zluke's reviews
412 reviews

Why the Dutch are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands, by Ben Coates

funny informative slow-paced

2.5

I was interested to learn about the Netherlands as I'm learning Dutch and visiting next month. The book contains some interesting history and insight into modern Dutch attitudes.

However it was rather let down by several factors. One of the most disconcerting was the constant misogyny of the author when describing his encounters with women throughout the book. The first few chapters were the best in my opinion but also had the most misogynistic comments. The author is anti-immigration and details his racist attitudes toward Moroccan immigrants in particular. There's quite a bit of racist apologism in the book and it didn't feel that balanced.

There were also a fair few inaccuracies I noticed in the second world war chapter which left me wondering that other mistakes there were. A lot of the anecdotes and stories appear to have been sensationalised and embellished to make a light fun book without caring much for accuracy.

Content Warnings

A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-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

3.75

It's not the best written book, but I found it an enjoyable read. It's fairly slow paced, but is compelling and easy to read so I didn't find it boring. There's quite a bit of unnecessary detail and some clunky or cringe character interactions. However it's a very interesting world with a deep history so I'm excited to read the next books.

Pantomime, by Laura Lam / L.R. Lam

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

The Doors of Eden, by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

The Death House, by Sarah Pinborough

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adventurous sad slow-paced

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

3.0

It's very well written, with beautiful descriptions. Many of the characters have great depth and some difficult emotions like grief and anger are explored well.

However there wasn't enough background and context for me. I wanted to discover more detail about what being 'defective' meant, what would happen to them after they got sick.

It's good if you're looking for a romance with a mysterious/ominous vibe. However I don't think the dysopian aspect is very strong and I prefer it when mysteries are actually revealed.

Content Warnings

One Man Guy, by Michael Barakiva

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hopeful reflective medium-paced