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randanopterix's reviews
61 reviews
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A slow paced book with 4-5 page exciting moments interspersed.
I found the books mysteries to be compelling but found myself a little disappointed at their ‘resolutions’. What I loved about the first book was that, even though you are never given straight answers to the underlying mysteries, you were given enough information to where you could start forming theories as you went along. I felt like, even though this book is longer than the last, I wasn’t given enough to chew on and mull over while the secrets revealed themselves.
When exciting moments happened they were EXCITING. They are unsettling, bizarre, and frightening. Obviously something in the style of writing kept me entertained (despite my complaints) because I finished the book in no time flat.
The pacing was my worst enemy in this book. Even in the final act, the climax of the book happened about 30 pages from the actual end (a significant amount of pages for a book on the smaller side), with grating in depth descriptions of cross country travel in between.
I enjoyed seeing how the alien wonder of Area X contrasted with the banal office setting of this book. When the big moments happened they felt HUGE because of the contrast. But it may have been the banal setting that stripped the magic away from the other sections of the book.
I’m still very much looking forward to the next book (the cliffhanger pulled me right back in). I think this book suffered the middle book’s curse of feeling transitional between a story’s beginning and it’s end.
I found the books mysteries to be compelling but found myself a little disappointed at their ‘resolutions’. What I loved about the first book was that, even though you are never given straight answers to the underlying mysteries, you were given enough information to where you could start forming theories as you went along. I felt like, even though this book is longer than the last, I wasn’t given enough to chew on and mull over while the secrets revealed themselves.
When exciting moments happened they were EXCITING. They are unsettling, bizarre, and frightening. Obviously something in the style of writing kept me entertained (despite my complaints) because I finished the book in no time flat.
The pacing was my worst enemy in this book. Even in the final act, the climax of the book happened about 30 pages from the actual end (a significant amount of pages for a book on the smaller side), with grating in depth descriptions of cross country travel in between.
I enjoyed seeing how the alien wonder of Area X contrasted with the banal office setting of this book. When the big moments happened they felt HUGE because of the contrast. But it may have been the banal setting that stripped the magic away from the other sections of the book.
I’m still very much looking forward to the next book (the cliffhanger pulled me right back in). I think this book suffered the middle book’s curse of feeling transitional between a story’s beginning and it’s end.
MOX by Jon Moxley
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
CZW SURE WAS (IS?) DOIN A LOT OF COCAINE HUH….
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.25
A great follow up on the story of Paul and what comes after him following his twin children who are also him, and his father, and his father’s father, and are also all-knowing, and one of them turns into a fucking worm like????? This book goes some places.
What I’ve come to love about Dune is how palpable it’s oppressive atmosphere is. Everything is depressingly inevitable in this world and these books really make you think about the inevitability of crushing power structures, religious extremism, and exploitative societies that happen when human civilization comes into existence.
A book that has the courage to ask “can we really escape our fate?” and then has the gall to say “fuck no, idiot”.
Great book, loved it. Spent a lot of time during the spice trip segments going like “damn Frank really had a specific image for this in his head and even though I’m having a hard time imagining it I’m sure he’ll forgive me for imagining something that’s close enough.”
Still not totally sure how Leto turned into an armored worm child but that’s alright. I’m not sure if they established the biological qualities of worm babies in the previous books and I just forgot, but it sure didn’t feel like they had when Leto started wearing them like socks and gloves.
What I’ve come to love about Dune is how palpable it’s oppressive atmosphere is. Everything is depressingly inevitable in this world and these books really make you think about the inevitability of crushing power structures, religious extremism, and exploitative societies that happen when human civilization comes into existence.
A book that has the courage to ask “can we really escape our fate?” and then has the gall to say “fuck no, idiot”.
Great book, loved it. Spent a lot of time during the spice trip segments going like “damn Frank really had a specific image for this in his head and even though I’m having a hard time imagining it I’m sure he’ll forgive me for imagining something that’s close enough.”
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
dark
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Yo what the fuck was wrong with that woman holy shit
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Le Guin’s prose is so economically lovely, each word feels so deliberate.
This book feels uniquely like I’m hearing a fable from an orator, it’s very magical/mystical and I appreciated the general atmosphere of the book as a whole.
The pace slows down a LOT in the final stretch which affected my enjoyment a little bit, but overall a great, quick read. Didn’t blow my mind, but was very cozy. Comfortable. Im excited to pick up the next one.
This book feels uniquely like I’m hearing a fable from an orator, it’s very magical/mystical and I appreciated the general atmosphere of the book as a whole.
The pace slows down a LOT in the final stretch which affected my enjoyment a little bit, but overall a great, quick read. Didn’t blow my mind, but was very cozy. Comfortable. Im excited to pick up the next one.
Educated by Tara Westover
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I liked this one a lot better than the first one. The M'Ladyisms are cut down a little bit, which made it more palatable (either that or I've started ignoring them more effectively). How many women ACTUALLY accuse people of being 'chauvinist pigs'? Every woman if you ask Mr. Butcher, I assume. Maybe the year 2000 was just different I don't know, I was only three at the time so it's possible I missed something.
Every women in this is still either (A.) Horny as FUCK, (B.) Nagging and completely unreasonable, (C.) BOTH SOMEHOW. I still like Susan, but there were a couple of moments with Murphy that had me pulling my hair out. I hope this improves as the series goes on :/
The action in this one was more violent and heart-pounding than I remember the first one being which is loads of fun. The Loup-Garou scene in the police station was genuinely scary which I loved.
I find Harry Dresden to be charmingly dorky. I believe he's intended to be mostly cool, a little pathetic. I find him to be incidentally cool, and mostly pathetic (I say this endearingly). Something about listening to him describe how much he wants to curl up into a ball, cry, and throw-up makes him relatable. I like my male characters a little vulnerable, sue me. I also appreciated that when he did finally break down because, like, who wouldn't after all of that.
An improvement! I'm sure I'll read more of these now. I wasn't very hot on the first one but I came back because the audiobook was so enjoyable and now I'm glad I did! It was a perfect thing to listen to on a car trip
Every women in this is still either (A.) Horny as FUCK, (B.) Nagging and completely unreasonable, (C.) BOTH SOMEHOW. I still like Susan, but there were a couple of moments with Murphy that had me pulling my hair out. I hope this improves as the series goes on :/
The action in this one was more violent and heart-pounding than I remember the first one being which is loads of fun. The Loup-Garou scene in the police station was genuinely scary which I loved.
I find Harry Dresden to be charmingly dorky. I believe he's intended to be mostly cool, a little pathetic. I find him to be incidentally cool, and mostly pathetic (I say this endearingly). Something about listening to him describe how much he wants to curl up into a ball, cry, and throw-up makes him relatable. I like my male characters a little vulnerable, sue me. I also appreciated that when he did finally break down because, like, who wouldn't after all of that.
An improvement! I'm sure I'll read more of these now. I wasn't very hot on the first one but I came back because the audiobook was so enjoyable and now I'm glad I did! It was a perfect thing to listen to on a car trip