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donie's reviews
18 reviews
The Red Palace by June Hur
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
They would live life, grow old together, and this time—please, just this once—they would choose a different path. The path that did not lead into the palace.
I was so excited to read this when I found out it was a combination of my favorite genres/themes (hisfic with murder mystery and dashes of romance), but at the same time I was apprehensive in putting too much expectation on it. However, I ended up loving it and despite me being a slow and easily-distracted reader, I could barely put the book down. The mystery plot was neither shallow nor predictable, the MC and ML were lovely (got me hitting my pillows during their more romantic scenes), and I enjoyed getting glimpses of how Joseon era Korean society worked back then. I enjoyed this book a great deal.
I was so excited to read this when I found out it was a combination of my favorite genres/themes (hisfic with murder mystery and dashes of romance), but at the same time I was apprehensive in putting too much expectation on it. However, I ended up loving it and despite me being a slow and easily-distracted reader, I could barely put the book down. The mystery plot was neither shallow nor predictable, the MC and ML were lovely (got me hitting my pillows during their more romantic scenes), and I enjoyed getting glimpses of how Joseon era Korean society worked back then. I enjoyed this book a great deal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
At that moment, for the first time ever, I felt I'd become a part in the machine of society. I've been reborn, I thought. That day, I actually became a normal cog in society.
An interesting story about trying to fit into society's idea of "normalcy", especially for a woman, and how people would rather you be miserable yet "normal" than perfectly okay yet "abnormal".
An interesting story about trying to fit into society's idea of "normalcy", especially for a woman, and how people would rather you be miserable yet "normal" than perfectly okay yet "abnormal".
Remnants of Filth: Yuwu (Novel) Vol. 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
For Mo Xi, Gu Mang was like ink on paper or mud in snow, the suggestive smear of blood left upon the pristine white of a gentleman's bedsheets. He was the stain on Mo Xi's life.
I actually quite enjoyed this first volume. There wasn't much going on yet but the back-and-forth narrative between the current predicament and Mo Xi reminiscing their times together is quite interesting; as the plot goes we slowly untangle the nature of the two characters personalities, relationships, and past histories. It's pretty much continuously angsty throughout the story but it wasn't so bad (yet?). However, I do think the torture scenes are quite something and can be a little exhausting to read so some people may need to thread carefully.
I actually quite enjoyed this first volume. There wasn't much going on yet but the back-and-forth narrative between the current predicament and Mo Xi reminiscing their times together is quite interesting; as the plot goes we slowly untangle the nature of the two characters personalities, relationships, and past histories. It's pretty much continuously angsty throughout the story but it wasn't so bad (yet?). However, I do think the torture scenes are quite something and can be a little exhausting to read so some people may need to thread carefully.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Drug use
Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
You see, loneliness is the price we have to pay for being born in this modern age...
The writing is beautiful with its tone of simplicty and somberness. Plot-wise, I quite like the first two-thirds of the story, but my enjoyment started falling off nearing the end especially during the part of Sensei's Testament.
The writing is beautiful with its tone of simplicty and somberness. Plot-wise, I quite like the first two-thirds of the story, but my enjoyment started falling off nearing the end especially during the part of Sensei's Testament.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Golden Terrace: Volume 2 by Cang Wu Bin Bai
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Never mind living apart from the world, even if he went to the blue heavens or the yellow springs of the underworld, I would follow him
[4⅓☆] In my opinion, the pacing were far better in the first book. However, this is where the main couple's relationship truly developed into a strong and impenetrable bond; I adore them so much, truly... It's also more political than the first volume. I'd say the book is a mix of three things: romance, politics, and how the main couple navigated their blossoming romance in the tumultuous political atmosphere.
[4⅓☆] In my opinion, the pacing were far better in the first book. However, this is where the main couple's relationship truly developed into a strong and impenetrable bond; I adore them so much, truly... It's also more political than the first volume. I'd say the book is a mix of three things: romance, politics, and how the main couple navigated their blossoming romance in the tumultuous political atmosphere.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
...no matter how wonderful the memory, it vanishes if you leave it alone, if no one pays attention to it.
hmMmm I'm kinda torn about how to rate this book... The book tells a dystopian story about losses in a way that can be described as dream-like. Sometimes it was suspenseful; sometimes it was solemn; other times it was calm, be it in the peaceful sense or in the slightly eery way. The writing style was beautiful and I want to give a big applause to the translator too.
Minor spoiler for one of the things I didn't quite enjoy is that I didn't quite like the sprinkles of infidelity in it even if I kinda understand how it happened (simply just not my thing sorry!!!) but I was still about to give it a higher rating. However, when I arrived to the ending part, it gave a sense of meaninglessness? emptiness? IDK WHAT WORD TO USE BUT although sometimes I enjoy stories that isn't really leading somewhere, there was just so much build up, efforts, and things done by the novelist and the old man that when I saw the ending chapter I wasn't sure how to feel. The whole story felt a little pointless, though idk if it was meant to be like that or simply my personal opinion. "But I suppose the order of the disappearances made no difference— if in the end everything disappeared anyway." So yeahh story-wisw I suppose this is a 3.85 stars or something from me BUT i'm rounding it up because again, I loved the writing style and I'm a sucker for beautifully written proses!!!!!!
hmMmm I'm kinda torn about how to rate this book... The book tells a dystopian story about losses in a way that can be described as dream-like. Sometimes it was suspenseful; sometimes it was solemn; other times it was calm, be it in the peaceful sense or in the slightly eery way. The writing style was beautiful and I want to give a big applause to the translator too.
