ellaep's reviews
325 reviews

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue

1.5

Maybe I'm being harsh with my ratings. Maybe. But this book was not thrilling. I read so many reviews that said it was "edge of your seat thrilling" and that the pace builds and builds. This was so boring!! I was just waiting for it to end the whole time. The characters were also boring. Maybe because there were way too many POV characters, so we don't get any time to actually get to know and care about them. It's a no from me. 

Lightlark by Alex Aster

1.5

I wrote an entire spoiler-y review in my notes app, but it was so long that I felt insane so here’s my toned down review. I didn’t feel like the parts (like characters, world building, magic, etc) of this story worked together. Maybe it was just too many smaller plot points to juggle, and at the end I was left feeling like the plot I was promised had not been utilized to its full potential. 

Here are the things I would’ve found super interesting if they were given more weight: the process that went into polishing the game so that it would be more efficient in breaking the curse, the partnering-up and what working together looks like for the rulers, the incredible age differences between rulers and how it changes how they interact with one another, the fact that the history of lightlark has been hidden to the point where the curse could never have been lifted, Isla being trained in “persuasion” from such a young age (and the clothes they make her wear), the magic system, the fact that Grim could literally take people’s memories, and their fact that Isla has literally been living a lie basically her entire life.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

2.75

Okay, this book is barely a murder mystery at all. It’s more about found family than investigating a death. However, I love found family, so I don’t care ♥️

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

2.5

This a story about a book and the mystery surrounding the authors apparent suicide. I’ll be honest, I liked the book within the book, more than the actual story 😬. 

Also, why make such strong connections between the people in the book and in real life, and then that doesn’t even lead to the murderer? It’s just a waste of the medium.

Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali

4.5

This book was written specifically for me I think. The writing was absolutely phenomenal, the characters were incredibly interesting, and I loved the little perspective switch. Ugh, so good!!! I would've loved even more from the "narrator" at the end, but that's just me. 

Selected Stories by Anton Chekhov

4.0

Really proud of myself for taking it slow with this one, it made it more enjoyable. Anyways, this rocked! I really loved Chekhov's writing, it's hard to explain but he just leaves so much up to interpretation and yet still manages to describe things in intricate and beautiful ways. Yeah, I'm definitely going to read some of his plays next!

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

4.25

Pretty hard to get through due to the subject matter, but Jeanette Walls does a really good job covering everything. Would’ve loved some more information about her siblings, but I understand why she didn’t. Really good book!! Also, of course, had to listen to the audiobook when the author was the narrator 

Timbuktu by Paul Auster

3.5

Okay I haven’t decided on a rating, I hope it will come to me as I write this review. 
I really enjoyed this book. This is my second Paul Auster, so I was prepared for how odd and dense it was going to be, and in general I love his writing style. I didn’t really care about the characters or the story, but I’m one of those crazy people who can read anything as long as it sounds good.  Okay I think I’ve landed on a 3.5

The Seven Ages by Louise Glück

3.0

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

2.0

Okay, I did actually love the writing. There is something about classic novels that I eat up every time. But, I also really disliked this book. I found the main character so unsympathetic. I don’t understand him at all. He’s a member of the idle rich, who hates his lifestyle, but is so incapable of moving beyond it, whose every thought is about himself and if he ever thinks about other people it’s always about how they relate to him. Newland Archer irritates me so much, I can’t put all of it into words without writing a five paragraph essay, so let’s summarize by saying that I don’t understand why anyone ever fell in love with him.