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paperindy's reviews
179 reviews
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
mysterious
tense
slow-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
2.75
This was just okay. It was a decently creepy YA changeling story, but fairly unoriginal in both concept and execution.
I mostly struggled to feel connected to the stakes in this story, it was fairly obvious where things were going and none of the characters felt relatable or very interesting. The sister dynamic was bland, the reveal was obvious, the romantic tension was not convincing.
I listened to this as an audiobook so it's entirely possible that I was quite swayed in my engagement by the narration, because there were some really well written sections that I think would have read beautifully on the page. The creepy bits were creepy and the descriptions of the rot and bloom were quite visceral and immersive.
Overall, it was fine and I did still enjoy it. This book pretty much does what it says in the blurb and nothing more than that.
I mostly struggled to feel connected to the stakes in this story, it was fairly obvious where things were going and none of the characters felt relatable or very interesting. The sister dynamic was bland, the reveal was obvious, the romantic tension was not convincing.
I listened to this as an audiobook so it's entirely possible that I was quite swayed in my engagement by the narration, because there were some really well written sections that I think would have read beautifully on the page. The creepy bits were creepy and the descriptions of the rot and bloom were quite visceral and immersive.
Overall, it was fine and I did still enjoy it. This book pretty much does what it says in the blurb and nothing more than that.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.75
As with most high fantasy worlds, this took me a little while to get into. But once I was in, it was so much fun.
Honestly, I don’t think Sarah J Maas is an incredible writer (and particularly in this first book! There were so many exclamation marks!) but the confidence she has in her stories is addictive. It is so easy to be swept away with her worlds, and there were a few really enjoyable developments in this first book that I didn’t see coming and some great characters.
As always she does an excellent job of balancing developing the romance elements with developing friendships, and having bigger goals beyond love. And I loved the mystery element in this! It was intriguing and helped lead into the more magical elements of this story really well.
I loved the structure of the competition, which reminded me slightly of The Hunger Games. The only thing I thought was strange was no one asking for the competition to be called off once everyone started dying? It felt really bizarre that no one was even discussing that as an option or explaining why it wasn’t. I also didn’t buy the Dorian romance for a second which made the love triangle parts a little less compelling.
This was a good start to the series but I have high hopes it will get better from here. It’s hard to avoid all the Throne of Glass references on Instagram so I feel like I still have many characters to meet and places to go, and I’m excited to start the next one.
Honestly, I don’t think Sarah J Maas is an incredible writer (and particularly in this first book! There were so many exclamation marks!) but the confidence she has in her stories is addictive. It is so easy to be swept away with her worlds, and there were a few really enjoyable developments in this first book that I didn’t see coming and some great characters.
As always she does an excellent job of balancing developing the romance elements with developing friendships, and having bigger goals beyond love. And I loved the mystery element in this! It was intriguing and helped lead into the more magical elements of this story really well.
This was a good start to the series but I have high hopes it will get better from here. It’s hard to avoid all the Throne of Glass references on Instagram so I feel like I still have many characters to meet and places to go, and I’m excited to start the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, and Slavery
Minor: Genocide and Kidnapping
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
informative
slow-paced
2.5
Deep Work is, in essence, the concept of focusing on a complex task without distraction. Not particularly revolutionary, but I’ll give it to the author that it is harder than it sounds.
This book has its ups and downs. It is incredibly capitalist and definitely aimed at men. Of the dozens and dozens of references to people made in this book, only 11 are to women. Two are JK Rowling, and one is another man’s assistant. As a result, I thought the author was a bit naïve about the different expectations there are on not-men. For example, a new mother could not choose to wake up at 4:45 am to get in 90 minutes of ‘deep work’ before work, but the new father described in this book was not only able to do this but felt “astronomically productive and guilt free.”
In general, I think the book severely undervalues human connection and socialisation, but it amused me very much that the author made a capitalist argument for “fixed-schedule productivity” - i.e. a workday that ends at 5:30 pm. Have you joined your union, Cal?
I often find that self-help books could easily be summarised into a blog post, and this is definitely one of those. That being said, I did find it helpful to sit with a concept for a novel-length of time to really pause and consider what the author is saying. This had some motivating moments, and I think the philosophical arguments for ‘deep work’ are compelling, even if I’m less sold on the economic ones. There are a few handy tips here and there, but really nothing that needs to fill 250 pages. If you’re interested in the topic, maybe check out a podcast instead.
This book has its ups and downs. It is incredibly capitalist and definitely aimed at men. Of the dozens and dozens of references to people made in this book, only 11 are to women. Two are JK Rowling, and one is another man’s assistant. As a result, I thought the author was a bit naïve about the different expectations there are on not-men. For example, a new mother could not choose to wake up at 4:45 am to get in 90 minutes of ‘deep work’ before work, but the new father described in this book was not only able to do this but felt “astronomically productive and guilt free.”
In general, I think the book severely undervalues human connection and socialisation, but it amused me very much that the author made a capitalist argument for “fixed-schedule productivity” - i.e. a workday that ends at 5:30 pm. Have you joined your union, Cal?
I often find that self-help books could easily be summarised into a blog post, and this is definitely one of those. That being said, I did find it helpful to sit with a concept for a novel-length of time to really pause and consider what the author is saying. This had some motivating moments, and I think the philosophical arguments for ‘deep work’ are compelling, even if I’m less sold on the economic ones. There are a few handy tips here and there, but really nothing that needs to fill 250 pages. If you’re interested in the topic, maybe check out a podcast instead.
The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
The Happiest Man on Earth is a moving memoir from Eddie Jaku, who survived seven years in various concentration camps under Hitler's regime in Nazi Germany.
His story is both harrowing and hopeful, and as much about the people around him as the man himself. It's a testament to family and friendship, and how a connection with a single person can be the thing that keeps your spirit alive just enough to weather the most unimaginable of horrors.
The audiobook is beautiful, the narrator is warm and inviting and captures Eddie's spirit well. The story walks an incredible balance between expressing the atrocities of the holocaust extensively and the devastating impact on humanity, without necessarily being overly difficult to listen to. It's hard to explain, because it's horrifying to hear what was done, but you do feel like you're hearing a friend speak. It's intimate, and the connection between author and reader means you really want to truly listen what Eddie is telling you.
Overall a truly unimaginable tale that is told with such grace and hope and relevance to today. This was stunning and highly recommended to all.
His story is both harrowing and hopeful, and as much about the people around him as the man himself. It's a testament to family and friendship, and how a connection with a single person can be the thing that keeps your spirit alive just enough to weather the most unimaginable of horrors.
The audiobook is beautiful, the narrator is warm and inviting and captures Eddie's spirit well. The story walks an incredible balance between expressing the atrocities of the holocaust extensively and the devastating impact on humanity, without necessarily being overly difficult to listen to. It's hard to explain, because it's horrifying to hear what was done, but you do feel like you're hearing a friend speak. It's intimate, and the connection between author and reader means you really want to truly listen what Eddie is telling you.
Overall a truly unimaginable tale that is told with such grace and hope and relevance to today. This was stunning and highly recommended to all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Antisemitism, and Murder
The Boys by Gordon Graham
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder