Silviya
I think as far as self-help books go, this one is actually one of the better ones.
It doesn't just talk about what you should strive to achieve, but gives you actionable meaningful steps and tools for how to go about achieving things.
I liked that the book was split in specific principles and discussed them separately with good examples and then gave us different methods to combine and execute those principles, based on personality and convenience.
The one reason why it doesn't get 5 stars is that I think the author went a bit overboard. There is such a thing as too much explanation and you can kind of find it here. I also think that all the methods provided (though truly helpful if you apply them properly - I have used them in management and they do work) can be a bit overwhelming to most people. By principle 3 one is already fed up and anxious to apply the theory in practice. But there's still more and there is just too much management talk for the average person to find meaningful. I rather think it will confuse and deter them from even beginning.
Still, great book that it taught me a few things. I recommend if you are struggling to adopt and maintain new habits.
I read this entire book within a day without at all intending to do so initially. That is the power of Jane Austen's writing - she manages to make unputdownable page turners from the most (seemingly) flat stories about mundane and dull human interactions.
I just needed to know what happens next and was immensely satisfied with each scene of a conversation in a sitting room or a slow walk in a garden.
As always with this author, each character was vivid and distinct. Always on the edge of being a caricature but never crossing the line.
The writing style of Jane Austen is superb to anything anyone will ever be able to achieve and I will die on this hill.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I didn't like the ending. As with every romance, you build an expectation who the main protagonist will end up with, and I had build a thoroughly different expectation of who would be Elinor's match. This was dictated by their continuous partnership throughout the narrative, along with their conversations and compatibility.
And instead of him, she ended up with a man whom we barely saw at all (much less saw any sort of connection between the two of them), and who has proven to be more than a little senseless.
Regardless, I still leave this book with fond feelings and an even more solidified love for the author.
While I did enjoy the plot of this book and I found it super interesting, the writing style made it feel as though I was reading an overly long recap of the story. It put distance between me and the characters and I just couldn't enjoy the story as much.
I think it might be a personal thing though, so I would still recommend you give the book a try if you were wondering whether to read it.
I loved this sequel!
I must admit, I wasn't overly excited to continue with the series, despite enjoying Skyward. Yet as soon as I picked up this book, I was hooked and used any spare time I had to read it.
It follows mostly Spensa, with a brand new team of secondary characters and brief appearances from the old crew.
We get to explore new places and cultures, and we get to know more about the mysterious entities we briefly saw at the end of Skyward, as well as the history of humanity and the circumstances of them ending up on Detritus.
I really loved the character development Spensa went through and the many twists in the plot.
I simply can't wait to pick up the next book in the series!
One of the best works by the author!
This is a story of two young people who are lonely in their own way and forced to work together to accomplish a mysterious goal, and find understanding and redemption... But this is just one tiny aspect of what this book is about.
Let's start with the world building. One of the craziest and most original ones, not only in the Cosmere, but in literature as a whole. And the more you read this book, the crazier it gets. I promise you, this book will continue the surprise you all the way through.
The characters were simply exquisite! You get to have heroes, but you get to have them be utterly human - weak, afraid, flawed to heir core, undeserving and ashamed - what we ourselves often are.
And you get to see them stumble through things. But not only massive, incredible things. You see them deal with the seemingly simple daily things we sometimes struggle with, often despite all logic and better judgement.
And you get to see them face their stupid mundane ruinous fears in such a relatable way, it will likely make you weep for no (obvious) reason.
And it feels so good. It hits right home.
And you get to do that in an atmosphere of dread and high stakes. What can be better than that?
I'll tell you what - art. There is a distinct emphasis on art and more specifically what makes it valuable. And its deeper meaning to its appreciative audience, because of the soul of the creator. Yes, if you have been giving AI “art” the side eye, you'll feel seen in this book. And the author manages to perfectly illustrate his point, without denouncing technology, which people often do (rather hypocritically, I might add).
There is so much great about this book, I couldn't possibly encompass it all in one review, because I keep on thinking about it and things keep on coming to me.
I highly recommend this book be read after the rest of the already published Cosmere works (including the novellas and short stories), in order to not only avoid spoilers, but also be able to understand all that is being discussed.
P.S.: The visual art in this book is absolutely mesmerising!
A new unexpected favorite!
This is a fantasy book with a very distinct sci-fi feel (almost reminiscent of Jurassic Park), even though there is only hints of scientific approach in it.
We have some of the most interesting and fun to follow characters, which I felt as though I knew personally. And I can honestly say that Vincenza “Vintage” de Grazon is joining Jasnah Kholin in my dream crew!
