andrewbrown780's reviews
16 reviews

The History of Philosophy: A Marxist Perspective by Alan Woods

challenging funny informative lighthearted slow-paced

5.0

Alan Woods gives a materialist account of the development 0f Western philosophy. Woods writes in a witty and accessible way which makes the book an enjoyable read, and a must-read for anyone interested in philosophy.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Persepolis is a powerful and emotional account of Maryjane Satrapi's experience living through the Iranian Revolution and then the Iraq-Iran war. This moving story is well worth the read.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Overall, this was a well-done story, with one exception. The pacing felt rushed. A bit more room for character development and exposition would have made the story much better.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

adventurous challenging emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Who would have thought that a novel that has next to no plot, is mostly just backstory and exposition, and told in a disjointed way would be so good? This is a fantastic novel, filled with emotion, where all the characters feel real, as if the people Egan created could actually exist out in the real world, and experience the things they do in this novel. 

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five - The Complete Collection by Brian Buccellato

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The last chapter of the Injustice saga is the weakest one. While the story is meant to set up the events of the game, and so it's meant to end on a negative note, this causes the story to lose some of the luster of the previous books. Additionally, there is a noticeable shift in the quality of writing where Brian Buccellato takes over the story. Buccellato was dealt a tough hand, having to finish a story written by someone else rather than telling his own story, the change in quality is for the worse. While Year 5 is the weakest story, it is still an overall fun read.

Obasan by Kerri Sakamoto, Joy Kogawa

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

After finishing this novel, I was quite upset that I had never read it before. With an English degree and having taken a couple university classes on Canadian literature, it seems tragic that I had never come across this novel before. Obasan is hauntingly beautiful and moving; it is a remarkably powerful novel.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

3.0

I found Their Eyes Were Watching God challenging to read. One reason is that the story is dialogue-heavy, which isn't inherently a problem, but the dialogue is written in the way Southern African-Americans spoke in the early 20th century, making it difficult for me to follow at times. The novel also takes some time to get going, but once it does it's hard to put it down. A standout feature of Their Eyes Were Watching God is that every chapter has a great simile in it— comparisons that I had never heard before nor would I have ever thought to make.

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two - The Complete Collection by Tom Taylor

5.0

The saga continues in Year Two and so does the fun. An all out war breaks out with the Green Lantern Force allying themselves with Batman against Superman and his team. Year Two continues the story and the entertainment.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four - The Complete Collection by Brian Buccellato, Bruno Redondo, Tom Taylor

dark funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Year 4 continues the Injustice storyline, with the Greek Gods stepping in to challenge Superman's pretensions of godhood. While the series is phenomenal overall, Year 4 feels like Brian Buccellato is uncertain about how to move the story forward, making it a weaker entry when compared to the previous three.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

funny informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.0

I'm torn on how to review this book and what rating to give it. The book itself deals with a fascinating topic that I knew little about, and Mary Roach writes in an engaging manner. My problem, however, is with Mary Roach's seemingly incessant need to throw in as many jokes and gags as possible. This need to be the funniest person in the room got old quickly and left me feeling annoyed. If it weren't for that one issue, I would have given this book 5 stars.