nanabobana's reviews
43 reviews

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

Meh. Decent writing. Had to teach it to my senior writing courses (terrible curriculum but that’s a whole different tangent). None of the students are reading it and I can completely understand why as it’s completely divorced from any ounce of relatability to them at 18. Probably better suited for Econ or business class.

Mattimeo by Brian Jacques

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.0

I will always have a soft spot for this series. Rereading it as an adult, I forgot just how dark it is. Jacques really never pulls any punches when it comes to the development of his hero’s. Rest in peace to one of my favorite characters and to the best shrew foreman, Log-a-Log!

Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies by Hayley Nolan

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emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Emma by Jane Austen

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reading the book this time, I see it as a caution against acting outside one’s scoop or circle. If Emma had befriended Jane, not Harriett, she would have been acting more appropriately. Though, I’m not sure how intended or well this moral is conveyed. It’s clear that the narrator and Emma are very different people, the narrator often pokes fun at her. Yet, there re moments when the pov shifts to Knightly, the proposal, as if the narrator is not privy to Emma’s true inner workings. Practically, I think this is Austen having a bit of a block. It does give some interesting food for thought.

Knightly was correct, Emma built herself a feedback loop that sang only her praises. Her ability to accept that she acted poorly or was in the wrong is what I think saves her character from being irredeemable. The ending is a pretty wrapped package, but unique in how Knightly, so often a mentor to Emma, accommodates to her needs rather than asking her to bend to custom.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

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adventurous informative tense medium-paced