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bennysbooks's reviews
644 reviews
Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 1 by Hiromu Arakawa
5.0
FMA is my favourite anime series. My partner and I have rewatched it, beginning on Valentine's Day, almost every year for 10 years now (original, because it's our favourite, although we agree that Brotherhood is probably better in terms of overarching/cohesive storytelling). We've started to collect these editions so that I can finally read it, and I'm loving it. Feeling all of the old feelings, but appreciating the story in a new way. Happy guy.
The Girl in The Tower by Katherine Arden
3.0
I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as the first book. It read less like a fairytale and more like a historical fantasy, which isn't inherently an issue, but was very much not what I was expecting. I wanted more of the chyerti, especially the domovoi, and more of the dark/cozy/isolated setting of medieval Russia. Instead we got more battling, politics, scheming. It was interesting to get more insight into medieval Moscow, but the end result was a more straightforward, predictable plot. I guessed what was going on with Kasyan almost immediately, knew who the ghost was, and while it may not have been Arden's intention to keep me on my toes, it meant that I felt almost no tension throughout. Disconnected.
I think the most successful element of this second book was the continued exploration of familial (especially sibling) relationships, and the way that duty, propriety, and especially religious differences complicate the love they have for one another. That's the biggest draw for me to continue with the series - I want to explore that tension between Sasha/Olga and Vasya more, between Christianity and paganism. The plot is completely secondary to that, at this point.
I think the most successful element of this second book was the continued exploration of familial (especially sibling) relationships, and the way that duty, propriety, and especially religious differences complicate the love they have for one another. That's the biggest draw for me to continue with the series - I want to explore that tension between Sasha/Olga and Vasya more, between Christianity and paganism. The plot is completely secondary to that, at this point.
Grendel by John Gardner
Took a large break in between readings of Grendel due to library borrowing times. I think this book was very successful in the way that the prose blended the poetic elements of Beowulf with more modern (circa the 70's) language. There were passages that made me laugh, that I wanted to record for later, that made me think about the world or language differently. Where I think it fell flat for me was in the philosophical musing. Maybe it's the distance of 50-ish years, or my own studies/interests in philosophy, or maybe even the proliferation of books told from the perspective of villains. Whatever it was, I just didn't find Grendel or his moaning all that interesting or thought-provoking. I managed to finish the book by allowing myself to be swept up in the stream-of-consciousness writing, but I don't feel particularly moved by the experience (which I think is what I expected).
An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created by Santi Elijah Holley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
I have a decent background on the history of Black Panthers, so it might be a better book for those looking for an introduction, but I also had an issue with the writing. On a sentence-by-sentence level it was perfectly fine, but the structure was all over the place and needlessly confusing. I wanted it to be more cohesive, and with a stronger storytelling element.
It did spark an interest in reading more about Afeni Shakur, so I look forward to that!
It did spark an interest in reading more about Afeni Shakur, so I look forward to that!
The Field Guide by Holly Black, Tony DiTerlizzi
adventurous
dark
mysterious
Read with my 6-year old. He loved it, we finished it in one day and he gave it 100 stars 😉 I enjoyed the reading experience too. It reminded me of that feeling of getting into a new series as a child. It was creepy, it was cozy, and it's a great choice if your child can handle/enjoys some darkness. My kid seems to prefer something creepy over something emotional. We had to stop reading The Tale of Despereaux because he couldn't handle how mean the mouse's parents and siblings were, but book two in this series involves a cat being roasted over a fire and eaten by goblins, and he was fine with that.
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
I was prepared for this book to be bleak, I'm comfortable with the occasionally bleak read. But it has to have some payoff to keep me invested - interesting commentary, a unique writing style, a dark sense of humour, something new or experimental or just executed so well that I can't help but admire the craft. There were a few lines that made me laugh, and I enjoyed how despicable the main character was, but the payoff wasn't there for me. I think I was expecting something more in the vein of Morvern Callar (bleak but so compelling I couldn't look away) and I did not find that here. I dreaded picking it up every time I sat down to read. Ultimately not for me.
Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings by Jorge Luis Borges
Took me a long time to get through because it's quite dense and challenging, and I wanted to be able to process things properly. I can't say that I loved every piece, or even finished every piece. I can say that when I loved one of these stories, I mean that I loved it in a way that has become fundamental to who I am as a person. So that's nice.