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The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien | 2010 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.9 (65 Ratings)
Book Rating
So I listened to the audio book for this because I don't actually have the physical book and my library has it online that way. This was a dramatization of the book, more like a radio play than anything, and I really enjoyed it! It was like watching a full production while I was painting!

I have obvivously seen the movies quite a few times and I feel that they tie in very well together. There were a few things I did not recognize. I think a lot was left out, at least in the prose sections, not the dialogue, so I will go back and hopefully read this when I actually have the book. It has been something I have been wanting to do for a while. I did think that the audio book would be more like a traditional one, but this was the only one the library had, so there we go.

I am going to read the other two as soon as they become available!
  
The Goldfinch
The Goldfinch
Donna Tartt | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.3 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thanks to the holiday season and all the activity that comes along with it, it took me a bit longer to finish this one than I would have liked, but now that I have I can only say that it deserves all of the accolades it's been receiving. The author's prose is always engaging and often quite poetically beautiful. The characters are memorable and endearing, even with their many, many flaws. While I didn't find Theo's life to be especially relatable, I did relate to much of what he was thinking and feeling growing up over the course of this book, and despite the somewhat extreme circumstances in it, I think many of us will be able to empathize with his thoughts and motivations. Without giving anything away, I can say that while it is ostensibly about an unintentional art heist in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, it is really about so much more. Essentially a meditation on the meanings of love, art, and even life itself; this book should not be missed. A new masterpiece.
  
The Scarlet Gospels
The Scarlet Gospels
Clive Barker | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
It has been a long time since Clive Barker published a book of the sort that made him famous, and it's nice to see him return with this one. Following 2 of his most well-known characters, investigator Harry D'Amour and Cenobite "Pinhead", in a tale in which the very fate of Hell itself will be determined, this really is a return to form for the author. It is filled with fantastic prose, well drawn-out personalities, and many memorably nightmarish set-pieces and scenarios. As per usual, Barker doesn't shy away from gore and sexuality, so the easily-offended should stay away. For fans of his previous work however, this will be a treat, even if it seems like it is missing a certain something that made some of his earlier books so special. The scenes of Hell are especially interesting, and make this come off somewhat like his answer to "Dante's Inferno"; and the ending is very satisfying and suitably epic. Not his best book, but it's nice to have him back.
  
The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle
The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton | 2018 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
7.9 (24 Ratings)
Book Rating
A mindbending mystery thriller
I'll be honest this books is completely bonkers, but bonkers in a good way. The central murder mystery time travelling plot is a tad convoluted, but it's still ridiculously enjoyable and I really struggled to put this down. It is a little difficult to keep up with at some parts and you do have to pause to collect your thoughts, however the writing style does help as it's fairly straight forward and doesn't try and overcomplicate things with over the top prose.

All of the 8 hosts are well rounded and well developed, and you care about the main character inhabiting them. The ending was truly a surprise, I hadn't been able to figure out the main murderer (plus all of the other sub plots too), and was pleasantly surprised with the explanation behind why the main character was in Blackheath in the first place.

This is a great entertaining read and one I'd love to see made into a 8-10 part tv series.
  
Virgil Wander
Virgil Wander
Leif Enger | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Like a warm quilt on a cold day, in "Virgil Wander," Leif Enger wraps up his reader in evocative language that makes them want to pull the book closer and hold tight for this imaginative tale.

Narrated by the well-liked eponymous film projectionist who finds himself still getting his bearings and memory back after his car soars into Lake Superior during a snowfall, as Virgil navigates his small town with new perspective, we get acquainted with the equally affable, unique characters who inhabit the “cursed” town of Greenstone, Minnesota.

A seemingly straightforward journey made all the more enchanting by the author's magnetic prose, “Virgil Wander” is stunning not only in its simplicity but by how masterfully Enger builds a strong foundation of characters you can relate to before seasoning his story with elements of Norwegian myth and fisherman's tall tales, which in his hands become Minnesota magic.

A highly recommended chronicle of small town life with much more on its mind, this gorgeously penned sleeper is one of my favorite novels of 2018.