Everything I read in October 2019
This is is a bit late but here is everything I read in October:
Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf - 3 Stars
This was the first Virginia Woolf book that I've read and while I loved the writing style, I wasn't that interested in the book. I plan on reading more Virginia Woolf to see if I find a book that I connect with more.
The Tommyknockers, Stephen King - 2 Stars
Oh boy. I forced myself to skim to the end of this one. It started off so well, the first part was the Stephen King we know and love. Then the second part was where it all went downhill. There were too many characters introduced that were not interesting in the slightest. This is not a Stephen King book I would recommend unless you really want to read them all.
The Secret Commonwealth, Philip Pullman - 3 Stars
I'll start this with the classic"I really wanted to enjoy this one", I really wanted to enjoy this one. We've waited for a long time to find out what happened to Lyra after "The Amber Spyglass" and this is not what I expected. I didn't like the changes to Lyra and Pan and their relationship. I didn't like how Malcolm developed. I didn't like certain events in the novel. This was very much a middle book but it felt that the journey from the beginning of the book to the end took far too long, it could've been cut down by 100 or so pages. I hope the next book is better.
Shirley, Charlotte Bronte - 3 Stars
The second to last Bronte book that I have left to read and it was okay. There were some elements of Charlotte's writing that I loved still there but I didn't enjoy this at all. It started off fine but by the middle, I was ready for it to end. The main two female characters were fine but I didn't connect to them as much as I did with Jane from "Jane Eyre". The social commentary was interesting but the actual novel fell a bit for flat for me.
A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness - 4 Stars
This book came to me when I really needed an easy and distracting read and I'm already re-reading it when I need to unwind. While it's not one of the best books I've ever ready, I really enjoyed it. It's opened up the supernatural/ witch genres back up to me, genres I haven't read too much of lately. I loved the Oxford aesthetic and the French castle/countryside. An easy read I would recommend around Halloween.
Shadow of Night, Deborah Harkness - 3 Stars
As much as I loved the first book in the trilogy, I didn't enjoy the second book as much. This is the first time I've read the second book in a series straight after reading the first book in a long time. I enjoyed the Elizabethan world, it combined everything I liked from the first book with my love of history. However, I felt this book could've been cut down a bit and I didn't enjoy every character. Some plot points I saw coming a mile away. The ending was unexpected and felt forced to add a sad point/new character motivation. A good second book but not as enjoyable as the first.
The Book of Life, Deborah Harkness - 3 Stars
Probably not the strongest ending to the trilogy, it was a bit underwhelming given the scale of the series so far. New characters were added that didn't add much to the narrative other than to tie up some ends. Some parts of the book were forgettable and I feel like so much more could've been done with certain scenes. The (SPOILER) twins were an interesting addition to the cast but felt a bit too perfect in the way they reflect their parents (END SPOILER). A decent ending but could've been so much more.
The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors, Dan Jones - 3 Stars
I wanted the comfort of history that I was already familiar with but perhaps with a new slant on it. This was a decent book on the Wars of the Roses, giving a good summary of the events but there wasn't too much that stood out to me from it. A solid read but nothing too exciting.
Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf - 3 Stars
This was the first Virginia Woolf book that I've read and while I loved the writing style, I wasn't that interested in the book. I plan on reading more Virginia Woolf to see if I find a book that I connect with more.
The Tommyknockers, Stephen King - 2 Stars
Oh boy. I forced myself to skim to the end of this one. It started off so well, the first part was the Stephen King we know and love. Then the second part was where it all went downhill. There were too many characters introduced that were not interesting in the slightest. This is not a Stephen King book I would recommend unless you really want to read them all.
The Secret Commonwealth, Philip Pullman - 3 Stars
I'll start this with the classic"I really wanted to enjoy this one", I really wanted to enjoy this one. We've waited for a long time to find out what happened to Lyra after "The Amber Spyglass" and this is not what I expected. I didn't like the changes to Lyra and Pan and their relationship. I didn't like how Malcolm developed. I didn't like certain events in the novel. This was very much a middle book but it felt that the journey from the beginning of the book to the end took far too long, it could've been cut down by 100 or so pages. I hope the next book is better.
Shirley, Charlotte Bronte - 3 Stars
The second to last Bronte book that I have left to read and it was okay. There were some elements of Charlotte's writing that I loved still there but I didn't enjoy this at all. It started off fine but by the middle, I was ready for it to end. The main two female characters were fine but I didn't connect to them as much as I did with Jane from "Jane Eyre". The social commentary was interesting but the actual novel fell a bit for flat for me.
A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness - 4 Stars
This book came to me when I really needed an easy and distracting read and I'm already re-reading it when I need to unwind. While it's not one of the best books I've ever ready, I really enjoyed it. It's opened up the supernatural/ witch genres back up to me, genres I haven't read too much of lately. I loved the Oxford aesthetic and the French castle/countryside. An easy read I would recommend around Halloween.
Shadow of Night, Deborah Harkness - 3 Stars
As much as I loved the first book in the trilogy, I didn't enjoy the second book as much. This is the first time I've read the second book in a series straight after reading the first book in a long time. I enjoyed the Elizabethan world, it combined everything I liked from the first book with my love of history. However, I felt this book could've been cut down a bit and I didn't enjoy every character. Some plot points I saw coming a mile away. The ending was unexpected and felt forced to add a sad point/new character motivation. A good second book but not as enjoyable as the first.
The Book of Life, Deborah Harkness - 3 Stars
Probably not the strongest ending to the trilogy, it was a bit underwhelming given the scale of the series so far. New characters were added that didn't add much to the narrative other than to tie up some ends. Some parts of the book were forgettable and I feel like so much more could've been done with certain scenes. The (SPOILER) twins were an interesting addition to the cast but felt a bit too perfect in the way they reflect their parents (END SPOILER). A decent ending but could've been so much more.
The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors, Dan Jones - 3 Stars
I wanted the comfort of history that I was already familiar with but perhaps with a new slant on it. This was a decent book on the Wars of the Roses, giving a good summary of the events but there wasn't too much that stood out to me from it. A solid read but nothing too exciting.
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