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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three times lucky

I know it's only March but still this is probably the only New Year's Resolution that's lasted this long

March Book Reviews

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Alexander McCall Smith)

7/10 An interesting concept for a mystery novel, although I have mixed feelings on the execution. I liked the uniqueness of the setting, which really came to life in the novel; Botswana with its cattle herds and dusty roads. I also enjoyed the vivacious personality of the novel's leading lady, Precious Ramotswe. She's no-nonsense, a good observer of human nature, but not always confident nor infallible. A truly refreshing stand out from the calm armchair detectives and the tough hardboiled private eyes. What I didn't like was the editing style of the novel. It jumped from case to case without a clear timeline, sometimes even interrupting an ongoing case with another, then inserting flashbacks and POVs about both Ramotswe and the people around her without much connection to any story. Although I was a little bothered by it, Mma Ramotswe and her beloved Botswana was fresh enough to keep me entertained.

Swimming Lessons (Claire Fuller)

4/10 Listen, I can understand why other people might like this book. I can see the appeal, but I am not the audience it's trying to appeal to. I did not like this book at all. The premise about a mother's disappearance, and clues being revealed through scraps and letters hidden in books seems straightforward and intriguing enough. But instead what I got was a main character that seemed out of it most of the time, a first half that didn't do much with the concept, a disappearance that seemed so devoid of mystery that you wonder why there was anything to ask about. The 'letters' themselves were supposedly written by the mother, but it was written pretty much exactly like a novel. I think they tried to justify it by saying she was in a creative writing course but seriously, no one writes letters like that. I just couldn't bring myself to care about this family or any of their experiences, nor did I care for the artsy literary references like I get it...you read books.

Tortall (Tamora Pierce)

4/10  I'm pretty disappointed by this book. I loved the Tortall series of books by the same author, who wrote such well-rounded, complex heroines each with her own different but genuine and memorable coming of age stories all set in a world that was vibrant and exciting. But I couldn't find that in this companion book. It's not even about the fact that the original characters barely show up, but that regardless of if they do or don't the stories just fall flat. The tone of the stories just felt so different from main series that I felt like it was only the names connecting the worlds together. Even when the original characters make an appearance they just don't have the same impression. This compared to when predecessor characters show up in subsequent novels in the main storyline and they feel completely natural. If anything, I'd just take the chance to recommend everyone to please read original series because they're all really good, just pretend this one never existed.

Angry Optimist: The Life and Times of Jon Stewart (Lisa Rogak) 

5/10 A pretty average book overall tbh. Not too bad but nothing mindblowing. I liked that the author gathered opinions from both people who praised and criticized Jon Stewart. But I didn't finish reading the book and feel like I had gained some newfound insight into the man, or even an interesting summary of his life. For people looking to know a little more about him, I'd recommend just reading his Wikipedia page, and for fans who already know the man, I'd recommend uh, I guess just re-watching old Daily Show clips.

The Girl Who Married a Lion: And Other Tales from Africa (Alexander McCall Smith)

6/10 I enjoyed this! My favourite part of his detective series was the setting and these were all stories born from it, even if the nature of these stories made it much more fantastical. I generally like reading fairy tales and myth from all over the world, so I liked being introduced to some new ones. Most of the time they came off as a little bare but I appreciated them being deeply connected to the land they're from. They're stories that couldn't have come from any other place, from the witch doctors to the flora and fauna of the Savannah. I liked that some of them didn't really have a moral or lesson to tell but I also liked the ones that did. A nice, short read about folklore I haven't seen much of before, even if it was a bit simplistic.

Orange is the New Black (Piper Kerman)

6.5/10 Not a bad read on a world that seems so foreign to me that it's no wonder it got adapted into a TV series. The closed off, literally and figuratively, world of the female prison system is brought to life in this autobiographical book featuring a victim of the war on drugs. The book highlights many of the problems with prison systems as well as humanizing the people in those systems. I enjoyed seeing the different personalities around her and the spirit of female camaraderie surrounding her. Of course, her experiences are colored by her own thoughts and opinions, as well as by virtue of being an upper middle class white woman. Nonetheless, because the setting is so engaging, the book was an entertaining read.

