may flowers

This is crazy. I read so many books and only two of them were for my book club. And it was overall a really, really good selection too! About 8 of the 11 (!!) books I read were four and five stars! Incredible!

May Book Reviews

Call Them By Their True Names (Rebecca Solnit)

7.5/10 The second collection of essays by this author that I've read. I liked that it covered a pretty broad range of subjects. The foreword was really good and I was slightly disappointed that the subsequent essays didn't have as much to do with the title idea that names have the power to change how something is viewed drastically. Another low point for this were the essays about Donald Trump. Her writing style changes a lot when on the subject of Trump and I don't really like it. Maybe because it sounds more emotional and personal but I think I much prefer her style in other essays. My favorite essays were the case studies, I feel like it was a lot easier to get into than some of the more scholarly (?) pieces. In particular I really liked 'Death by Gentrification'. I liked the points she made about events having ripple effects as well as the importance of audience. 'Preaching to the Choir' was especially great because as I was reading I was thinking that she makes some great points but only people who already agree with her would read this - then I read 'Preaching to the Choir' which was such a timely response. Overall a very relevant and well-written collection.

The Lost City of Z (David Grann)

6.5/10 "On the margins were sea monsters and dragons. For ages, cartographers had no means of knowing what existed on most of the earth. And more often than not these gaps were filled in with fantastical kingdoms and beasts, as if the make-believe, no matter how terrifying, were less frightening than the truly unknown." I couldn't help but compare this to "Lost City of the Monkey God" because well...just look at the titles. Plus they're both about a modern journalist chasing an old mystery in the Amazon. I have to say though, I did like this one more. This book interwove both the modern journalist's PoV as well as that of a Victoriahn-era explorer, which made it for a more interesting read. Still, there were some parts that I thought were really slow going and superfluous. It didn't have many tangents as the Preston book though which I appreciated. I also enjoyed at the focus given to the indigenous groups living in the Amazon. An interesting look at exploration in the early 1900s, with a well-written portrayal of one of its most prominent figures.

How Long 'till Black Future Month? (N. K. Jemisin)

9/10 Despite the less than stylistic title, I loved this collection of short stories. It's in fact one of the few short story collections where, even though there still were a couple that were just alright for me, I really enjoyed the good majority of the stories. I previously read the Fifth Season by the same author and while I liked it, it wasn't a full 5/5. In these short stories though, every part that I did enjoy about that book and her writing were on full display. The characters, which I didn't feel as attached to in the Fifth Season, were just interesting and fleshed out enough to have an impact in a shorter story. But in particular, the author's worldbuilding, which I loved in the Fifth Season, is even more enhanced by the format. The way she doesn't waste time explaining her world but instead builds it up naturally as you go along is one of the best I've ever seen. While the limited length forces it to be more simpler, it's much easier to grasp and it's a testament to her skill that there's an intriguing setting and concept in all of the stories. Even if a story slightly fell short in one or two aspects, the incredible way she treats world building in each and every one of them is amazing. The many LGBT+ and PoC perspectives are really just the cherry on top. My favorites are: "The City Born Great", "Red Dirt Witch", "The Effluent Engine", "The Narcomancer", "Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows" and "Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters".

The Prince and the Dressmaker (Jen Wang)

8/10 Not much to say about this one honestly, it's just a great graphic novel for young readers. The art style is fluid and easy to follow. The colors are lovely, the characters are realistic. The theme of gender fluidity and coming of age are well represented without being too heavy or complicated. The only complaint would be that I really wish it was longer, if only just so we could get to see more of the author's beautiful dress designs!

Time Travel (James Gleick)

6.5/10 It was really, really hard to give this one a score. The premise seemed interesting enough - a history of time travel as it exists in physics, philosophy and storytelling. What I didn't expect was for the first two categories to outshine the latter. Maybe it was because those parts were so much harder to get through, but it just felt like there was A LOT of physics and math and philosophy. Like, so much philosophy. And they were fairly academic, to the point where I'm sure only someone with a basic foundation in those would actually enjoy reading through those chapters. I am definitely not one of them. I'm an arts kid. Do not make me look at equations. In contrast I felt the most interesting parts, the parts about pop culture specifically, were too brief. There were some works that were given some more attention but most of them leaned towards the historical rather than the present mainstream. The part I was most looking forward to, the Doctor Who references, was little more than one sentence references and a short recap of one episode with little discussion actually about it. But despite my struggle to get through what felt like 2/3rds of the book, I do feel like it has a lot of merit, especially for those who are more academically inclined. It had a lot of great concepts, like the fact that time travel wasn't even a concept until relatively recently because it was only through industrialization that our societies progressed fast enough to see massive changes within a single generation. It has a lot of great quotes, a lot of good things to think about so I think objectively, it's a good book. But, probably not the best one for me.

Truly Devious (Maureen Johnson)

8/10 A pretty solid YA mystery! It did take me a while to actually get invested in the protagonist and her side of the story, but once I did I really enjoyed it. The book is written in two timelines, one mystery from the 1930s and the second in modern day. The protagonist is kind of the typical YA novel lead, she's "quirky" in that she has "strange" interests in true crime and is obsessed with murder mysteries and wants to be Sherlock Holmes. Like alright, literally no one thinks that's weird but in true YA fashion her parents just want a sporty prom princess and she feels isolated until she gets to her new school full of genius weirdos just like her! So yeah for the good first half of the story I was more interested in the 1930s mystery than whatever was going on with her daily school drama. But once the mystery of the present day actually happened, I was a lot more into it. By the end of it, I was even entertained by her love interest side plot! So yeah, it had a rough start but hooked me in the end. The worst part was that it ended on a cliffhanger which solved pretty much neither mystery so...

The Vanishing Stair (Maureen Johnson)

8/10 ...I pretty much immediately picked up the sequel. You can't just end a mystery without revealing anything! Thanks to the first book eventually successfully getting me in, I was really eager to find some resolutions in this one. And at least there was one...for the 1930s mystery. But unfortunately it ended on ANOTHER cliffhanger and it looks like we won't know all the answers until the final book comes out in 2020. While cliffhangers are good for maintaining interest, it made me give up on any type of thinking I was doing in the first book in trying to figure out the mystery. It's too much of a pain to try and track a solution through three books, one of which isn't even out. Still, the mystery kept me interested throughout this one and there's still a bit of will they or won't they for the love interest that I didn't mind. For both books, the LGBT+ and anxiety representation are also part of the perk. I'll definitely be reading the final book once it comes out.

American Kingpin (Nick Bilton)

6/10 A true crime book about 'Dread Pirate Roberts', creator of a site on the Dark Web selling drugs called the Silk Road. I previously heard about it briefly on an NPR podcast but this book really went into details. Like, almost too many details. It wrote more like a character driven story, with POVs from both DPR side and the police side. Overall, it was a pretty interesting story but the writing felt a bit too cliched. There wasn't any really great standout thriller moments and I really didn't like how the author would end like every other chapter with some dramatic cliffhanger. I think I made a similar complaint once about another book but when your chapters keep ending with stuff like 'little did they know...these days would be their LAST' it just takes the tension out of it. I'm also kind of cautious about how they chose to write from the subject's POV when the subject himself never gave an interview or had any input in writing it. Still, the events themselves were engaging enough to read about, even if the writing wasn't the most inspired.

Everything I Never Told You (Celeste Ng)

7.5/10 I had high expectations for this because I loved 'Little Fires Everywhere' but this one wasn't quite up to par. I did like the themes it was addressing, which were similar to that other book: parental expectations, racial disparities, complicated family life, etc. But this one wasn't quite as grounded, with a nonlinear style of storytelling that, while never confusing, failed to give me the same connection with the characters. It could also be the historical setting, which lent weight to the interracial marriage issues, but obviously didn't have the same gravity to me as issues in the present day. I also felt that the characters were a bit one-note, being defined solely by one aspect that they didn't feel as fleshed out. Despite the short length, a lot of it was really just repeating the same problems over and over. There was also a few major misunderstandings which I understand can be realistic but is still frustrating to read. The old 'you could've just solved this by talking to each other'. Other issues I felt was a bit too easily solved, like the mother realizing her daughter's true motivation just by finding a cookbook? It was all just a bit too removed for me. Still, there were emotional moments and its themes, while a bit heavy-handed, still resonate today.

East (Edith Pattou)

7/10 This was one of the books that I loved when I was younger and although I only had the vaguest memory of it I remembered enough to find it by googling 'a prince who's a bear and a girl washes wax'. It's a re-telling of a Norwegian folktale called 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon' which is already super poetic and I love it. Upon re-reading though...it wasn't as quite good as I hoped it was. For one, it's really, really long. For a YA book, it might not be that bad, but I don't feel like its difficulty is really up to YA levels either. It's in a weird place. The plot and its character are relatively simple and a lot of its length seems to be padding. The parts that were added in to flesh out the re-telling didn't really add anything to change it so I wish they could've trimmed it down and just stuck to a straight re-telling. It's weird because the book does span a few long periods of time but most of it was shortened by saying 'it was hard at first but [the heroine] soon got used to it' or something along those lines. The book was in multiple POVs which could've been interesting but two of them, Father & Neddy's. wasn't really all that necessary. They didn't do much beyond the first part. In comparison, the male lead, the White Bear, didn't even get that much page-time. Still, the fun of the original folktale is one of its strengths and it does a good job in translating that to a modern story, even if there's a bit of padding. The characters are likable, if not terribly distinctive. There a lot of potential here and at least it did make such a lasting impression on me.

Becoming (Michelle Obama)

9.5/10 I've always liked the Obamas, but as a non-American, I never really bothered too much to follow along with the politics and news so I was never a 'fan' of them in the same way I'd be a fan of a movie star or singer. But after reading this amazing biography and immediately searching up interview clips of the Obamas afterwards, I can say that's somewhat changed. I loved this book. Despite the fact that I looked at the 900 ebook page count and kind of balked, and despite the large chunk dedicated to her early life, I never felt bored reading it. She writes her story in a way that's so incredibly human and kind that you can't help but be moved. She's so educated and qualified and dignified in so many ways and writes about her husband in the same light that even as a non-American I feel like they were lucky to have them as the First Family. Her relationship with the people in her life, especially her husband, was so sweet and personal - I could've read a hundred more anecdotes. Even the way she writes about political opponents or the disappointment of the 2016 election, she does it in a way that never feels mean but rather emphatic and hopeful. Honestly, what an icon. It was a pleasure to read, and if I had one complaint, it'd be that I wish the parts about her time as First Lady was even longer. "Life was teaching me that progress and change happen slowly. Not in two years, four years, or even a lifetime. We were planting seeds of change, the fruit of which we might never see."

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march madness

A month with its highs and lows but overall not a bad month for reading.

March Book Reviews

Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)

6.5/10 Let me start this review off by saying that I don't like thrillers, and I especially don't like domestic thrillers. Unfortunately, Gone Girl didn't really make me change my mind. It's not a bad score compared to what I've given to other thrillers I've read, but it's not a book that I especially liked. I didn't feel very invested in either of the characters. They weren't realistic enough for me to feel empathy or closeness and I found myself not really caring what happens to either one of them. Part of it might be that I already knew the big twist, that Amy is the one framing Nick, but at the same time if I hadn't knew that twist was coming, I wouldn't have read this book either. I'll probably check out the movie, but at the very least, for the book alone I give it a: meh.

Wenjack (Joseph Boyden)

7/10 A short novella heavily centered in Indigenous culture and history. I think this is what I expected Split Tooth to be honestly. It has a story that focused on a watershed event in Indigenous history, the death of Chanie Wenjack. It features spiritual elements taken from Indigenous culture, as chapters told from the POV of animals watching over the boy's journey. But more importantly, it was told in a way that was easy to read and follow along with. I understood what was happening, and for a short story, it did a good job of setting the scene and drawing you in. Short, simple, but full of possible discussions.

Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in That Order) (Bridget Quinn)

9.5/10 When I picked up this book I thought it was another one of those feminist compilation books about women overlooked or forgotten in history. You know the ones, with a Wikipedia entry page and an inspiring quote. They aren't bad, but they don't leave too much of an impression. Instead I found myself constantly emotional while reading through it. Part of it comes from its focus on art history specifically rather than just general 'feminist' icons in history. But the larger credit goes entirely to its author, who loves her subjects and whose love bleeds through on every page. It really works especially since art is so subjective that I might not feel anything about a piece of art but when the author puts herself into her descriptions, and is upfront about it, you can't help but feel moved too. The entries are just short enough not to be boring, and long enough for each subject to come to life in a way that humanizes them, as if the author imagined telling a story about a friend she knows. But what would a feminist piece be without an inspiring quote? And this is mine for this book, talking about the controversy surrounding the 'disappearance of Ana Mendieta': "Where was [she]? She was everywhere, if you knew what to look for." And so is art, so are women making it, and making history: they are everywhere, if you know what to look for. They are all around us.

I've Been Meaning to Tell You: A Letter to My Daughter (David Chariandy)

6/10 This book is...not bad. But honestly, it made almost no impression on me. I remember when I read it that I thought it had some good points here and there, but I struggle to recall any specific passage or quote that really got to me. I'm writing this review a few days after I finished the book, and let me tell you, I just don't remember anything other than a vague feeling of 'it's not terrible'. It's not just because it's short but it definitely didn't help that it was. There was some anecdotal parts, but none that stood out vividly in tone or content. It's fine. It's not bad. Maybe it's more relevant to someone who's a father, or someone who's experienced something more similar, but for me, it was a Tuesday.

The Westing Game (Ellen Raskin)

9/10 This was actually a re-read for me. I remember reading this during elementary or middle school and really loving it, but I'm always hesitant to add old books to my "Read" list now because I'm aware that opinions change as we grow up (and leave the target audience age). But I'm glad to say that nothing has changed, and I still really liked this book. The characters are so interesting, and despite having 16 major characters in a short junior level book, all of them have distinct and really memorable personalities. I especially loved the main character, Turtle, who's spunky and smart but also insecure and awkward - a great portrayal of a 13 year old girl. Which is what made the ending and epilogue so lovely to read, to see her naturally coming into her own. The ending is probably my favorite part, for the great resolution to a brainy mystery, and the heartwarming way each of the major characters' story went. All in all, a great book that's perfect for younger children and still enjoyable for older ones.