One of the great things about this book (of which there are many) was the dialog and relationship building between the characters. Even the ones that were introduced later in the book and stood more on the background (such as Aldasair) still had my full attention and immense sympathy.
We have an amazing plot (seriously it's so SO good). It was unexpected and original and unfolded so spectacularly! I had not one moment of boredom or even slight disinterest.
The writing style is smooth, simple and soothing. It did all it had to without having to venture into the purple zone for it to be beautiful.
Overall, this book is fantastic and deserves a way bigger audience. Highly highly recommend!
Finally I read the original of this very beloved to me story. And I quite liked it!
Though I must admit that my modern smooth brain struggled a bit with all the “thou”s and “thee”s throughout the story.
I did enjoy the highly structured law of the jungle that is followed and the atmosphere was quite enveloping.
It brought back so many sweet memories of childhood and watching this same cartoon over and over again.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of Mowgli's story!
What a spectacular ending to this most epic of stories!
It started with atmosphere of dread and high tension, went through tough battles - both on the marching fields and internally in the minds of our heroes, and concluded with one of the most thorough and meaningful endings.
“I tried to save the Shire and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them.”
I cried, I rejoiced, I felt understood, and I found so much meaning.
I have loved the story of The Lord of the Rings for the vast majority of my life, but I have never respected it more and I have never understood it better.
Yet another fantastic book from this fantastic author who simply knows my soul and writes stories that speak to it personally!
Anne is the heroine of my heart that makes me run through the meadows of my childhood once more and feel the golden beauty of this world as bright as I did back then.
i have no other words to describe my absolute love for these books and if I could, I'd live between those pages forever!
This is more of a fable than anything else and I quite enjoyed reading it.
I liked the characters and setting, as well as the plot, which was quite intriguing, even though I guessed the big twist rather early. Still it was quite exciting to see the threads line together and the bigger picture crystallising. II tip my hat to the author for the way he has woven the mystery.
The reason why this book isn't 5 stars is because in my opinion, the story deserved more world-building and character bonding to reach its full potential and deliver the most impact.
Still, I had a great time reading it and will be looking out for future works by the author.
This was somewhat of a mixed bag with the majority of the stories being great and some that felt flat, but all of them being morbid.
The author has an amazing imagination and ability to create atmosphere. I could feel the dread and instead of being scared I was curious to know more.
My favorite stories include Dagon, The Call of Cthulhu, The Colour out of Space, and The Whisperer in Darkness.
I can see how some of my favorite authors have been inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's writing and it felt special to finally read the original.
Just like with the first book in this series, I both enjoyed it and was disappointed.
The good thing about this story is the idea and the plot of it. I like where things are going and I want to know more.
However, the execution is definitely subpar.
The world building was choppy, incomplete and often vague. After reading two books (one of which a novella, granted) I still have no clarity about the political system, the recent history or even the basic geography of this world. There are mentions of some different nations and races but it seems mostly like an afterthought.
The flow of the story was very messy. For example, the author would deliver crucial information by simply telling us what happened to character A, even though we followed said character at that time and this was never even hinted at. It felt like a plot convenience developed on the spot to move the story. But there has to be a set up for this type of thing in order for it to work well. One example that comes to mind is Chapman's supposed overuse of Yu'ib medicine. We followed him for months and never got a mention that Yu'ib even had medicine, and all of a sudden - here it is, he's been relying on it too much, and the strain of it is weighing on him.
The author would often rely on characters to dump exposition in order to “build back story”, again without any prior hint. Flip: "Holden, since I met you, you've been a mess. The minute we met you moved in with me for a month" Yeah, I believe Holden knows that he moved in with Flip for a month. So this is all done for our benefit , which makes it sound unnatural.
Storytelling was quite rushed, which caused the book feel more like a YA novel. And that made the sudden and frequent appearance of super gory scenes, which bordered and often crossed the border into body horror, a bit startling. Not to mention the one mega awkward sex scene.
The writing style is really lacking. Rather often, you'd run into a sentence that is borderline nonsensical (and some that are truly so). There were errors, missed words (“Holden [felt a] pang of shame”) and sometimes just plain bad prose (“His eyes lit on the open window. It was open.”) .
On top of that, the narrative switched between third person limited and third person omniscient point of view randomly (sometimes in the same chapter) which really pulled me out of the story.
Save to say, the book would've really benefitted from a more thorough editing.
But the worst thing, by far, was the dialog. It was so bad and sounded so unnatural, I had to re-read certain passages a few times to try and figure out what the characters mean and how they got there.
Despite all the things I didn't like, I still think the idea behind the story and where it is going is quite interesting, so I will probably read the next book in the series and hope for a much needed improvement in the writing of this author.
