flowingleaves's reviews
82 reviews

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A fantastic book. The style is very poetic and emotional, and I at several points had to put the book down because I was crying too hard to continue reading. A magnificent piece of writing with a very interesting world, sympathetic characters, and a truly brilliant ending. Highly recommend!
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Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

A very fun, non linearly told story that really engages you. It was very fun to read through it and connect the dots of which characters were which. It got a bit contrived, and a bit of an exposition dump at the very end but I very much had fun reading it. It's a story were half the characters think they're in a medieval fantasy, half of them correctly know they're in a sci fi book, yet until the end nobody seems to remember that this is very much also a dystopia story. A great read! 
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Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

A very interesting part biography, part history book that shines a very important light on many aspects of Britian and its culture and history. The author's experiences were very visceral and you could tell how much they shaped him. The writing was a bit not up to par in some places, but overall it was a very informative and important read. 
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The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The Doctor's Wife Is Dead: The True Story of a Peculiar Marriage, a Suspicious Death, and the Murder Trial that Shocked Ireland by Andrew Tierney

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dark informative mysterious medium-paced

3.25

A bit tediously rambling in places, but otherwise fairly enjoyable writing. Some parts could have been either expanded on or cut down, but it was decently engaging and was about an interesting event. It could have been better, but it was good for what it was. 
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Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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

2.0

This book was thoroughly hyped up by most people I've seen talk about it, however I disliked the plot and didn't find the characters too engaging. On the bright side, it's a short read with good writing, so it wasn't too bad to read. 
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A Field Guide to the North American Family by Garth Risk Hallberg

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reflective fast-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

3.5

The books premise is very fun, and I adore unconventional writing styles. However, the plot was a bit basic and not as developed as I had hoped, though I suppose that comes with the style. A good enough book for what it was meant to be. 
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Record of a Night Too Brief by Hiromi Kawakami

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

3.5

I picked this book up after reading People From My Neighbourhood by the same author, and I must say that while the writing style that I so loved in that book carries over into this one, the plot of the stories was a little lacking and uncomfortable in places. Especially in the story with incest. Still an enjoyable book, but do be careful if you're squeamish about that sort of stuff. The first story was a bit all over the place but I still had fun with it while the last was more cohesive and very fun to read. All the stories are very surreal and otherworldly, so if you enjoy that kind of storytelling, you'll probably find something of worth in this book! 
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Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung

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

4.25

A very emotional and evocative book about family, trauma, and misunderstandings. Talks a lot about immigration and how it affects young children, aswell as the trauma those young children experience because of it, alongside how to reconcile with family in the wake of tragedy. Certain plot points irked me a little, personally, but it's a genuinely good book about many heavy topics. 
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