


Picked this up after all the hype online and I can see why it's so popular. It was a fun read, couldn't put it down. The dragons were excellent in this. It was a bit predictable in places but still had a few twists to keep it interesting 
The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.75

This was a bit of an epic read! I feel like I lived in that library for the two days I spent reading this. No idea how to describe it and I'm not sure I really know what's going on but it was an addictive read! 😅
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.
Lost interest. I googled this and I think her sisters story would've made a much better novel!