estellegodard's reviews
255 reviews

Serious Concerns by Wendy Cope

emotional funny fast-paced

3.75

it’s super hard to rate a poetry collection. I think I liked some poems so much that it balanced the others that I didn’t like so much (which come to think of it, was probably the majority). Wendy Cope is so good at making quick and witty poems which made this collection very accessible. 

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

there is absolutely nothing brief about this book. it is unnecessarily long and slow with far too many characters. by the time I was 200 pages in I was seriously contemplating dnf’ing it, but given it won the man booker prize I was determined to see what the fuss was about. I will not lie, by page 500 the book did pick up and it became interesting. however, why on earth did it take that long for a book to get me invested in its characters? why did it take so long for it to make sense ? all these different storylines overlap loosely and I wish there was a greater reveal and a great connection to make all this worthwhile. unfortunately this was not the case and as excited as I was to read this, it was a slog. 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

adventurous emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book with all my heart. I didn’t know if this would be my jam when it first released so I held off until now, but what a fool I was. it was a beautiful and raw story about friendship in a milieu that is totally unique and untapped in literature. the friendship being depicted is honest and while the characters are frustrating at times, it’s because as readers we cannot help but identify with them and their struggles: we would act irrationally and pettily too. there were moments when this book tried to dump a lot on the reader (most trauma) but to be fair, it did it tactfully and while the story is devastating and each character has its own baggage, it never felt like the author was trying to use these devices and their trauma as a cop out to bring out emotions. overall, I am beyond pleased with my read and I absolutely devoured this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, and Car accident

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse

Minor: Terminal illness and Abortion

Shmutz by Felicia Berliner

medium-paced

3.25

I think my main issue with this book was that I never felt like I truly knew the main character. her obsession and her problems fuel this book forward but there is a wishy washyness to her that perhaps was meant to come off as relatable, but in reality comes off as inconsistent writing. additionally, the therapy sessions should have been an opportunity to truly discover our character but they are frustratingly futile and add little to the story. however, despite this I was drawn into the unique and original story. I bought this book on a whim and without consulting any reviews and I don’t regret it but I was a bit disappointed nonetheless. 

Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir by Dolly Alderton

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

4.75

this was a fantastic book. I haven’t felt emotionally connected to a text in a long time and the discourse about female friendships really moved me. I am thankful to have read this book when I did and would recommend it wholeheartedly. I think the only moments that dragged for me where those emails; while they were funny, to me they broke up the pace of the book 

This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says about You by Ogi Ogas, Susan Rogers

informative medium-paced

3.75

this book does not rely on jargon to be informative. it’s strongest points are when we get to engage with real musical examples (though I wish we had seen a few more rap examples, there was a lot of rock and alt present). I will highlight that the authors put in great effort to make this book musically diverse and they did not glorify one genre over the next. this was one of the most interesting books I’ve read, it was just not much of a page turner. 

Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro

emotional slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

4.0

I struggled getting into this book but by the time I was invested I really really was. the characters (Rita especially) are detestable but yet we can’t help but sympathize with the burden she’s been assigned and must carry. the story is nuanced and sharp, allowing for a very airtight narrative that engages readers and poses deeper questions about right and wrong. I don’t know if this was the best book to begin the year with since it didn’t set the momentum I wanted, but it was a good & quick read nonetheless 

Slow Days, Fast Company. The World, the Flesh, and L.A. by Eve Babitz

slow-paced

3.0

this book perplexed me because there were moments I really loved and others that were simply bland. I thought the endless name dropping and references were tiresome & made it actually hard to engage with the text. however, the humor and wit in this book feels so modern and fresh, making it a pleasure at times too. 

Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

it is hard to rate a short story collection but the majority of these stories were very good and interesting. they are all character studies of weird, disturbed, and gross people and the author has a gift at writing such hatable characters! there were only 2 or 3 stories that I didn’t like. 

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

very tricky to rate this book. 
I really disliked the dialogue. I thought it was cheap for the most part and billy was super annoying to me. he didn’t feel like he was acting like a regular child, more like what a cartoon child would be. I was also not a fan of how many different povs we got. I did however like that duchesse was in the first person to charm us and make us believe his unreliable narrative: in the end he truly is the bad guy of the book and his greed gets the best of him. 
I think this book lacks the charm and the wit that I am used to with Towels. it feels like his grandest endeavor and his most difficult book to achieve but I just do not know if it was done to the best of its ability.