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amyvl93's reviews
902 reviews
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was chosen as my local book club pick, and I quite enjoyed this look at the lives of women within the tight-knit, and conservative Sikh community in West London.
We follow Nikki, a young woman who has fled the expectations of her family by dropping out of university and getting a job in a pub whilst she tries to figure out what her passion is - much to the despair of her recently widowed Mum and tradition-loving sister. Her path ends up crossing with Kulwinder, a woman who has also recently experienced a loss of her own and who is looking to stay in favour with the gurdwara's community by putting on classes for the women of the community. Nikki takes the role of teaching the class, only to find her expectations and those of the women in the class are quite different.
Jaswal is great at drawing the central two protagonists; Nikki sometimes make decisions that are definitely less than smart but her heart seem to be in the right place, and Kulwinder's grief feels very well captured. Some of the other women that are within Nikki's writing group are less well drawn, although the overall theme of the novel - the negative impact of a culture that restricts female sexuality and lives comes through clearly through their stories.
The novel was at its best when it was focusing on the lives of the women in the writing class, and got slightly less coherent as the novel becomes a murder mystery (and attempted murder mystery) in the final few pages. I also felt that the excerpts of the stories that the women tell could have been a little shorter.
I did enjoy this novel, and would be keen to read more of Jaswal's work in the future.
We follow Nikki, a young woman who has fled the expectations of her family by dropping out of university and getting a job in a pub whilst she tries to figure out what her passion is - much to the despair of her recently widowed Mum and tradition-loving sister. Her path ends up crossing with Kulwinder, a woman who has also recently experienced a loss of her own and who is looking to stay in favour with the gurdwara's community by putting on classes for the women of the community. Nikki takes the role of teaching the class, only to find her expectations and those of the women in the class are quite different.
Jaswal is great at drawing the central two protagonists; Nikki sometimes make decisions that are definitely less than smart but her heart seem to be in the right place, and Kulwinder's grief feels very well captured. Some of the other women that are within Nikki's writing group are less well drawn, although the overall theme of the novel - the negative impact of a culture that restricts female sexuality and lives comes through clearly through their stories.
The novel was at its best when it was focusing on the lives of the women in the writing class, and got slightly less coherent as the novel becomes a murder mystery (and attempted murder mystery) in the final few pages. I also felt that the excerpts of the stories that the women tell could have been a little shorter.
I did enjoy this novel, and would be keen to read more of Jaswal's work in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Grief
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Murder
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
I love Curtis Sittenfeld so I was quite sad that this didn't hit as much as I was willing it to.
Romantic Comedy follows Sally, a resolutely single woman in her late 30s who writes for the regular comedy sketch show The Night Owls (aka SNL), who meets very famous pop singer Noah Brewster when he is the host and music guest one week in 2018. They appear to connect until they don't; before reconnecting during the pandemic. But famous hot men don't date normie women...right?
The normal person/famous person couple is a trope that is hugely popular in romcoms, and one that I usually enjoy but unfortunately for this book I just didn't feel the chemistry between Noah and Sally until fairly late in the novel. This may be because we're in Sally's head, but I also didn't feel that their conversations and even emails felt that flirty and romantic. Also whilst Sally was a times irritating, she did feel like a nuanced character - Noah had no shades of grey to him, which made him a slightly uninteresting character to root for.
There's also a whole lot of inside baseball about the making of comedy sketch shows which did feel a bit too detailed for my tastes, and whilst Sittenfeld definitely captures the anxiety of Covid-19 very well, there were a lot of topical references that felt a tad on the nose, although that may be because we're still very close to these events.
What worked well for me was the supporting characters; the rest of the writers & performers at The Night Owl, Sally's stepfather and beagle, and the entirely believable celebrity universe that Sittenfeld creates that sits around the characters.
I could see this being a, ahem, romantic comedy fluffy film but it didn't work overly well for me as a novel.
Romantic Comedy follows Sally, a resolutely single woman in her late 30s who writes for the regular comedy sketch show The Night Owls (aka SNL), who meets very famous pop singer Noah Brewster when he is the host and music guest one week in 2018. They appear to connect until they don't; before reconnecting during the pandemic. But famous hot men don't date normie women...right?
