wandering_meditations's reviews
84 reviews

Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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

2.5

 Decent book but a disappointing end to the trilogy. It would've been better as a stand-alone book.
The Blood Dimmed Tide by Stephen Aryan

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Good book overall, enjoyable, great for night time reading. 

The Kokochin storyline felt useless, what was the point of it all? We didn't really see the fruits of her labor.
Temujin randomly turning psycho felt out of the blue and 'forced'.
Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000 by Stephen Kotkin

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informative medium-paced

4.0

Great book on the fall of the USSR as well as the "reconstructing" of Russia (up to 2008). This is not a beginner friendly book, it assumes knowledge of politics and economics from the reader, nothing too advanced though. 
Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

not as good as the first book, but still a great sequel.
Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy

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dark reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a great short story. Is it one of Tolstoy's best? Absolutely not. It's nowhere near the level of "The Death of Ivan Ilych" or "The Devil" or "The Kreutzer Sonata". That said, it's still a great story with a great message.
One thing I wish Tolstoy would've expanded on was Vasili's spiritual awakening. It feels like it happened to suddenly, almost randomly.
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline

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informative medium-paced

4.0

An engaging and informative book. My only criticism was that some parts were simply unclear and to me it seems like the author contradicting himself. Ex: he'll state something as fact and then a paragraph later state the opposite. I only encountered this maybe three times so overall wasn't too bad.
The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
super boring.
$100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No by Alex Hormozi

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informative medium-paced

4.0

Great book for entrepreneurs, whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned professional. My only criticism was that this book seemed more geared towards B2C businesses rather than B2B or consulting or "professional services" types of businesses. So a lot of the examples were not relevant, but the information itself is still largely relevant for any business type.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

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3.5

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

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adventurous medium-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? No

3.5

I have to preface this with saying that I'm not a huge fan of fantasy novels, but I do enjoy reading them in bed to help me fall asleep. That said, the story of The Jasad Heir is actually quite good and engaging. I'll likely buy the second one when it comes out.