Magpie Murders (Anthony Horowitz)

6.5/10 This one had a pretty interesting 'book within a book' kind of concept which I always love. Unfortunately I only liked one of those 'books'. Half of it is a Agatha Christie-style, 1920s, classic English village mystery featuring a fictional detective called Atticus Pund. The other half deals with the editor of that mystery, trying to figure out the real life mystery of how its author died. The Atticus Pund mystery I really enjoyed, I felt like the writing style was totally spot on. While it wasn't mind blowing or anything (it's no Orient Express) but I felt like I was enjoying a familiar Golden Age mystery. The modern mystery is what I had most of my issues with. The lead character wasn't very compelling, and her progress towards solving the mystery was so slow and boring to read through. The worst though was the climax of said mystery, when she confronts the culprit. Not only was the motive completely dumb, but what she did while confronting them was even more dumb. I just didn't care for the modern parts, which was regrettably half the book. But I will give it points for having half a solid mystery in it as well as a pretty interesting concept.

Throne of Glass (Sarah J. Maas)

7/10 Alright, time to see what all the fuss is about. I've been hearing about this series of books for ages, and I'm pretty sure it had a fair hand in kickstarting the current YA trend of royal intrigue with a dash of fantasy. And at the end of it...I mean, it's alright. It's a pretty standard YA honestly. It had all the typical tropes played to a T. The protagonist is a strong female character with hints to a mysterious origin that she's unaware of. There are two primary love interests, one is a flirty, charming one and the other is a serious, hidden heart of gold kind. She gets chosen by a supernatural force to stop a mysterious threat. There's a scene where she dresses up really fancy. Like literally, it could not get more standard YA than that. Still, I got what I expected, which isn't a bad thing. None of the characters stood out to me, but I liked them well enough. The love triangle wasn't unbearable. The mystery wasn't super engrossing but it didn't feel like it dragged on either. It's a good book for people who like these books. What can I say?

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tis the season

I spent the last half of this month, and most of the holidays, sick so...let's just say I didn't get very far with my reading this month. Still, having read only four books means that I highly enjoyed 50% of the books I read!

December Book Reviews

Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls (Elizabeth Renzetti)

5.5/10 A collection of essays on feminism. Actually reading this kind of made me appreciate Women & Power more because honestly? I don't really like it when non-fiction feminist works get too personal. I know it sounds weird, but I'd rather read about a larger, more macro view on things, with data and research instead of personal anecdotes. And even when it is more micro examples, I prefer it to be about other subjects instead of the authors themselves. Still, this book really put the essay in collection of essay because it had a ton of references. I'd say it's a good book for people either wanting to expand more on their feminist bibliography, or someone who's already pretty well-read and can enjoy seeing someone putting it all together.

Circe (Madeline Miller)

9/10 "I cannot bear this world a moment longer." "Then, child, make another." I loved this book, and I loved Circe. The style of writing is absolutely my kind of thing, and mythology is even more my kind of thing. It was really great seeing all these famous figures of mythology and how they tied together. Honestly, it was really kind of amusing seeing just how related everyone is in Greek mythology when I had only heard of them in their separate stories. Unsurprisingly, I loved all the female characters. They were well-written, complex, with each their own stories and motivations. It kind of reflected on the real world, how even with all their powers, much of their world is also determined by men, usually with even more power. But the story goes on to show that women have their ways of living within that world, and outside of it too. I think my only complaints are kind of conflicting. On one hand, there were points where I wished she could show off her power a little more and do more, but on the other, the whole 'witch' thing felt a little like a special protagonist power. I understand why they use this trope but I can't help but see it as a trope. Still, I really enjoyed the story that came from all these different myths and the narratives it took. And above all, I was just deeply absorbed in Circe's life, this goddess witch who was daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, lover, wife and legend. "I will eat these herbs. Then whatever is truly in me, let it be out, at last."

Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship (Kayleen Schaefer)

3/10 This was a whole book of talking a lot but not really saying anything. I thought there was going to be a lot more focus on the title premise, of a society where women have to create their own support networks, where women do this naturally because there are real concerns that a woman might not get home safely. The book barely touched on this. Instead it was more about brunches and Sex and the City. Like it's fine as a short opinion piece or whatever, but an entire book about female friendships as experienced by young, upper middle class, white women?? It's pretty disappointing. In the first place, I was hoping for, again, a lot more empirical writing instead of anecdotes from various people that I could not care less about. This is even worse than "Shrewed" because at least the anecdotes were from prominent people that the journalist author was interviewing. This one was just people the author knew like, privately. The whole 'evolution' is just comparing her friends to her mom's friends. What is the point? This could make it as 280 word post on Tumblr but not as a published book thanks.

Strange the Dreamer (Laini Taylor)

8/10 This was a fairly long book and while the plot moved a bit slowly, I never got bored of it. I really enjoyed the world building in this. The idea of framing the city of Weep as a fantastical legend ironically made it seem more believable. It's easier to accept its strange features when the characters in the story also react in a believable way. Speaking of characters, I really liked the mix of them. I would've liked to see a little more of everyone else on both sides, but the main characters were fairly well developed. I liked Strange and Sarai but I also liked Thyron acting as a foil, though he seemed to be in a weird grey area of being a POV character but only a little bit? My least favourite part is probably the romance. It's just such a typical idea, and I know it had to be rushed and implemented in order to further the plot and eventually the ending/sequel but I felt like the book was just telling me they were madly, deeply in love. Like I get it...they're super into each other...they'd die for each other...they're soulmates...I GET IT. I enjoyed the overall story and mood of the book and I'm kind of interested in the sequel. Not so much for the burning mystery of those missing godchildren, but how the main godspawn and the rest of the outsider party react to Lazlo's new powers. Fingers crossed!

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too school for cool

Seeing as how its almost time to Inktober, it makes me think about last year's Inktober, which I didn't finish, which then makes me think what a miracle it was that my reading goal lasted this long.

September Book Reviews

The Lost City of the Monkey God (Douglas Preston)

6.5/10 A fairly interesting read about an archaeological expedition into Honduras' jungles to find evidence of a 'lost city'. While the draw and basic premise is centered around journeying into this lost city, said expedition only took like two days and was over in less than a third of the book. That being said, the rest of the book wasn't bad. I enjoyed learning about the world of archaeology, whether it was cultural debates or technological progresses. The book also devoted a significant chunk of time to a disease the author contracted, which for me was still okay as he went into the history of the devastating effects of European disease on the Americas. He also offered this explanation as to why the city was abandoned in the first place. In short, this book did go off on tangents that I didn't sign up for but at least the tangents were still informative and engaging enough to read.

