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boundforinfinity's reviews
28 reviews
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have never loved teaching a book more than I do Wind in the Willows. It has challenging vocabulary for a children's book, and yet its lighthearted messages of friendship and changing attitudes for the better are one I intend to continue promoting.
Also, fun old time discussing pagan gods with students and discussing the themes of Chronicles of Narnia and biblical references within stories.
Never have I enjoyed the looks on faces when they read Toad's delightful excursions and daring escapades and outright boastfulness.
Also, fun old time discussing pagan gods with students and discussing the themes of Chronicles of Narnia and biblical references within stories.
Never have I enjoyed the looks on faces when they read Toad's delightful excursions and daring escapades and outright boastfulness.
This is Vegan Propaganda: And Other Lies The Meat Industry Tells You by Ed Winters
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
A well put argument in justification of the vegan diet. Whilst Winters clearly has an agenda in writing this book, he does not hold back on referencing and detail into every one of his points. I appreciated the detailed bibliography that went alongside this, it took commitment to justify every single point made and gave huge talking points in order to potentially build one's own argument against relatives and friends.
A good insight into the meat industries monopoly over dietary culture and small farms and how it abuses and disregards its own safety and humane laws in place. A scary outlook on the future of the meat industry and also hopeful integration of ideas for the future.
Should be noted that I, a meat eater of 25 years, am now transitioning to eating at least pescitarian food after reading this book. It did its job well.
A good insight into the meat industries monopoly over dietary culture and small farms and how it abuses and disregards its own safety and humane laws in place. A scary outlook on the future of the meat industry and also hopeful integration of ideas for the future.
Should be noted that I, a meat eater of 25 years, am now transitioning to eating at least pescitarian food after reading this book. It did its job well.
The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.0
Your average run-of-the-mill dystopian storyline with queer leads instead.
All stories take place within the same universe, stories of different people trying to fight against the system. The majority of which are queer and fighting for their memories and their rights to live as they want. This is a big bonus for the book as it adds an intriguing universe to the stories at hand and some level of setting up a terrifying villain in the form of dictatorship, surveillance and total control.
However, this is as far as the novel goes in introducing depth to the story. The actual characters fall slightly one note and this is frustrating. I wanted to see some further personality considering these were supposed to the revolutionaries with unique perspectives on the world coming together in crisis. Pynk Hotel almost introduced this concept well. However, this is also enveloped heavily on the enemy, powerplay and differing options. The characters themselves fell into their archetypes and had not much more to say about them.
All stories take place within the same universe, stories of different people trying to fight against the system. The majority of which are queer and fighting for their memories and their rights to live as they want. This is a big bonus for the book as it adds an intriguing universe to the stories at hand and some level of setting up a terrifying villain in the form of dictatorship, surveillance and total control.
However, this is as far as the novel goes in introducing depth to the story. The actual characters fall slightly one note and this is frustrating. I wanted to see some further personality considering these were supposed to the revolutionaries with unique perspectives on the world coming together in crisis. Pynk Hotel almost introduced this concept well. However, this is also enveloped heavily on the enemy, powerplay and differing options. The characters themselves fell into their archetypes and had not much more to say about them.
Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugrešić
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.5
I am Baba Yaga, as I too sleep with a sword beneath my head (under my bed).
...
A phenomenal journey of womanhood, discussing the failure of society to recognise the elderly woman's plight against the misogynistic stereotype placed on them. Beautiful short stories interlacing the 'Baba Yaga' character in different manners, just as the author suggests is the case in folklore.
...
A phenomenal journey of womanhood, discussing the failure of society to recognise the elderly woman's plight against the misogynistic stereotype placed on them. Beautiful short stories interlacing the 'Baba Yaga' character in different manners, just as the author suggests is the case in folklore.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As Dexter, our protagonist, sees the world, he is usually right. A good story that will keep you entertained and slowly build the mistrust of the character you follow. Dexter, a serial killer, works with the police as a forensic scientist in order to solver murders across the city (and to potentially find his next victims too).
Dexter's moral code makes him palletable to the reader - using his underlying dark urges as a quirky character trait that becomes personified as the back seat driver. After all, it isn't "really" Dexters fault, is it?