The normal person/famous person couple is a trope that is hugely popular in romcoms, and one that I usually enjoy but unfortunately for this book I just didn't feel the chemistry between Noah and Sally until fairly late in the novel. This may be because we're in Sally's head, but I also didn't feel that their conversations and even emails felt that flirty and romantic. Also whilst Sally was a times irritating, she did feel like a nuanced character - Noah had no shades of grey to him, which made him a slightly uninteresting character to root for.
There's also a whole lot of inside baseball about the making of comedy sketch shows which did feel a bit too detailed for my tastes, and whilst Sittenfeld definitely captures the anxiety of Covid-19 very well, there were a lot of topical references that felt a tad on the nose, although that may be because we're still very close to these events.
What worked well for me was the supporting characters; the rest of the writers & performers at The Night Owl, Sally's stepfather and beagle, and the entirely believable celebrity universe that Sittenfeld creates that sits around the characters.
I could see this being a, ahem, romantic comedy fluffy film but it didn't work overly well for me as a novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexism, and Death of parent
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One thing about me is that I love a novel which appears to be one thing but that hits you with something else; I'd heard Writers & Lovers talked about as a romance novel, and whilst romantic relationships are very central - this novel is almost a coming-of-age novel for Casey, who is in her early 30s and grappling with the aftermath of the surprise loss of her mother and heartbreak whilst also wanting to finally complete her novel.
What really struck me about Writers & Lovers is how well and rolling grief is captured here, it feels very authentic and doesn't easily sleep away - the moment where Casey decides she wants to call her mum after a lovely date and then realises she can't really felt like a gut punch. The writing about writing also didn't feel forced either, King avoids making scenes about writing feel too indulgent or navel-gazey.
Of course the Lovers bit of the title is also key to the novel's success - with Casey having two different options; Silas who is another jobbing writer who also teaches at a local secondary school whose own grief makes him flighty, and Oscar an older established writer in the Boston area who has two small boys whose Mum passed away and who appears to offer more grounding. Both men are presented as whole rounded characters, you can understand their appeal to Casey and what they can bring to her life. I was ultimately very happy with the decision she makes.
There's lots else to like about this book - King is just so accomplished at presenting rounded individual scenes - the restaurant that Casey works for much of the novel felt like a character in itself, with the varied cast of characters who work there; I also enjoyed what the novel says about learning about books and reading, the insight into Casey's brother's own relationship complications, Oscar's frustrated career ambitions...Writers & Lovers just hit really well for me, and I really recommend.
What really struck me about Writers & Lovers is how well and rolling grief is captured here, it feels very authentic and doesn't easily sleep away - the moment where Casey decides she wants to call her mum after a lovely date and then realises she can't really felt like a gut punch. The writing about writing also didn't feel forced either, King avoids making scenes about writing feel too indulgent or navel-gazey.
Of course the Lovers bit of the title is also key to the novel's success - with Casey having two different options; Silas who is another jobbing writer who also teaches at a local secondary school whose own grief makes him flighty, and Oscar an older established writer in the Boston area who has two small boys whose Mum passed away and who appears to offer more grounding. Both men are presented as whole rounded characters, you can understand their appeal to Casey and what they can bring to her life. I was ultimately very happy with the decision she makes.
There's lots else to like about this book - King is just so accomplished at presenting rounded individual scenes - the restaurant that Casey works for much of the novel felt like a character in itself, with the varied cast of characters who work there; I also enjoyed what the novel says about learning about books and reading, the insight into Casey's brother's own relationship complications, Oscar's frustrated career ambitions...Writers & Lovers just hit really well for me, and I really recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Olive by Emma Gannon
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was really excited to read Olive as novels about women who choose to be childfree still feel few and far between, and I was interested to read something that grapples with this. However for me this novel missed the mark, largely because our protagonist was The Worst.
Olive Stone (yes really) has recently broken up with her long-term boyfriend because he is ready for children and she doesn't think she wants them. Meanwhile, her best friends from secondary school have all followed this path; her friend Bea became a Mum early and how has three children, Cecily is ready to pop with her first baby and Isla is struggling to conceive and going through IVF. In her role working as an senior member of the team at an online feminism website, Olive begins to explore what it means to be childfree. We also get flashback scenes to Olive and her friends from university through their twenties as their lives change.