Sleeping Giants (Sylvain Neuvel)

8/10 What might have been an otherwise standard sci-fi premise, it was elevated by the writing style the author chose to tell it in. The story is told entirely through various interview logs and personal journal transcripts entirely. Usually for high concept writing styles it's either great or the worst. Luckily for this book, it was the former. Although all the information and events are presented to us through conversations, I felt like I could easily pick up on what happened without their dialogue seeming forced. The characters all had very distinct personalities that made it easy to differentiate as well. The story, mixing mystery and sci-fi while showing off an interesting array of character dynamics, solidly kept me reading. While I never got a sense of anticipation for what happens next, I did manage to enjoy the events that were happening.

Shadow of The Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafron)

4.5/10 Listen, I don't know what it is about well-rated books named [Blank] of the Wind that just don't seem to have good affinity with me. This book is super highly rated and the premise seemed interesting enough so I was excited to read it. But upon actually reading it I was just...bored. The language, while it can be incredibly evocative and spellbinding, also felt overly effusive and flowery. The purple prose made it hard to concentrate on the plot of the book and made it feel like it was moving really slowly. Although the little bits of mystery was alright, in the end everything was cleared up through one woman's unbelievably novel-like, chapters long letter and several flashback scenes. The protagonist barely felt like a protagonist and every time he, or any of the other characters, started talking about ONE romantic love like it was the be all and end all it just made me frustrated. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, and laid bare of the elaborate language, the plot fell rather flat. I mean, the book ends was nice? Idk maybe I should just stay off books talking about the wind for now.

Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer)

8/10 So apparently opinions are pretty divided about this book, but I have to say I enjoyed it. I liked being dropped in the middle of the story because the confusion just added to the atmospheric, almost maddening darkness. I liked the surreal yet scientific ways the main character reacted to thinks. Most of all, I liked the mystery of it. I liked having no true explanation, how at no point in the story did I feel like I knew completely what was going on. It made the imposing setting of Area X that much more...more. But at the same time, I can tell why people didn't like it. There wasn't too much of a coherent plot, with the character's motivations being just as incoherent as the random words. Some parts could've been shorter, some reveals less jarring. Not everyone is a fan of Lovecraft, whose brand of cosmic horror this story embraced and transformed for a modern era. Still, that sense of unease, that overwhelming mystery of the beginning without any answers, I loved it.

Museum of Broken Relationships (Olinka Vištica, Drazen Grubisic)

8/10 Literally better than any modern poetry book I've read (or flipped through). I think the problem I have with lots of those is that they sound pretentious. When reading endless poems about love and life, but in the voice of a young adult who wrote some sentences without punctuation then added paragraph breaks, I just can't take it seriously (part of this is ironic reflection on myself). But with this book, the proof is real. Tangible, real objects that seem to ground each story behind it. It becomes more than a random person hinting at a vague relationship. And the diversity of it! How in subtle ways the geographic origins of an item changes both it and our understanding of it. The multitude of relationships with different kinds of love. The many ways they end and the many ways their stories are told — proving that sometimes life is a better writer than any published author. A museum to "the rich and chaotic variety of the human experience" (Terry Pratchett, 1996)

Beartown (Fredrik Backman)

9/10 Listen....this book destroyed me. I honestly had only heard the vaguest of things about this author and I thought it was going to be some touching yet whimsical feelgood tale about communities coming together and bonding over a sport. I was really fucking wrong. The stark and unapologetic portrayal of people in response to what happens is gut-wrenching, and all the more so because you can picture it happening anywhere. While the POV jumps around with almost no warning, you never lose track of anything and the writing continually lays out and subverts your expectations. The themes of community, of loyalty and bonds, are pulled apart and laid bare for what it is: both good and bad. Hockey is the focus of the story but the things the author tells with it goes beyond the sport itself. It becomes reflection and study of society today, of the underprivileged, of minorities, of women. Much like the game, this book was intense, powerful and vividly absorbing.

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summer homework

Ah yes the Sunday of summer, it's only fitting that I only somehow read the last three books in like a week.

August Book Reviews

The Dead Husband Project (Sarah Meehan Sirk)

5.5/10 Another series of short stories, although I liked this one more than The Dark and Other Love Stories. The titular short story was probably my favorite and the one that made the most impression on me. I really liked how the whole thing played out. For the other stories, the ambiguity of many of them were interesting. Some were just vague enough to be intriguing but others just pushed it to confusing. I'd say my other favorites would be 'Ozk', 'Inters ection' and 'Moonman'. Overall, I feel that while I did like reading it, especially because of the easiness of consuming short pieces, I don't really feel like you would miss out on anything major if you didn't read this.

Coraline (Neil Gaiman)

7.5/10 I really loved the Laika movie based off this book and happened to pick this one up and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed! I love the classic fairy tale vibe of the story, less Disney princess and more Hansel and Gretel. Think deep dark woods and cautionary tales. I really loved Coraline's character and I actually really loved the cat too (to no one's surprise). It's a short novella, but it's perfect for kids. I also liked it because it made me appreciate the movie a lot more too. The stylistic choices were super on point, and I even liked some of the changes they added in. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for just a bit of dark fantasy.

Soundless (Richelle Mead)

5/10 It was average at best. I've seen fanfiction that are about this quality, with no disrespect to fanfiction at all. The setting is at least somewhat different and the premise sounded great but the story took far too long into getting into the real action. The idea that everyone in this isolated village is deaf and one day this girl suddenly hears sound for the first time is intriguing but the explanation as to why was a weird mix of science and fantasy that seemed at odds at each other. The resolution of the story seemed a bit deus ex machina and many actual problems weren't completely resolved or seemed rushed through. I might as well have read fanfiction, at least they'd have characters I'm already invested in.

A Tale for the Time Being (Ruth Ozeki)

9/10 "If you do decide to read on, then guess what? You're my kind of time being and together we'll make magic!" It was a story that slowly eased you in but once inside, it seems almost impossible to put down. Interweaving two POVs yet the switch is seamless. The length and style is just engaging enough that you pick up the two threads without a stutter. I absolutely loved the way they talked about themes of philosophy, death and time without seeming overly pretentious or forced.  I cared about both timelines — both Ruth's drifting, isolated existence and Nao's battered, crowded fate. There was just enough mystery and a hint of the supernatural that made it intriguing without losing the sense of realism to either of their stories. The little details about both of their lives grounded them but the larger story lifted them into something bigger. A tale for not only the time being, but the time to come as well.

The Mars Room (Rachel Kushner)

2.5/10 A story centered around lives in California prisons, this failed to meet expectations. While it certainly seems that the author did her research while writing this piece, I felt like that research would've been better served by a different kind of writing style, or even a nonfiction book instead. The themes and topics it concerns is undoubtedly important: the state of incarceration in the United States, morality and the justice system, transphobia and gender issues in prison. Yet this book fails to deliver the due gravitas to any of them, due to its nonlinear timeline, shifting perspectives, multiple POVs, and stream of consciousness style of writing. None of the characters failed to capture my attention, and the fictional element made it seem like the darker themes were gritty for the sake of being gritty rather than a reflection on some of the realities of imprisonment. It was hard to get through not because it was depressing, but because it was boring. It had potential, but ultimately went nowhere.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon)

6.5/10 I can see why this book would be assigned reading. The writing style, done in the point of view of its autistic protagonist, didn't feel forced or theatrical at all. Every thought and action felt natural and logical when seen in the protagonist perspective, a feat that should be appreciated. I also enjoyed the dynamics of the family, managing to portray the complex factors involved in a family whose child is autistic. More importantly, it kept both parents as flawed, human characters. There was no clear choice, at least from our understanding, which parent is better and that in turn made the characters seem more real. However, while it is a good book and I can see the value of it, I wouldn't say I loved reading it. The ending felt a little rushed but overall it's just not my type of book. Still, I'm glad I did read it.

