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akira_outofthegravity's reviews
173 reviews
Sweat and Soap, Vol. 2 by Kintetsu Yamada
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.75
So cute!! Kieta is a great brother and his over protective nature wasn’t creepy either, since it was based in the fact that Asako was treated badly not because he’s a creep or whatever.
I really liked this volume, and Kotaro is really cute 🥰
I really liked this volume, and Kotaro is really cute 🥰
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Sweat and Soap, Vol. 1 by Kintetsu Yamada
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.75
This is super cute. I thought it would be weirder, but Natori not being a total perv definitely made the whole concept way less creepy. Natori is very sweet and caring, and he never pushes Asako into anything- when he does (unknowingly) she pushes him away.
Very cute and I’m excited to see where it goes! I would rate this 5 stars but tbh I’m embarrassed to have this as one of my favourite reads ever.
My favourite quote:
Very cute and I’m excited to see where it goes! I would rate this 5 stars but tbh I’m embarrassed to have this as one of my favourite reads ever.
My favourite quote:
“This is…the ladies room…
Well, it’s unisex now!”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It took me ages to finally get into this book, but once I did I ripped through it like I was wearing my own pair of Seven League Boots.
I love Sophie and Howl, I love how pathetic Howl is and I love that he’s just a slightly weird Welsh guy. I think that the plot was good, and I liked the amount of foreshadowing, it was very clever!!
In the end Howl’s romance with Sophie doesn’t come out of nowhere, actually the way he tried to work things out does make sense with his character, but I felt myself wanting more. Though I suppose that’s what the movie and fanfic is for.
I won’t read the others, probably, but this will remain a fond memory, and perhaps in future a reread.
I love Sophie and Howl, I love how pathetic Howl is and I love that he’s just a slightly weird Welsh guy. I think that the plot was good, and I liked the amount of foreshadowing, it was very clever!!
In the end Howl’s romance with Sophie doesn’t come out of nowhere, actually the way he tried to work things out does make sense with his character, but I felt myself wanting more. Though I suppose that’s what the movie and fanfic is for.
I won’t read the others, probably, but this will remain a fond memory, and perhaps in future a reread.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A great book! I felt it gave way more depth to all the characters than the film did- Clarice in particular.
Clarice is so much more three-dimensional, making for a much more interesting read than I imagined. Furthermore I loved her friendship with Ardelia, and I would love a tv show about this book to really pace it properly, and to include all the small details the movie missed. But I love both, and both have their flaws and strengths.
As a closing note, I also don’t find it particularly transphobic. It’s not ideal language, no, but I think to simply call it “transphobic” is reductive and flat. But that’s just my opinion, and people are more than welcome to disagree.
Clarice is so much more three-dimensional, making for a much more interesting read than I imagined. Furthermore I loved her friendship with Ardelia, and I would love a tv show about this book to really pace it properly, and to include all the small details the movie missed. But I love both, and both have their flaws and strengths.
As a closing note, I also don’t find it particularly transphobic. It’s not ideal language, no, but I think to simply call it “transphobic” is reductive and flat. But that’s just my opinion, and people are more than welcome to disagree.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Confinement, Fatphobia, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia and Medical content
BJ Alex 1 by Mingwa
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Super toxic but it gets better as they go! So a low rating for this volume, but it will definitely increase 👀
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
4.25
I was never prepared for anything this book threw at me. When I prepared for the worst, I ended up laughing. When I was prepared for a funny story, I was hit the hardest.
This book is poignant and beautiful and fucking hilarious. Adam Kay is brilliant, and his writing style is fabulous. If you get the chance to see him live- which I have- do it!
This book is poignant and beautiful and fucking hilarious. Adam Kay is brilliant, and his writing style is fabulous. If you get the chance to see him live- which I have- do it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Miscarriage, Medical content, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Excrement, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abortion and Alcoholism
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
EDIT: I realise she is writing under a pseudonym, her real name being Rachel Hawkins. I’ve read Her Royal Highness, and thought it was much better. But suddenly the inaccurate, almost stereotypical, Welsh attributes make sense, as does the paper thin protagonist and rushed ending.
