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rcsreads's reviews
720 reviews
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
medium-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? It's complicated
0.25
"And when he was settled fully within her body, he knew he was home."
Ugh, this was awful and cringe and the idea that I can fix my emotionally unavailable partner by raping them is just nasty.
Also the frequency with which people threatened to kill each other was infuriating, it was at least once a chapter! And pre-marriage Daphne's "I'm not like other girls, I know everything because I have four brothers." If I wad Simon I'd have chosen to be shot so I didn't have to listen to her anymore! I would choose to be shot rather than listen to anymore of these books!
Ugh, this was awful and cringe and the idea that I can fix my emotionally unavailable partner by raping them is just nasty.
Also the frequency with which people threatened to kill each other was infuriating, it was at least once a chapter! And pre-marriage Daphne's "I'm not like other girls, I know everything because I have four brothers." If I wad Simon I'd have chosen to be shot so I didn't have to listen to her anymore! I would choose to be shot rather than listen to anymore of these books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea by L.M. Montgomery
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was super cute all the way through and then we end on desecrating Native American graves and the N word!
Up to that point it's just lots of cute romance, unbelievable coincidences and dogs rescuing people. Although my favourite story unexpectedly ended with the heroine drowning herself!
Recommended for fans of Anne but skip "A House Divided Against Itself".
Up to that point it's just lots of cute romance, unbelievable coincidences and dogs rescuing people. Although my favourite story unexpectedly ended with the heroine drowning herself!
Recommended for fans of Anne but skip "A House Divided Against Itself".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, and Suicide
A Seal Pup Called Pearl by Helen Peters
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
We read this for bedtime and mummy may have struggled not to cry at the end.
The children both loved it and it provided some good factual content as well as a lovely story.
The children both loved it and it provided some good factual content as well as a lovely story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
The Loving Spirit by Daphne du Maurier
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This one is broken into four parts which each following a different member of the Coombe family. My only problem was part two which follows Joseph who is a jerk with a mildly incestuous obsession with his mum.
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As well as the title coming from an Emily Bronte poem, there are quotes from her at the start of each section and Janet, our first Coombe, haunts the rest of the book like Cathy in Heights. We also have a bit of a Jane Eyre ending. There are lots of other gothic elements although I frankly felt bad for the "evil uncle" Philip because his mum was too obsessed with Joseph to give him any attention. I liked that he lived an extremely long time just so he could fuck with every generation.
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The writing is beautiful and has Daphers usual descriptive charm which makes me want to go to Cornwall and sail around on boats.
.
Recommended to fans of the gothic and fans of a good intergenerational family drama.
.
As well as the title coming from an Emily Bronte poem, there are quotes from her at the start of each section and Janet, our first Coombe, haunts the rest of the book like Cathy in Heights. We also have a bit of a Jane Eyre ending. There are lots of other gothic elements although I frankly felt bad for the "evil uncle" Philip because his mum was too obsessed with Joseph to give him any attention. I liked that he lived an extremely long time just so he could fuck with every generation.
.
The writing is beautiful and has Daphers usual descriptive charm which makes me want to go to Cornwall and sail around on boats.
.
Recommended to fans of the gothic and fans of a good intergenerational family drama.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Fire/Fire injury
The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It's been a while since a book actually made me cry.
This reminded me of all my favourite children's classics, like Green Knowe and the Secret Garden, but was also a little bit like a children's version of The Yellow Wallpaper. It felt, at times, like a children's book written for nostalgic, depressed adults. Obviously I loved it!
This reminded me of all my favourite children's classics, like Green Knowe and the Secret Garden, but was also a little bit like a children's version of The Yellow Wallpaper. It felt, at times, like a children's book written for nostalgic, depressed adults. Obviously I loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, and War
The Loneliest Kitten: 43 by Holly Webb
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Set in a small town in the deep South where everyone is depressed and all the residents seem to be weirdly obsessed with a deaf mute named Singer. There isn't really a plot and yet I could not put it down. The writing is really intimate and we enter each characters life and mind, their fears and hopes and their search for purpose in life.
Occasionally she drops a bomb in the story and it's really interesting to see the ripples through the town in each characters life.