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the sixth cents

Halfway!!! Dare I believe it? Will I actually finish this goal?? Also...I don't even know what was up with this month. I don't even have school anymore and I read so many books this month it's like I was in a summer reading program.

June Book Reviews

The Girl With All the Gifts (M. R. Carey)

9/10 "And then like Pandora, opening the great big box of the world and not being afraid, not even caring whether what's inside is good or bad. Because it's both. Everything is always both. But you have to open it to find that out." I loved this book and I was more surprised than anyone. I read this on a recommendation so I had no idea what the premise of this book was other than 'science fiction'. Turns out it's actually zombie story, which quickly becomes apparent, but I never would've otherwise picked it up if I knew because I'm just not a fan of zombies or apocalypses. But like the above quote says, you'll never know unless you open it and I'm really glad I did this time. The main character is a force unto herself, a worthy representative of Pandora, of Eve, of Sophia, of the myth of the first woman and her disobedience that gave birth to knowledge. The supporting cast that make up the usual 'last band of humans' is by no means bland either, with believable goals and developed personalities. Both the premise and ending was a unique and refreshing twist on the zombie genre. Anyone inclined to avoid it because of its horror tag, I strongly recommend you giving this a try.

Salvation of a Saint (Keigo Higashino)

7.5/10 The second Detective Galileo I've read and it was a pretty decent one. Honestly, I don't think anything will quite match up to the setup and resolution of "The Devotion of Suspect X" but I liked reading this one too. The setting is much more mundane and the final solution is at once more commonplace as well as more fantastical than in Suspect X which is kind of strange. As a standalone story though, I really enjoyed the two main detectives especially Utsumi, as well as trying to figure out the complicated motives of the main suspect. There were some parts that surprised me a little, and other hints that I managed to catch on correctly, but nothing quite like the rollercoaster ride from Suspect X. Still, it was an enjoyable read, definitely a solid deduction style murder mystery.

Death Notice (Zhao Haohui)

6/10 I picked up this book for one reason and one reason only, the summary said it was set in Chengdu, Sichuan. I almost never get to see Chengdu featured in any English media, it's usually Beijing or Shanghai or Hong Kong. So that one singular feature made me borrow this book, the first translation of a trilogy of crime thrillers that are apparently super popular in China. So imagine my letdown when, after reading the book, I found out that in the original Chinese, it hadn't been Chengdu; they only changed it to a bigger city for the English release. No wonder, because the city itself only barely featured in the story. It named some places but the ones I recognized could've been pulled from any city and the ones that were unique I couldn't recognize. Thanks for nothing. Anyway! The story itself. Unfortunately not amazing enough to soothe the disappointment. A fairly typical police suspense thriller. It started off ok, but some of the murders towards the end got a bit too convoluted and edgy/gruesome. It did keep you guessing at some parts which was nice (at least you're always thinking) but as the first of a trilogy they don't even provide the ultimate solution. Who knows if the rest of the series will even get translated? As a crime thriller, I would've given this a decent 6.5 but because the genre isn't even my cup of tea, it gets docked half a point. 不好意思.

A Midsummer's Equation (Keigo Higashino)

6.5/10 Although the second novel, Salvation of a Saint, had a more mundane setting and premise, it felt more interesting than this one. This one had multiple players to keep track of and stretched across two cities, but it just made it harder to get into. Even though some parts of the resolution and the 'unrelated red herrings' gave it a Suspect X feel (there was, I think, even a small throwaway line referencing it: Yukawa knew better than anyone else how willing the truly devoted were to assume guilt in order to protect the ones they loved), ultimately it fell short. This book expanded a bit on the actual personality of Detective Galileo himself, but for me it was a bit of a mixed reception. I did enjoy his interactions with Kyohei, especially with the ending. I felt like the ultimate solution, especially in regards to the culprit, could've been expanded on but at least I was surprised by the final reveals.

The Library at Mount Char (Scott Hawkins)

7.5/10 I quite liked this book! It's got a female 'protagonist', mysterious powers and eldritch horror — my favorite combo. There were some twists and turns here and there, but the ending was pretty satisfying for me. I would've like them to spend less time on Steve (even his name sounds boring) and more time on the other siblings, but overall it was a varied and interesting cast of characters. The eldritch horror was juuust unobtrusive enough not to feel confusing, or at least I took it in stride. There were parts were I didn't quite like the tone but the general narrative kept my attention and there were parts where I absolutely loved it. Still, it's got the kind of tone to it where, while I liked it, I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. If you're a fan of eldritch horror though, definitely take a look.

Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng)

9.5/10 Domestic fiction is usually not my cup of tea. But there are some books in a genre that are so good it doesn't matter what your usual preferences are and this book was it. It was a bit slow to get started, but once it started moving, I couldn't take my eyes away from the lives of these people. They were so vivid, so complex in their wholeness, in all of their imperfections and humanity. The clashing of different people from different walks of life, not just the main characters, but the secondary plot line as well, was so well done. I loved the running theme of 'fires' and the different ways it was brought into the story. But I especially loved the ending, because that's just how life is. It doesn't always come to a perfect conclusion, instead it's tangled threads, pieces you've left behind, pieces that others have given you, the limitless possibilities of a future both good and bad, and of course, little fires everywhere.

On Tyranny (Timothy Snyder)

5/10 It's a decent enough little book, talking about some of the political problems facing Europe and the United Status today. It mostly presents concepts and using examples from history, such as discussing the rise of fascism. While I get that it's supposed to be brief, I didn't like the overwhelming Western focus. There were some interesting notes on WWII but I would've preferred examples from other events as well. It's also presented in part as a guide on how to act in order to combat some of these problems. Although I agreed with what the book was saying here, I didn't really like the tone of it. It's all well and good to say that people should act this way, but realistically it seems improbable and tonally it sounds patronizing. There was one quote I did like though, even if it was a tall order (and frankly can be misused in a different light): "Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom."

The Screaming Staircase (Jonathan Stroud)

5.5/10 It's not a bad book, but there were areas that I felt were lacking. The basic premise is fine, even if it's just that, basic. The 'rules' of the fantasy setting were well put and easy to follow along. The plot was alright, I called the ending but it was a fairly decent ending. I liked the teaser at the end hinting at the protagonist's hidden abilities. I liked the protagonist well enough, but honestly I didn't really fall in love with any of the characters. They're just alright. The plot was just alright. It wasn't anything terrible, it just didn't make a really deep impression on me.

