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erinbrenner's reviews
504 reviews
Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I enjoyed reading about Desroches-Noblecourt and about the saving of the Temples, but this was an odd mix of side stories, loosely connected.
The first third of the book was about Desroches-Noblecourt's beginningso, and I expected her to be the focus of the book. But the book goes down many rabbit holes of other people involved in her adventures. She almost disappears from the book completely when it discusses moving of the Abu Simbel temples, fascinating as it was. It spends entire chapters on other players who helped make the project happen. After the Temples are moved, we get speedy chapters about related events and breezy chapters about the rest of Desroches-Noblecourt's accomplishments and life.
This book isn't fully about Desroches-Noblecourt or Abu Simbel or any one thing, and it suffers for it. It's well written and researched, but because it lacked a cohesive topic, it felt longer than it was and it was hard to lose myself in it.
The first third of the book was about Desroches-Noblecourt's beginningso, and I expected her to be the focus of the book. But the book goes down many rabbit holes of other people involved in her adventures. She almost disappears from the book completely when it discusses moving of the Abu Simbel temples, fascinating as it was. It spends entire chapters on other players who helped make the project happen. After the Temples are moved, we get speedy chapters about related events and breezy chapters about the rest of Desroches-Noblecourt's accomplishments and life.
This book isn't fully about Desroches-Noblecourt or Abu Simbel or any one thing, and it suffers for it. It's well written and researched, but because it lacked a cohesive topic, it felt longer than it was and it was hard to lose myself in it.
Ashes and Stones: A Scottish Journey in Search of Witches and Witness by Allyson Shaw
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
It's a well-written, engaging book, but I struggled with understanding whether Shaw was presenting the women's confessions as something she believed was fact. It's orienting and made it difficult to trust anything she was saying. Shaw is clearly passionate about her topic, angry with the Scottish government's memorializing of these women, and talented at writing narrative and scenery. But there's not nearly enough distance from her subject to make a clear narrative the reader can follow. It was disappointing, as I really wanted to learn more about these women.
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic by R.K. Narayan
adventurous
slow-paced
3.5
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Violence, Trafficking, War, and Deportation
There is one brief scene of attempted pedophilia. If you wish to avoid it, you will want to skip past the scene in which Archie wakes Lily up in the night of her 10th birthday .
The Tower at Stony Wood by Patricia A. McKillip
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is actually my second read of The Tower at Stony Wood, the first being in 2000, when it came out. It reminded me why I love McKillip's books so much. It was an engaging story with characters I was invested in.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0