I was kind of surprised it's an American classic because it's very anti-capitalist and really bigs up communism and Black rights in the 1940's which are not the American dream!
Occasionally she drops a bomb in the story and it's really interesting to see the ripples through the town in each characters life.
I was kind of surprised it's an American classic because it's very anti-capitalist and really bigs up communism and Black rights in the 1940's which are not the American dream!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
The Secret of the Treasure Keepers by A.M. Howell
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.25
Another excellent, historical, children's novel from A.M. Howell. This one follows Ruth who travels with her mum to investigate some archaeological finds at the lonely Rook Farm in the Fens. As well as uncovering the secrets of the past everyone in the present seems to be hiding things too.
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I would have preferred it if the children had taken a nice half section and made a scale drawing with a plumb bob... but people in the olden days were shit at recording stuff properly and the archaeology was fairly accurately portrayed for the time period. They did a better job than Indiana ever managed!
.
Overall a fun mystery that would be great to help get your children into archaeology (although it's a really badly paid career so you may not want to!).
.
I would have preferred it if the children had taken a nice half section and made a scale drawing with a plumb bob... but people in the olden days were shit at recording stuff properly and the archaeology was fairly accurately portrayed for the time period. They did a better job than Indiana ever managed!
.
Overall a fun mystery that would be great to help get your children into archaeology (although it's a really badly paid career so you may not want to!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and War
Love from Paddington by Michael Bond
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby
emotional
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I enjoyed this one and if you don't want spoilers that's basically all you get. If you've read the book or you don't care please continue to the rambling!
.
Anne Sharp comes to Godmersham Park to work as governess to Fanny Austen and the events in the book are based on Fanny's real diaries and the letters of Anne Sharp. It's a lovely little domestic novel with the great romances being those of friendship. Jane Austen makes her appearance first in letter form and finally shows up at Godmersham in the second half. Her wit is perfectly portrayed but Hornby does an excellent job of ensuring she doesn't overshadow the other characters. Not having her present from the outset also allows Anne to continue to be the character we're most invested in. I also enjoyed Henry Austen's slightly cadish attempts at befriending Anne and Cassandra's very decided attempts not to. Apart from Jane and her mother none of the Austen's are very likable!
The social commentary on the place of the Governess as occupying a lonely middle ground between the family and the servants was an interesting aspect of the story. As was the look at the reliance of women on the whims of male relations or employers. Unlike Austen's heroines they sadly didn't always have someone to offer them a cottage or the perfect size of pianoforte for their small rooms!
If you're expecting an Austen style happy ending you should lower your expectations. Jane would not have approved of that ending!
.
It's all a little depressing really.
I was glad of the author note at the end to tell me that at least Anne didn't always have a miserable time
.
I also enjoyed, having read The Austen Girls that the secondary characters fitted well with that slightly later imaging of their lives.
.
Anne Sharp comes to Godmersham Park to work as governess to Fanny Austen and the events in the book are based on Fanny's real diaries and the letters of Anne Sharp. It's a lovely little domestic novel with the great romances being those of friendship. Jane Austen makes her appearance first in letter form and finally shows up at Godmersham in the second half. Her wit is perfectly portrayed but Hornby does an excellent job of ensuring she doesn't overshadow the other characters. Not having her present from the outset also allows Anne to continue to be the character we're most invested in. I also enjoyed Henry Austen's slightly cadish attempts at befriending Anne and Cassandra's very decided attempts not to. Apart from Jane and her mother none of the Austen's are very likable!
The social commentary on the place of the Governess as occupying a lonely middle ground between the family and the servants was an interesting aspect of the story. As was the look at the reliance of women on the whims of male relations or employers. Unlike Austen's heroines they sadly didn't always have someone to offer them a cottage or the perfect size of pianoforte for their small rooms!
If you're expecting an Austen style happy ending you should lower your expectations. Jane would not have approved of that ending!
.
It's all a little depressing really.
I was glad of the author note at the end to tell me that at least Anne didn't always have a miserable time
.
I also enjoyed, having read The Austen Girls that the secondary characters fitted well with that slightly later imaging of their lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity and Death of parent