elydy's reviews
74 reviews

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan

challenging medium-paced

4.5

A slow and intense read, but so worth it. Packs an immense amount of Israel-Palestine history into a surprisingly readable narrative. ST has so much compassion for Dalia and Bashir and the other individuals he writes about. Lots of interesting critique of the larger systems at play.

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe by Cullen Bunn

dark funny fast-paced

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

3.5

This was quite fun and easy, so I pretty much read it in one sitting. Superhero comics still aren't really my thing, but I enjoyed the meta-ness! The second half in particular was fun, with all the classic novel references.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

funny fast-paced

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

5.0

Have decided I'm too stingey with my 5 stars. This was entirely fun, always witty, and so well written. 

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Great fun, made me really want to read book 2 and more PP! I listened to this as an audiobook at points bc I was keen to find out what would happen next. Always enjoy reading books set in Ox. Malcolm's character was so lovable.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault

Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

funny medium-paced

3.75

Good fun like the first one. Am enjoying this series. Favourite bits are whenever he visits somewhere I know/have lived, and his random facts about London which I find fascinating. Least favourite bits are the weirdly frequent jokes about police violence. I think I was slightly less impressed by the writing style this time. But overall good fun.

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

challenging slow-paced

4.0

This was a very hard book to read. It's challenging and emotional and makes you very angry. It took me a while to get through, but it's very worth it. My favourite literary aspect of it was the collectively narrated chapters - I thought that was a beautiful touch.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

So good!!! Didn't see the twist coming until the chapter before. Absolutely love what she does with the narration here, and it's so enjoyable to read right from the start.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

emotional informative medium-paced

3.75

Slightly torn how to review this. I was underwhelmed for a lot of it - surprising given the Oxford/linguistics/history of it!! But the latter third was so emotional and heart breaking.

Passages Through Pakistan: An American Girl's Journey of Faith by Marilyn Gardner

challenging emotional medium-paced

4.0

So special and almost emotional to read this, given the family connections.

Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir by Dolly Alderton

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.0

Dolly is hilarious, heart warming, and I love what she says about friendship and dating.