A great holiday or casual read for those looking for a dark comedy.
Dexter's moral code makes him palletable to the reader - using his underlying dark urges as a quirky character trait that becomes personified as the back seat driver. After all, it isn't "really" Dexters fault, is it?
A great holiday or casual read for those looking for a dark comedy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"The Stepford Wives" is a modern classic, encompassing the fear of control and change. A welcome attitude of strong, influential women still being helpless against the patriarchal boundaries of society greets you right from the start.
The women of Stepford become robotic in nature - creating an illusion of free will by arguing that they just "wanted to take better care" and realising that "they were being selfish", with the truly selfish of the bunch never really lifting a finger. The men have little to no impact on the story telling - they're almost never mentioned. We see glimpses of Walter's ever increasing annoyance at Joanna's need for freedom. The rest of the book brings us Joanna's perspective as it brings us along her almost crazy train of thought - are these women actually doing this for their own good?
I loved Ira Levin's work here. Within approximately a hundred pages, he has taken me to Stepford and made me feel as helpless as Joanna in a society dominated by masculine ideology.
The women of Stepford become robotic in nature - creating an illusion of free will by arguing that they just "wanted to take better care" and realising that "they were being selfish", with the truly selfish of the bunch never really lifting a finger. The men have little to no impact on the story telling - they're almost never mentioned. We see glimpses of Walter's ever increasing annoyance at Joanna's need for freedom. The rest of the book brings us Joanna's perspective as it brings us along her almost crazy train of thought - are these women actually doing this for their own good?
I loved Ira Levin's work here. Within approximately a hundred pages, he has taken me to Stepford and made me feel as helpless as Joanna in a society dominated by masculine ideology.
Mister Magic by Kiersten White
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
White's "Mister Magic" asks the question whether childhood's rose tinted glasses are really worth the revisit. With monsters and pocket dimensions and a strange series adjacent to the Internet creepypasta Candle Cove, later adapted into a TV series and the Web series local 58.
Mister Magic introduces us to what we assume to be our final girl, Val, who having accepted her amnesia from childhood grieves her late father. She is whisked away before the funeral after learning shocking news: her mother is alive. Throughout the book, Val's hunt for the truth takes for front.
The other character's however, whilst given the stereotypical roles of a TV show character generator, seem to all remember. Would Val like what they know?
The apex of all of this is: Val, Isaac, Marcus, Javi and Jenny were child stars.
The allusion to creepy behaviours of the Magic man, and the parentification of Val come to light throughout the story, suggesting a more thorough review of what it means to be a child star in this day and age.
I appreciated Kiersten White's ability to tell a mystery in a way that had me guessing. I only wish the only characters I felt any attachment to weren't just Val and Jenny. I wanted more from the others that suggested they fell into (or out of) their on screen counterparts. Isaac was the next closest, only picking up further characterisation in the second half of the novel.
Mister Magic introduces us to what we assume to be our final girl, Val, who having accepted her amnesia from childhood grieves her late father. She is whisked away before the funeral after learning shocking news: her mother is alive. Throughout the book, Val's hunt for the truth takes for front.
The other character's however, whilst given the stereotypical roles of a TV show character generator, seem to all remember. Would Val like what they know?
The apex of all of this is: Val, Isaac, Marcus, Javi and Jenny were child stars.
The allusion to creepy behaviours of the Magic man, and the parentification of Val come to light throughout the story, suggesting a more thorough review of what it means to be a child star in this day and age.
I appreciated Kiersten White's ability to tell a mystery in a way that had me guessing. I only wish the only characters I felt any attachment to weren't just Val and Jenny. I wanted more from the others that suggested they fell into (or out of) their on screen counterparts. Isaac was the next closest, only picking up further characterisation in the second half of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping
The Green Mile by Stephen King
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Child death, Rape, Murder, Cancer, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Racism, Police brutality, Gun violence, Death, and Racial slurs
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Child death, Car accident, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Grady Hendrix "Horrorstör" is a cheeky masterpiece in the horror genre. Sly digs at both IKEA and the American retail job market make for a fun read. Absolute recommendation to anyone looking for ghost horror with a little spice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Death, and Body horror