sphynxreads's reviews
771 reviews

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-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? Yes

2.0

I can see why once upon a time, this was a hit. There were certainly a number of parts that made me feel things and there's the irresistible charm of a dog story, but overall this seemed to me more emotionally manipulative than anything. It doesn't offer much in the way of introspection about what it means to be human (or what it means to be a dog) that I found myself largely underwhelmed. I haven't read the source material yet, but I think I liked the approach and the heartfelt story in A Dog's Purpose more, at least from what I've seen in the film adaptation.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

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adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Breathtaking, highly engaging, and surprisingly thought-provoking! I didn't expect to love this as much as I did but what a ride reading this was. It's terrifying in all the right parts, owing to Crichton's excellent descriptions and worldbuilding. I also really enjoyed his social commentary, particularly on the scientific community. I may have to revisit the film adaptation which I haven't seen in ages, but even if you've already seen it, this book is definitely not one to miss!
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

To be honest, I struggled a lot with this book. Perhaps it was because it was higher concept than I anticipated or maybe it was the unique writing style. But in the end I liked it quite a bit more than I anticipated. The parts that were really interesting to me were very compelling, and man, what an ending this story had! It was written so well that despite not fully grasping everything that was going on I found myself quite moved. I think the main thing I disliked about this book was the structure of switching POVs every chapter. That made me have a hard time following storylines and characters and I had to refer to the Wikipedia summary to make sure I understood the events more linearly. I'm definitely interested in continuing the trilogy but with how much I struggled with this it's probably not going to be a priority.
Lion by Saroo Brierley

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

I've been wanting to watch the film adaptation for ages, but I am glad to have picked up this book first. This story is nothing short of inspiring to the point that some of the details feel impossible and made me doubt the author's recollection of some things especially given his age when these events took place. But that doubt didn't overshadow just how moved I was by this story that I actually shed tears. Really my own qualm with this book is the juvenile writing that feels more conversational than narrative.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

You know what, I get it. There's a lot to love and respect about this book. I just don't quite understand the hype it's been getting. I could go on and on in echoing the praises this has received: all the characters are so well developed in such a short period of time, there is a palpable humanity to the story and the themes it explores, every detail feels incredibly intentional, the writing is immersive and beautiful, et cetera. And yet, I am left wondering if I missed anything that would have guaranteed an emotional oomph to my reading experience. I am left thinking, "so was there a point to all this?" but perhaps that is the very point this book tries to make: there is hardly a point or purpose to life, it is just there to be experienced with all of its beauty and ugliness. And that there is much to marvel about how we are all interconnected through ties of blood, friendship, and love even with all of their failings. (I'm just rambling at this point.) I guess it's a good thing I'll be moderating a book club discussion for this; I think it's a book well worth discussing.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Soaring, touching, and triumphant. Even as someone who is rarely invested in sports, I do love a good story about athletes who defy all odds and persevere through their troubles on and off the playing field, or perhaps in this case the rowing waters. Don't let the title deceive you—while the story definitely touches on all nine players as well as their coaches, it's mostly about Joe Rantz, but that's not necessarily to the detriment of this book. Rantz' story is a compelling and inspiring one and one that I believe captures the heart of the story very well. Huge props to the author for the excellent storytelling and beautiful writing. I can think of no better way this story could have been recounted. Definite a newfound favorite nonfiction book!
Thirsty: A Filipino Boys Love Anthology by Paolo Herras

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I liked this anthology a lot more than I expected! There's a little something for everyone, whether you're in the mood for something cute, reflective, hilarious, or sexy. Definitely checking out the other Komiket anthologies.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

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

3.0

I'd say I'm quite open to multimedia/multiformat books, but I did not anticipate just how much brain power this one would require. And on top of that it required a certain level of participation from the reader that I simply had neither sufficient energy for nor interest in. I get why a lot of people feel this book is pretentious, and if I let myself get carried away by how frustrated I was with the reading experience, I would be inclined to say the same. It's quite self-indulgent, and I don't necessarily mean that negatively. It just begs to be taken seriously and wants you to engage with the puzzle of the format, the symbolisms, and the themes it explores, and that puzzle is endlessly complex that you are left wondering whether certain choices were truthfully intentional or if the author is basically trolling his readers by putting them in this social experiment. While I did want to truly understand what was going on at the beginning, it became increasingly tedious and meandering that I found myself just wanting it to be over. I would have said I dislike this book if it weren't for how wonderfully it wrapped up and my particular interest in a certain portion of the appendices.

If you are hesitant about reading this book, I'd say give it a whirl, and if the puzzle gets too annoying or confusing for your taste, just focus on The Navidson Record. I promise that that at least is worth sticking it out to the end for.
XOXO by Axie Oh

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is such a solid young adult romance! I love how it really leaned into its K-drama-like characteristics and absolutely refused to be unnecessarily dramatic. Whenever the tension would heighten a little bit, the story would kind of reel it back in as if allowing you to just relax and see how things would pan out. The entire cast of characters are all so endearing and their relationships are just so wholesome in the best way possible. The atmosphere also has a comforting feel to it that you can't help but feel a sense of reassurance that things will turn out fine and that everything will lead to a happy ending. This may seem like an odd suggestion, but I'd honestly recommend this to people like me who experience anxiety because Axie Oh's writing has this calming quality to it that is almost reminiscent of childhood classics like Winnie the Pooh and The Little Prince.
A Thunder of Monsters by S.A. Patrick

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adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

It's probably not the book, it's me. I was really invested in the story until about halfway through and then it got tiresome. I feel like this trilogy's story became a lot more complicated than it needed to be. It could have been a nice solid standalone and I would have loved it more. Like the previous installment, I did like how the story wrapped up, but I feel like I'm just relieved this series is over more than anything.