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elderlyemo's reviews
84 reviews
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I knew after about thirty pages that this book was going to be a five star read for me.
The narrative of this memoir, coupled with the parallels I saw between my own twenties, made this book so easy to read and so easy to feel - the grief, exhaustion, loss and hope pours off the pages with such unadulterated authenticity I find it hard to imagine that anyone wouldn't have a meaningful connection with CS and her ambitious, if underprepared, hike of the PCT in the wake of losing her mother to cancer.
The bigger moments of clarity in this book came to me through the themes of addiction, depression and sexuality that I wasn't anticipating going in. This book made me laugh out loud and cry, big deep, desperate sobs. I felt every moment of it and punch after punch I wondered how two women with decades and an ocean between them, could feel and think such similar things.
One of the best memoirs I've ever read and I will never stop recommending it.
Forever five stars.
The narrative of this memoir, coupled with the parallels I saw between my own twenties, made this book so easy to read and so easy to feel - the grief, exhaustion, loss and hope pours off the pages with such unadulterated authenticity I find it hard to imagine that anyone wouldn't have a meaningful connection with CS and her ambitious, if underprepared, hike of the PCT in the wake of losing her mother to cancer.
The bigger moments of clarity in this book came to me through the themes of addiction, depression and sexuality that I wasn't anticipating going in. This book made me laugh out loud and cry, big deep, desperate sobs. I felt every moment of it and punch after punch I wondered how two women with decades and an ocean between them, could feel and think such similar things.
One of the best memoirs I've ever read and I will never stop recommending it.
Forever five stars.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I went into this book completely blind and I don't know if that impacted the overall feeling I had when reading it. I got it from the library because on the surface it looked like a mystical Greek fantasy story (not my favourite) and the ambiguous blurb gave me very little to go on.
I was delighted when the story started to twist and turn and I realised that my initial assumptions about the book were entirely unfounded. I could never have guessed the direction that this book was going to go in and I can honestly say that I've never read anything like it before.
With that being said, it still wasn't my favourite. Again the hype around this book maybe led me to lend it more weight and go in expecting a life changing story line but it was just okay. Super original, and well written, I found it a bit abstract and obtuse at times but the titular character of Pirensi was adorable and I genuinely fell in love with his simplicity and naiveté.
Some really big ideas contained into manageably concise novel, I totally understand why this was an instant five star for a lot of people. Unfortunately for me, it's just not my favourite type of story, even if it was stunningly original and really well written. Three and a half stars.
I was delighted when the story started to twist and turn and I realised that my initial assumptions about the book were entirely unfounded. I could never have guessed the direction that this book was going to go in and I can honestly say that I've never read anything like it before.
With that being said, it still wasn't my favourite. Again the hype around this book maybe led me to lend it more weight and go in expecting a life changing story line but it was just okay. Super original, and well written, I found it a bit abstract and obtuse at times but the titular character of Pirensi was adorable and I genuinely fell in love with his simplicity and naiveté.
Some really big ideas contained into manageably concise novel, I totally understand why this was an instant five star for a lot of people. Unfortunately for me, it's just not my favourite type of story, even if it was stunningly original and really well written. Three and a half stars.
Cows by Matthew Stokoe
challenging
dark
sad
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
3.0
After sitting with this one for a while, I upped my rating to a three star because this book is definitely a little bit different from the other books it often finds itself compared to.
First of all - it is well written, and does contain within it some really interesting reflections on power, nuclear family, social isolation, self worth and mental health. Steven is a very interesting character who whilst being a bit simple in practice, comes off as compelling in the prose.
Having said that, the quality of the writing makes me feel like the author could have written a much better book. The worst parts of this book - in terms of physical repulsion - are at the beginning and it does slow down into a more manageably disgusting book towards the end (right around where the titular cows start to really impact the narrative) is it still unrelenting and gross? Yes, but I don't think it's necessarily without merit.
This definitely isn't a book for everyone, but I read it in one sitting and annotated quite a lot of it which is usually an indication to me and my own depraved mind that I am getting *something* out of it. What did I get out of Cows? I don't know. But it was something.
I think how popular this book got led to its own downfall and I see it a lot on the Most Disturbing Books of All Time lists - which it totally should be - but I think the absolute lunacy of this story makes it wholly less disturbing.
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future because genuinely - it could be about literally anything. Solid three stars.
First of all - it is well written, and does contain within it some really interesting reflections on power, nuclear family, social isolation, self worth and mental health. Steven is a very interesting character who whilst being a bit simple in practice, comes off as compelling in the prose.
Having said that, the quality of the writing makes me feel like the author could have written a much better book. The worst parts of this book - in terms of physical repulsion - are at the beginning and it does slow down into a more manageably disgusting book towards the end (right around where the titular cows start to really impact the narrative) is it still unrelenting and gross? Yes, but I don't think it's necessarily without merit.
This definitely isn't a book for everyone, but I read it in one sitting and annotated quite a lot of it which is usually an indication to me and my own depraved mind that I am getting *something* out of it. What did I get out of Cows? I don't know. But it was something.
I think how popular this book got led to its own downfall and I see it a lot on the Most Disturbing Books of All Time lists - which it totally should be - but I think the absolute lunacy of this story makes it wholly less disturbing.