Beautiful Blue World (Suzanne LaFleur)

4.5/10 This book had potential but was way too short. It was kind of weird actually because when reading it, I didn't really feel like I was slogging through a lot of filler, but in the end I also felt like I only read the beginning of a story. I realize that because this is the first book in a series, they do need to leave something but also at least give me something to begin with. The protagonist's character also feels lacking, like I see the point of her 'special skills' but they don't seem to stand out as particularly extraordinary. The whole thing didn't really make much of an impression on me.

The Wrath & the Dawn (Renee Ahdieh)

7/10 Another YA novel that I enjoyed, but not as surprising as Three Dark Crowns. I liked that one based off all the new takes they had on the genre whereas I liked this one based off all the old classic tropes of the genre. I came in with expectations of a typical 'girl falls for enemy because he isn't as bad as he seems' romance and my expectations were fully met, but not in a bad way. Yes, they fall in love with an unrealistic speed, yes many things would've been resolved had they just talked about it, yes the girl turns out to have some magical powers she never knew about. The usual suspects, although luckily they weren't too overbearing. There's also the usual pros, like the girl being the 'honest, witty' one that surprises the system of tradition, her holding her own against enemies, etc. Of course the guy is dark and brooding and yes when he gets angry only the girl can calm him down but that's what I came for. Some pleasant pluses was I liked the B couple sideplot, there was a second love interest but they didn't tease a triangle at all, and I didn't hate the protagonist (always a surprise in a YA novel nowadays). But what I liked most about it, and what I'm disappointed they didn't spend more time on, was the Arabian Nights setting and theme. Any YA setting not in a European medieval fantasy world (even if it's still royalty themed) is always worth a second glance.


The Moth & the Flame (Renee Ahdieh)
2/10 A short story set before the first novel and good thing it was a short story because it added nothing to the actual story. It mainly details the B couple development, as well as some backstory. The backstory part I was fine with, it deepened the initial premise but definitely would've felt unwieldy if forced into the main book. But the large part of this story was on the girl of the B couple and first of all, an uninspired romance. Whatever, they could've worked some actual chemistry in for the main book. But the fact that they didn't actually work in the most interesting about the girl? I guess they didn't want to spoil the surprise in the sequel but damn, at least drop some meaningful hints. Maybe this short story could've been interesting then. (Also I read the summaries for some of the other short stories and they actually seem interesting but like ? why didn't they include them? It sure would've made the sudden romance and scene changes a lot easier to deal with.)

The Rose & the Dagger (Renee Ahdieh)

4.5/10 Alright, looks like this continues in the well honoured tradition of YA fantasy sequels always being 10x worse. They threw away what little remained of the Arabian Nights setting for some war camp scenery that could've been anywhere. They threw in even more magical power nonsense that was even more convoluted than the initial bits in the first book, including characters that literally only appeared for a paragraph before disappearing. One of the new characters had his relationship barely developed with the protagonist before he became one of her forever friends. They showed even more of the side male lead's POV even after well establishing he had no chance. Added in some manly gesturing while the protagonist lies unconscious. Added in another bland C couple while the B couple not only splits up for completely unforeshadowed reasons but also has the guy completely flip his loyalty for a girl when their relationship was barely developed. And despite all the message about the protagonist finding her wings or whatever, she had almost no agency in the events that really mattered. Oh YA fantasy romance novels, for each one that surprises me another one never fails to let me down.

Thanks for adding in that bland C couple just to kill the guy off for dramatic purposes. I know you just wanted some narrative stake but couldn't actually kill off any one really important. Also reduced the villain to someone who wasn't even a threat. Like, no tension at all for all he was built up in the first one. None of the villains were good. Also...the last battle (which wasn't even a real battle) had a winged serpent. Like just........fuck you.

The Death of Mrs.Westaway (Ruth Ware)

6.5/10 Now this might be because I was recommended this book by two separate people who claimed they didn't like her other novels but really enjoyed this one...but I didn't find it outstanding. It was a decent mystery story, don't get me wrong. I liked the twist at the end, a lot actually. But that was really the only highlight for me. The characters didn't make too much of an impression on me, especially the elderly caretaker who's only impression was that I totally called her reveal. I didn't enjoy the snippets of letters from the past, it seemed to make it too easy for both the protagonist and the reader. I didn't dislike the protagonist but I didn't love her either. The story took much too long to get to the actual meat of the story and the bit of thriller action towards the end felt average. It also felt like there was too much symbolism, like convenient tarot cards and magpies — pick one and stick with it, please. Overall, ok but underwhelming.

#NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line (David Hogg, Lauren Hogg)

7/10 An absorbing read from the front lines of America's gun control debate. Written by its newest champions, young survivors of school shootings, it tells the story from an engaging first person perspective. I enjoyed the separate sections that the siblings wrote, each with their own POV of the events and especially of the other person. It's a fairly short book and it felt more like an essay or a long article but it was interesting enough that I wanted to read more, possibly from other students or survivors. The list of school shooting victims at the end of the book was a chilling surprise — I had no idea there were that many. While I liked that they listed ways to get involved, it's hard not to feel cynical looking at the stalled state the debate is still at. Still, it's definitely a must read for anyone interested the ongoing issues of gun control in the US (and it should be everyone in the US).

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may day

Five months is probably the longest I've done anything in a row

May Book Reviews

Do Not Say We Have Nothing (Madeleine Thien)

9/10 "Throughout history there have been many moments that can never be recovered, but you and I know that they existed." This novel read like one of the many symphonies it described. It began with the meeting of two people and like instruments, events and characters joined in and built up a wave of words. Historical movements, like musical movements, separated the story as we followed the lives of not just the named characters but the progression of China itself. The period of history in China from the era of Mao Zedong to the Cultural Revolution and the Tienanmen Square protests is an unbelievably complicated one in many ways. Even now in China there are mixed feelings towards the leadership during that period and its many effects can still be felt in today's government and society. I felt the story of the characters were merely a frame for the concepts it was presenting; music, math, philosophy. Rather than the story of a protagonist, the book focuses on many characters and their POVs and in doing so demonstrated that the successes and tragedies that they faced could've been the stories of any one living through that era. Overall, it was a moving, meaningful story dealing with a subject that it expressed vividly. It is more of a heavier read and slow to get started, but it gives more room for analysis. Most of all, the setting was incredibly well done and I would recommend reading it especially for anyone wanting to understand a part of China's history.

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore (Matthew Sullivan)

5/10 A wholly underwhelming book. From the idea and title, I thought it would be an interesting, fun mystery novel. Instead it turned out to be darker, and frankly more boring, than I thought. It's not a bad book, it's just very forgettable. The characters never grew on me and I couldn't really empathize too much with the protagonist or her problems. There were a couple of ideas in there that were kinda neat, but nothing outstanding. It didn't really give clues as much as obviously false leads. The ending was fine but felt a bit anti-climatic.

