The Commons

Reviews

Reviews from across the whole catalogue, written as the back cover closes. A score out of ten and a summary that earns it.

Showing 1 to 24 of 613 reviews

Sort

The Big Sleep reviewed by @books_and_bins
9 out of 10
Every line's a wee gem! Plot makes nae sense, the chauffeur's never explained, and I couldn't care less.
The Big Sleep@books_and_bins27 Aug 2026
Cheer Up Love reviewed by @plainjaneausten
8 out of 10
the dogs. the DOGS.
Cheer Up Love@plainjaneausten27 Aug 2026
4 readers agree with this review
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy reviewed by @theodore_p
9 out of 10
Smiley reconstructing an old file in a rented room beats any car chase ever filmed. The real subject is institutional decline and the spying is only how it gets delivered. Fifty pages of tradecraft vocabulary, and then you simply have it.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy@theodore_p27 Aug 2026
The Way of Shadows reviewed by @grimdarkgareth
9 out of 10
Nine. Durzo Blint is one of the great grim old bastards — the wetboy stuff is properly nasty!
The Way of Shadows@grimdarkgareth26 Aug 2026
Nineteen Eighty-four reviewed by @an_ordinary_tuesday
6 out of 10
A Warning carved in cold stone.
Nineteen Eighty-four@an_ordinary_tuesday26 Aug 2026
5 readers agree with this review
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions reviewed by @annotatedannie
8 out of 10
A tally, then one sentence.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions@annotatedannie26 Aug 2026
1 reader agrees with this review
Circe reviewed by @three_chapters_in
9 out of 10
only about a third in but oh, this is doing something to me. the pigs. I keep putting it down to think and then picking it straight back up again, which is really not how I usually am
Circe@three_chapters_in26 Aug 2026
Becoming reviewed by @bookclubdropout
6 out of 10
Half of us listened rather than read it and Yvonne kept saying "but her voice though", which isn't a point about the book. Chicago chapters lovely. White House chapters read like a press release, and I do like her.
Becoming@bookclubdropout26 Aug 2026
Oathbringer reviewed by @thebigsleepy
6 out of 10
I lost the thread around Christmas and never really got it back. Kept turning back to work out who was where. Fond of it, but this one beat me and it has gone on the shelf half done.
Oathbringer@thebigsleepy26 Aug 2026
Atomic Habits reviewed by @mx_marginalia
2 out of 10
Two stars, and I'll defend them.
Atomic Habits@mx_marginalia26 Aug 2026
H Is for Hawk reviewed by @an_ordinary_tuesday
9 out of 10
A hawk and a dead father.
H Is for Hawk@an_ordinary_tuesday26 Aug 2026
Siddhartha reviewed by @an_ordinary_tuesday
8 out of 10
The river is the best character in it and I mean that as the highest praise.
Siddhartha@an_ordinary_tuesday26 Aug 2026
2 readers agree with this review
Stoner reviewed by @mx_marginalia
7 out of 10
Slower than its own legend.
Stoner@mx_marginalia25 Aug 2026
Speak, Memory reviewed by @annotatedannie
9 out of 10
Assembled from parts, and you can see the seams. I mean that as praise.
Speak, Memory@annotatedannie25 Aug 2026
The Poisonwood Bible reviewed by @bookclubdropout
7 out of 10
Four daughters, one appalling father, six women arguing about which daughter had the worst of it.
The Poisonwood Bible@bookclubdropout24 Aug 2026
1 reader agrees with this review
The Secret History reviewed by @mx_marginalia
6 out of 10
Great novel, and it stops halfway.
The Secret History@mx_marginalia24 Aug 2026
Siddhartha reviewed by @margaretreads
8 out of 10
A slim one, and I never have known where to shelve it
Siddhartha@margaretreads24 Aug 2026
A Game of Thrones reviewed by @hollowknightfan99
9 out of 10
reread it after the show ruined my life and it is better than I remembered, mostly
A Game of Thrones@hollowknightfan9924 Aug 2026
Watchmen reviewed by @mx_marginalia
8 out of 10
Neil was right, I was a snob, and it took me ten years to admit it.
Watchmen@mx_marginalia23 Aug 2026
Thinking, Fast and Slow reviewed by @rereader
7 out of 10
Second go, first since 2015. Half of it has fallen over in replication since — I kept checking chapters against my phone as I read, which is a strange way to spend an evening. The material on how badly we remember pain has held.
Thinking, Fast and Slow@rereader23 Aug 2026
The Way of Kings reviewed by @grimdarkgareth
4 out of 10
Four. FOUR. Nobody in it does a single unforgivable thing.
The Way of Kings@grimdarkgareth22 Aug 2026
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat reviewed by @pageandvine
9 out of 10
I cooked from it first
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat@pageandvine22 Aug 2026
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo reviewed by @bookclubdropout
8 out of 10
Picked as a joke by the tall one and then read by all of us inside a weekend. Gail rang me at eleven at night about the husband thing!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo@bookclubdropout22 Aug 2026
Quiet reviewed by @bookclubdropout
7 out of 10
Ironically, our loudest meeting yet.
Quiet@bookclubdropout22 Aug 2026

Every review starts with a finished book. The stacks hold your next one.

Browse the stacks

Member reviews

The Big Sleep reviewed by @books_and_bins

Cheer Up Love reviewed by @plainjaneausten

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy reviewed by @theodore_p

The Way of Shadows reviewed by @grimdarkgareth

Nineteen Eighty-four reviewed by @an_ordinary_tuesday

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions reviewed by @annotatedannie

Circe reviewed by @three_chapters_in

Becoming reviewed by @bookclubdropout

Oathbringer reviewed by @thebigsleepy

Atomic Habits reviewed by @mx_marginalia

H Is for Hawk reviewed by @an_ordinary_tuesday

Siddhartha reviewed by @an_ordinary_tuesday

Stoner reviewed by @mx_marginalia

Speak, Memory reviewed by @annotatedannie

The Poisonwood Bible reviewed by @bookclubdropout

The Secret History reviewed by @mx_marginalia

Siddhartha reviewed by @margaretreads

A Game of Thrones reviewed by @hollowknightfan99

Watchmen reviewed by @mx_marginalia

Thinking, Fast and Slow reviewed by @rereader

The Way of Kings reviewed by @grimdarkgareth

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat reviewed by @pageandvine

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo reviewed by @bookclubdropout

Quiet reviewed by @bookclubdropout