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scruffie's reviews
111 reviews
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
funny
relaxing
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? No
4.0
Quick read, and quite entertaining!
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
God, what a disappointment. All my life I kept hearing that this book is a masterpiece, but when I actually picked it up I couldn't even finish it. Extremely boring, somewhat sexist, with poor argumentation, and biased examples. What a waste of my time.
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Sad but hopeful, but mostly heart-warming. I really enjoyed reading this book, though I admit that a lot of the time I was aware I was reading a book; for some reason I couldn't immerse myself in it completely. Still, it was a lovely read and I'd highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness
Minor: Xenophobia
Misery by Stephen King
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've never read any book like this before; I was on the edge of my seat from the first page all the way to the last. Intense, creepy, and dark. Very well-written. Be prepared for some seriously disturbing content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cursing and Car accident
Minor: Vomit
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Nice one. Though it felt slow-paced overall to me, each story in it individually felt middle-paced. I can see several ways in which this book has influenced modern sci-fi I grew up to love, so I couldn't give it less than 4 stars, for sure. However, beware that there is sexism and in general sexist tropes in it—perhaps not as much as I've seen in other books written in the same time period, but still.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Love Letters: Vita and Virginia by Virginia Woolf, Vita Sackville-West
Can't really review this book; it's personal letters, never meant to be published. Most of the time I felt like an intruder, encroaching on something intimate, precious. Loved every bit of it. The last bits hurt deeply though.
Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
That was a pretty fast read. Though the book touches on issues such as sexism, homophobia, and eating disorders (and more beyond), it does so within an overall inspiring and hopeful narrative.
Smith's stream-of-consciousness writing style took me some effort to get used to, but I think it worked out pretty well for this book specifically.
Smith's stream-of-consciousness writing style took me some effort to get used to, but I think it worked out pretty well for this book specifically.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Death
Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
So glad I finally read the book! The movie was very nice too, of course, but I liked the complexity of the characters and the plot in the book better (including Howl's overly dramatic tantrums). I'm pretty sure I'll re-read this one many times in the years to come.