theguildwriter's reviews
255 reviews

Mort by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny reflective medium-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

4.5

Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, Archmaester Gyldayn

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Great for anyone interested in the world of Game of Thrones and the history and politics that drive its story. That being said, this is not written as a novel; it is essentially a history book covering 136 years of Targaryen rule and is narrated as such. It is dense, there are many characters that rotate in and out of focus, and nothing you read is plain truth. All events are recorded by different maesters through their own observations or from eyewitness accounts. There are many incidents you are given several different versions of, leaving you as the reader to make heads or tails of it. Also, since this is being written by one of the maesters, you have to keep in mind that the events he narrates directly are biased as well. Was Maegor truly all bad and Jaeherys all good? Can you read between the lines of how actions are interpreted for you?

It is very fun for anyone who loves to dive into the grimy side of history, and it’s even more fun because there are dragons. But it is very dense and will not tie up neatly as a novel would. 

Night Angel Nemesis by Brent Weeks

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

I wasn't sure what to expect after finishing the Night Angel Trilogy, but I went into this book just eager for another story following Kylar Stern (and, let's be honest, Viridiana Sovari). What I got was a significant upping of Brent Weeks's game. The dark fantasy I love mixed with hints of heist action and a more in-depth look at the world and magic of Night Angel. This book brings so much of what I loved from the original trilogy and pushes beloved characters to their limits: to their worst and their best. If anyone who even remotely enjoyed the Night Angel trilogy is considering this book, even after the gap between the end of the trilogy and the release of this book, I tell you now that it is more than worth it. Brent Weeks is only getting started.

What My Mother and I Don't Talk about: Fifteen Writers Break the Silence by Michele Filgate

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

4.0

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich

informative lighthearted fast-paced

3.5

A great book on history for anyone looking to skim for some facts you might not have known before. Personally, I felt it was a little fluff-filled for a history book, as I had been in the mood for something a little denser, a little more serious. But, in terms of a book looking to make history accessible, interesting, and fun for those who might not be particularly interested in the subject, it does a great job of making the journey less daunting. E.H. Gombrich was clearly passionate about his field and loved sharing his love of history with others. 

To sum up: for history buffs? May be a little boring. For those looking to get into history? Great place to start. 

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by Stuart Margulies, Bobby Fischer, Don Mosenfelder

informative fast-paced

4.0

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

adventurous reflective medium-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

3.75

A classic of science fiction with interesting commentary on society and politics (and what we ought to change), but definitely a lot of work for so short of a story. It's on the dryer side when it comes to sci-fi, and after the initial intrigue I found it difficult to keep my focus. The overall ending feels slightly anti-climactic,

(though I did love the Time Traveller never returning as it added a lot of intrigue)

but I still enjoyed myself for the most part. 

Just don't expect something thrilling going in. 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.5

The Secret History has all the charming, cozy feel of A Separate Peace while whisking you away on a much darker journey. I loved that Tartt trimmed the fat where she felt necessary between scenes, giving us scene breaks rather than feeling the need to walk us back silently to countless parking lots and rooms. I loved the progression of this story from the desire to be noticed, included, and admired into the fear of what it would take to maintain those very things. We watch Richard transform from someone who feels trapped in a place he doesn't belong to someone straining to be the mysterious intellectual he believes Julian can make him into and, finally, into what he's been this entire story: a bystander, by his own admission. More than that, if we're honest, he was an enabler. A necessary cog in the machine that turned out to be

Henry's chain of desires and plots

as he, too, strained for the same acknowledgement and acceptance that Richard did -- only he wanted that solely from Julian

(and perhaps Camilla as well)

. Getting swept away by Richard's recollection of the past (occasionally tempered by his older self reflecting) is part of the magic of this book. He paints Bunny in a particular light up until his death, and then he allows you to see the other sides that he had obscured before then.

He allows Bunny to be the full person he truly was: grey, complicated, and overwhelmingly human. And, by the end, he does the very same with Henry. He builds up hate for him and the things he has done to the group as a whole, but by the time of his death, he remembers the love he had for him, remembers his gentle and quiet ways instead of painting them as awkward and cold.

Each character is slowly revealed as fuller than Richard originally let on, and there's a beauty in seeing all of them turn from something marble and perfect into flesh and flaws. That is the most compelling and resonating part of this book, and for that alone it is well worth the read. 

The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick

emotional lighthearted reflective 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

3.25

A fun, light book about the books we love and how they shape our lives. The characters are fairly likable, and the plot, though predictable, is exactly what you expect when picking up this book, and that really isn't a bad thing. It was the perfect relax-on-a-plane book.