colwellcat's reviews
742 reviews
Fairy Tale, by Stephen King
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
3.75
Just finished: Stephen King's Fairy Tale.
... and it was fine. I was thoroughly whelmed. This was a book I'd been putting off because I knew it was a bit chonky, so the new year seemed the right time for it. Perhaps I hadn't properly focused on the genre, but I was expecting a bit more thrill and spook from our friend Mr King.
I enjoyed the first half the most - the slow build focused on the relationship between boy, man and dog. The adventures down the well between worlds just felt... a bit underdeveloped.
Overall, I'd say a solid 3.75 ⭐️
... and it was fine. I was thoroughly whelmed. This was a book I'd been putting off because I knew it was a bit chonky, so the new year seemed the right time for it. Perhaps I hadn't properly focused on the genre, but I was expecting a bit more thrill and spook from our friend Mr King.
I enjoyed the first half the most - the slow build focused on the relationship between boy, man and dog. The adventures down the well between worlds just felt... a bit underdeveloped.
Overall, I'd say a solid 3.75 ⭐️
I Am NOT Fine, Thanks, by Wil Anderson
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
This is a lot of fun. It's thoroughly self-indulgent, but when you're as entertaining as Wil Anderson, you get to take a self-indulgent soap box once in a while.
It is not, however, a memoir, which is how it has been marketed. It is, rather, a smash-up of several of his recent shows. As someone who's not super into memoir reading, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I could imagine that there would be readers who felt that it wasn't what they thought they were buying.
Still, if you want a fun distraction that you can dip in and out of, you can't go wrong with this. Works very well in audio.
It is not, however, a memoir, which is how it has been marketed. It is, rather, a smash-up of several of his recent shows. As someone who's not super into memoir reading, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I could imagine that there would be readers who felt that it wasn't what they thought they were buying.
Still, if you want a fun distraction that you can dip in and out of, you can't go wrong with this. Works very well in audio.
When I'm Gone, Look for Me in the East, by Quan Barry
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A beautiful, tranquil and thoroughly atmospheric read.
I'm surprised not to have seen/heard more people talking about this. Though it was a little tricky to get hold of in Australia, not really sure why. No one would sell me a digital copy with an Australian address - market rights can be odd. The library provided - but at some point I want to pick up my own copy, I feel this will be a future reread.
Tasked with finding the reincarnation of a great lama somewhere in the vast Mongolian landscape, a young Buddhist monk seeks assistance from his estranged twin brother. The research that backs up this book is astounding. Almost a mingling of fiction with non fiction, in this book about faith, history and yearning, the expansive and windswept Mongolian backdrop is the true protagonist.
This is very different from Quan Barry's We Ride Upon Sticks, but it is just as dazzling in its lyricism. Unassuming and poetic, this is a slow meander that won't be for everyone. I loved it.
A strong 5 star read.
I'm surprised not to have seen/heard more people talking about this. Though it was a little tricky to get hold of in Australia, not really sure why. No one would sell me a digital copy with an Australian address - market rights can be odd. The library provided - but at some point I want to pick up my own copy, I feel this will be a future reread.
Tasked with finding the reincarnation of a great lama somewhere in the vast Mongolian landscape, a young Buddhist monk seeks assistance from his estranged twin brother. The research that backs up this book is astounding. Almost a mingling of fiction with non fiction, in this book about faith, history and yearning, the expansive and windswept Mongolian backdrop is the true protagonist.
This is very different from Quan Barry's We Ride Upon Sticks, but it is just as dazzling in its lyricism. Unassuming and poetic, this is a slow meander that won't be for everyone. I loved it.
A strong 5 star read.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I really don't think this is a great book, and I won't be bothering with the sequels. Having said that, I chewed through this in a day, and it was an entertaining distraction. But it was both thoroughly predictable while being completely unrealistic. The ending was also just a bit too neat and tied up in a bow.
Once There Were Wolves, by Charlotte McConaghy
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Once There Were Wolves is an incredible read by a very talented Australian author. Highly atmospheric, this is beautiful but also hard-hitting.
Inti Flynn leads a team of biologists seeking to reintroduce grey wolves into the remote Highlands of Scotland, so that the injured landscape might have a chance of 'rewilding', or recovery. But it is not just the landscape that needs salvaging.
Charlotte McConaghy's does a masterful job of conveying the urgency of facing the destruction we have wrought on the world (and the people) around us without being preachy. Achingly beautiful.
Do check the trigger warnings on this - graphic depictions of rape, domestic abuse, animal death, just to name a few.
Inti Flynn leads a team of biologists seeking to reintroduce grey wolves into the remote Highlands of Scotland, so that the injured landscape might have a chance of 'rewilding', or recovery. But it is not just the landscape that needs salvaging.
Charlotte McConaghy's does a masterful job of conveying the urgency of facing the destruction we have wrought on the world (and the people) around us without being preachy. Achingly beautiful.
Do check the trigger warnings on this - graphic depictions of rape, domestic abuse, animal death, just to name a few.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, and Animal death
Owning the Sun: A People's History of Monopoly Medicine from Aspirin to COVID-19 Vaccines, by Alexander Zaitchik
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
This was fascinating, but heavy going. In hindsight, I think I would have found this more accessible as an audiobook - and I'd love to see a documentary/mini series!
But if you, like me, have come out of it the last few years with a curiousity about the legislative history of medicine and medical progress... this is the book.
But if you, like me, have come out of it the last few years with a curiousity about the legislative history of medicine and medical progress... this is the book.
This Devastating Fever, by Sophie Cunningham
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
I couldn't get myself interested in this. I almost certainly stopped before giving it "a fair go", but I just found the narrative stifling. Not for me.
The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy, by Moiya McTier
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.25
Cute! My curiousity was piqued at "autobiography" - and I confess, I was a little disappointed on that aspect. It did come across as a little bit of an affectation and I rolled my eyes quite a bit. But overall, it was highly accessible, and both entertaining and informative, which is always a good combo for a science book. Feels like it would be great for high school students.
The Gene: An Intimate History, by Siddhartha Mukherjee
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Thoroughly accessible, fascinating. Really enjoyed learning the science vicariously through the history of human understanding.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth, by Cassandra Khaw
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Sadly this was craft rather content issues. Cute premise. Awful execution.