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angel_ontheother's reviews
367 reviews
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
I'm glad I gave Baldwin a second chance. I had read Giovanni's Room a few years ago and didn't enjoy it much at all (I know, unpopular opinion), but this book sounded more like my taste so I picked up a copy from the library.
This hooked me in right away. When I sat down to start it, I thought I'd only read the first few pages, considering my slump-ish state, but I ended up reading almost 30 pages in one sitting!
The plot is engaging but I think the narrative voice is what I liked most about it. This was written from the perspective of a young woman. The language feels believable, and I agree with the back cover describing it as "honest." Aside from a few slang words and phrases; it feels timeless. In some ways, the timelessness to the story is a bitter thing, considering the themes: systemic racism and sexual violence, corrupt "justice" systems, poverty; it's the type of thing you wish were outdated, but for many, it's no different from the present. This is also a story of love and hope, but my mind tends to hold on to the dim side of things.
There are no chapters, which I usually find to be challenging, but the mostly-casual yet sometimes-lyrical writing style kept the pace flowing smoothly. Some of the content was outside my comfort zone but the writing style and story made it worth it, this was a page turner for me. I finished in about four sittings. I would recommend this!
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
"If Beale Street Could Talk" by James Baldwin got me out of a reading slump!
"It was as though we were a picture, trapped in time: this had been happening for hundreds of years, people sitting in a room, waiting for dinner, and listening to the blues."
I'm glad I gave Baldwin a second chance. I had read Giovanni's Room a few years ago and didn't enjoy it much at all (I know, unpopular opinion), but this book sounded more like my taste so I picked up a copy from the library.
This hooked me in right away. When I sat down to start it, I thought I'd only read the first few pages, considering my slump-ish state, but I ended up reading almost 30 pages in one sitting!
The plot is engaging but I think the narrative voice is what I liked most about it. This was written from the perspective of a young woman. The language feels believable, and I agree with the back cover describing it as "honest." Aside from a few slang words and phrases; it feels timeless. In some ways, the timelessness to the story is a bitter thing, considering the themes: systemic racism and sexual violence, corrupt "justice" systems, poverty; it's the type of thing you wish were outdated, but for many, it's no different from the present. This is also a story of love and hope, but my mind tends to hold on to the dim side of things.
There are no chapters, which I usually find to be challenging, but the mostly-casual yet sometimes-lyrical writing style kept the pace flowing smoothly. Some of the content was outside my comfort zone but the writing style and story made it worth it, this was a page turner for me. I finished in about four sittings. I would recommend this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection by Junji Ito, Junji Ito
dark
mysterious
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
3.75
I honestly did not enjoy the Frankenstein portion of this story collection. The first half was too faithful to the original story and the second half wasn't faithful enough, and overall it felt very rushed. On the other hand, most of the other stories in the collection were cool, especially the ones that were interconnected! My favorite story out of everything was definitely "Pen Pal."
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Murder
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Lavender Clouds: Comics about Neurodivergence and Mental Health by Bex Ollerton
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
There were some funny parts and things I related to, but as a memoir, it felt a bit too one dimensional.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
I can tell this is a good book that I'd like, but the audiobook version was a poor choice for me! As a person who struggles with focusing on audiobooks, I found this to be a bit hard to follow, and I didn't entirely have a well rounded experience by the end. I definitely need to re-read this but through the print version. I love Backman's writing. There were particular moments that caught my attention and I liked them a lot. Backman is great at mixing whimsical fun, witty humor, and too-close-to-home relatability.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was kind of just mindless entertainment for me. I didn't think it was very good to be honest, I only finished because I needed something to listen to while working on some art. It was a bit disappointing compared to The Silent Companions by the same author, which I read a few years ago and enjoyed much more than this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Slavery, and Murder
Minor: Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Not my kind of horror. Disturbing in a not-fun way. Also it's kind of a pet peeve of mine when there are anthro characters but then there are normal animals too?? Idk I didn't read that far, it's just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Murder
Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a YA, slow burn (no irony intended) romance, set in a small town – but it's also a story of a high masking autistic girl trying to pave her own path, without stepping on too many neurotypical toes along the way.
"She liked knowing why she was the way she was, it was a relief. A welcome key to her own mind."
I'm not a big fan of romance books in the first place, but I felt that the romantic aspects weren't written as well as they could have been. The build up to the end didn't exactly develop in a way that felt natural, and the end itself felt a little too happily-ever-after for my taste.
The neurodivergence aspect is mainly what kept me interested! This type of representation, canonically autistic women; is something I never saw up until somewhat recently. I could identify with Jasper (the FMC) in a way I rarely do with other characters. I also saw elements of my fellow neurodivergent counterparts reflected in her.
I'm so grateful that Elle McNicoll and other authors/creators like her are on the come up, because this type of representation is necessary. Thanks to them, many neurodivergent people finally get to see themselves represented in a respectful way.
I rarely annotate books but this one called me to do it, as did "Keedie!" Many "hey, she's like me" moments. We're of course not the same, but there are certain aspects of Jasper that stuck out to me because, again, I rarely see those traits represented, especially not in a realistic way.
In addition to the neurodivergent element, I found the wintery setting to be nice, especially because I read the book during that same time of year. The romanticization of winter in media makes winter in real life feel a bit more bearable!
"She liked knowing why she was the way she was, it was a relief. A welcome key to her own mind."
I'm not a big fan of romance books in the first place, but I felt that the romantic aspects weren't written as well as they could have been. The build up to the end didn't exactly develop in a way that felt natural, and the end itself felt a little too happily-ever-after for my taste.
The neurodivergence aspect is mainly what kept me interested! This type of representation, canonically autistic women; is something I never saw up until somewhat recently. I could identify with Jasper (the FMC) in a way I rarely do with other characters. I also saw elements of my fellow neurodivergent counterparts reflected in her.
I'm so grateful that Elle McNicoll and other authors/creators like her are on the come up, because this type of representation is necessary. Thanks to them, many neurodivergent people finally get to see themselves represented in a respectful way.
I rarely annotate books but this one called me to do it, as did "Keedie!" Many "hey, she's like me" moments. We're of course not the same, but there are certain aspects of Jasper that stuck out to me because, again, I rarely see those traits represented, especially not in a realistic way.
In addition to the neurodivergent element, I found the wintery setting to be nice, especially because I read the book during that same time of year. The romanticization of winter in media makes winter in real life feel a bit more bearable!
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, and Sexual content
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
The story itself is okay, it kind of reads like a genuine children's story rather than a short story for adults, which isn't really my thing. But what I LOVED was the afterward, where Clarke talks about things she loves that subconsciously influenced her work!! The fact that she's a Kate Bush fan made me so happy and also made me want to read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. I absolutely loved Piranesi so it was cool to learn about the hidden influences behind that as well.