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wuthrinheights's reviews
188 reviews
Me And Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with Alexandra Potter. When I found this book on my shelf, I knew I had to reread it because it's been so long since I picked it up, I've forgotten most of it. And after watching Austenland (again and again and again), this sounded so similar to the movie, I definitely had to read it again.
Emily Albright was hilarious. She was relatable, feisty, and loyal. From the first page, I immediately felt like we were soulmates. Not only because of her love for books, but also because of her complaints about modern men. I kept agreeing with her and shaking my head, laughing.
This book made me giggle and gasp and groan. I couldn't quite put it down, it was that entertaining. I am so happy I picked this up. Would definitely recommend this to Austen fans. It's always a nice reminder that sometimes the thing you've always wanted may not be all that great.
Emily Albright was hilarious. She was relatable, feisty, and loyal. From the first page, I immediately felt like we were soulmates. Not only because of her love for books, but also because of her complaints about modern men. I kept agreeing with her and shaking my head, laughing.
This book made me giggle and gasp and groan. I couldn't quite put it down, it was that entertaining. I am so happy I picked this up. Would definitely recommend this to Austen fans. It's always a nice reminder that sometimes the thing you've always wanted may not be all that great.
Letters to Felice by Franz Kafka
I am amazed that Felice kept all the letters he sent. Their love must've been incredibly intense. I could see so much of myself in Franz (the good and the bad), that reading these made me feel like I could've written all that in another life. And no matter how many times I feel so frustrated by him, I had to step back and think "perhaps the reason why you are so angry is because you see so much of yourself in him." Rest well, Kafka. This was life-altering.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
What a book. My copy had a little over 800 pages and it was such a heavy book (figuratively and literally). But not once did I regret getting a copy. This was beautiful.
From his early years of knowing Felice and groveling at her feet, pouncing at the mailman for her letters, and rubbing her letters to his face (to get as close to her as possible), to the all-too-real commitment of being engaged to her making him spiral, it was a lot.
In the first half of the book, he was more lighthearted. All he wanted was to get to know every single part of her (from asking her many, many questions to scrutinising every picture sent by her). But as they grew closer and the relationship became more serious, he grew more frightened.
Suddenly his flaws were blown up like a film on a movie screen. His derailing health, his inadequacy, his worries and quirks. He was so worried that Felice will shirk away from him, and her parents wouldn't allow him to marry her (which, he felt was valid).
But everyone loved him. Felice, her parents, his parents, etc. Julie Kafka (Franz's mum) was adorable. Her letters to Felice (and to Felice's mum) were included. From there, you could see how sweet and caring she was. And she was completely supportive of their relationship.
From his early years of knowing Felice and groveling at her feet, pouncing at the mailman for her letters, and rubbing her letters to his face (to get as close to her as possible), to the all-too-real commitment of being engaged to her making him spiral, it was a lot.
In the first half of the book, he was more lighthearted. All he wanted was to get to know every single part of her (from asking her many, many questions to scrutinising every picture sent by her). But as they grew closer and the relationship became more serious, he grew more frightened.
Suddenly his flaws were blown up like a film on a movie screen. His derailing health, his inadequacy, his worries and quirks. He was so worried that Felice will shirk away from him, and her parents wouldn't allow him to marry her (which, he felt was valid).
But everyone loved him. Felice, her parents, his parents, etc. Julie Kafka (Franz's mum) was adorable. Her letters to Felice (and to Felice's mum) were included. From there, you could see how sweet and caring she was. And she was completely supportive of their relationship.
This mammoth of a book was a lot to take in, but I loved it very much. It is possible that I found hundreds of favourite quotes within these letters. Letters to Felice was much better than Letters to Milena. The last few pages made me teary eyed when he broke the news of his tuberculosis and how he feared that his last letters to her would be
"Poor dear Felice" -- were the last words I wrote; is this to be the closing phrase to all my letters? It's not a knife that stabs only forward but one that wheels around and stabs back as well.
