__niii__'s reviews
29 reviews

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee

reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

It was a therapy session. And just like that it was reflective, sad and frustrating (in a good way). I almost forgot that she is published writer with a successful book that has been translated in many languages. That’s the definition of success in my head but her thoughts made me think ‘ya same’.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I did not want it to end. I want to start it again after just finishing it. The ending was cathartic for me for some reason. But it was so good. It was like I was wrapped up in this world and it feels painful to leave it behind.

Blueberries: Essays Concerning Understanding by Ellena Savage
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.

I did not like the way she was using (or not using punctuation). The formatting in the fifth essay was super off. I don’t if it was my digital copy or the actual publication was like that. Anyway I just found what the author was saying annoying for some reason. She reminded me a bit of myself as well. She made some good points other than that I was just slugging through.

Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century by Helen Thompson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.

The book is not for beginners. You need prior knowledge of history, geopolitics and understanding of economics and financial concepts. It is interesting but as I kept reading I realised that the vast majority of the book was going over my head. I will come back and try reading it again but not now. 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

The tension was palpable throughout the story. I couldn’t guess who it was till the end even though I had gotten a little spoiler and was reading it just for the vibes. Nope, no idea till the end. It was a great read. Finished it in a day. I just love her books. 

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

funny informative inspiring fast-paced

4.75

It was a funny and heavy read at the same time. The essays were lighthearted at first and then got heavier and heavier. I felt rage and helplessness and still kept reading. They were about books, movies, games, journalism, social media and they were about race, gender, crime, birth control. It felt like a conversation I have with friends about my helplessness and frustrations about being a woman. I think that’s the greatest testimony to the writing that even after being such a smart academic her writings felt like that of a friend. It’s not an in-depth exploration that goes into solution finding but a reassurance that even if flawed you’re feminism is still needed.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Misogyny, and Rape

Anti-Intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter

challenging informative slow-paced

2.75

I first want to preface that if you’re not in academia this is gonna be hard to read. It was published in the sixties so the language is hard to understand. It requires you to have some background knowledge about American history, Christianity and politics which I do not have. I think I couldn’t get used to the chronology till the end. Just when I seem to understand one period or a presidential term he starts moving on to the next one. By the end I was skimming and did not care for what was being said. I was probably not the target audience but I did care enough to finish so take what you will from that. 

Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

The book was lighthearted and funny. There were moments where I laughed, grinned and blushed. I think the chemistry was slow for the first 60% of the novel and it accelerated 70% in. It surprised me as they were still being rude to each three chapters before and then started being super passionate. The author did lay the groundwork through the entire story so it was not totally unexpected just a bit rushed for how slowly it was happening before. But that could just be me as well. Overall I really enjoyed the book. This was my first fantasy and it was a fun intro into the genre. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

The writing was flowery which was a delight to read at first but then it got boring soon. It took some effort to read, maybe that’s why I grew tired of the writing towards the end. At times it was hard to understand and the flowery writing seemed pointless. 
The pacing of the book was medium at first, then really boring in the middle and it gets fast paced at the end. I didn’t like any of the characters except for one which was the point of the book but (spoiler alert: I wanted them to have a tragic ending but they did not and that really pissed me off and my favourite character did not get any redemption). Anyway I had heard universal praises for the book so my expectations were really high and  then they weren’t met. I’ll probably read it again to see if I can appreciate it more the second time. 
I did appreciate what Wilde has to say about beauty but I was sick of reading for the umpteenth time that old people are supposedly the most vile creatures on earth which I recognise is a me problem not the book. Overall a good book as it evoked a lot of feelings in me. 

The Saffron Tide by Kingshuk Nag

informative reflective fast-paced

3.5

I really enjoyed reading it. I’m not sure about the political leanings of the author but he seemed sufficiently neutral. The book gives enough details but does not overwhelm you. It has a broad chronology that it follows in terms of the chapters but within the chapters the writing is more meandering. There are very few grammatical mistakes but they are there. Overall I think it’s a good starting point into the host of the party.