Okay, here's the thing, I liked reading this book. But upon completing it I am left to wonder: what was the point of all this?
First of all, I picked this book up thinking it was a historical fiction and then around chapter 3 I discovered that it is actually a post apocalyptic fiction (I wouldn't call it science-fiction as there's not much science going on). Which was such a nice surprise and I was so ready for it.
The book discusses some very interesting ideas and speculates on possibilities that surely trouble a lot of us.
And it was all done in a setting so remote to what we are used to associate with these subjects - I was very intrigued.
There was also this spirit of discovery and adventure, plus mystery, combined with certain archetypes that reminded me somewhat of The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (minus the dinosaurs).
Needless to say, I was enjoying myself quite a lot.
But upon reaching the conclusion of this story, I am left underwhelmed and quite disappointed. The ending frankly leaves the impression of directionlessness.
There were so many plot points that lead nowhere For example, what was the point of Rose not speaking or being Tom Lacy's daughter at all? The book would've been way better if Rose was not in the book at all and Agnes carried her plot points. What was the point of the Piggeries trip? Of the blacksmith's son taking so much money to deliver a letter. What was the point of the letter at all?? What was the point of the drama with Captain Hancock? So many things were injected and overdramatised creating anticipation, only to end up nowhere.
So many questions remained unanswered. Like what's with the two sleeps? Why is there a first and a second sleep as a tradition? We discovered nothing of how the world actually "ended". We learned close to nothing really.
Basically, the author had a great idea and in the confines of writing, executed it quite well. But his story ended up lacking direction and, in my opinion, general meaning in the end.
Still, as the book made me think quite a lot and I generally enjoyed my reading experience, I am giving it 3 ⭐️.
I enjoyed reading this so so much!
I went into the book knowing nothing about it, besides the fact that it was a sci-fi set in space. And I would recommend you do the same if you are planning on reading it. I find that marketing nowadays tends to reveal the tropes featured in the book, which often kind of ruins the best surprises.
This book is really well crafted - both in terms of writing style and plot. The author knows his science (or maybe he doesn't - just managed to fool me) and has leaned heavily into it, and I loved it!
On top of that, this book had everything I needed - (moderate) action, drama, adorable moments, funny characters and HIGH stakes.
It's the first book I read by the author and I am very impressed!
4.5 ⭐️
Oh my, a book about a girl that lives in a library, hangs out with talking books and wields a sword??! Take my money, please!!!
Within 2 pages of the book I knew I was going to love it. We have a lovely and, FINALLY, TALL female protagonist. I am myself a short person, but even I get tired of the dainty-little-girl-that's-somehow-stronger-than-all-the-men trope. It was refreshing to see a tall beautiful young woman in a young adult fantasy!
We have an amazing atmosphere that I can only describe as cosy industrial whimsy. And I highly recommend reading the book in the fall!
I also liked the supporting characters though some of them felt like cliches at times.
The plot was so exciting and things were happening at a nearly perfect pace. I also very much enjoyed the ending.
As far as young adult fantasy (with a bit of romance) goes, this one is top shelf!
4.5 ⭐️
Another great entry in this surprisingly addictive series!
A few new characters were introduced and immediately became some of my favorite (Manon is simply fantastic)!
I love where the story went and how expanded the world became.
The ending just makes me want to pick up the next book of the series this very moment!
I have only one criticism and that is the way the resolution of the conflict between Celaena and Rowan was handled. The switch was so abrupt as though Rowan became a different person.
Regardless, I enjoyed this book so very much and am continuously impressed by the author.
I can't say that enjoyed this book.
Mostly, because it's beyond disturbing and because it scared the living hell out of me.
But I can say with absolute certainty that this is one of the best written books I have ever picked up.
What a mind - both philosophical and scientifically analytical!
In this book you'll find knowledge, foresight, debt and a lot of food for thought.
“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.”
3.5 ⭐️
I started this book not knowing anything about it and not expecting much.
And I was pleasantly surprised by my unexpected enjoyment of it.
The story starts with the standard - woman wronged by patriarchy, which I find myself kind of fed up with, being that I see it in every other book. It was original for a while, but I can certainly feel the over saturation of this trope.
However, I did like the spin the author put on it, as well as the fact that she was not afraid to make the characters grey and not cookie cutter good or bad (in the general case).
What I liked the most here was the writing style - very subtle and easy to go through, while still beautiful.
I liked the suspense and rhythm of the story as well. The ending sequence especially was very satisfying and kept me on the edge of my seat.
The book is not perfect, but it was quite an enjoyable read. And I sincerely hope we will get a continuation of the story (the ending certainly makes that possible).