Take Me With You (Andrea Gibson)

3/10 Listen, I'll be frank. I don't like the trendy new poetry books. I'm a snobbish elite, an old person ranting about the established but that's my goddamn opinion. So I don't care for poems that are just run-on sentences, or even worse, just sentences but with space breaks in between. I don't like poems written by young adults where love is talked about like the greatest and worst thing on earth. It's fine if I see it on tumblr, but when it's a published book of poetry it just seems too much. There are a couple of verses and poems I like in here, but more than less I like it in the same sense I would click like on Instagram and move on.

The Hidden Life of Trees (Peter Wohlleben)

8.5/10 After reading his Hidden Life of Animals and really not having too high of an opinion of it, I was curious about the author's first work that made him notable in the first place. And after reading this one, I would totally agree with the general opinion. Unlike his Animals one, which I felt mainly provided anecdotes to concepts that were pretty widely agreed upon, this one actually provided some new knowledge. It's not groundbreaking to suggest that animals treasure their families and have human concepts of community, but it is interesting to have those ideas applied to trees and plants. Not to mention, this book provides far more scientific information to accompany the presentation. It briefly made me even want to go outside to look at real trees while reading this and any book that can make me even entertain the thought of hiking, however briefly, is a formidable one.

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on a roll

Wow two whole months of reading look at me go

February Book Reviews

Three Dark Crowns (Kendare Blake)

8/10 My first book for February and it was a solid YA fantasy novel! Consider me pleasantly surprised. I haven't really enjoyed YA Fantasy since I was in high school so I guess you could say they really know their target audience. When most plots are 'girl discovers she's the one, gets involved in drama (usually involving royalty), and there's at least two guys who fight over her', I can get pretty cynical. But the premise for this one starts out with three queens with different powers who have to fight for one throne. So I thought that well, the worst case scenario is that 'three girls discovers she's the one' and it'll still be a step up from the usual. Plus the cover looked nice. And luckily it was better than the worst case scenario! All three girls are equal protagonists with fleshed out personalities and characteristics. Their powers and backgrounds are varied enough to make it interesting, including the secondary characters around them. I wasn't even that bothered by the romance, which they didn't make integral to the plot. My favourite thing was that the book never presented you with a clear candidate to root for, and it made the book worth reading. Of course it's a YA fantasy novel so of course they have sequels (ugh), but fortunately the ending hooks weren't too 'cliffhanger' and good enough that I felt satisfied reading it. Overall a solid read, although perhaps I'd still only recommend it to people who enjoy YA fantasy or at least, people who once did.

It almost doesn't matter what happened in the beginning because Katherine's ending blew it out of the water like HOT DAMN GIRL. Crawling back from literally hell with her teeth clenched and fingernails broken, I love it. "I want my crown, and then I want my revenge." I LOVE IT. Can't say the same for Arsinoe, who was my least favourite (not that I hated her or anything), whose ending had a out of nowhere reveal that secretly she had a power all along. What kind of cliche?? Although in hindsight her name should've been a dead giveaway. It's literally like a letter away from arsenic. Mirabella I really like as well and I'm rooting for her bringing her sisters around. Rooting for that OT3 end!!

One Dark Throne (Kendare Blake)

5/10 It took everything I liked about the first book and abandoned it pretty much. It focused more on the romance, A LOT MORE, and Katherine's deal was kind of complicated and instead of the unique approach of fleshing out each of the three protagonists, it became more of a straightfoward linear story. It also focused a lot on one particular side character and while I feel the kind of 'plot twist' they have going for her, it really wasn't what I picked up this book to read about. It basically just became another average YA fantasy novel; with girls discovering she has a long lost power, guys fighting over girls...etc. Is it better because it's spread out amongst three (four?) characters? Eh, not to me. It's not bad, but it's not mindblowing. Instead of being pleasantly surprised at a refreshing take on a genre I previously considered stale and cliche, it just reinforced my prejudice.