I found most of the characters fairly unbearable, and from the start the lack of communication between this group of apparent deep best friends just struck me as unbelievable; Olive as a protagonist is deeply judgemental of almost everyone she interacts with (and covers this up by just saying she's a journalist constantly) which makes it somewhat unsurprising that she apparently has no other friends than three people she's known since she was a child. What could have been an interesting exploration of important topics mostly had me hoping that I don't turn out like Olive; whilst her friends were all managing to live family lives in London and the South East which are entirely out of reach for most other people.
There were definitely moments in Olive that rang true - Isla's deeply complicated feelings about fertility, a nightmare baby shower, Olive's first attendance at a childfree session and her early interactions with a new love interest.
However, it felt like there were too many plotlines that were introduced (Olive's heavy drinking, some terrible partners, literally any of her writing) and go no where - it's almost hinted that Olive's reliance on alcohol is 'cured' by the arrival of a new relationship. There are important topics within the pages of Olive, which will hopefully be picked up in more successful novels.
Olive Stone (yes really) has recently broken up with her long-term boyfriend because he is ready for children and she doesn't think she wants them. Meanwhile, her best friends from secondary school have all followed this path; her friend Bea became a Mum early and how has three children, Cecily is ready to pop with her first baby and Isla is struggling to conceive and going through IVF. In her role working as an senior member of the team at an online feminism website, Olive begins to explore what it means to be childfree. We also get flashback scenes to Olive and her friends from university through their twenties as their lives change.
I found most of the characters fairly unbearable, and from the start the lack of communication between this group of apparent deep best friends just struck me as unbelievable; Olive as a protagonist is deeply judgemental of almost everyone she interacts with (and covers this up by just saying she's a journalist constantly) which makes it somewhat unsurprising that she apparently has no other friends than three people she's known since she was a child. What could have been an interesting exploration of important topics mostly had me hoping that I don't turn out like Olive; whilst her friends were all managing to live family lives in London and the South East which are entirely out of reach for most other people.
There were definitely moments in Olive that rang true - Isla's deeply complicated feelings about fertility, a nightmare baby shower, Olive's first attendance at a childfree session and her early interactions with a new love interest.
However, it felt like there were too many plotlines that were introduced (Olive's heavy drinking, some terrible partners, literally any of her writing) and go no where - it's almost hinted that Olive's reliance on alcohol is 'cured' by the arrival of a new relationship. There are important topics within the pages of Olive, which will hopefully be picked up in more successful novels.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Alcoholism and Death
The Appeal by Janice Hallett
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I LOVE an epistolary novel so was very excited to read The Appeal a crime/mystery novel told via emails and text message exchanges that have been handed to two trainee lawyers.
The actual plot centres in a small British town, with an influential amdram society's production of All My Sons and a charity fundraiser for a young girl with cancer to get expensive overseas treatment - all of which are complicated by the arrival of a young couple who have been nursing in Africa.
Whilst a cosy mystery focusing on an wealthy influential family and a bunch of hangers-on isn't anything new, I was really engaged with this novel in both working out the crimes and the who did it - whilst I did guess some of what was revealed, I didn't figure it all out, and it was fun to have this be part of the narrative.
There were times when it was difficult to always keep track of timescales (probably because I wasn't taking detailed notes) and not all the characters felt as real or developed as others, but this was a fun read, and I'd definitely look to Hallett for more like this.
The actual plot centres in a small British town, with an influential amdram society's production of All My Sons and a charity fundraiser for a young girl with cancer to get expensive overseas treatment - all of which are complicated by the arrival of a young couple who have been nursing in Africa.
Whilst a cosy mystery focusing on an wealthy influential family and a bunch of hangers-on isn't anything new, I was really engaged with this novel in both working out the crimes and the who did it - whilst I did guess some of what was revealed, I didn't figure it all out, and it was fun to have this be part of the narrative.
There were times when it was difficult to always keep track of timescales (probably because I wasn't taking detailed notes) and not all the characters felt as real or developed as others, but this was a fun read, and I'd definitely look to Hallett for more like this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Murder
Minor: Mental illness and Sexual assault
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.5
An excellent narrative non-fiction look at the Sackler family, their rise and purchase of Purdue pharmaceuticals, extensive donations, and the invention of oxycontin, leading to a rapid rise and fall as the drug becomes a leading culprit for the opiod crisis in the United States.