This was a nice ending to the series, if slightly anticlimactic.
Don't get me wrong, I quite liked it - both where it started and where it ended. I liked the plot twists and how the author brought it all together.
I just feel as though the power balance was too vague and inconsistent and that made it harder to suspend disbelief than usual.
Regardless, I had a good time and can't wait to read the next series that continues the story!
4.5 ⭐️
This series has absolutely solidified itself as one of my favorite ones of all time!
And this book is another great entry in it.
If you like desert settings, you will love this one - i could practically feel the heat! Based on that, I recommend you read this one in the summer.
Can't say much more than what I have already said before - Lee Child has an amazing writing style that makes you feel like you are right there and experiencing the things with the characters. He also has a LOT of knowledge about everything he puts into his books and I was once more impressed by his ability to weave tons of information into every scene, without it feeling like exposition for even a second.
I took away half star, because I did not like how he built Carmen's character. I thought she deserved a bit better.
Still, I had THE BEST time reading this book and I can't wait to continue with the rest of the series!
I have never been this bored by a book written so well.
I was so impressed when I initially picked up this book; the author demonstrated both knowledge and philosophical prowess. Or so I thought, until I started getting deeper into the book and patterns started bleeding through the endless barrage of linguistic theory.
This book is the most unoriginal piece of work I have read in a very very long time. There is not a single original thought in this entire story. 90% of it is reformatted basic linguistic theory, made to sound not at all different from what you will find in any textbook on the subject (and what I am forced to assume was the author's own recycled university thesis). And generous part of the other 10% was spent on her criticising classic authors, through the lens of modern morals. As though the outdated political view on minorities and women from back in the day isn't widely criticised today by damn near everyone. You don't have to hate the authors of yesterday just because they lived when they did. You're not a better person for holding our modern views today, when it's easy to do it. I am baffled that people refuse to acknowledge it.
All of the characters were made to appear as mouthpieces for modern politics and you couldn't find nuance in them to save your life. They were bland, inconsistent and altogether somewhat distant. Like I wasn't reading a story about them, but rather reading a story that they happened to be dragged into at times.
But worst of all was the setting. Let me lay it out for you plainly - this is a rigid historical fiction that is masquerading as a fantasy. The setting is not based in history - it tries to copy history entirely, with embellishments that are supposed to be perceived as authentic. The author has injected magic into it, but made sure that said magic changes absolutely nothing!
Let me tell you this, if you had exactly the same Earth, with the only difference being that foxes were green, we'd have a vastly different history - with foxes being bred for camouflage wear, their natural habitats changing, lore and religion being influenced etc.
Yet in an Earth with MAGIC, history is exactly the same?! Please! This is just lazy. This is what you get when you have an author who is used to learning but has no imagination.
One last thing to mention were the footnotes, which was basically the author telling you plainly word for word what you should take out of a situation, instead of making the effort to weave the nuance into the story. She would just drop “context” in the form of “This is how you should feel about what you just read and why. Don't think about it, just accept it and move along.” I have rarely felt more patronised; like I'm not intelligent enough to be trusted with a story - I need to be guided through the intricacies of thinking. Kind of ironic considering the themes of the book...
To me, Babel was such a tremendous waste of time and a massive disappointment.
3.5 ⭐️
I started this book not knowing what to expect and up until 30 - 35% of it, still had no idea what it is I was reading.
Then the story started making sense and I ended up enjoying immensely the world and the characters we followed.
I would qualify this as sci-fantasy for childish adults. Is there such a thing as adult-middle-grade?
The story is light-hearted in tone, though its themes and plot threads are quite heavy. Something like a cop action comedy with inter-dimensional travel. And magic.
If there's one thing that I reeeeally didn't like, it was the plot lines that went nowhere. I'm talking about the Black Bear and his dark beasts. Nothing came of it, it just seemed like empty lore for the sake of lore. There were a few things we spent time on, that went nowhere. It made the book seem like an earlier draft of a potentially great story.
In general, this isn't my favorite work by the author, but it is very original and I kinda wish it wasn't a stand alone.
When I started reading the book, I was worried it might turn out to be more of the same. And in hindsight, I should've known better, because I was worried about the same with Catching Fire and the author did not disappoint.
This was such a vast book for the amount of pages. It moves at a very quick pace, but it still finds time for quiet moments. There is a lot of devastation, plot twists, betrayal, horror, loss and realism.
I can't stop being amazed by the depth this author has managed to create. By the multilayered characters - both main and supporting. By the bold and gritty choices she has made for the plot of this book.
I loved it! It was one of the best bitter-sweet endings I have ever read!
There is a reason why this series is such a staple and why it sprung so many copycats.