The Martian (Andy Weir)

8/10 This book surprised me from the beginning, because I had never seen the movie before but knew the basic premise. Going into it I thought it would be a gritty, fight for survival type of book with lots of hard to understand scientific jumbo. But luckily, the book made clear that it wasn't going to be like that. The main character's optimistic and good-natured way of dealing with his situation is refreshing to read. The science is easily to understand; even if you don't understand the terms, the protagonist lays it out in a way that makes sense. It reminds me of xkcd a bit, which is great because I love those comics. The POV changes between the three main groups (on Mars, in space and on Earth) I liked as well as it gave a sense of actual stakes that the log format doesn't have. While a couple of the challenges the protagonist had to confront did seem contrived, in a Murphy's law of drama kind of way, and the overall ending was predictable given the tone of the book, I enjoyed reading and following along on Mark Watney's time on Mars.

The Atrocity Archives (Charles Stross)

2/10 God this book was....Maybe atrocity is too much but it wasn't pleasant either. The book dumps you in the middle of the so-called 'action' by loading on a bunch of science-magic technobabble without even trying to explain anything. You have no idea what's going on and as the story progresses, just what it's trying to achieve. The book is split up into three different arcs that are one tangentially related sentence away from three different short stories. It takes way too long to get to the main arc, and it feels unsatisfying. The last arc was just a mess. How was it even related to the middle? Why was the main female character just shoved aside for a random new woman who doesn't understand anything? And 'main female character' is a generous term for a character who showed up seemingly a genius (although with the mysterious technobabble who can even tell anyone's level of intelligence) only to be kidnapped (twice) and fall for the main character with barely any chemistry. Not to mention the protagonist with all his esoteric terms and snobby attitude towards anyone who doesn't apparently know as much as he does. What a dick. A computer programmer's wish fulfillment novel. I hate it.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Alan Bradley)

6/10 A decent follow up to the first Flavia de Luce mystery. I really enjoyed the first one, but the second one didn't really have any fresh new additions. Flavia is as same as she always is, and I do like her character. I liked the first one for involving her father since their relationship is really interesting, especially with the hints towards his past and her deceased mother. This one put her family members on the sidelines even as they introduced her aunt. It felt like it took a little too long to get the real meat of the mystery and I guessed the culprit pretty easily. Still, there were some parts of the resolution that surprised me and that's always a good sign in any mystery novel.

How the Hell Did This Happen? (P.J. O'Rourke)

4/10 I didn't really finish this book. The tone was comedic but it didn't really feel intelligent. It felt more heavy-handed, like someone trying to be funny by making fun of what was happening without really trying to make a point or address any real issues with their comedy. The author seemed to be on a kind of middle ground in the debate, making him also in the middle ground in terms of likability. And speaking of likability, halfway through the book I found that I didn't really care about all of the people involved in the 2016 elections; at least not the way they were written about here.

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fourshadowing

I've all but abandoned every other monthly goal except for this one so fingers crossed

April Book Reviews

The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (HP Lovecraft)

6/10 GODDAMN this was hard to get through. Not necessarily because it was bad, but just the dated tone combined with his own writing style made it difficult to process all the information. This was the first book this year that I had to renew to be able to finish it. Overall, because most of his stories are first hand accounts of events that happened in the past, the tense over the protagonists' survival is pretty much lost. A lot of the horror still feels informed, like it might we that we're too used to images of Cthulhu but reading about characters freaking out and tripping balls then having it described as a squid dragon...doesn't really have the intended effect. My favorite parts are the world building and the horror of humanity rather than the unknown. My least favorite is the dumb curiosity killed the cat characters and, you know, the racism. But I'm gonna get my library card's worth and review every single goddamn eldritch story. (italics are my reccs)
Dagon: Unremarkable, the usual Lovecraft setup, only notable in a footnote that informs us how much Lovecraft hated the smell of fish. 4/10
The Statement of Randolph Carter: I actually really liked the stinger line at the end, that was pretty great. 6/10
Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family: Again, the ending was kinda cool, but the intro took way too long to get there. 4.5/10
Celephais: Interesting in that the horror element is missing, had some cool world building in this one but not much plot. 4.5/10
Nyarlathotep: I didn't know dude was Egyptian. 3/10
The Picture in the House: I just find it funny how he writes the 'reveal twist' sentence in italics every time like it's meant to surprise us but we've already seen it coming a mile away. 3/10
The Outsider: A different concept, even if it is, again, one we saw coming. 4.5/10
Herbert West-Reanimator: A longer story of connected events and it pays off. Even if you question why at the end of each story the narrator reaffirms how aghast he is, he keeps showing up in the next one - like get out man. 7.5/10
The Hound: Another story about how white man's inability to resist shiny things destroys us all. 4/10
The Rats in the Walls: An actual bit of ghoulishness in the reveal (because of course, people are the real monsters) and a great ending. 7/10
The Festival: All I can think of is people riding crocodiles. 3/10
He: That sure is him alright. Unremarkable aside from all the racism, which at this point is overt in enough of his stories that it too is pretty much unremarkable. 4/10
Cool Air: While it was pretty obvious from the start, it was decent and at least memorable for the different concept it used. 5/10
The Call of Cthulhu: The titular story and while it didn't blow my mind, it was solid. It also has my favorite line: "The stars were right again, and what an age-old cult had failed to do by design, a band of innocent sailors had done by accident." 7/10
The Color Out of Space: An overall enjoyable read, and I liked that there wasn't too much description of the eldritch horror in this one but did drag on a bit. 5/10
The Whisperer in Darkness: It was good but I felt like it had potential to be greater. First of all, hard to take monsters seriously when you start describing them as crabs. Second of all, protagonist is dumb af and seriously is so blind to any sense of horror convention that it could only be a middle class white guy. Third, the concept of monsters mimicking humans and having human allies is pretty unique among his stories but I felt like it didn't take full advantage of it. Still, 7/10
The Shadow Over Innsmouth: A scene with actual tension takes place in this one, incredible. The origin story was pretty interesting to read too. 6/10
The Haunter of the Dark: Unremarkable, typical Lovecraft set up, typical white guy screwing over everyone else because he has too much free time on his hands.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Alan Bradley)

7.5/10 A solid, fun mystery novel!  The main character can sometimes be a little annoying as a precocious pre-teen brat, but the brilliance is that that's exactly what she is! An 11 year old written so that she really feels like one, aside from her prodigious interest in chemistry. She makes mistakes and takes actions that feel expected from an 11 year old. The story and plot, especially with a subject as seemingly dull as stamps, kept things rolling and made me invested in what happens next. The ending was a little predictable, but what led up to it was fun to follow as the protagonist connected the dots between all the clues we were given in the beginning.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Rachel Joyce)

7/10 I have the feeling that this is a 'good' book but it's not really for me. The main character is an old man who reflects on his life as he walks on the titular pilgrimage. There are themes of regret, the passing of time, missed opportunities, different kinds of love and how they change. It's well written, but I feel that these are things that you can really appreciate a lot more if you've gone through lots of experiences already. I enjoyed how they wrote the point of view from the wife's perspective a lot. Overall, it's not a book that changed my life but it's one I can see changing others'.

