dyslexzak's reviews
237 reviews

Berserk, Vol. 26 by Kentaro Miura

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

A really strong volume with a great teaser for what's to come. Can't wait to find out what happens next.

Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat by Giles Milton

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

This was a fascinating story, well laid out and detailed.

The Little History of England by Jonathan McGovern

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.5

The book is made up of chapters only about a page long in most cases making it easy to pick up and put down.
I read a page or two most days and it lasted me much of the year.

A book like this can never cover everything, but as a ‘Little History’ it is clear and concise.

Berserk, Vol. 25 by Kentaro Miura

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This volume feels a little like an inbetween. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and the cliffhanger ending makes me excited for what's to come. 

Collected Ghost Stories by M.R. James
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

There were stories I enjoyed but they were few and far between. The ones I loved I really loved, but the others felt dull and slow.
I realised it was a chore to read every time and I decided my time was better spent elsewhere.

Berserk, Vol. 24 by Kentaro Miura

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

I've been falling off of this series and had a long break between this volume and the last one I read. Coming back to it feels great. It finally feels like it's really moving again in a way it hasn't since the end of the last arc.
There are some interesting new characters introduced and I'm loving one of the older ones the more I get to know him.

The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense by Gad Saad

informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

An interesting look at the world.

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

inspiring reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

It lost me a little for the last few chapters, but over all, I'd recommend it.
Chapters are really short. You could definitely space them out over a few months or a year.
I expect I'll revisit in one day.

Dead Lions by Mick Herron

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense 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

3.5

There’s no wonder this series was so well suited to a screen adaptation. It’s cinematic right on the page.
The way action cuts between the characters so often within scenes keeps the pace and tension up throughout.v

I love James Webb. Fingers crossed for a redemption arc.

100 Must-read Books for Men by Stephen E. Andrews, Duncan Bowis

funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

Some people wake up and look at the sun as it rises. This image fills them with hope for the future, gives them a feeling of endless possibilities, and a sense of utter gratitude.
I do not feel this for a sunrise, but I do feel this for lists. I love lists and I love books, subsequently, I have read a large number of books like this one. A book that lists book recommendations! What could be better?
All this to say, when I tell you this is a truly excellent example of the genre, I'm speaking from a place of experience on the topic.

All jokes aside, it is amazing how in 100 recommendations, I could count on one hand the amount I'm not excited to rush out to read right now. I've read other books in the Bloomsbury Good Reading Guides collection and found the odd gem worth putting on my TBR for a rainy day, but the vast majority are either obvious examples of the genre being listed (and therefore feel like a waste of space), or simply don't get me excited enough to care. None of that can be said for this book.

It's truly impressive that in a book of such varied recommendations, seemingly trying to appeal to such a wide ranging audience as men, should be able to tempt me to almost every offering.
Perhaps it's a testament to the quality of the mini essays on each book, giving you just enough to tease your appetite, with the paragraph at the end for the author's biography to put it in the proper context. Not to mention the introduction, forward, and about this book sections discussing the topic of men's fiction and the reason they felt the need to write this book in the first place -- all of which was fascinating.

I might as well add the entire index to my TBR.