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amyvl93's reviews
902 reviews
The Year of Miracles by Ella Risbridger
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
I loved Midnight Chicken and The Year of Miracles was just as wonderful a read.
A cookbook and memoir in one, this book follows Risbridger grieving the loss of her ex-boyfriend from cancer, moving into a new home and falling in love again; against the backdrop of the Covid years. The food in here both sounds delicious and comforting, and Risbridger's writing is glorious - and avoids much of the twee-ness I found in her first book.
Loved this and will be joining her Substack in the New Year!
A cookbook and memoir in one, this book follows Risbridger grieving the loss of her ex-boyfriend from cancer, moving into a new home and falling in love again; against the backdrop of the Covid years. The food in here both sounds delicious and comforting, and Risbridger's writing is glorious - and avoids much of the twee-ness I found in her first book.
Loved this and will be joining her Substack in the New Year!
The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
dark
funny
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
4.5
Such a brilliant collection of short stories - I was in awe of how Evans could form wholly realised characters and histories within so few words and pages. Loved this and will be keen to read more of what Evans has written.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I adore everything Rooney writes and Intermezzo was no exception. This novel follows two brothers, Peter and Ivan, in the aftermath of their father's death. The two brothers are ten years apart, and apart in many other ways too. Peter is a successful solicitor in civil rights cases and university lecturer, torn between two women - an ex-girlfriend from his past and one much younger in the present, whilst Ivan is a former chess prodigy, floundering in his identity and beginning a relationship with an older woman.
There is so much packed into this novel about power, about gender, about masculinity, about grief and love and what happens when that is all smashed together. Peter and Ivan are interchangeably awful to each other, to themselves and to those around them, whilst also never being totally alienating as characters that you spend time with. Rooney gives them both completely different writing styles - Ivan's is told in more controlled third person prose, whilst Peter is presented in stream of conscious, a perfect manifestation of his lack of control hidden beneath his smart suits and functional alcoholism.
I was slightly disappointed that whilst Margaret, the older woman who Ivan begins dating within the text, is given space to explore her own thoughts and feelings - Sylvie (Peter's former girlfriend) and Naomi (his younger current girlfriend) are not given the same space and are seen just through the eyes of Ivan and Peter which was unfortunate. I found them both to be interesting women, and Rooney does well to counter some of the stereotypes you may relate to both of them - but I would have liked to hear more from them.
All in all, really enjoyed Intermezzo and so excited for whatever Rooney does next.
There is so much packed into this novel about power, about gender, about masculinity, about grief and love and what happens when that is all smashed together. Peter and Ivan are interchangeably awful to each other, to themselves and to those around them, whilst also never being totally alienating as characters that you spend time with. Rooney gives them both completely different writing styles - Ivan's is told in more controlled third person prose, whilst Peter is presented in stream of conscious, a perfect manifestation of his lack of control hidden beneath his smart suits and functional alcoholism.
I was slightly disappointed that whilst Margaret, the older woman who Ivan begins dating within the text, is given space to explore her own thoughts and feelings - Sylvie (Peter's former girlfriend) and Naomi (his younger current girlfriend) are not given the same space and are seen just through the eyes of Ivan and Peter which was unfortunate. I found them both to be interesting women, and Rooney does well to counter some of the stereotypes you may relate to both of them - but I would have liked to hear more from them.
All in all, really enjoyed Intermezzo and so excited for whatever Rooney does next.
Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
3.0
This book is very much a cosy read. It follows Bella, who is rapidly approaching her 30th birthday and is a witch - though keeps her magic very much under wraps. When she's approached by her coven to test her magic, she is pulled away from her life with her housemate and job in a bookstore, to unravel some secrets and find herself.
I've followed Lucy Jane Wood online for a long time and so was keen to pick this up - and the cover was gorgeous. I found this to be a super easy read, and the magic system is fairly well drawn. I did wish there was a tad more detail woven into the novel, but we are working with a protagonist who has hidden away form her magic for a long time. I liked the concept of the magic trials, and enjoyed the focus on familial and friendship relationships that are drawn through this novel.
I did find that the characterisation wasn't as strong as I had hoped it would be - I couldn't work out if I found Bella a believable person to be similar age to me, and I found her decisions at times to be pretty puzzling. There's also the introduction of of a romance which and romantic interest that didn't really work for me - Wood did seem to hint in one of her videos that Rune wasn't necessarily always a love interest which makes sense as to why it felt a bit left field. I would have preferred Bella's story to be focused on her growing into herself without necessarily the help of a man.
At times I also found the writing a bit twee, Wood's clearly a talented writer but some sentences were quite overwritten and sometimes felt more YA than adult fantasy fiction writing.
This was a cosy wintery read, and an enjoyable time - but think I'll wait for the paperback release of Wood's next novel.
I've followed Lucy Jane Wood online for a long time and so was keen to pick this up - and the cover was gorgeous. I found this to be a super easy read, and the magic system is fairly well drawn. I did wish there was a tad more detail woven into the novel, but we are working with a protagonist who has hidden away form her magic for a long time. I liked the concept of the magic trials, and enjoyed the focus on familial and friendship relationships that are drawn through this novel.
