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julis's reviews
538 reviews
Roverandom by Christina Scull, J.R.R. Tolkien, Wayne G. Hammond
We can also think about how he never settled on particular capitalizations or usage of hyphens for some names, and how writers don’t need to have every word perfect to write something meaningful.
We can think about that.
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
There’s a lot that can be said about Tolkien and his flaws, but we can also think about how very much he loved his children and the sorts of stories he would make up for them, and then write down and spend years fussing over word choice.
We can also think about how he never settled on particular capitalizations or usage of hyphens for some names, and how writers don’t need to have every word perfect to write something meaningful.
We can think about that.
Meet Your Dog: The Game-Changing Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Behavior (Dog Training Book, Dog Breed Behavior Book) by Kim Brophey
5.0
Other trainers have been hyping this book to me for ages, and I get it! It’s good! It wasn’t groundbreaking for me (possibly because I’ve spent those ‘ages’ putting together every scrap of free info I could find). I think she’s more reliant on the Coppingers than is strictly wise or validated by research buuuuut otherwise: Great introductory book for owners, especially if your breed is 'unusual’ or 'difficult’.
Owain Glyn Dŵr: Prince of Wales by R.R. Davies
It is a nice concise overview of the Glyndŵr rebellion, provides juuuust enough context that I can see how it intersected with the Wars of the Roses, the Hundred Years War, and the rise of the Tudors, and is very readable. But I’d have liked more explanations.
4.0
I’m not clear who the intended audience of this book is. It’s too much of a summary for academia but provides too little context for the lay-reader (in this case, me). He likes to give someone’s name to three generations, say that proves descent from such and such a person–and then assumes that the readers know that person, and the relevance of being related to them.
It is a nice concise overview of the Glyndŵr rebellion, provides juuuust enough context that I can see how it intersected with the Wars of the Roses, the Hundred Years War, and the rise of the Tudors, and is very readable. But I’d have liked more explanations.
The Dinosaur Artist by Paige Williams
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I don’t know what my parents thought they were getting me, but it’s a 380 page book on United States vs One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton* and so of course I had a fabulous time. Some history of Mongolia, some history of fossil hunting, some (a lot) fossil hunting drama, the bizarrities of the US legal system, info on how to smuggle fossils places…
One factual error (a young female horse is a filly, not a colt), a couple of editing misses, but 80 pages of footnotes (ALL of which I read, marry me Paige) make up for a lot of flaws.
* It's actually a Tarbosaurus but hey.
* It's actually a Tarbosaurus but hey.
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
From 2024, uh…Not really. Conclusions which may have been notable in 1999 are not today, and conclusions which seemed permanent turn out to have been repeatedly, vividly disproven.
Not to mention two essays on dogs, one of which was fine (and prescient, god knows the pit bull debate hasn’t improved much in 15 years) and the other centered Cesar Millan. So you know.
3.0
This is a collection of Gladwell’s New Yorker essays, which in theory have a unifying theme but mostly seem to just be about the perils of re-publishing essays written between 1999 and 2009 in 2009 and assuming that you can then make sweeping statements about the future.
From 2024, uh…Not really. Conclusions which may have been notable in 1999 are not today, and conclusions which seemed permanent turn out to have been repeatedly, vividly disproven.
Not to mention two essays on dogs, one of which was fine (and prescient, god knows the pit bull debate hasn’t improved much in 15 years) and the other centered Cesar Millan. So you know.
The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis
But overall a very fun read and I will be picking up the sequels.
medium-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
4.0
While this was definitely a First Book it was also FUN and doing some interesting things, even though it didn’t explore them all the way. I could’ve done with either not entirely in 1st person OR better distinctions in narrative voice between the two main narrators. I personally also would’ve liked a little glossary to remind me which empire was which >.<
But overall a very fun read and I will be picking up the sequels.
The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang
I also think the author is writing beyond their skill level, it’s trying to be complex and ambiguous and mostly just comes off as annoying and smug.
Plot is intriguing, some (but not all) characters are complex, varied mental states are shown in ways that sf/f doesn’t always try to…but it never quite lives up to its ideas.
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was billed as “Joan of Arc but she’s lying and it’s sci-fi”, and I think I would’ve had a better time without that.
I also think the author is writing beyond their skill level, it’s trying to be complex and ambiguous and mostly just comes off as annoying and smug.
Plot is intriguing, some (but not all) characters are complex, varied mental states are shown in ways that sf/f doesn’t always try to…but it never quite lives up to its ideas.
Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliott Friedman
I read substantial portions of this out loud to my wife on a drive, which is how you know it’s either very good or very bad. In this case very good.
I have some quibbles with what he chose to cite, it felt very much like xkcd’s quartz where he cited things that he felt weren’t common knowledge but, of course, his idea of common knowledge is leagues away from what it actually is.
It’s also a book with An Argument It’s Making, which is fine and he makes that super clear, but I’m not well read enough to know what the opposition is–if there is one, I read the ‘97 edition and that may be academic consensus by now.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Or: Books which are gonna make me really irritating in Torah study for a bit.
I read substantial portions of this out loud to my wife on a drive, which is how you know it’s either very good or very bad. In this case very good.
I have some quibbles with what he chose to cite, it felt very much like xkcd’s quartz where he cited things that he felt weren’t common knowledge but, of course, his idea of common knowledge is leagues away from what it actually is.
It’s also a book with An Argument It’s Making, which is fine and he makes that super clear, but I’m not well read enough to know what the opposition is–if there is one, I read the ‘97 edition and that may be academic consensus by now.
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
It’s YA, which isn’t my vibe 95% of the time, and more than that, the writing is just…not great? It’s either trying to be 3rd person omniscient or 3rd person limited but with mid-scene changes in POV and ouch.
Theeeee most interesting part of the book was how he updated or adapted London locations for the far future.
3.0
This is another one that was on my TBR list for so long I’ve forgotten where I was recommended it, which is a shame because I don’t want to read more of their recs.
It’s YA, which isn’t my vibe 95% of the time, and more than that, the writing is just…not great? It’s either trying to be 3rd person omniscient or 3rd person limited but with mid-scene changes in POV and ouch.
Second, there’s a hell of a lot of telling and very little showing on characterization, which leaves the whole book feeling surface-level. Nobody has much interiority. I don’t care about Fever, she could fall off a cliff and I would be bored.
Theeeee most interesting part of the book was how he updated or adapted London locations for the far future.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
I’ve been tangentially aware of this series basically since it dropped, thanks to existing on tumblr for the same amount of time, it just…no one sold it to me right. More emphasis on everyone in this book being real fuckin weird, less on…magical realism or whatever. Somehow I got the impression that this was YA romance with implications of magic and not like, full on spec-fic??? There are ghosts. Divination works. It’s spec-fic.
Anyway: Excellent portrayal of teenagers, fun if fairly predictable plot, interesting worldbuilding, Gansey needs a reality check, Blue needs a hug, I’ll read the second in the next 5-7 business years.
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
-turns up to hype 12 years late with starbucks-
I’ve been tangentially aware of this series basically since it dropped, thanks to existing on tumblr for the same amount of time, it just…no one sold it to me right. More emphasis on everyone in this book being real fuckin weird, less on…magical realism or whatever. Somehow I got the impression that this was YA romance with implications of magic and not like, full on spec-fic??? There are ghosts. Divination works. It’s spec-fic.
Anyway: Excellent portrayal of teenagers, fun if fairly predictable plot, interesting worldbuilding, Gansey needs a reality check, Blue needs a hug, I’ll read the second in the next 5-7 business years.