———
A very underwhelming book, and I wasn’t expecting much.
The thing I liked:
The feminist aspect. Rhys is very much just there for the ladies. All the sex (mentioned later in the review) is focused on Vivi’s pleasure, not Rhys’, actually he is never ever shown “getting off”. It’s all about her, her pleasure, and how Rhys pleasures her- which I thought was actually very refreshing.
The twist (if you can call it that? Not super mind blowing) is also very based in patriarchal standards which I liked. The women are all propelled through the story by their own wants and desires, and Viv is more than just Rhys’ love interest.
The thing I hated most about this book: All of the sex mentions.
Fucking Christ we know!! We know they bang! But every page it was talking about Rhys’ attraction to her, or vice versa. I am not a prude, nor do I dislike sex in books (see above) but come on. The ley lines scene in particular was very weird. Not to mention all the times where Rhys is fawning over Viv. Again, at times it was good- see above- but it got so tiring. I’d like to see if Erin Sterling can create a decent romance without mentioning sex every two seconds, then the romance may be fleshed out more. At the moment sex is a crutch for lazy writing and even lazier character development, of which there is very little.
Second criticism: the pacing. Very good first half (sex aside) but the second half seemed rushed. Especially the final act featuring the epilogue. I want to know what Simon thought about the ancestor, I wanted to see Gwyn and Jane work things out, I wanted to see more of the town. Instead it’s like “oop all tied up! Okay let’s end this as soon as we can.”
Third criticism: Erin Sterling seems to be afraid of meaningful conflict, or rather, afraid of writing characters being angry at each other. The initial conflict: Rhys is betrothed while having a fling with Viv, he tells her, she is upset, they fall out, cue the titular hex. But when Rhys returns she goes from angry (where she’s mad but actually secretly anxious for him) to having sex with him, then going “it was a mistake” then having more sex, et fin. It’s almost as if Sterling is afraid of creating scenarios where there is anger they can’t solve, and thus she makes all the situations where the anger is so soft that they have to solve it. Example: the last conflict where Rhys cracks jokes about the curse and Viv gets upset and leaves. Rhys’ immaturity is never brought up before then, in fact aside from the initial incident, his immaturity in how much he ogles Viv is rewarded by her, and it is solved almost immediately by someone else telling him he’s being a dick and him going “yup you’re right”. That is the only development in the whole book.
Viv is complicated in that I love her feminist personality- brash, confident with what she wants and deserves- but at the same time she is thinking about sex all the time and we don’t get any kind of development from her. Why was her magic stunted in the beginning of the book? Why did her mother fear magic? What happened to her parents? There’s times where I loved her wittiness, and others where I hated how devolved into a sex addict she was.
Overall, good bits but in general a very disappointing read. I’m not regretful, but it’s underwhelming, filled with cringe sex mentions, and a plot that is paper thin and solved almost immediately.
———
A very underwhelming book, and I wasn’t expecting much.
The thing I liked:
The feminist aspect. Rhys is very much just there for the ladies. All the sex (mentioned later in the review) is focused on Vivi’s pleasure, not Rhys’, actually he is never ever shown “getting off”. It’s all about her, her pleasure, and how Rhys pleasures her- which I thought was actually very refreshing.
The twist (if you can call it that? Not super mind blowing) is also very based in patriarchal standards which I liked. The women are all propelled through the story by their own wants and desires, and Viv is more than just Rhys’ love interest.
The thing I hated most about this book: All of the sex mentions.
Fucking Christ we know!! We know they bang! But every page it was talking about Rhys’ attraction to her, or vice versa. I am not a prude, nor do I dislike sex in books (see above) but come on. The ley lines scene in particular was very weird. Not to mention all the times where Rhys is fawning over Viv. Again, at times it was good- see above- but it got so tiring. I’d like to see if Erin Sterling can create a decent romance without mentioning sex every two seconds, then the romance may be fleshed out more. At the moment sex is a crutch for lazy writing and even lazier character development, of which there is very little.