Franz
I am amazed that Felice kept all the letters he sent. Their love must've been incredibly intense. I could see so much of myself in Franz (the good and the bad), that reading these made me feel like I could've written all that in another life. And no matter how many times I feel so frustrated by him, I had to step back and think "perhaps the reason why you are so angry is because you see so much of yourself in him." Rest well, Kafka. This was life-altering.
Channel X by Francine Pascal, Laurie John
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I haven't read SVU in years so I'm introduced to new characters for the first time. This book was incredibly scary, especially because it felt like there's some truth to it, and how real it could be (or already is?).
Channel X held my attention from the first page. It was intense and terrifying. It was hard to know what was real or wasn't. And even till the last page, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen, and the characters won't ever get to escape the horrors.
Channel X held my attention from the first page. It was intense and terrifying. It was hard to know what was real or wasn't. And even till the last page, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen, and the characters won't ever get to escape the horrors.
A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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
3.0
Reading this with a Dickens fan was a great idea, for I learned so much than if I were to read it alone. I also enjoyed it a lot more with a buddy who is so passionate about his works.
I'm not going to lie, I had a pretty tough time getting into this story. I'm not very familiar with Dickens' style, especially with his take on historical fiction. The book was like an EKG machine. It goes up and down. When it goes down, the story was like a blur and I couldn't get through it like walking through a foggy street. But when it's up, oh boy. So was I. Suddenly I'm feeling so many things, and sweating nervously through my shirt.
This book wasn't anything like I thought it would be. I haven't the faintest idea of what it'll contain when I first picked it up. But it was a story of love, and heroism, and justice to evil people, of alliances and enemies. It was so many things at once.
Just like the first line of the book, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", the ending reflected it too. It had such a bittersweet ending, and Charles really nailed it perfectly.
I'm not going to lie, I had a pretty tough time getting into this story. I'm not very familiar with Dickens' style, especially with his take on historical fiction. The book was like an EKG machine. It goes up and down. When it goes down, the story was like a blur and I couldn't get through it like walking through a foggy street. But when it's up, oh boy. So was I. Suddenly I'm feeling so many things, and sweating nervously through my shirt.
This book wasn't anything like I thought it would be. I haven't the faintest idea of what it'll contain when I first picked it up. But it was a story of love, and heroism, and justice to evil people, of alliances and enemies. It was so many things at once.
Just like the first line of the book, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", the ending reflected it too. It had such a bittersweet ending, and Charles really nailed it perfectly.
Fear Street Super Thriller: Secrets: The Lost Girl; Can You Keep a Secret? by R.L. Stine
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Lost Girl - 5 ☆
The lost girl was a shocking read. It was horrific on many levels, that I didn't expect to come from a Fear Street novel. It was intense and gory from the very first part of the book. But despite the horrors, I couldn't put it down. It was a real page turner.
RL Stine has got to be one of my favourite authors ever and it took me so long to realise that. Some books often make me feel bored but Stine is one of the few authors that keep me completely engaged throughout the whole story. His language was really simple but the storyline was captivating and truly horrific. At one point, my sister told me I shouldn't read it anymore because I looked so scared.
I love the Fear Street series and The Lost Girl had all the elements I love about it. The creepy atmosphere, the murders, the stalking, the supernatural elements, the connection between the past and the present,.. I was enjoying it so much, I wanted to devour it all in one day but I had to take it slow and savour it as much as I can.
//
Can You Keep A Secret? - 3.5 ☆
After the incredible first story, I was on high. I was excited for the second book but sadly, it didn't live up to the first one. I really expected the whole 2-in-1 book would be a full 5 star rating but it was so different. It didn't even feel like a Fear Street book to me.
I couldn't connect to the characters, and the story didn't feel as smooth as the first one. In TLG, the blending of the past and present, and the logical and supernatural elements felt smooth and flawless. But in CYKAS, it felt like putting two wrong jigsaw puzzles together. Sometimes I felt like I was reading two different stories at once.
Minor spoiler: On one hand, it had robbery and stolen money fought among friends, and the other, it had folklore and lycanthrope. It didn't mesh well together and although it was an easy read, it wasn't such a great story.