ALSO they took my favourite thing, Katherine as hell personified and revenge deified, and MADE IT A BAD THING!! Like no!!! They were all like oh its some evil spirits possessing her and her boyfriend was totally not being evil by pushing her into a pit because that's how they were ~*raised*~ like shut up!!! And they made Arsinoe a bigger character but her character is just not unlikeable. Then the hope I had of Mirabella's sweetness managing to band the sisters together to take down the world together was......not realized. Of course making the 'real' heroine be some side character, sure that's a bold move but she's not even that compelling of a character. NOT TO mention the new side character's power is some ooh ancient power that hasn't been used in forever oooh. Ugh.

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House (Alyssa Mastromonaco)

3/10 A long-winded title and a long-winded book. I really did not enjoy this book. It may sound mean, but just reading through the first chapter and...it just sounds like a white lady wrote this. And not in a good way. I can't pin down anything specific but I disliked the author not even halfway through the book. Once again, I go back to expectations vs reality when it comes to books. I picked it up hoping it would be a thoughtful and interesting look into what it's like working closely to President Obama on Capitol Hill. Instead what I got was pages of the life and detailed health issues of some lady I've never heard of with some stories of the president in between. It really sounds mean, but I seriously do not care. I didn't come here for her biography, although I'm sure she feels like this is her biography. There's literally a chapter titled "Some Personal Shit You Should Probably Know". No, I really don't. And certainly, as woman working in a male dominated space, there should be plenty of surprising stories - or at least some that'd make you go 'hey I didn't think of that.' But other than some stuff about tampons, there really wasn't anything that jumped out at me. The only thing I took away from the book was like man I sure wish Obama was still the POTUS and I'm not even American.

The Mistletoe Murders and Other Stories (P.D. James)

6.5/10 It delivered on what was promised: short murder stories styled after the classic authors of the Golden Age of Mystery. Although none were particularly outstanding or memorable, each was pretty solid and made for a fun read. There were a couple stories that seemed more open-ended than I'd liked but on a whole I was pretty satisfied. I got what I came for. I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for a tasty bite-sized mystery. It's nothing too suspenseful, plot filled, or action-packed. I think the book's own closing remark summed it up best: "My dear Aunt Jane, I don't think I'll ever have another case like it. It was pure Agatha Christie."

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (J.D. Vance)

6/10 A fairly interesting and dramatic portrayal of the author's life growing up in the working class white families of America's Rust Belt. The author takes derogatory terms like 'hillbilly', 'redneck' and 'white trash' and not only illustrates their nuances but also wears them like pride. Through the retelling of his childhood growing up in Middle America, he examines the social, economic and cultural changes happening in the not insignificant portion of the population living there. Although I felt removed, again due to it being set in America with heavy emphasis on American culture, it was a thought provoking look into a vastly different way of life. However, I also felt that because his experience is so deeply personal, he tends to lean too heavily on the idea that many of the poor are poor because they choose to be. He repeats a dangerous rhetoric without fully fleshing out both sides of the argument but at the same time generalizing his experiences as a representative of his particular culture. It feels ultimately one-sided. Still, it's an absorbing read, with a dysfunctional family and a narrative about moving through class barriers to the top. But I think it's a good idea to keep in mind that it's not without its flaws and it is only one story out of countless others.

