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ailurolily's reviews
150 reviews
The Birds by Daphne du Maurier
3.25
ok I don't remember much from The Birds. I wasn't too engaged, but I'm not a massive horror fan so that probably contributed a lot to my apathy towards it. I'm also a big reader of character focused stories, so if the characters don't excite me, I'm out. not a bad story by any means, though, don't get me wrong
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
this one was such a mixed bag because although I found myself really glued to the story, it seemed like it just wasn't getting to the point. there were far too many scenes that didn't advance the mystery or provide major insight into the characters. they just read like filler. because of this it really felt like it dragged the whole way through.
throughout reading it I was totally ready to give it 4 stars just for how engaging it was, but after finishing I realized it wasnt quite worth that much. the thing that really solidified my choice was the ending. I HATED the ending. It has the same twist ending as another booktok book I read (though I won't say what that one was since I don't want to spoil anything), and I just despised it.
throughout reading it I was totally ready to give it 4 stars just for how engaging it was, but after finishing I realized it wasnt quite worth that much. the thing that really solidified my choice was the ending. I HATED the ending. It has the same twist ending as another booktok book I read (though I won't say what that one was since I don't want to spoil anything), and I just despised it.
Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a pretty solid introduction into tawny man. it could've been more, but I did really enjoy reading this one. It definitely dragged a bit in the beginning but this is Hobb so you don't exactly go into it expecting it to be some fast paced adventure. and I mean, at least it isn't Assassin's Quest level of dragging, am I right?
I'm excited to see where this series goes now!! I just know the books are only going to improve as I go on
I'm excited to see where this series goes now!! I just know the books are only going to improve as I go on
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was a sweet, sad, but in the end hopeful kind of book. I started reading it because it sounded interesting, then a few weeks later I found my book club was going to discuss it at the next meeting! Good timing, I'd say lol
There was a brief period where I took a short break from it since I wasn't entirely sure if it was clicking with me, and honestly I was considering dropping it. The main reason I picked it back up though was because my book club was reading it. I'm glad I stuck it through to the end though because it was overall an enjoyable read.
my primary positive about this book was just the raw hopefulness it exudes. It shows how the lonely people, grieving people, and people struggling to find their place in the world end up finding community, value, and peace. It was a very wholesome read, despite some of the heavy topics it covers.
I do really love the main characters of this story as well. Marcellus was a king, Ethan was a simple but loveable fella, Cameron was VERY frustrating at times, but I ended up somewhat liking him in the end. And, of course, Tova was a badass old woman.
Despite the loveable main characters, many of the side characters were pretty flat. This didn't ruin the book for me, but it was a bit of a weak point in it imo. Since it was primarily about Cameron's and Tova's journey, I don't really see it as a huuuge flaw that the other characters weren't the most developed, it can just be annoying to see simple caricatures of people and did sightly taint the book for me
(I say slightly. this still was an overall good read that I'd recommend)
There was a brief period where I took a short break from it since I wasn't entirely sure if it was clicking with me, and honestly I was considering dropping it. The main reason I picked it back up though was because my book club was reading it. I'm glad I stuck it through to the end though because it was overall an enjoyable read.
my primary positive about this book was just the raw hopefulness it exudes. It shows how the lonely people, grieving people, and people struggling to find their place in the world end up finding community, value, and peace. It was a very wholesome read, despite some of the heavy topics it covers.
I do really love the main characters of this story as well. Marcellus was a king, Ethan was a simple but loveable fella, Cameron was VERY frustrating at times, but I ended up somewhat liking him in the end. And, of course, Tova was a badass old woman.
Despite the loveable main characters, many of the side characters were pretty flat. This didn't ruin the book for me, but it was a bit of a weak point in it imo. Since it was primarily about Cameron's and Tova's journey, I don't really see it as a huuuge flaw that the other characters weren't the most developed, it can just be annoying to see simple caricatures of people and did sightly taint the book for me
(I say slightly. this still was an overall good read that I'd recommend)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Cancer
Minor: Drug abuse
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
In the end I found I wasn't particularly excited to read it. I think this may have more to do with the writing and characters than the mystery (the mystery is still intriguing so I get why people enjoy it). I'm halfway through the book and most of the characters fall flat to me
Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
No. Just... no.
I wanted to like it, and I still am curious about how the story unfolds, but god some of the writing was SO unbelievably cringy. For example:
I wanted to like it, and I still am curious about how the story unfolds, but god some of the writing was SO unbelievably cringy. For example:
"Crap crap fudging bugger monkeypoo crapola arse chops . . . I just accidentally liked one of her photos from five years ago. Damn it. Could I look any more like a stalker??? I’ve un-liked it now but she’ll still get the notification. Grr, laptop/ tablet hybrids with touch screens are ABSOLUTELY HAZARDOUS to the casual Facebook prowler."
‘Why are you being nice to me? What do you want?’‘Nothing,’ Pip laughed. ‘I’m just asking how football was.’‘No,’ Zach butted in, ‘that’s far too friendly for you. Something’s up.’‘Nothing’s up.’ She shrugged. ‘Only the national debt and global sea levels.’
In the end I found I wasn't particularly excited to read it. I think this may have more to do with the writing and characters than the mystery (the mystery is still intriguing so I get why people enjoy it). I'm halfway through the book and most of the characters fall flat to me
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
I'm not as invested in the story as I hoped I'd be. I plan to circle back to it eventually, but right now it's just a chore to read and when I do read it, it's out of some obligation to finish it rather than an enjoyment of the book itself.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Interesting book, for sure, but I do struggle to see where all the hype lies for it. I'm not used to reading short stories, so most of my criticisms may may be due to the different medium.
One example is that the characters all felt very same-y story to story, but character focus wasn't necessarily the aim (and is difficult to manage in shorter stories due to the minimized length). Since I tend to enjoy very character-focused books, I think this was one of the reasons it didn't really click for me.
The prose also felt somewhat... dry to me? It felt like I was reading a non-fiction article or paper. Like the author was explaining something to me, rather than the story take a natural approach. And this would have been fine for a few of them, if it was about an old scientist writing in his diary, marking his discoveries, or a person recounting their past. But a majority of the stories were not like that. It just made each of them feel duller than they could have.
I can be really picky when it comes to prose, though, so take what you will from my review.
The main goal of this book was to give readers philosophies, moral questions, and ideas for us to ponder and I would say it successfully did that. While I wasn't blown away by any of thr stories, I know st least a few of them will stick in my mind for some time. Despite the low review, it's still worth a read for sure.
One example is that the characters all felt very same-y story to story, but character focus wasn't necessarily the aim (and is difficult to manage in shorter stories due to the minimized length). Since I tend to enjoy very character-focused books, I think this was one of the reasons it didn't really click for me.
The prose also felt somewhat... dry to me? It felt like I was reading a non-fiction article or paper. Like the author was explaining something to me, rather than the story take a natural approach. And this would have been fine for a few of them, if it was about an old scientist writing in his diary, marking his discoveries, or a person recounting their past. But a majority of the stories were not like that. It just made each of them feel duller than they could have.
I can be really picky when it comes to prose, though, so take what you will from my review.
The main goal of this book was to give readers philosophies, moral questions, and ideas for us to ponder and I would say it successfully did that. While I wasn't blown away by any of thr stories, I know st least a few of them will stick in my mind for some time. Despite the low review, it's still worth a read for sure.