Second criticism: the pacing. Very good first half (sex aside) but the second half seemed rushed. Especially the final act featuring the epilogue. I want to know what Simon thought about the ancestor, I wanted to see Gwyn and Jane work things out, I wanted to see more of the town. Instead it’s like “oop all tied up! Okay let’s end this as soon as we can.”
Third criticism: Erin Sterling seems to be afraid of meaningful conflict, or rather, afraid of writing characters being angry at each other. The initial conflict: Rhys is betrothed while having a fling with Viv, he tells her, she is upset, they fall out, cue the titular hex. But when Rhys returns she goes from angry (where she’s mad but actually secretly anxious for him) to having sex with him, then going “it was a mistake” then having more sex, et fin. It’s almost as if Sterling is afraid of creating scenarios where there is anger they can’t solve, and thus she makes all the situations where the anger is so soft that they have to solve it. Example: the last conflict where Rhys cracks jokes about the curse and Viv gets upset and leaves. Rhys’ immaturity is never brought up before then, in fact aside from the initial incident, his immaturity in how much he ogles Viv is rewarded by her, and it is solved almost immediately by someone else telling him he’s being a dick and him going “yup you’re right”. That is the only development in the whole book.
Viv is complicated in that I love her feminist personality- brash, confident with what she wants and deserves- but at the same time she is thinking about sex all the time and we don’t get any kind of development from her. Why was her magic stunted in the beginning of the book? Why did her mother fear magic? What happened to her parents? There’s times where I loved her wittiness, and others where I hated how devolved into a sex addict she was.
Overall, good bits but in general a very disappointing read. I’m not regretful, but it’s underwhelming, filled with cringe sex mentions, and a plot that is paper thin and solved almost immediately.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Wow. First of all, my praises: I’m very sceptical of books by famous people, especially famous people who aren’t already authors. When Richard Osman (who I like in House of Games, and WILTY) announced he wrote a book I was indeed very sceptical. However, the TMC totally surprised me.
The four main characters are all very distinct, slightly unlikable but that just makes them even more likeable! My only criticism is that I wish we saw more of Ibrahim- my favourite. Donna and Chris made for some good comic relief, and Bogdan was a nice character I felt a lot for despite not being in the book very much.
The plot was good, as a connoisseur of the crime genre I did enjoy it. The perspective of elderly people (think Miss Marple) in a retirement home trying to solve a murder is very charming, and Osman makes it exciting, in a kind of adorable old person way.
My one main criticism is that the book was slightly too long. Perhaps this is my fault for taking a reading break halfway through, but it does start to lose steam round about the 250 page mark. It’s really good, the murder happens, the second murder happens, a whole lot of nothing happens, build up to resolution, then it ends. I think some of Chris and Donna could have easily been taken out. I liked them, but they didn’t add much beside comic relief. It was a bit of a slog at points, but I’m glad I finished it.
Be warned though, it’s surprisingly sad.
the amount of old people killing themselves, as a mercy kill (?) is more than expected- Bernard, John, wnd I guess technically Penny. I’m not sure if I like it or not. In that, I’m not sure if Bernard was supposed to maybe foreshadow John’s death? I liked the detail with Penny, and I’m glad a character so close to Elizabeth had some major significance, but the amount of suicide was a bit intense- especially in a a fairly lighthearted book about seniors. Though I suppose it does open up that conversation.
The four main characters are all very distinct, slightly unlikable but that just makes them even more likeable! My only criticism is that I wish we saw more of Ibrahim- my favourite. Donna and Chris made for some good comic relief, and Bogdan was a nice character I felt a lot for despite not being in the book very much.
The plot was good, as a connoisseur of the crime genre I did enjoy it. The perspective of elderly people (think Miss Marple) in a retirement home trying to solve a murder is very charming, and Osman makes it exciting, in a kind of adorable old person way.
My one main criticism is that the book was slightly too long. Perhaps this is my fault for taking a reading break halfway through, but it does start to lose steam round about the 250 page mark. It’s really good, the murder happens, the second murder happens, a whole lot of nothing happens, build up to resolution, then it ends. I think some of Chris and Donna could have easily been taken out. I liked them, but they didn’t add much beside comic relief. It was a bit of a slog at points, but I’m glad I finished it.