Norse Mythology (Neil Gaiman)

7/10 On the surface, this feels like a very basic introduction to Norse mythology. The major players are present and the most famous stories are included, or as many as possible in less than 300 pages. The stories are written very simply, without the typical gravitas or fantastical language usually reserved for myths and legends. There's parts of the dialogue that even sound modern, usually for comedic effect ("Thor, shut up"). I feel like it's a very good book for kids to read as their first look at Norse mythology. But despite the simplicity of it, there were certain lines and certain parts that stood out to me. I especially enjoyed the references to Ragnarok the most and they stuck with me the most. To quote the author himself, "It was the fact that the world and the story ends, and the way that it ends and is reborn, that made the gods and the frost giants and the rest of them tragic heroes, tragic villains."
Also, if you're a fan of Marvel's Thor movies, you'll probably enjoy the way Thor and Loki are written here. The uncomplicated writing style makes the characters seem very human, and it's not hard imagining Marvel's Loki and Thor in many of their exchanges like this one: “'I hope you know what you are doing.' 'Of course I do,' said Thor. But he didn’t. He was just doing whatever he felt like doing. That was what Thor did best."

Dear Ijeawele, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)

6.5/10 A basic but solid introduction to feminist ideas. It doesn't go too in-depth, which I mean, what do you expect from 80 small pages? But it has some pretty good ideas for not just being feminist but generally a good human being. It's nothing too mindblowing, but I'd recommend it for people who are raising children themselves which is the premise of the book. If parents could keep some of these ideas in mind while teaching their daughters or sons, it probably wouldn't hurt.

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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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because I wanna show off that I read now

Summer Book Reviews (a.k.a that time on a two day train ride without internet)

Animal Farm (George Orwell)

7/10 I don't really know what to tell you. I mean, I guess I can tell why it's super famous and literary but it's not exactly a book that fills me with enthusiasm. It was easy to read and intensely heavy-handed with the communism metaphor. Like it could not be more transparent if it tried. Like 'oooh I wonder what subtle meaning is behind these pigs trying to seize the means of production'. It ain't that deep fam. But I gotta admit, the ending scene *SPOILER ALERT I guess? Who cares??* where the animals can't distinguish between the pigs and the humans & the scene where the crow reads the commandments was pretty good. 7/10 for its re-readability but 10/10 would make high schoolers write essays on.

At the Mountains of Madness (HP Lovecraft)

6/10 I gotta say, for my first HP Lovecraft novel, it kind of let me down. I mean, Lovecraft's name is pretty much synonymous with horror but at no point did I feel scared reading this book. I've read creepypastas that left me with deeper impressions. I mean part of it could be the way I read. It's written in a fairly dry and almost scientific tone with lots of long descriptions that usually lose me. It's one of those books you need to pay attention to so you can fully visualize the full imagery and effect. I enjoyed the eventual 'twist' but I thought most of the horror seemed informed, like the narrator keeps telling us how scary it is and how his tale is meant to warn people never to go there but tbh I'm like it sounds pretty cool. It ain't an Antarctica tour until you see some six foot tall albino blind penguins.

The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins)

4.5/10 "Beautiful sunshine, cloudless skies, no one to play with, nothing to do. Living like this, the way I'm living at the moment, is harder in the summer when there is so much daylight, so little cover of darkness, when everyone is out and about, being flagrantly, aggressively, happy." Honestly, for such a popular book, I really didn't enjoy it all that much. Sure there was some tension and mystery but it mostly stemmed from the unreliable narrator. And I did not like the narrator. Her lives, and the other lives of the other characters in the story didn't interest me all too much. Neither one of the POV characters captured my attention with their various issues with their marriages. The only thing that was memorable and that I enjoyed was the brief moment of understanding between the two women that came at the very end. But although the ending was alright, the rest of the book was not worth the slog through to get to it.

The Handmaiden's Tale (Margaret Atwood)

6.5/10 I'm not a huge fan of dystopia settings but this book did a pretty good job of the set up. It had an interesting premise and solid world building. But that's pretty much it. I felt like most of its appeal comes from the idea of it rather than what little plot actually happened in the book. Also I always appreciate metaphors for women supporting women and taking control of their bodies and their lives. I also enjoyed the faux academic epilogue and the flashback mixed with present style narration.

