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kamrynharned's reviews
194 reviews
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was a little disappointed when I realized this was just a short story because I have been so excited to read another something by Susanna Clarke. I’m so glad I picked this up in the midwinter - it made up for the lack of snow outside with it’s atmospheric wintry setting, and brought the magic that already exists in the wood alive. I immediately ordered a copy so I could fully appreciate the illustrations and the quotes. I loved the mysticism and also the light-hearted fantasy. Only wish it was longer!
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
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
4.0
I feel like I am going to need weeks more to fully process the journey that this book was. As far as the plot and the characters, I don’t think it’s a book that would have been meaningful to me if I weren’t a believer. I’m sure it was my most highlighted book of the year, and there is no way I will be able to pull out a favorite quote - the beauty, truth, tenderness and vulnerability of the spiritual journey of Kristin is rivaled in my mind only by Cry, the Beloved Country. The setting was absolutely stunning and immersive, the characters were vibrant and real (even though none of them besides Arne, Simon and Lavrans were remotely likeable), and while the middle of the book lost me in a lot of the politics and I’m quite sure I didn’t follow half of the characters, I know the experience of reading this book is one I will value forever. I wish it had more consistent pacing and more redemptive moments, but overall it was beautifully crafted and full of truth about the kind of father God is to us all. The ending was stunning and felt meaningful, even though there are many characters who were never followed up with.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? No
5.0
I love this slightly sinister, magical, and hilarious little book. There’s something about the story that captures the heart of children, but the writing, characters, description, pacing and plot appeal so well to adults as well. My only re-read of the year and it did feel like the perfect one to wrap up 2024!
The Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Rylant
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
4.0
This was a darling little book about a magic cafe where wonderful and frankly strange things happen - I discovered Cynthia Rylant’s bible picture books at the library and loved their simplicity and poignancy. This short middle-grade novel was full of wonder and meaning, while also being simple and poignant. I’ll be purchasing this for Annie to read one day! It was charming, had two well developed characters and an entertaining story, all within 53 pages.
The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book filled two requirements - it was dark academia, and it was available to borrow immediately on Libby. Other than that, it did absolutely nothing for me besides confuse me. I found the book completely dull until it introduced the POV of the journalist. When she was introduced, I was at least interested in the mystery. The Temple House setting was a missed out on opportunity - it was as if the author couldn’t figure out if the setting should be sinister or not. I felt like she wanted me to feel like the setting was sinister, but I was given no reason to feel that way other than it was set by the sea and there were nuns and lots of legalism. For a character-driven book, I didn’t find any of them layered or interesting. I just don’t like love-struck obsession angle at all, so the end of the book was unsatisfying. Writing wasn’t terrible, but overall left me feeling upset.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such an unexpected delight. I listened to this on audiobook, and while the formatting of the book was really suited to audio format, I (someone who is usually not picky about narrators) really did not enjoy a few of the voice actors. They sounded like they were reading straight from a script, and sadly that did pull me out of the moment. Despite this, I think this book was a solid 4 stars. I was shocked to see that this is considered a YA book rated for 12 years old and up - there are several mentions of and references to SA. Definitely not kid-friendly material. I really appreciated the frank and non-preachy dialogue on the treatment of black people in the judicial system, and also thought the development of Steve was very well done. The screenplay formatting really helped it stand out - I always enjoy books that try something different. Creativity gets so many points in my book!
When Healthcare Hurts: An Evidence Based Guide for Best Practices in Global Health Initiatives by Greg Seager
slow-paced
3.0
As a RN interested in global health, I was very excited to read this book. I read “when helping hurts” last year & found it to be a great resource, digestible and applicable. This book was much more dry and formulaic- it read more as an essay than a book. It was intensely research heavy, making it a great resource for anyone actively planning a short term medical missions trip, but contained much more information than needed for someone simply interested in the potential dangers and downfalls of short term trips. The first two chapters and the last chapter is all someone in the latter position truly needs to read. The compilation of resources was impressive and could be a very valuable resource to a planning committee. Overall I agreed with all of their emphasis on patient safety and their evidence-based methods on how to prevent adverse outcomes. Also really appreciated that it pointed out how paternalistic in nature these programs can be, and the need to avoid letting these trips become more about the volunteers than what the community actually needs.
Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid
adventurous
dark
sad
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? Yes
2.5
I read Macbeth this year, and one thing I’ve noticed about Shakespeare’s plays is that I forget the plot almost instantly. I’m not sure why - I don’t have a great memory for books in general, but this is especially bad, even for me. Regardless, I was interested in this re-telling. The introduction introduced it as the historically accurate account of what happened, and who Lady Macbeth really was. That portion was at least interesting, but the love story between Macbeth and Gruoch was ridiculously quick, I didn’t appreciate the jumping timeline (on audiobook there it was not differentiated when the jumps happened and what timeline we were in) and I found myself losing track of what was happening quite often. The setting of medieval Scotland wasn’t as atmospheric as I thought it would be, especially considering McDermid is a Scottish author. There were a few distasteful bedroom scenes and while the writing wasn’t awful, a novella wasn’t the right format for this story.
A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was the first book in a long time that I deemed worthy of staying up (way too late) to finish. I admit - it’s by far the least interesting Agatha Christie novel I’ve read, but it satisfied the Christmas book craving, and while I guessed a few elements, I wasn’t able to guess the final twist. The setting of the story was pretty bland - there wasn’t much interesting about the house. The characters were obviously well-developed but also uninteresting and neither likable or unlikeable.
The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté
medium-paced
3.0
A collection of spoken word and haiku poems that had depth and simplistic beauty. I appreciated the linear progression of the poems - I’ve always loved coming-of-age stories. The author herself states that the collection is written for black women and girls, so I think inherently it wasn’t written to be incredibly meaningful to me. I would have loved more of a peek into the Bronx culture, and more of a conclusion on her life after college. Preachy at times, but did have some beautiful, simplistic lines that packed a good punch.