I did find that the characterisation wasn't as strong as I had hoped it would be - I couldn't work out if I found Bella a believable person to be similar age to me, and I found her decisions at times to be pretty puzzling. There's also the introduction of of a romance which and romantic interest that didn't really work for me - Wood did seem to hint in one of her videos that Rune wasn't necessarily always a love interest which makes sense as to why it felt a bit left field. I would have preferred Bella's story to be focused on her growing into herself without necessarily the help of a man.
At times I also found the writing a bit twee, Wood's clearly a talented writer but some sentences were quite overwritten and sometimes felt more YA than adult fantasy fiction writing.
This was a cosy wintery read, and an enjoyable time - but think I'll wait for the paperback release of Wood's next novel.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
challenging
dark
slow-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
2.0
One of those reads that just wasn't for me. Beautifully evocative writing from both authors but I just found being dropped into this setting slightly unmooring and felt there wasn't enough explanation or exposition in the narrative to root me, because of this, I struggled to connect the central love story as well.
Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity in This Crisis (And the Next) by Dean Spade
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.5
Mutual Aid came across my timeline as part of recommended reads in light of the re-election of Donald Trump, and where we go from here. I found the first part of this book far more enlightening than the second, which becomes a kind of 'how to' guide to running groups which - despite Spade's distrust of corporations - feels very familiar to me.
I appreciated the examples of mutual aid work, and how this differentiates itself from my institution led intervention. I think Spade's arguments that non-profits bad, mutual aid good seemed a little too black and white, and in itself is diluted as you progress through the book - but this is a useful starting point.
I appreciated the examples of mutual aid work, and how this differentiates itself from my institution led intervention. I think Spade's arguments that non-profits bad, mutual aid good seemed a little too black and white, and in itself is diluted as you progress through the book - but this is a useful starting point.
Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Mass/school shootings
This book has been on my to buy list since it was first announced, and it was perhaps not my smartest idea to read it on the cusp of the American Election. Men Who Hate Women is Laura Bates' deep dive into the 'manosphere', online spaces dedicated to spreading misogyny at best and violence against women at worst. Published in 2020, my overwhelming feeling when I was reading this is slight disbelief as to how it could have gotten...worse?
Bates dips into a broad range of online spaces - from Reddit and 4Chan - to more specific forums associated with different movements, be that incels or 'men who go their own way'. She explores the key leaders of each group, and the ways in which many of their ideas have become normalised via media who seeks to 'understand both sides', click-bait chasers like Piers Morgan and, depressingly timely, Donald Trump. She also highlights the way in which many acts of mass violence are often linked to men with a history of hatred of women - be that in online spaces or in direct domestic abuse against the women closest to them. It's not all gloom, as Bates also highlights the male-led organisations which are seeking to challenge this masculinity, and to genuinely make a difference on the issues that disproportionally impact men (i.e. suicide) rather than using them as a smoke screen to share misogyny.
My challenge with the book is that this is one that contains a lot of important ideas which are slightly lost in a repetitive and often slow writing style. I found that it dragged at times, and I can imagine those less interested in the topic would end up putting the book down. As mentioned in my introduction, it also feels a little out of date in some of the references - which is a depressing indictment of where we are now, with people like Andrew Tate having no mention here and now being ubiquitous. I also feel that people are now talking about this, so Bates claims that this is not an issue discussed also feels a bit behind the times.
This is a useful entry point to this conversation, but it may be worth seeking out more contemporary writing.
Endgame by Malorie Blackman
adventurous
dark
sad
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
2.5
Nothing hurts more than giving this rating. The original Noughts & Crosses quartet is one of my all-time favourite series, and blew my young tween mind when I first read them.
Years later, Malorie Blackman revisited the series - adding Crossfire and Endgame to the story, and I really wish they'd been left alone. My feelings on the former was that it felt like half a novel and this also feels the case for this one too. I really feel like they could have been combined and edited into quite a compelling narrative, but split into two they felt like they slightly dragged out character developments and relationships.
Speaking of development and relationships, my main challenge with Endgame is that a lot of the characters behave in a way that feels deeply out of kilter with their personalities that have been established in previous novels. We had whole plot lines opened up which go nowhere, and a redemption arc for certain characters that I really feel were not deserving of them.
I was compelled by the central mystery in this novel, and I enjoyed the way that Blackman wove in real life events into her fictional world and news coverage. However, unless you are a true completist, the original quartet is enough content.
Years later, Malorie Blackman revisited the series - adding Crossfire and Endgame to the story, and I really wish they'd been left alone. My feelings on the former was that it felt like half a novel and this also feels the case for this one too. I really feel like they could have been combined and edited into quite a compelling narrative, but split into two they felt like they slightly dragged out character developments and relationships.
Speaking of development and relationships, my main challenge with Endgame is that a lot of the characters behave in a way that feels deeply out of kilter with their personalities that have been established in previous novels. We had whole plot lines opened up which go nowhere, and a redemption arc for certain characters that I really feel were not deserving of them.