Appointment with Death (Agatha Christie)

3/10 My main draw towards Christie's works is that they're usually short and contained, like a completed meal made by a solid English housekeeper (as a person who's read lots of her books but is a terrible writer might say). But this book just dragged on and on. I felt like I was the one getting heat stroke in the desert heat instead of the characters. I really stopped caring who was the murderer halfway through. The ending was cute though, as happy endings usually are or it could've been my relief at it finally ending.

At Bertram's Hotel (Agatha Christie)

4/10 You can't just say it's a Miss Marple mystery and just have her play a role that amounts to a cameo. She wasn't even a secondary character, more like a third. Also a story that dragged on and the lack of my favourite elderly detective just made it worse. I ultimately liked the whole web connecting the various mysteries but I didn't really care about each mystery enough to do anything other than just wait for the solution to be presented to me.

By the Pricking of My Thumbs (Agatha Christie)

3/10 I'll be honest, I don't like any of her Tommy and Tuppence mysteries. The only reason why I even read it was because I'm working through her entire bibliography. I...don't even remember what happened in this one. I'm just giving it a rating to seem kind. I'm sorry I'm the worst reader.

Points and Lines (Seicho Matsumoto)

5/10 A decent mystery novel and by decent I truly mean it. It was so standard decent mystery novel that it could've been used as an example of mystery novels in an encyclopedia. A smug suspect, an 'airtight' alibi, the determined detective, the one weak point, the real murderer - THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH!! I might of liked it more if the alibi didn't depend entirely on the schedules of the Japanese subway system. If Victim A left the Atami station at 8:34 and Suspect A got on at the Keirinjo-Mae station at 9:27 and it only takes 8 minutes and 14 seconds to travel to Shizuoka then using non-linear algebra calculate WHO WAS PHONE?? Did I say this novel could be in an encyclopedia? I lied. This is the weirdest math book I've ever read.

To the Sky Kingdom (Tang Qi)

6.5/10 I'm so weak for shoujo sometimes. I read it because I enjoyed the Chinese drama (Three Lives, Three Worlds: Ten Miles Peach Blossoms) based off the book a lot. But I'm the first to admit even the drama wasn't exactly a masterpiece. This ain't no Nirvana in Fire. But it is sugary, typical, fantasy shoujo with the standard power-ups, villainous side ladies, misunderstandings and true loves. I gotta say, I enjoyed the drama more because they added a lot more filler to the MC's time in the mortal world. Normally filler is the devil's work and it's the worst part of any series and this was even true in this drama towards the ending. But! The exception is her life as a mortal because it was hands down my favourite part of the entire series. I just love that angst so much. Unfortunately the original work kept that part relatively short compared to the rest. On the plus side, they also didn't have the entire filler relationship between two side characters that started out okay and just........Anyway, a relatively easy read.

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1 and 1/2 cents

I'm moving my book reviews from LJ to here because LJ lost one of my drafts and I knew it was only a matter of time before the lack of a save button got to me.

Naming this blog Okay Reads because all my ratings on Goodreads are super low. It's not even because I keep reading bad books or my standards are really high (I think). I'm just a fastidious fucking nerd who's too afraid to give things a 1 or a 5 because there's always some detail to consider when giving a max score (in either direction). Also a fainthearted nerd who's too afraid of criticism so I'm posting my reviews in the safespace of a personal blog rather than a public review site visited by thousands.

By the way my review system is this:

5 STARS = 10 -  9 "Loved it! Would recommend." [Although I'm way too much of a neutralist to really fully think something is perfect, like I'll always find some flaw or reason why someone else might dislike something, so the highest score is actually 9.5]

4 STARS = 8 - 7 "Really enjoyed it! Would recommend depending on the person"

3 STARS = 6 - 5 "Average. Didn't hate it. Might recommend to someone who's really into the premise."

2 STARS = 4 - 3 "Didn't like it but it had some good points that other people might like but I wasn't into. Maybe the subject/premise was pretty good but had poor execution."

1 STARS = 2 - 1 "Hated it. My time was wasted reading this. Would actively warn people against it."

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