Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Five Tuesdays in Winter

Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King

29 reviews

libbyhb's review

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is such a cozy set of stories. I was immediately drawn into the way Lily King writes (this is my first time reading her) - it's simple, but illustrative and emotionally grounded. I felt like I could relate so strongly to certain moments in each story, even if the character wasn't that similar to me. I especially loved Creature, Five Tuesdays in Winter, and When in the Dordogne. I picked this up on an impulse after seeing a booktuber talk about it, and immediately put Writers & Lovers on hold after finishing it. I can definitely see Lily King becoming a new favorite author of mine.

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sjanke2's review

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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lucyduller's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

It's a book with stories about love, all the kinds of love, ugly, beautiful and flawed. But gosh, it's so much more. I loved Hotel Seattle the most, I think it was the first one I read and realised the genius of Lily King. Some of them I was left feeling uncomfy and tense, although I think that was the point.
The last story was another favourite, I didn't get it until the very end, I think because I was trying to rush it slightly. But wow, it left me feeling stunned.
So many nuances, love at different ages, my first Lily King read but certainly not my last.
Perfect to read in February, it provides some warmth in these cold months, but also embraces the dready bleakness of this time of year. So well done.

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sdwerner's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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ellalucys's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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ksheaffs's review

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emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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bella_cavicchi's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I've recommended Lily King's wonderful Writers & Lovers more times than I can count. Her writing appears effortless, and I think she has a real knack for crafting characters that are as flawed as you and me because ... that's being human! The same is true in her short story collection, which houses many, many a gem. (I mean, "When in the Dordogne"! Just excellent.)

I appreciate another reviewer who noted that the nostalgia in which these stories seep -- they are all set in a somewhat distant past of the 50s-90s -- also captures a distinct culture of whiteness. And while I don't think that's a "bad" thing (that is, that it is a collection of white stories), finishing it has me interrogating once again the "classic" literary style/tradition it seeks to emulate. If you pick it up -- and I hope you do! -- I urge you to do the same.

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onmalsshelf's review

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challenging tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The last one was my favorite (would rate that one 5 stars alone), but I found the others ended very abruptly. I usually love short stories that have an ambiguous ending, but when they all have an ambiguous ending, it’s hard to connect with them.

Maybe I had my hopes set too high with how many people have raved about her writing? Maybe Milk Blood Heat just set my hopes for short story releases too high in 2021?

I hope Writers and Lovers is better suited to my tastes as it sits on my shelf right now

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kayleigh_is_booked's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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