I listened to the audiobook version and thought it was really well done. I ended up listening to it on 1.2x speed to keep it at a pace that wo5 stars
I listened to the audiobook version and thought it was really well done. I ended up listening to it on 1.2x speed to keep it at a pace that works well for me, but otherwise the narrator was really good. The storyline itself was really interesting and I was excited to learn more about the culture as I progressed through the book. ...more
This book was a challenge to read; it was uncomfortable, confronting and left me feeling a bit helpless. It was a very real reflection of what it can This book was a challenge to read; it was uncomfortable, confronting and left me feeling a bit helpless. It was a very real reflection of what it can feel like to have a mental illness and I think because of this alone, everyone should read it at some point in their lives. ...more
Animal Farm was an intriguing but short read. I listened to the audiobook version on a long commute and couldn’t get enough of it! It critique5 stars
Animal Farm was an intriguing but short read. I listened to the audiobook version on a long commute and couldn’t get enough of it! It critiques broad themes of human behaviour, capitalism and communism - drawing parallels between the comrades on Animal Farm and in Soviet Russia during Communist rule.
The overarching message I got from the book was the importance of thinking for yourself and not just blindly believing everything you’re told. It highlights the importance of evaluating your surroundings and reliable evidence available to you. ...more
I have very fond memories of watching The Princess Bride as a family growing up, and after revisiting the movie with my partner recently, I dec4 stars
I have very fond memories of watching The Princess Bride as a family growing up, and after revisiting the movie with my partner recently, I decided to give the book a go.
Initially, I was worried because the characters (the fictitious author, wife and son) were so unlikeable and off-beat that I nearly put the book down. However, the story eventually got into the swing of things and I finished it off pretty quickly after that. The story was pretty similar to the movie and I enjoyed the feeling of nostalgia that it invoked. I especially liked the backstory Goldman gave to Inigo, Fezzik and Vizzini - it added more depth than I remember there being in the movie.
The one part that got on my nerve every now and then was the constant interruptions by the author. Adding brackets and saying "(this was before this time)" or "(this was after this time)" just got old really fast. There was also an undertone of bitterness that the author couldn't seem to shake, which made it uncomfortable to read at times. Other than that, I enjoyed most of the book and I'm glad I persevered with it....more
The Day of the Triffids was a much more enjoyable read than Wyndham's Stowaway To Mars. The plot seemed fairly realistic for an apocalypse/end 5 stars
The Day of the Triffids was a much more enjoyable read than Wyndham's Stowaway To Mars. The plot seemed fairly realistic for an apocalypse/end of the world scenario, demonstrating how different people cope with life-altering changes. These responses/characters have been mimicked in other novels and TV shows like The Walking Dead, so it doesn't seem original in that way - but you can sort of tell when you're reading it, that Wyndham was the first to explore the genre. Overall, it was highly addictive compared to some of his other novels and I finished it within a few days of active reading. The carnivorous plants were a cool addition!
Looking forward to reading more of the author's work in the future....more
The imagery and romanticism really makes me want to start growing tulips! Such a gorgeous book, beautifully written and engaging from start to finish.The imagery and romanticism really makes me want to start growing tulips! Such a gorgeous book, beautifully written and engaging from start to finish. The characters are all really interesting and even the villains of the story are exciting to read about. I’ve never felt so happy after finishing a book. ...more
This is the first Brontë book I've read and I really enjoyed it! I liked the way it was written, with a mixture of traditional stor5 stars - LOVED IT
This is the first Brontë book I've read and I really enjoyed it! I liked the way it was written, with a mixture of traditional story telling and the story depicted through letters to different characters. The pacing was really good and characters all interesting to learn about. I'm looking forward to reading more of the Brontë books soon.
This book was gifted to me by a close friend. If this hadn't been the case, I probably wouldn't have finished it. I liked the overall plot an2.5 stars
This book was gifted to me by a close friend. If this hadn't been the case, I probably wouldn't have finished it. I liked the overall plot and the personalities of the characters - I even liked that the main characters were quite unlikable at times, I think this made them more realistic. However, I found the writing quite disengaging at times and I found myself putting the book down quite often, to have a break and pick up another book. I am glad I read this story, but I don't think I'll be reading it again.
I loved the pacing of this book so much - it was spontaneous throughout and the whole time I was on the edge of my seat trying to antic5 stars - CRAZY
I loved the pacing of this book so much - it was spontaneous throughout and the whole time I was on the edge of my seat trying to anticipate what would happen next. It came together really nicely at the end, making me really happy that I picked up this book on a whim! Looking forward to read more books by this author. ...more
I really liked Thomas Hardy's book "Under the Greenwood Tree" so I bought a few more of his books. I found that this one took me3.5 stars - slow-paced
I really liked Thomas Hardy's book "Under the Greenwood Tree" so I bought a few more of his books. I found that this one took me a bit longer to get into, and at the start I was easily distracted and had to read the same paragraphs several times before I processed what I had read. Although I like characters having a variety of personalities and tendencies, I found Bathsheba really unlikeable and difficult to relate to on any sort of level. It might just be the the difference in time, between the book being published and me reading it, but I got some serious Daisy (from The Great Gatsby) vibes. I wasn't really invested in her story or hoping it will all work out in the end, because I disagreed with so many of her choices early on.
About 3/4 of the way through the book I became a lot more engaged, and I felt like the characters developed a lot more here. Bathsheba seemed to see things through a more objective lens, making it easier to understand and sympathise with her character a bit more. Even though she made heaps of mistakes early on, I think she learned from them which was a positive. I felt more connected to her character in the last portion of the book because of it.
The last part of the book had a lot more twists and was paced a bit quicker, making it more exciting. I would have liked to see Farmer Oak develop a bit more over the novel, but otherwise it ended pretty neatly. ...more
The Folio Society edition was gorgeous, the art really complemented the text well. It's an int5 stars
I watched the movie before this and I LOVE both!
The Folio Society edition was gorgeous, the art really complemented the text well. It's an interesting read, changing perspective a few times to give you a great overview of the family and their roles during the war. I would 100% recommend this to others who like classics. ...more
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