Minor spoiler for one of the things I didn't quite enjoy
Golden Terrace: Volume 1 by Cang Wu Bin Bai
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
After all, one was a powerful official holding military authority, and one was a highly trusted aide of the emperor.
The story is filled with schemes and court politics. In the spectrum of "how complicated the politics in this book is", I'd place it somewhere in the middle. I think that it might get overwhelming for someone who doesn't like such stories, but isn't that heavy for someone who is used to historical novels with such themes.
This was more like a 4.80, 4.85 stars but I just can't help to round it up because I just adore this book and the main couple! The con of this novel is that while I do think the translation is beautiful, there are some moments when I couldn't tell which speaker is currently speaking the dialogue. It's not that much, but just enough to confuse and bother me.
The story is filled with schemes and court politics. In the spectrum of "how complicated the politics in this book is", I'd place it somewhere in the middle. I think that it might get overwhelming for someone who doesn't like such stories, but isn't that heavy for someone who is used to historical novels with such themes.
This was more like a 4.80, 4.85 stars but I just can't help to round it up because I just adore this book and the main couple! The con of this novel is that while I do think the translation is beautiful, there are some moments when I couldn't tell which speaker is currently speaking the dialogue. It's not that much, but just enough to confuse and bother me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Betrayal. Translation means doing violence upon the original, means warping and distorting it for foreign, unintended eyes. So then where does that leave us? How can we conclude, except by acknowledging that an act of translation is then necessarily always an act of betrayal?
The world-building of this book is one of the most unique ones I had ever encountered; I looove when we can clearly tell that the author had put so much research into writing a book! The characters has so much depth and complexities to them, and Ramy had become my favorite muslim character written by a non-muslim author. There's so much to say about this book but I can't put it into words so let's just say I simply adored this book (if I have to say name a con about it, I guess I'm a bit torn by the footnotes because sometimes it feels greatly insightful and other times distracting).
The world-building of this book is one of the most unique ones I had ever encountered; I looove when we can clearly tell that the author had put so much research into writing a book! The characters has so much depth and complexities to them, and Ramy had become my favorite muslim character written by a non-muslim author. There's so much to say about this book but I can't put it into words so let's just say I simply adored this book (if I have to say name a con about it, I guess I'm a bit torn by the footnotes because sometimes it feels greatly insightful and other times distracting).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Colonisation
Moderate: Racial slurs
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
...at each intersection she cast skittish glances at the women waiting for the light to change, wondering if she was one of them too, or her, or her.
the book really exceeded my expectation for it; i loved the writing and you can just tell how much research was put into this historical fiction!!! i'm neither chinese, american, nor a lesbian but as a sapphic person of color i did relate to some stuffs in the book and it was quite emotional.... ohh the intricacy of asian family relationships versus the burden of heteronormative expectations....
the book really exceeded my expectation for it; i loved the writing and you can just tell how much research was put into this historical fiction!!! i'm neither chinese, american, nor a lesbian but as a sapphic person of color i did relate to some stuffs in the book and it was quite emotional.... ohh the intricacy of asian family relationships versus the burden of heteronormative expectations....
The Flowers of Buffoonery by Osamu Dazai
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
If only you could understand the sadness of the ones who grow the delicate flowers of buffoonery, protecting them but the slightest gust of wind and always on the verge of despair!
To be honest, this was more of a 3.85 stars. There was no coherent plot line or character development, but the post-dramaticness of it is what makes it intriguing. Dazai constantly cuts off the story narration to put his own commentary or to go on a tangent of his own. There's also an impression as if the characters actions or personalities sometimes go outside of Dazai's control as an author, and that Dazai feels the "need" to put them back in shape. Oba in this novella isn't as depressing as in No Longer Human, but there was still a melancholic atmosphere throughout the book.
All in all, I enjoyed it's novel for it's uniqueness, and I have to say that it's somber pointlessnes has an appeal of it's own.
To be honest, this was more of a 3.85 stars. There was no coherent plot line or character development, but the post-dramaticness of it is what makes it intriguing. Dazai constantly cuts off the story narration to put his own commentary or to go on a tangent of his own. There's also an impression as if the characters actions or personalities sometimes go outside of Dazai's control as an author, and that Dazai feels the "need" to put them back in shape. Oba in this novella isn't as depressing as in No Longer Human, but there was still a melancholic atmosphere throughout the book.
All in all, I enjoyed it's novel for it's uniqueness, and I have to say that it's somber pointlessnes has an appeal of it's own.