fetterov's reviews
160 reviews

informative medium-paced

4.5

Picked this up because Mike Duncan cited it in his bibliography for his French Revolution series. I was skeptical about reading a nearly 90-year-old biography, but was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. Cooper paints a great picture of a complex and highly interesting man. It would help to be familiar with the French Revolution and Napoleonic era before reading this.

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

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emotional funny medium-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? Yes

2.75

I read this for book club. It isn't my usual type of read and it didn't really change my mind on this kind of fiction. It wasn't poorly written or anything, but the story really just wasn't for me. I appreciate/agree with the author's views on things like sex work, gender double standards, etc., but they were presented in a way that was too on-the-nose for me. The plot points were a bit predictable too at times. I didn't look forward to going back to it at all and basically just finished it because it was short and so I could talk about it at book club. Not a total waste of time, nothing against it, etc., just not my genre!

Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World by Mary Beard

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

Mary Beard is so much fun to read. She has an engaging, down-to-earth writing style that belies her standing as one of the foremost classicists working today. She is able to translate her vast knowledge of ancient Rome into text that's downright fun to read. This book gives a great overview of the life and times of two and a half centuries of Roman emperors. It's organized well, touches on details of several emperors' reigns, and reads fairly briskly for a history book. She does a great job analyzing the old sources and interpreting what they said, even if it wasn't factual per se. I loved all of the inset images that supported the text, too. To me, this is a must-read for anyone looking for a high-level overview of what it was like to be the Emperor of Rome.

I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

I’m torn on this book. On the one hand, it’s a fun page-turner framed around a cross-country road trip by two misfits and a MacGuffin. On the other hand, the author got so heavy-handed with commentary on modern technology and human interactions. My man, we get it: Phones Bad. I agree with you! But it was like being hit in the face with a sledgehammer at points and took away from the story. But damn, this guy can spin a good tale. Outside of preaching the author’s disdain for the internet, the characters were fun too.

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber, David Wengrow

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challenging informative slow-paced

4.0

Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced