aquamarinecadet's reviews
79 reviews

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Perhaps I was misled by my expectations because Piranesi did not turn out to be as magically riveting as I thought it would be. It is a very good book, but is isn't quite "spellbinding" as many reviewers have described it as it is intellectually fascinating?

The academia-ified concept of being able to walk between worlds was the most interesting part to me by far, and the Beauty and Kindness of the House were never really shown, which I think is a bummer. Piranesi on the other hand was the exact embodiment of those characteristics, and I will now be keeping a little piece of him in my heart. A real sweetheart. Also, these lines???
"Don't disappear [...] Do not disappear." [...] "We can't keep rescuing each other", I say. "It's ridiculous." She smiles. It is a smile with a little sadness in it. But she still wears the perfume - the first thing I ever knew of her - and it still makes me think of Sunlight and Happiness. 
ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. Susanna Clarke writes great dialogues.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

it hurt to read this.
do you feel like a rather gruesome, inspiringly hopeful but incredibly sad war torn intergenerational trauma family saga? then this book is for you 😀

What my uncle said made me think. I had resented America, too. But by reading their books, I saw the other side of them-their humanity. Somehow I was sure that if people were willing to read each other, and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth.

4 stars because there are things that distract from the story that i feel could have been better written:  funky pacing at times, and the last letter declaration...nobody writes letters like that 😭 it was a not-at-all-subtle literary device, as were some of the characters!! who sometimes seemed to appear more as statements than full-fledged characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, War

Acid for the Children by Flea

emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

The tale of a rambunctious lad with a tender soul. The book's flow, or should I say rhythm? was a bit disorienting at times, but all in all Flea is a great writer.

one of my favorite passages:

"During those early basement days, we were great comfort to each other. Not like we talked each other through it or any-thing, we just silently knew that we were the only ones who understood. We bore witness together." 
what a BANGER that last sentence is.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

grumpy old swedish man wants to commit suicide but can't because he is just too compassionate to die

ironically, he ends up dying because his heart is too big

also he has a tragic backstory. perfect recipe for a little tearjerker if that's the kind of story you're looking for :D 

this book is also filled with many great comparisons. to giggle for :D 

(the audiobook format is what made this book so enjoyable - i think i would've tired of it otherwise)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Miscarriage

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

adventurous funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

you go, holden caulfield.

Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

had a good cry

Les billes du Pachinko by Elisa Shua Dusapin

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers by Andy Greenberg

challenging dark informative mysterious medium-paced

5.0

Wow. So, so much respect for the hours of research that went in to writing this book and investigating the ins and outs of the Sandworm affair + related cases. 
It was a slow read for me because of the amount of jargon and acronyms I had to remember in order to fully understand everything, but it was a good one. Andy Greenberg's analogy-creating skills help make the very tech-y processes easier to grasp, and his writing style has a certain lyrical flair to it for a cybersecurity thriller.
Definitely a 5 star read ⭐️

Awards for Good Boys: Tales of Dating, Double Standards, and Doom by Shelby Lorman

funny reflective fast-paced

3.25

it's funny, but mid! shelby lorman has very... strong opinions that are interesting to contemplate, but not at all healthy to entertain and add to your moral bible.
i at least would feel terrible living with the amount of resignation and bitterness (albeit humorous) she expresses here 👁👄👁

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

wow. (i will expand upon this awe later)