whimsicalscribbler's reviews
39 reviews

36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

Go to review page

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I might be biased because I red this book on a bus to and from my philosophy classes as a first year uni student. 

It is a book that made me happy. 
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Go to review page

funny inspiring lighthearted medium-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

4.75

Look, it's a classic for a reason. Thoroughly charmed by Austen's command of words and wit. 
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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

3.75

This was a very pretty book and I almost loved it. The emotional core was good, the ideas were interesting, and the language was lovely, but characters developed their emotions too suddenly for me to fully believe.

The intertextuality was fun throughout, but not very subtly employed. Felt a bit like the authors were saying "aren't we clever?" all the time. 
Dune by Frank Herbert

Go to review page

  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Interesting to read simply because of its impact on later works, but I personally did not enjoy this book. I found the characters hollow and the plot predictable (probably predictable only because I've read so many things that were inspired by Dune, to be fair).
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Go to review page

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

4.5

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-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

4.75

This book made me smile. 
The Collector by John Fowles

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was a solid book, but nowhere near as polished as Fowles' later works. It was like getting a glimpse of a draft - he hadn't yet mastered the skill of "hiding his working", so to speak. It made for an interesting study into how he constructs his works. 

If you're reading this and struggling to enjoy it, I would suggest sticking it out to the second half of the book. It was a breath of fresh air and an "aha!" moment for me. 
The Lord of Lies by Sam Bowring

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

4.0

Loved this book, absolutely swept along by Sam Bowring's writing, as always. 
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Look, it's beautifully written and sometimes I get swept off my feet but it's just so... impenetrable. Maybe one day I'll have the stamina to come back to it. 
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Go to review page

3.25

This main character was so interesting to me. It is wonderful to see a main character who lives with chronic pain and, through reasonable adjustments, is successful. I felt so seen and so empowered.  

Solid plot, solid characters and the writing wasn't jarringly bad. That said, a lot of the early character choices did not make sense and felt like they came out of nowhere. This impacted the believability of the romance for me and also meant that I just didn't find Jack threatening because I couldn't bring myself to take anything he did seriously. He was, like, cartoonishly evil in a world where every other character seemed to be keeping their heads.