nadia's Reviews (587)

Finally read this classic and enjoyed it! A lot more depth, especially of a philosophical nature, than I was expecting!

A solid read! It's a perfect book by any stretch, and some things are oversimplified and impractical, and I think there could be improvements in its structure and organisation, but it is a book I wish everyone read as the importance of starting regular mobility work, at any age, is often overlooked!

I really enjoyed reading this book as I am always here for drama and messy situations but there was a lil' something about it missing that prevented it being a 4-star for me. Maybe it's that the final sections didn't have as much impact as I was expecting/hoping for!

This was the most disappointing end to a series ever. All over the place, repetitive, rushed, random new storyline to take away from the main storylines building from the first book. It felt like Adeyemi started something great and had no clue how to wrap it up. Also felt like it was written for big, flashy scenes on screen, which I know this is where the series is heading, with no depth in the writing.

A delicious quick read, read in pretty much one sitting. Makes me want to go to Shanghai and eat all of the things!!

It was okay! Boring at times, and some of the characters' actions were strange, but there were a few times where it made me chuckle, and a few times where I was hooked, which wins the book points.

(Note: I only picked up this book — and will be picking up Huck Finn — because I want to read James. I know you don't have to read the Mark Twain books but I'm a completionist.)

The book isn't without its flaws but I really got into it! I loved the storytelling format and there were certainly times where, despite its overall slow pace, the book felt like a page turner! Glad to have finally read this popular classic.

In some ways this rating feels a little harsh as this was a solid, detailed biography, with a strong narrative. I'll definitely look out for more history books by Dan Jones. He writes and tells stories really well. However, while I started off intrigued, at some point I just felt I was getting a: "and then this war happened, and then this war happened, then this happened..." and I thought I'd leave with more of a tighter thesis around why Henry V's reign and him as a leader was something worth learning about beyond "it's just interesting to learn about your country's history". Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace at the time and audio wasn't the best option for this book (but it was complimentary from Libro's ALC Program). Way too many names, relationships, and family tree branches to keep track of in my head!

I went into this book with really high expectations — probably because this is the favourite King of the person who inspired me to do my big King chronological read and our book tastes are very similar — and I left really liking this book, but it wasn't the five-star read (and what would have been my first King five-star, 17 books in) I hoped it would be.

The writing was brilliant, as was the portrayal of grief, and it evoked chilling feelings at time, but I just wasn't captivated by the book as much as I hoped. It didn't have as big of an emotional impact as I thought. It felt like a big chunk in the middle lagged and I wanted the story to pick up the pace!

If you want an easy, gory listen, then this is a great option. Nothing too new or original was done here, especially where character development was concerned, but I was engaged throughout the whole audiobook, despite the clichés and silliness.

Points were docked for the unnecessary Pet Sematary spoiler 54% in, which I was coincidentally  also reading at the time and had just kinda reached the spoiled point in question.