Homegoing (Yaa Gyasi)

9.5/10 What an experience to read this. The book begins with two sisters separated by colonialism, one who stayed in her home in Ghana and one sold into slavery. As they continue to follow generations of that split, it takes us through decades of history on two different continents. Although the main character of each generation only takes the spotlight for the length of a short story, you can really feel that each of them has a story to tell worth listening to. Not every story has a happy ending or really even an ending, but that's what makes it feel like the stories of real people. Even with those brief looks, the impacts of colonialism, history of slavery and institutional racism on two different continents are brilliantly portrayed. It's not something that you feel the book is preaching to you either, rather, like real life, it's something in the background that you only connect to those issues if you have an understanding of them. Above all, the constant theme of family both ancestral and domestic is something anyone can relate to. This novel was a journey in very sense of the word and one I recommend anyone to take.

Educated (Tara Westover)

7.5/10 This was a fairly interesting book to read in many ways. I compared it a lot with Hillbilly Elegy as both books are focused on children growing up in isolated, rural areas who go on to higher education at prestigious schools. There are lots of differences of course, especially religion and upbringing, but I did end up enjoying this one more. Although there were some points where I wanted more empirical explanations or scientific studies of economics and mental illnesses like the ones in Hillbilly Elegy, I realized that by not having them made the story seem more human. Most of all I liked that the book didn't even slightly try to generalize her story and it was much more emotional and introspective. It also benefited from not being solely centered on the American culture & experience like Hillbilly was. Still, I think this book is better served if treated like a fiction novel rather than a nonfiction memoir, as it loses its realism for its humanity. It also suffers from parts that seem to repeat and events that are similar to each other but don't seem to have too much of an impact. Of course the repetitive and disjointed events are reflective of memories, and we feel manage to feel the progress or lack of it that much more because of it. It's not quite a streamlined narrative to be a fully fleshed out fiction but too full of logical holes to be a satisfying nonfiction. But again, a world that seems so far removed from the norm is a pretty fascinating read and I enjoyed it.

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guess what I'm still doing

Still reading!! I guess you could call me a bookworm :)) In that I consume books without truly understanding or appreciating anything.

January Book Reviews 

The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

7.5/10 First book for my New Years resolution of one book per month! I picked it because It was less than 200 pages and I mean, might as well start off with one goal accomplished right? This book is pretty much like The Little Prince. It reads kind of like a children's fairytale but makes it pretty obvious that everything is a metaphor for life. Follow your dreams! The world works in mysterious ways! Listen to your heart! I might sound sarcastic but it is actually a lovely little story. I don't think it matches up to The Little Prince, but it's not a bad read.

Bellevue Square (Michael Redhill)

2/10 Emboldened by my success at finishing a 200 page book, I tried reading another one and I HATED IT. The two points were pity points. Okay, maybe some points for the initial premise which sounded promising and interesting enough to make me pick it up. That and it was a Giller Prize Winner and people kept asking for it. I mean, if people are willing to pay money for it without knowing anything then I can at least try it out right? Well, I'm right but there's no heartwarming ending where it's a lesson of taking chances or whatever because I totally hated this book. It started out alright and moving forward with the blurb I read it was pretty good. Then it started getting...weird...and trippy...and confusing and totally threw me for a loop but not in a good way. It wasn't like wow what a rollercoaster of a ride, it was more like drinking something at a party and finding out it was spiked with drugs. I expected a little unusualness but it just threw out reality and didn't even resolve any of the questions it raised at the end. In summary: I hate having to suggest this book just because it was the grand prize winner. Down with the system!!

I was already pretty much lost on this book but when she stole a plane and flew it to some random town then starting burning down the tent that her doppelganger was giving a speech on about her book which was about her........like........calm down.

The Inner Life of Animals (Peter Wohlleben)

5/10 After the mind-fuck mess that was Bellevue Square, I decided to read a book in the totally opposite direction: a non-fiction book about animals and the natural world. And you know what, there is a heartwarming ending in which I learned a lesson and that lesson is: no matter how different the genre, there are going to be books that I dislike no matter what. Isn't that great? Granted, it wasn't a book that I hated but I don't particularly care for it. A lot of the book is just the author saying 'do animals really [human emotion]? It can never be proven by science but here's some anecdotal stories that say yes!' Which was really not what I picked up this book for. I mean, animals are great and there are lots of chicken soup for the soul stories that attest to the incredible complexity of animals. But I could find those on the internet! I just felt like I finished reading this book and learned almost nothing new or interesting, except for the fact that apparently the author is against the treatment of pigs raised as livestock. So. There's that.

Modern Romance (Aziz Ansari)

9/10 FINALLY!! After the disappointment of the previous two books I was like man I feel down, maybe I should pick a lighthearted humour book instead. And finally a book that delivered on my expectations. It was indeed, a light-hearted humour book. And not only that, I did learn a lot of new things! I can't speak for how reliable the research was except that it seemed legit but I did like how they covered the topic of romance in the modern age. They complied both hard numbers and collected anecdotes and complied them all with funny commentary to give a pretty interesting look at romance between now and then as well as in the US and other places of the world. It wasn't a laugh a minute type deal, but mixed the data with the comedy in an easy to read way and the writing was clever in some parts. The thing I appreciated the most about this book, and what I feared would be its biggest failing, was that they never took sides. They showed the ups and downs of dating whether it was in the pre-internet age or on Tinder; whether it's arranged marriages or meeting in a bar. It never tried to say which way was 'right' but stressed that it depended on the person, and how willing you are to work for a relationship that really makes it or breaks it. And I'd say just that conclusion alone is worth a read.

Ascent of Women: A New Age is Dawning for Every Mother's Daughter (Sally Armstrong)

6.5/10 A pretty good look at the rise of feminism in all parts of the world, although it's marred by a few drawbacks that prevent it from being a truly remarkable piece of work. I enjoyed that they didn't focus entirely on Western feminism and its rise in developed countries. Instead, most of the book contained stories and events happening in places that most people would consider the last place for women's rights: Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia. That focus also made some parts the hardest to get through, not because of the writing, but of some of the truly terrible things happening. It's definitely an eye opener for those who tend gloss over the horrifying details behind words like rape and female genital mutilation. While it's filled with stories of optimism, the author also does her best not to neglect to mention the overwhelming challenges and barriers still in place before anything can be really celebrated, which I appreciated. One of the biggest drawbacks is that in a world that's rapidly and constantly changing, the 2013 book is already outdated. It's hard reading about the women's roles in the Arab Spring and knowing the political situation in Egypt right now, but the book serves as a good reminder of things that are possible, no matter how small, that can be accomplished by women no matter where they are.

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik)

8/10 A surprsingly good read about a figure I really didn't know a lot about! The book lost a bit of relevancy for me because I'm Canadian so I still feel a bit detached from the drama of the US court system. But even with that, the book managed to portray a portrait of a woman who quietly persisted and patiently fought for what she deserved. Through her 80 years of challenges and successes, we could also see some of them reflected in the progress of feminism in the US as well. Although it does provide a limited view, that of mostly middle class, Caucasian women, but an interesting view nontheless. What I like most about RBG is that she's not an explosive, revolutionary figure. In her own words, she didn't like to 'rock the boat'. But it also didn't mean she went along with whatever people said. When it came down to the things that mattered to her, she took a stand in her own way. An enjoyable read about an impressive woman (and just a bit of a messed up political/justice situation).

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