caitlin_89's reviews
529 reviews

Beach Read by Emily Henry

4.0

Emily Henry is my romcom queen. 
Witty banter worthy of the Gilmore Girls. Predictable ending, fun twists along the way. Tension and sexiness that's hot, not cringe. Main characters that feel real, if a little extra-vibrant. 
It's good stuff. 

If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura

3.0

This is a nice little philosophical ramble. I didn't particularly like it, but imI also think maybe I just struggle with the tone of Japanese to English translations. 

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

1.0

feel bad giving this 1 star, because know this is from japan's most celebrated novelist, but... It was a 1-star experience for me. hated it. IDK if the soul of it was lost in translation, or what, but it felt very derivative and try-hard for me. There'sa moment where the fictional facsimile of the main character compares her disappearing life to the quick upshot and return of a typewriter key, and got the impression the whole book was clumsily built around that one metaphorical image. The novel within the novel sucked and was way too on-the-nose. The "memory police" aren't compelling when they have no motivation or rationale. The book has no feeling when the characters don't care about what's happening to them. The magical elements of disappearance make no sense in any way - even magical realism should follow *some* kind of logic; why do some things actually disappear and others have to be manually destroyed? why is everyone mindlessly complying? If something (like a ferry?) is forgotten, HOW DOES EVERYONE STILL KNOW WHAT IT IS? If the concept of birds disappears, how do you even remember your dad studied birds? the logic just doesn't logic.
There were also some really random and bizarre moments, like the memory of climbing the lighthouse steps with a cousin who "licked all my cuts." Excuse me? This should have been a short horror story a la shirley jackson. Whoever suggested this concept could hold the weight of a novel was wrong.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

5.0

If you like old books, cozy mysteries, gentle romance, magical realism, and stories about stories, you're gonna love this. My only issue is whena character refers to Jo March as Jo Marsh. That's it. This book is a delight. If it were a dessert it would be a lemon bar: sharp and tangy but sweet and comforting at the same time.

Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell

adventurous dark fast-paced

3.5

Really clever subversion of the fairy tale - still a happy ending, but much delayed by a dark journey through dream realms and demon hordes. Really nice writing, too. Better prose than several of the "adult"/general audience novels I've read recently. Good stuff here.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

challenging sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

One sad, hard thing after another 😭 but I appreciate this book telling the story of the women who sacrificed parts of themselves in Vietnam.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

funny hopeful inspiring reflective

5.0

This is by far my favorite book on writing I have ever read. Bradbury is a joy, and his passion is contagious and now I want to read him, meet him, be him... If you like writing or Ray Bradbury's at all, like the tiniest bit, this book of essays is a treat. Now, where's my typewriter...

The Lottery and Other Stories: 75th Anniversary Edition by Shirley Jackson

3.75

I was hoping for something scary, in the vein of Hill House. It was not to be. But when I tell you that Jackson is the master of a perfectly innocuous yet deeply sinister atmosphere... Believe it. Most of these stories are so simple. A thieving housemate. A lover who ghosts. A guest who not only overstays her welcome, but makes herself at home in a literal sense. An uncomfortable neighbor. An overbearing housekeeper. Losing oneself in a drug-hazed, fever dream on an overnight trip to the surgeon. Your first day in the prison of working a retail floor. These are the horrors of everyday life and Jackson taps into the human psyche so well that these mundane snippets of humanity twist into something grotesque and unsettling. Bravo. (Some of it's kind of boring tho. Especially if you're expecting Horror Horror. But still.)

Go as a River by Shelley Read

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

Go As A River is a beautiful meditation on fate and hope and the courage to make bold choices and take the next step. It's about the interconnectedness of every choice. It's about a girl. A woman. A life. It's devastatingly sad and devastatingly hopeful. It was a great book club read. Its prose, poetic. Its pacing, tight. Its plot, a bitter pill to swallow with a healing warmth. 

If poetic prose and books that make you weep aren't your cup of tea, skip this one. But I thought it was delicious.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

I would like to write so earnestly and honestly as Kate DiCamillo. A perfect chapter book.