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easterncalculus's reviews
31 reviews
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne
dark
tense
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
4.25
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
Both a love letter to, and denouncement of, Western Esotericism and Conspiracy Theories. Although quite a slow burn, the central unraveling of “The Plan” really sinks its hooks into you! The author balances an occasional paragraph of pretentious mysticism with lots of reflective philosophising and witty chatter between the very memorable main trio, making for some really enjoyable reading that’s surprisingly self-aware at times.
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
3 main reasons why this book didn't do much for me:
- No real plot to speak of. The book consists of vignettes of the station's crew performing regular activities. It's "a day in the life" - but very little happens. Even the most dramatic and exciting moments felt like they were building to something that never came. There's some philosophical musings, descriptions of death and mourning, and hints of troubled relationships, but all of this takes a back seat to the main "story", which is to say, nothing is happening.
- Meandering stream-of-consciousness narrative. This works very well in a few places, but overall I found it annoying to read and a little juvenile at times, especially since it being ever-present means the novelty quickly wears off. I guess this is the "style" of the piece but it mostly got in the way of what would otherwise be straightforward reading and felt like unnecessary word salad.
- Constant interruptions with pointless geographical references. Again, perhaps just the "style" of this book, but every second paragraph is essentially a footnote of boring location trivia: At this moment, the following locations are visible from the space station: Country A, Country B, Country C, Country D, Country E. Occasionally the viewpoint will then change to more closely examine a plot thread in one of these locations, but more often than not this just serves as a distraction from the (admittedly little) happenings aboard the space station. Maybe I should find this more interesting? But I didn't - it was always the same.
- No real plot to speak of. The book consists of vignettes of the station's crew performing regular activities. It's "a day in the life" - but very little happens. Even the most dramatic and exciting moments felt like they were building to something that never came. There's some philosophical musings, descriptions of death and mourning, and hints of troubled relationships, but all of this takes a back seat to the main "story", which is to say, nothing is happening.
- Meandering stream-of-consciousness narrative. This works very well in a few places, but overall I found it annoying to read and a little juvenile at times, especially since it being ever-present means the novelty quickly wears off. I guess this is the "style" of the piece but it mostly got in the way of what would otherwise be straightforward reading and felt like unnecessary word salad.
- Constant interruptions with pointless geographical references. Again, perhaps just the "style" of this book, but every second paragraph is essentially a footnote of boring location trivia: At this moment, the following locations are visible from the space station: Country A, Country B, Country C, Country D, Country E. Occasionally the viewpoint will then change to more closely examine a plot thread in one of these locations, but more often than not this just serves as a distraction from the (admittedly little) happenings aboard the space station. Maybe I should find this more interesting? But I didn't - it was always the same.
With Love from the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
1.0
This was the book that made me realise the "depth" of Dan Brown novels: that the allusions and references to history/art/science/religion are just that, allusions and references. That the author doesn't actually have a clue what they're talking about.
I'd had the benefit of being ignorant of majority of the subject matter for Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code and The Last Key, but as a teenager I knew enough about computing and cybersecurity to realise that all the technobabble was just nonsense. Special points for "Rotating Cleartext", whatever that's supposed to mean.
I'd had the benefit of being ignorant of majority of the subject matter for Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code and The Last Key, but as a teenager I knew enough about computing and cybersecurity to realise that all the technobabble was just nonsense. Special points for "Rotating Cleartext", whatever that's supposed to mean.
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This novel had some excellent world-building, but I found the characters pretty disappointing. The internal narration was a bit repetitive and both of the narrators were very headstrong and stubborn - to an annoying extent. Maybe just not to my personal preference.
Provenance by Ann Leckie
adventurous
emotional
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
Stellar worldbuilding at play - a complex, breathing universe is brought to life without halting the story. Instead, the main characters' thoughts and interactions - rituals, beliefs, hopes and fears - seamlessly define the boundaries of each species' culture. The various alien factions presented in the story and their complex interactions with gender and identity make the world of the Imperial Radch feel fresh and distinct. This was my first Leckie novel, but I can't wait to dive into the rest of the books set in the shared universe!
Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0