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lizshayne's reviews
2217 reviews
The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
Le Guin is an extraordinary writer and what she does here is a story about morality that can only be told through narrative. It's not a story with a moral, but it is a story that tries to grab a hold of moral questions that are to slippery to ask and narrates them instead. It's good and painful and sad and is just the beginning of the questions human beings need to ask themselves. But they are not questions that can be asked, only stories that can be told.
The Bell in the Fog by Lev AC Rosen
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book took everything I liked about the last book, turned up the dial, and jettisoned basically everything that frustrated me from the first one. It was excellently done and I really appreciated the complexity of the story.
The focus is less on the mystery than on the story; the plot is an excuse to live in the world and I thought it was really well done.
The focus is less on the mystery than on the story; the plot is an excuse to live in the world and I thought it was really well done.
Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition by Paulo Freire
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This is an iconic work in the history of pedagogy and therefore I will rate it as...fine.
Mainly I felt that the writers who cite Freire are much more interesting and complex and have much better things to say than he does.
It helps that they tend to speak from their lives where as he is about as abstract as it is possible for language to be.
Show me how it works. Tell me stories, damnit.
Mainly I felt that the writers who cite Freire are much more interesting and complex and have much better things to say than he does.
It helps that they tend to speak from their lives where as he is about as abstract as it is possible for language to be.
Show me how it works. Tell me stories, damnit.
The Siege of Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I'd say this is a hard book to read during war time, although it's not as though there have been extended periods of peace during my adult years. Just wars that touched me more closely and wars that happened...there.
Alefret is an extraordinary character and the fact that he is not unbelievable just adds to the experience of appreciating him and his commitments and the story of violence and non-violence Mohamed is telling.
It's just thoughtful and complex and everything about it feels deeply true. And I so appreciated her portrayal of disability and othering in this story, especially in how it shapes the people who live it.
But I kept trying to use this story to think about Gaza. Not as 1:1 mapping, but as a larger conversation about safety and desperation and what it means to win and the things that cultures commit to and cannot let go of. And yet I think the ending was unsatisfying and I worry that's because I can't imagine a real ending to these wars that never end.
Alefret is an extraordinary character and the fact that he is not unbelievable just adds to the experience of appreciating him and his commitments and the story of violence and non-violence Mohamed is telling.
It's just thoughtful and complex and everything about it feels deeply true. And I so appreciated her portrayal of disability and othering in this story, especially in how it shapes the people who live it.
Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book One by Ginn Hale
challenging
dark
sad
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
3.5
Obviously I need to know what happens next. And it's always fun switching up perspectives in the land of romance novels.
I feel like I somehow don't have a lot to say about this book. Hale continues to be very good at pulling no punches and the story is interesting and definitely does a better job ending the arc than the previous book one. But mostly it's just entertaining fantasy that could probably stand to be a bit tighter.
I feel like I somehow don't have a lot to say about this book. Hale continues to be very good at pulling no punches and the story is interesting and definitely does a better job ending the arc than the previous book one. But mostly it's just entertaining fantasy that could probably stand to be a bit tighter.
Penric and the Bandit by Lois McMaster Bujold
adventurous
funny
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
Any opportunity for a new Penric is fun, even if it is very obvious that Bujold is continuing her "what is the worst thing that I can do to this character" approach to stories.
Also "how bad of a situation can I put the sorcerer who can't kill into and still get him out?"
Could you imagine if Aish had Penric's skill with kiruv, though?
Also "how bad of a situation can I put the sorcerer who can't kill into and still get him out?"
Could you imagine if Aish had Penric's skill with kiruv, though?
A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This series really does remain one of my "Holmes is extremely neurodivergent, duh" stories and I continue to enjoy it even if I keep wondering if the story will ever actually go anywhere.
In fairness, this is ALSO the problem with the original Sherlock Holmes stories so, you know, true to form.
And also true to Holmesian form, the goal of this book is not to figure it out yourself. It's to be entertained while Charlotte tells you how the somewhat unrealistic deductions work. That is the joy of a Conan Doyle story and it works perfectly here as well.
In fairness, this is ALSO the problem with the original Sherlock Holmes stories so, you know, true to form.
And also true to Holmesian form, the goal of this book is not to figure it out yourself. It's to be entertained while Charlotte tells you how the somewhat unrealistic deductions work. That is the joy of a Conan Doyle story and it works perfectly here as well.
The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw, Richard Kadrey
I really wanted this book to end and tie up the story and it did not and I am not sure if that is because a sequel is imminent or if that is because that is what the story demanded or just that I am easily annoyed.
I suspect I have expectations about horror novels and this book broke those expectations, specifically about what constitutes the end of the story.
But I really liked so much of it, especially the portrayal of Wall Street and also just all the weird stuff going on with the different kinds of people.
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I suspect I have expectations about horror novels and this book broke those expectations, specifically about what constitutes the end of the story.
But I really liked so much of it, especially the portrayal of Wall Street and also just all the weird stuff going on with the different kinds of people.
Lord of the White Hell, Book 2 by Ginn Hale
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.0
Still enjoying this series, still fascinated by the very early 2010s aesthetic in fantasy religion, which I think would be handled differently if written these days.
Did not actually like the audiobook version, but it was what the library had and I am impatient and can handle just about any narrator at 2x speed. But yeah, I prefer these books in written form.
Did really enjoy it though and, while it never surprised me in terms of plot, I was entertained along the ride the entire time.
Did not actually like the audiobook version, but it was what the library had and I am impatient and can handle just about any narrator at 2x speed. But yeah, I prefer these books in written form.
Did really enjoy it though and, while it never surprised me in terms of plot, I was entertained along the ride the entire time.
Lord of the White Hell, Book One by Ginn Hale
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
I have been sleeping on Ginn Hale for reasons I still don't know. Also I should probably just cave and create a romantasy tag.
My main complaint about this book is that it does not end, it stops and then just picks right up in book two and, like, why even bother? (Probably print binding, but I digress.)
There's something very fun about reading a book written 14 years ago and noticing how the genre has changed - both the romance and the fantasy side - and which arcs are just absolutely essential.
My main complaint about this book is that it does not end, it stops and then just picks right up in book two and, like, why even bother? (Probably print binding, but I digress.)
There's something very fun about reading a book written 14 years ago and noticing how the genre has changed - both the romance and the fantasy side - and which arcs are just absolutely essential.