Be warned though, it’s surprisingly sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Suicide
Moderate: Dementia
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A really good read!! Took me a while to get into it but I really enjoyed it. This is my first Ann Cleeves work (outside of the tv series of Vera) and I have to say it’s no wonder how they’re adapted so well. Cleeves’ style is very matter of fact, which takes some getting used to- I like flowery writing myself, but it seemed appropriate for the subject matter I suppose.
As for the plot I have to say I’m very proud of myself for guessing most of who’s involved. The final “twist” -if you can call it that- had me both repulsed and also wondering how I could have missed it. I loved the themes of abuse in this book, doesn’t sugar coat it, Cleeves distinctly calls out the homophobia and covert homophobia (referring to Jon as Matts “partner”, the harassment of women - particularly disabled women, as well as the infantilisation of disabled women and those with mental illness. As someone with mental illness I thought that point was particularly interesting.
The saviour complex shown by the characters is really interesting, and Cleeves calls it out in no uncertain terms. I thought Ross was really interesting, being this spoiled brat, essentially, but who’s actually being manipulated (at least in some capacity) by his boss who he feels in debt to. I liked him more by the end, and I feel like he’ll get some more development as the series goes on.
Jen was also very interesting. A very judgemental woman who’s actively trying to better herself, while struggling with being a woman on the force. Her relating everything to her domestic abuse (I suppose PTSD, even if it’s never outright stated) gave a lot of depth to the character and you could really feel her anger, and her desperation to get on with her kids. Again, I liked her more as the book went on, I loved that she was angry. Seems like we never get angry women, and it was a breath of fresh air.
I’m a little uncertain about Jon, there were a couple of points where I was hoping that what Cleeves was alluding to was in fact residue from Matts childhood (not being demanding with Jon, Jon losing his temper, etc) and not hints that their relationship was actually abusive. I’m hoping I’m misinterpreting it. But as a gay reader I’m constantly scared that the gay characters will be thrown under the bus. Nevertheless I’m excited to read the next book, and to watch the series which starts next week! (Monday the 23rd October).
As for the plot I have to say I’m very proud of myself for guessing most of who’s involved. The final “twist” -if you can call it that- had me both repulsed and also wondering how I could have missed it. I loved the themes of abuse in this book, doesn’t sugar coat it, Cleeves distinctly calls out the homophobia and covert homophobia (referring to Jon as Matts “partner”, the harassment of women - particularly disabled women, as well as the infantilisation of disabled women and those with mental illness. As someone with mental illness I thought that point was particularly interesting.
The saviour complex shown by the characters is really interesting, and Cleeves calls it out in no uncertain terms. I thought Ross was really interesting, being this spoiled brat, essentially, but who’s actually being manipulated (at least in some capacity) by his boss who he feels in debt to. I liked him more by the end, and I feel like he’ll get some more development as the series goes on.
Jen was also very interesting. A very judgemental woman who’s actively trying to better herself, while struggling with being a woman on the force. Her relating everything to her domestic abuse (I suppose PTSD, even if it’s never outright stated) gave a lot of depth to the character and you could really feel her anger, and her desperation to get on with her kids. Again, I liked her more as the book went on, I loved that she was angry. Seems like we never get angry women, and it was a breath of fresh air.
I’m a little uncertain about Jon, there were a couple of points where I was hoping that what Cleeves was alluding to was in fact residue from Matts childhood (not being demanding with Jon, Jon losing his temper, etc) and not hints that their relationship was actually abusive. I’m hoping I’m misinterpreting it. But as a gay reader I’m constantly scared that the gay characters will be thrown under the bus. Nevertheless I’m excited to read the next book, and to watch the series which starts next week! (Monday the 23rd October).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare Vol. 2 by Yuhki Kamatani
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first volume, but I really like how it tackles the problem of misogyny, which is startlingly common among gay men. It’s an overlooked problem that I’m glad is addressed in such a profound and very out-there way. There’s no way to defend it, and it’s uncomfortable- as it should be
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Transphobia, and Homophobia
The words “fag” and “homo” are thrown about, meant to be in a very casual way. At the end, a character calls the main character a “faggot” as way of an attack.