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future because genuinely - it could be about literally anything. Solid three stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Violence, Vomit, and Abortion
Ghost Virus by Graham Masterton
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Let me preface this by saying - I LOVE Graham Masterton and Walkers has been one of my favourite horror novels since I was a kid - but this book was absolutely ridiculous in the worst possible way.
The writing style and the gore are the only compelling parts of this book and GM does both those things well in all of his novels. I was really looking forward to reading the four PP books by GM but after Ghost Virus, I don't think I'll be jumping into the next book in the series any time soon.
There were some really interesting moments in this book and moments that I genuinely couldn't believe I was reading and I hoped against hope that all the tension and blood and weirdness would culminate in an epiphany at the end that would leave me breathless but it just fell flat.
Disappointing overall and not a book I would recommend, even though the premise is absolutely hilarious.
The writing style and the gore are the only compelling parts of this book and GM does both those things well in all of his novels. I was really looking forward to reading the four PP books by GM but after Ghost Virus, I don't think I'll be jumping into the next book in the series any time soon.
There were some really interesting moments in this book and moments that I genuinely couldn't believe I was reading and I hoped against hope that all the tension and blood and weirdness would culminate in an epiphany at the end that would leave me breathless but it just fell flat.
Disappointing overall and not a book I would recommend, even though the premise is absolutely hilarious.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
How do I review The Book Thief?
Maybe I'm biased because it's been my favourite book of all time since I read it for the first time in 2007, and it has yet to be dethroned. This is by no means my normal kind of book, I picked it up on a whim one evening in a supermarket not knowing how profoundly important it would become to me. So now, sitting here nearly 20 years later, with the original cover of the book I read tattooed on my forearm (my first tattoo) I can confidently say that this book is as close to perfect as any book I've ever read can be.
I reread it every year, sometimes twice, and it never fails to absolutely devastate and amaze me. Every character, however small, has such a massive personality and the world building makes a small town in Germany feel like a different universe.
With themes of death, life, war, hope and ultimately, love and what it means to be loved, this book changed how I not only read books but how I viewed an entire period of history.
And the kicker? It's narrated by Death. Read it. You won't regret it.
Maybe I'm biased because it's been my favourite book of all time since I read it for the first time in 2007, and it has yet to be dethroned. This is by no means my normal kind of book, I picked it up on a whim one evening in a supermarket not knowing how profoundly important it would become to me. So now, sitting here nearly 20 years later, with the original cover of the book I read tattooed on my forearm (my first tattoo) I can confidently say that this book is as close to perfect as any book I've ever read can be.
I reread it every year, sometimes twice, and it never fails to absolutely devastate and amaze me. Every character, however small, has such a massive personality and the world building makes a small town in Germany feel like a different universe.
With themes of death, life, war, hope and ultimately, love and what it means to be loved, this book changed how I not only read books but how I viewed an entire period of history.
And the kicker? It's narrated by Death. Read it. You won't regret it.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this book many years ago and when I found the audiobook on YouTube one afternoon I thought it would be a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Listen, vampires aren't my bag and I've never really liked "gothic" vampires as much as I like more modern retellings (think True Blood) but I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy this book, especially listening to it being told to me in a very serious and very sensual way.
It's hard in 2024 to separate the book from the film but having someone attach different vocal characteristics to the characters really helped with that.
It's never going to be my favourite book, but I understand why it exists and why it is so beloved. It's a solid story that I am sure people will continue to fall in love with for many, many years to come.
Listen, vampires aren't my bag and I've never really liked "gothic" vampires as much as I like more modern retellings (think True Blood) but I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy this book, especially listening to it being told to me in a very serious and very sensual way.
It's hard in 2024 to separate the book from the film but having someone attach different vocal characteristics to the characters really helped with that.
It's never going to be my favourite book, but I understand why it exists and why it is so beloved. It's a solid story that I am sure people will continue to fall in love with for many, many years to come.
Woom by Duncan Ralston
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Listen, it's rare that I ever give a KU "extreme horror" book more than three stars and this one was no exception. Whilst the pacing and format of the story was quite interesting, and the inextricable intricacy of the ending kind of made me gasp - this story was just okay.
It follows a random dude who pays a sex worker to "stretch" the limits of her capabilities and whilst doing this, he regales her with the mystic symbolism of the motel room they're in and weaves together increasingly more depraved stories of things that have happened in said motel room.
The biggest let down of this book? The title. I saw the finale of the book before there were ever really any hints dropped and though I've never read anything like this and probably won't again, sometimes, as if often the case with extreme horror, originality doesn't always rule the day.
Two and a half stars. It's well written, with three dimensional characters and even though it's pretty short, it still managed to pack a punch and leave an after burn in my brain for a few days.
It follows a random dude who pays a sex worker to "stretch" the limits of her capabilities and whilst doing this, he regales her with the mystic symbolism of the motel room they're in and weaves together increasingly more depraved stories of things that have happened in said motel room.
The biggest let down of this book? The title. I saw the finale of the book before there were ever really any hints dropped and though I've never read anything like this and probably won't again, sometimes, as if often the case with extreme horror, originality doesn't always rule the day.
Two and a half stars. It's well written, with three dimensional characters and even though it's pretty short, it still managed to pack a punch and leave an after burn in my brain for a few days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abortion, and Murder