The lost girl was a shocking read. It was horrific on many levels, that I didn't expect to come from a Fear Street novel. It was intense and gory from the very first part of the book. But despite the horrors, I couldn't put it down. It was a real page turner.
RL Stine has got to be one of my favourite authors ever and it took me so long to realise that. Some books often make me feel bored but Stine is one of the few authors that keep me completely engaged throughout the whole story. His language was really simple but the storyline was captivating and truly horrific. At one point, my sister told me I shouldn't read it anymore because I looked so scared.
I love the Fear Street series and The Lost Girl had all the elements I love about it. The creepy atmosphere, the murders, the stalking, the supernatural elements, the connection between the past and the present,.. I was enjoying it so much, I wanted to devour it all in one day but I had to take it slow and savour it as much as I can.
//
Can You Keep A Secret? - 3.5 ☆
After the incredible first story, I was on high. I was excited for the second book but sadly, it didn't live up to the first one. I really expected the whole 2-in-1 book would be a full 5 star rating but it was so different. It didn't even feel like a Fear Street book to me.
I couldn't connect to the characters, and the story didn't feel as smooth as the first one. In TLG, the blending of the past and present, and the logical and supernatural elements felt smooth and flawless. But in CYKAS, it felt like putting two wrong jigsaw puzzles together. Sometimes I felt like I was reading two different stories at once.
Minor spoiler: On one hand, it had robbery and stolen money fought among friends, and the other, it had folklore and lycanthrope. It didn't mesh well together and although it was an easy read, it wasn't such a great story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was wild from start to finish. I was literally laughing in disbelief. I've made it to the end, and Lewis kept throwing curveball after curveball.
The story of the evil ape, the fake Aslan, the follow up about every character, and the huge reveal at the end... I never would've expected the series to end this way, but wow, what an ending.
I'd definitely give this series another reread someday, maybe according to publication order. Although chronological order made more sense. But I do want to read it in a different way another time.
(This book was great, but I had to lower the rating because of the racism and sexism.)
The story of the evil ape, the fake Aslan, the follow up about every character, and the huge reveal at the end... I never would've expected the series to end this way, but wow, what an ending.
I'd definitely give this series another reread someday, maybe according to publication order. Although chronological order made more sense. But I do want to read it in a different way another time.
(This book was great, but I had to lower the rating because of the racism and sexism.)
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The adventures were spectacular in this one, and I really enjoyed the imagery. But I didn't really care for the main characters, in fact they annoyed me most times, so I didn't really love it as much as the previous books. But there were still some funny and unexpectedly whacky moments that I love coming from Lewis that made this such a classic addition to the series.
The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader” by C.S. Lewis
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Although I've rated Prince Caspian 5 stars, this one was a solid five stars. This was the best book in the series so far, and I enjoyed it so much!
It was the most different one from the other books; it had more adventures in a different setting. They were on waters a lot, and on vastly different islands that were more magical with each one.
Eustace the terrible cousin was entertaining to read about. No matter how good or bad he had it, it made me laugh. And as usual, I loved the Pevensies and Caspian. Although it was a little sad the two elder ones weren't in it.
All in all, this 5th book was my favourite, and I am so close to finishing the series; I am shaking with excitement.
It was the most different one from the other books; it had more adventures in a different setting. They were on waters a lot, and on vastly different islands that were more magical with each one.
Eustace the terrible cousin was entertaining to read about. No matter how good or bad he had it, it made me laugh. And as usual, I loved the Pevensies and Caspian. Although it was a little sad the two elder ones weren't in it.
All in all, this 5th book was my favourite, and I am so close to finishing the series; I am shaking with excitement.
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So glad the book picked up. It was delightful from start to finish! I loved reading about the Pevensies and Caspian, and the Narnian side characters were lovely too. I was flying through this one and even though some parts were a little sad, I loved it in its entirety.
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Out of all the Narnia books I've read so far, this one took the longest. I couldn't connect with the characters, the plot was slow and uninteresting, and I just couldn't get into it. I was speed reading through the second half just to get it over with. I hope the rest of the series won't be as disappointing as this one.