Reading this in the same year as Demon Copperhead has really given me further understanding of the opiod crisis, and this made me absolutely rage. You can understand how the Sacklers captured something of the American vibe during their rise - Arthur, Raymond and Mortimer were children of migrants to the USA who lost most of their wealth during the 1929 Wall Street crash and were able (particularly led by the frightingly singular Arthur) to gain huge wealth, power and influence which then enabled them and their children to avoid being held accountable for their actions for years, and who per a recent court judgement, will never face criminal charges for what they did.
Reading this in the same year as Demon Copperhead has really given me further understanding of the opiod crisis, and this made me absolutely rage. You can understand how the Sacklers captured something of the American vibe during their rise - Arthur, Raymond and Mortimer were children of migrants to the USA who lost most of their wealth during the 1929 Wall Street crash and were able (particularly led by the frightingly singular Arthur) to gain huge wealth, power and influence which then enabled them and their children to avoid being held accountable for their actions for years, and who per a recent court judgement, will never face criminal charges for what they did.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Infidelity
Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-Jin
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This is an interesting little book. Concerning My Daughter is a Korean novel which is narrated by an older woman who is struggling with her daughter - known as Green through the book, despite the mother resenting this nickname - living a life she doesn't recognise, as a gay politically active young woman. Green and her girlfriend Lane end up living with the mother, who also spends her days caring for the elderly as an agency care worker, meaning she is forced to grapple with both a relationship she doesn't recognise and her belief that by staying quiet and sticking to the status quo is the best way to live a happy life.
It's hard to spend time in the head of someone so deeply homophobic but who still claims to love her daughter and want the best for her, but it was a perspective that was interesting to be forced to grapple with by the author. As was the insight into the gruelling, cost saving adult care world that the narrator works within, forcing her to grapple with her impending mortality and the risk of becoming invisible and unknown as you age.
It did feel that this book didn't quite have the depth it needed to really fly in exploring the issues that it wants to - ideas are introduced and then disappear and we never really get to know any of the side characters.
It's hard to spend time in the head of someone so deeply homophobic but who still claims to love her daughter and want the best for her, but it was a perspective that was interesting to be forced to grapple with by the author. As was the insight into the gruelling, cost saving adult care world that the narrator works within, forcing her to grapple with her impending mortality and the risk of becoming invisible and unknown as you age.
It did feel that this book didn't quite have the depth it needed to really fly in exploring the issues that it wants to - ideas are introduced and then disappear and we never really get to know any of the side characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Death
Girl Friends by Holly Bourne
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Every single one of Holly Bourne's adult novels have given me a minor existential crisis, and Girl Friends is no different.
It follows Fern, who has found some slightly accidental viral fame for sharing her experiences with mental illness, who after a ten year estrangement comes face to face with her best friend from her teenage years Jessica. The novel then takes us between the present, as Fern struggles to grapple with Jessica's arrival in her life and the years of the early 00s and Fern and Jessica's original friendship, leading to the point where the girls stop speaking.
Bourne is great at writing about the contemporary female experience and Girl Friends is no different. Fern's insecurities may feel irrational but also recognisable, as does Jessica's behaviour. Bourne's descriptions of the early 00s also felt painfully familiar, from the pop culture references to the grim way that 'lad culture' was accepted and enabled by teenage girls desperate to be recognised. This is a novel that looks at how misogyny creeps into relationships between young men and women, and how it can be a barrier to recognise how things really are.
The only thing that felt false to me is that there needed to be a 'reveal' about Jessica's motivations, given Fern's career and academic interests I would have expected her to be more able to understand the rationale behind the behaviour of those around her. However, this is a great contemporary read and I'll be first to pick up Bourne's next adult novel.
It follows Fern, who has found some slightly accidental viral fame for sharing her experiences with mental illness, who after a ten year estrangement comes face to face with her best friend from her teenage years Jessica. The novel then takes us between the present, as Fern struggles to grapple with Jessica's arrival in her life and the years of the early 00s and Fern and Jessica's original friendship, leading to the point where the girls stop speaking.
