jeffphilly's reviews
248 reviews

England's Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond by Jon Savage

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dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

A very detailed look at the rise and fall of punk in England, led by the Sex Pistols.  This book provides a look at how the Sex Pistols came to be and also their downfall.  They really did not function as a cohesive unit, but rather a group of dysfunctional individuals.  As a result they were in existence for a very short period of time.  The book also compares punk in London to punk in NYC.  In addition, because the punk movement was very closely related to the political climate in England at the time there is some discussion of that as well
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

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lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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? Yes

4.0

What a great mystery.  This book involves a diamond of great size and turns out to be a murder  mystery.  A very mysterious book that really kept my interest, mind you this book is very atypical for me as it is not my typical read.   It was selected for my book club.  I'm quite happy with the selection as I appreciated the author's writing style and the story.
Gather: Loving Your Church as You Celebrate Christ Together by Tony Merida, Tony Merida

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reflective slow-paced

3.0

Another book that is really not in my normal reading realm.  This is a book talking about the importance of attending church if you believe and the benefits that can come from attending in person.
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another by Barnabas Piper

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informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

Typically not my thing to read but I had joined a church about a year ago.  Recently, the clergy had asked this book one of a series of books realted to the church.  The focus of this book was on what it means to belong to a church and what sort of expectations come with belonging to it.
Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders

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

1.75

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

Doctor Ice Pick by Claire Prentice

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dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

5.0

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman

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hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

5.0

Eagle Against the Sun: The American War with Japan by Ronald H. Spector

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informative medium-paced

4.5

Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

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

3.5

I’m glad I finished the book and I’m intending to finish the original dune series. However, as science fiction is not my typical genre I’m really struggling to get through these books. So I’ll be taking a break from the series and reading some other genres and books in the meantime.