I was compelled by the central mystery in this novel, and I enjoyed the way that Blackman wove in real life events into her fictional world and news coverage. However, unless you are a true completist, the original quartet is enough content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs and Death of parent
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
One of my weirdly niche interests is scammers - I'm always interested in how they reel people in, how people fall for them and their lasting impact. One of the most corporatised version of this is Multi-Level Marketing schemes, or scams that people don't even realise are scams.
I've listened to a number of podcasts and watched docs about large MLMs, so Emily Lynn Paulson's memoir/exploration of MLMs had to go on my to read list. Paulson rose to being close to the top of her MLM, drawing in huge amounts of money each month and with a sprawling 'downline'. This enables her to draw a really compelling picture of what it really looks like to 'work for yourself', the pressures that remain as you scale the pyramid - and the way MLMs try and weave their way into your entire life. I found Hey Hun to be at its most compelling when it really leaned into the memoir side of it all, Paulson is genuinely a compelling person (it was clear why she had the reach she did to draw people into the MLM) and I found her reckoning with her addiction issues and how that became a route out of the company.
Paulson does weave some limited social commentary through the book, but I felt this was slightly less impactful. She reflects on the tone-deaf responses of her company to the BLM movement and the inherent conservatism rife in the movement, that includes policing member behaviours at conferences and beyond. However, I think the tension between memoir and non-fiction piece didn't quite get resolved.
However if, like me, you're super interested in MLMs this is an interesting read.
I've listened to a number of podcasts and watched docs about large MLMs, so Emily Lynn Paulson's memoir/exploration of MLMs had to go on my to read list. Paulson rose to being close to the top of her MLM, drawing in huge amounts of money each month and with a sprawling 'downline'. This enables her to draw a really compelling picture of what it really looks like to 'work for yourself', the pressures that remain as you scale the pyramid - and the way MLMs try and weave their way into your entire life. I found Hey Hun to be at its most compelling when it really leaned into the memoir side of it all, Paulson is genuinely a compelling person (it was clear why she had the reach she did to draw people into the MLM) and I found her reckoning with her addiction issues and how that became a route out of the company.
Paulson does weave some limited social commentary through the book, but I felt this was slightly less impactful. She reflects on the tone-deaf responses of her company to the BLM movement and the inherent conservatism rife in the movement, that includes policing member behaviours at conferences and beyond. However, I think the tension between memoir and non-fiction piece didn't quite get resolved.
However if, like me, you're super interested in MLMs this is an interesting read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism
Moderate: Cancer and Sexual assault
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Amor Towles' two previous novels are favourites of mine, I loved their characters and settings and so a new full length novel was hotly awaited. However, unfortunately The Lincoln Highway didn't really do it for me.
The novel follows Emmett, who has been released from youth prison following a freak accident, and returns to his farm home following the death of his father. He plans to travel with his brother to a new life in California but this plan is derailed when his fellow inmates Duchess and Woolly have escaped with him and have their owns plans to head to New York.
Now whilst this may not have hit the heights for me of his previous works, Towles writing is excellent as ever. There's something about his prose that can really sweep you up into a story, and the sense of place was excellent - both the rural small town settings and the streets of New York. This is an American road trip novel, which is a tradition I'm not steeped in, so I'm aware that I may have missed some references to novels and films, as there were definitely times where I found the zany cast of characters that the characters came across got a little wearing.
My biggest challenge with this novel was the fundamentally unlikeable character of Duchess. I think the text wanted us to find sympathy for him; and I definitely recognised the pain of his upbringing but other than that I found him a horrendously selfish character and I struggled to spend time with his perspective. Whilst all the characters, except maybe Billy - Emmett's brother, were complex flawed characters, but Duchess had my back right up as I could never quite understand his motivations for any of his choices.
It's a shame this didn't live up to my expectations, but I still look forward to what Towles writes next.
The novel follows Emmett, who has been released from youth prison following a freak accident, and returns to his farm home following the death of his father. He plans to travel with his brother to a new life in California but this plan is derailed when his fellow inmates Duchess and Woolly have escaped with him and have their owns plans to head to New York.
Now whilst this may not have hit the heights for me of his previous works, Towles writing is excellent as ever. There's something about his prose that can really sweep you up into a story, and the sense of place was excellent - both the rural small town settings and the streets of New York. This is an American road trip novel, which is a tradition I'm not steeped in, so I'm aware that I may have missed some references to novels and films, as there were definitely times where I found the zany cast of characters that the characters came across got a little wearing.
My biggest challenge with this novel was the fundamentally unlikeable character of Duchess. I think the text wanted us to find sympathy for him; and I definitely recognised the pain of his upbringing but other than that I found him a horrendously selfish character and I struggled to spend time with his perspective. Whilst all the characters, except maybe Billy - Emmett's brother, were complex flawed characters, but Duchess had my back right up as I could never quite understand his motivations for any of his choices.
It's a shame this didn't live up to my expectations, but I still look forward to what Towles writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, and Death of parent