c3rem0nials's reviews
31 reviews

A Doll's House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath

Ibsen ahh fanfic

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

anime ahh plot. just an ordinary guy who has weird stuff happen to him and somehow doesnt need money after the sole breadwinner disappears. generally the prose is great to read, i can kind of make connections between japan's post-war guilt and how the trauma of war permeates into the everyday man's consciousness, but i still don't appreciate the way murakami writes women. the sexual scenes - especially about may kasahara - were odd, i didn't like them. 

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

i really love elif shafak's prose, it's the kind of book you read purely for enjoyment. but it's an extremely preachy book that seems to deliberately follow an "elder" person's voice purely to get the reader to fall in love with sufism (left feeling more cynical about it especially as an ex sunni muslim lol). to be frank this is purely just rumi yaoi. rumi/shamz slash fic as fuck! they were gay as HELL!!!! 

Inheritance by Balli Kaur Jaswal

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

really loved balli's writing style as always but my god!!! i honestly stayed for the absolute mess of family drama and less so for coherent storytelling. i feel at some point it did get a bit draggy, and singaporean political themes get weaved in and out in a way that doesn't feel organic. like this could have been set in modern singapore and i feel like it would still be the same. i wish the fact that the identity of mother was a bit more clearer - i felt like i was a bit misled by the reveal and was confused at the end. it felt like a bit of a strange way to tie in generational trauma. 

Normal People by Sally Rooney

years long situationship ass book 

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

dark

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

Sometimes i find myself at a loss with how to describe Palestinian literature. The ‘fiction’ we read mirrors so closely to their reality. This was short, sharp, and unfortunately insightful. I have no words. 

There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura

slow-paced

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

i really wanted to like this book - it came highly recommended, and it has its nice parts. its relatable, especially when you're an early 20s job seeker in any capacity. i resonate with the desperation, the numbness that comes with finding a job. however the book remained at only one tone throughout, and i don't know if it's a translation or pacing issue. every time something exciting was gonna happen it just fell right back down. too many characters is also an issue, but i guess it comes with constantly meeting new people at different jobs/environments. 

Tremor by Teju Cole
Did not finish book.

Very beautiful book that meanders between multiple perspectives. The writing is beautiful and affective, but the lack of structure also made me hope there was a bit more of it as I kept dipping in and out of attention with the way the writing wasn’t going anywhere. But maybe that’s the point and I just didn’t get it. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

emotional sad medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

a really beautiful book that pop culture deeply misunderstood. especially if you read charlie as autistic. i really love the earnest, in betweenness, where youre not doing that bad but also not doing well. youre just trying. it is sadly a product of its time, the 90s heyday of teen drama ala heathers. i do think its very beautifully written, i enjoyed it a lot because i found charlie's narrative voice to be oddly soothing. he's truly a teenager fully coming into himself. i think coming of age is a silly phrase but i think this novel captures it perfectly. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

who fucking cares at the end of the day. bad writing!