Bourne is great at writing about the contemporary female experience and Girl Friends is no different. Fern's insecurities may feel irrational but also recognisable, as does Jessica's behaviour. Bourne's descriptions of the early 00s also felt painfully familiar, from the pop culture references to the grim way that 'lad culture' was accepted and enabled by teenage girls desperate to be recognised. This is a novel that looks at how misogyny creeps into relationships between young men and women, and how it can be a barrier to recognise how things really are.
The only thing that felt false to me is that there needed to be a 'reveal' about Jessica's motivations, given Fern's career and academic interests I would have expected her to be more able to understand the rationale behind the behaviour of those around her. However, this is a great contemporary read and I'll be first to pick up Bourne's next adult novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A compelling set-up; a guest being murdered in a snowed-in country estate; which didn't quite give me the pay off I was after.
Lucy Foley brings together some of the world's worst people to a New Year's Eve party in a remote part of Scotland; alongside a couple from Iceland and the withdrawn staff. Despite the short chapters and multiple perspectives; this just didn't suck me in. None of the characters had very much depth (rugged groundskeeper with a dark past, grieving fleeing manager, woman with the 'perfect' life, woman hiding a secret from her oldest friends, woman desperate to break into the friendship group) and there's minimal growth within the pages. Even the final reveal is just...meh.
I've seen so many people talk about Foley's work, so maybe this just wasn't a good place to start - but I can't say I'm rushing to read more.
Lucy Foley brings together some of the world's worst people to a New Year's Eve party in a remote part of Scotland; alongside a couple from Iceland and the withdrawn staff. Despite the short chapters and multiple perspectives; this just didn't suck me in. None of the characters had very much depth (rugged groundskeeper with a dark past, grieving fleeing manager, woman with the 'perfect' life, woman hiding a secret from her oldest friends, woman desperate to break into the friendship group) and there's minimal growth within the pages. Even the final reveal is just...meh.
I've seen so many people talk about Foley's work, so maybe this just wasn't a good place to start - but I can't say I'm rushing to read more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Sexual assault, and Stalking
Minor: Addiction
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks
challenging
dark
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
4.0
I feel like I say this every year but my favourite thing about avidly reading the Women's Prize shortlist is being pointed towards books that you wouldn't otherwise find, and falling a bit in love with them. Fire Rush is one of those books.
Set in the late 1970s, Fire Rush introduces us to Yamaye, the daughter of Jamaican migrants to the UK whose days revolve around hanging out at underground music venues with her two friends on the outskirts of London, until a romantic encounter and then violent tragedy upends her life.
Moving between outer and inner London, Bristol and Jamaica, Crooks gives us a hard honest look at Yamaye's life - one that is ordinary until it isn't, and teeters on the edge of criminality. Yamaye is a compelling protagonist, one who finds her own voice and sound as the novel progresses and as she learns more about her past - both within her family and in her place as a black woman. The writing genuinely has a rhythm to it as we move thorough the pages.
Whilst we spend the most time with Yamaye, Crooks gives her other characters real life - from the romantic dreamer Moose, to the quietly dangerous Monassa, they all vibrate on the pages. This read as a novel crying out to be televised, and I hope it is. This is an excellent debut by Brooks, shining a light on a period of black British history which isn't talked about enough; and I'm excited to read what she writes next.
Set in the late 1970s, Fire Rush introduces us to Yamaye, the daughter of Jamaican migrants to the UK whose days revolve around hanging out at underground music venues with her two friends on the outskirts of London, until a romantic encounter and then violent tragedy upends her life.
Moving between outer and inner London, Bristol and Jamaica, Crooks gives us a hard honest look at Yamaye's life - one that is ordinary until it isn't, and teeters on the edge of criminality. Yamaye is a compelling protagonist, one who finds her own voice and sound as the novel progresses and as she learns more about her past - both within her family and in her place as a black woman. The writing genuinely has a rhythm to it as we move thorough the pages.
Whilst we spend the most time with Yamaye, Crooks gives her other characters real life - from the romantic dreamer Moose, to the quietly dangerous Monassa, they all vibrate on the pages. This read as a novel crying out to be televised, and I hope it is. This is an excellent debut by Brooks, shining a light on a period of black British history which isn't talked about enough; and I'm excited to read what she writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Murder