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futurama's reviews
320 reviews
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Wow. There is A Lot in this book. I was surprised I enjoyed it. I'm not normally a fan of multiple plot lines and characters. But Erdich spends intimate time with each character. Nothing felt out of place. It's slow and not necessarily engaging but I enjoyed spending time with Tookie, even though I didn't understand why she was the main character (wasn't sure of what she wanted in the story). So much happens in the first half that the second half, which takes place in 2020, overwhelms the story. It makes me wonder if Erdich was writing this novel and decided to add the pandemic/BLM protests last minute. The addition of the actions in May 2020 do make sense, the novel takes place at the epicenter of the protests. But I do think the story can function the same without the modern timeline.
I love the tongue-in-cheek humor sprinkled throughout the book. Erdich fictionalizes her bookstore and a fictional version of herself pops in from time to time. Erdich's details and Tookie's observations leaned wry. Tookie's book recommendations were spot on and surprisingly present day, including 2020 (and 2021?) releases. Heaven by Mieko Kawakami was on there! Lily King's Euphoria is mentioned twice!
The Sentence is not a funny story but it is a human story. The book leaks all these human emotions: happiness, fulfillment, sadness, frustration, confusion. The Sentence has all the characteristics of a novel I would avoid: ensemble cast, too-current events, multiple plot lines, but it did blow me away. It's dense but not intense. Overall, I enjoyed spending time with Tookie.
Major, major CW for Covid-19. I wish that was a content warning tag.
I love the tongue-in-cheek humor sprinkled throughout the book. Erdich fictionalizes her bookstore and a fictional version of herself pops in from time to time. Erdich's details and Tookie's observations leaned wry. Tookie's book recommendations were spot on and surprisingly present day, including 2020 (and 2021?) releases. Heaven by Mieko Kawakami was on there! Lily King's Euphoria is mentioned twice!
The Sentence is not a funny story but it is a human story. The book leaks all these human emotions: happiness, fulfillment, sadness, frustration, confusion. The Sentence has all the characteristics of a novel I would avoid: ensemble cast, too-current events, multiple plot lines, but it did blow me away. It's dense but not intense. Overall, I enjoyed spending time with Tookie.
Major, major CW for Covid-19. I wish that was a content warning tag.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Pregnancy
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-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
4.5
Lots of love for the book. It’s rare to find a book about Japanese Americans post camp and Hirahara expertly captured the emotional nuances of the time. While the plot was driven by the crime case, the cast of characters and setting were so strong that it could even hold up well without the mystery. I’d love to see a sequel.
I also enjoyed the addition of nisei who did not have to go to camp. I would love to see that explored more.
I’ve never had a crush on a fictional character before but Art took my heart ❤️❤️❤️❤️
ive seen complaints about the rushed setup/beginning but that’s what happens when the majority of American readers weren’t taught about internment in school. It’s all essential information to understand what Rose and Aki went through.
Slow beginning for sure but around 50 pages in you won’t put the book down.
Overall a well-researched historical fiction about an oft ignored part of America’s past
I also enjoyed the addition of nisei who did not have to go to camp. I would love to see that explored more.
ive seen complaints about the rushed setup/beginning but that’s what happens when the majority of American readers weren’t taught about internment in school. It’s all essential information to understand what Rose and Aki went through.
Slow beginning for sure but around 50 pages in you won’t put the book down.
Overall a well-researched historical fiction about an oft ignored part of America’s past
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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? Yes
3.75
This book was fun! I'm very picky about romance and (hate to say it but don't know another term for it) chick lit and this fit the bill.
It hurt to see these lame men make Bea feel insecure again. I wanted to see the confident Bea we saw in the beginning of the book, before she became a TV star. And honestly? The men on Main Squeeze were incredibly flat, not dimensional at all. I think the only one that had some sort of realistic background was Sam. Stereotypical French chef? Fitness instructors? I know most of them had to be throw aways but come on.
And Asher, why did Bea have such a connection with him? He was by far the worst of the bunch. The reveal at the end was so disappointing, Bea and Asher have no chemistry at all. I knew they were set up to be together but tbh I think Bea would have been much happier with Luc if he wasn't so damn stereotypically "French". It's funny that this is a "romance" book since the romance was the worst part!
Everything else about the story was fun. I've never watched The Bachelor/ette and now I think I might. It was fun to see Bea go on all these wild dates Lauren set up. And the costumes! I hope this is made into a TV show because I need to see those clothes visually. Stayman-London's writing is funny and easy to read. I enjoyed the articles and group chats breaking up the prose. Overall, it was a very fun read! And I'll definitely read whatever Stayman-London cooks up next.
And Asher, why did Bea have such a connection with him? He was by far the worst of the bunch. The reveal at the end was so disappointing, Bea and Asher have no chemistry at all. I knew they were set up to be together but tbh I think Bea would have been much happier with Luc if he wasn't so damn stereotypically "French". It's funny that this is a "romance" book since the romance was the worst part!
Everything else about the story was fun. I've never watched The Bachelor/ette and now I think I might. It was fun to see Bea go on all these wild dates Lauren set up. And the costumes! I hope this is made into a TV show because I need to see those clothes visually. Stayman-London's writing is funny and easy to read. I enjoyed the articles and group chats breaking up the prose. Overall, it was a very fun read! And I'll definitely read whatever Stayman-London cooks up next.
Black Box: The Memoir That Sparked Japan's #metoo Movement by Shiori Ito
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I read this book in three hours. The whole time I was sweating and frustrated and sad and angry. Ito painstakingly details her assault in chronological order along with notes from the present day. It's an intense read but a necessary one. I still need more time to process. I do hope more of Ito's investigative work gets translated. Not only is this an expose on Japan's legal system and treatment of sexual assault in culture and law, it's also a fine work of investigative journalism. Ito mentions other projects she worked on in the book and hopefully we can read that as well.
Ito's case started and finished the entire time I lived in Japan and I remember seeing the original Japanese book selling out at bookstores. Thank you Shiori for your bravery.
On another note, the translation by Allison Markin Powell was seamless. Powell also translates Hiromi Kawakami's books (The Nakano Thrift Shop and others) amongst other themmy Japanese authors.
This is one of those rare books I think is a true 5/5
Ito's case started and finished the entire time I lived in Japan and I remember seeing the original Japanese book selling out at bookstores. Thank you Shiori for your bravery.
On another note, the translation by Allison Markin Powell was seamless. Powell also translates Hiromi Kawakami's books (The Nakano Thrift Shop and others) amongst other themmy Japanese authors.
This is one of those rare books I think is a true 5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment
Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
funny
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
many things i loved - the interconnected stories, the character's true and raw voices, the inability to hold back. one of my top reads of this year
Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun, Janet Hong
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
A whodunnit told from the perspective of three women some sort of proximity to the deceased.
Wow! I didn't expect to enjoy this so much. Pitched like a thriller, most reviews said to expect more of a literary novella rather than a crime novel. However, Kwon balanced genres like an expert. It's still a murder mysterythere are subtle hints throughout the book to know who the murderer is and what someone does for revenge but it's also an experimental form.
Before reading, I didn't know the novel was narrated by three different people. I enjoyed getting to know the three perspectives and trying to figure out who each person was. I wish it was longer, there were some societal and cultural elements that could have been fleshed out with more words, but I enjoyed the small amount of time I had with Da-on and others.
I guessed who the culprits were but I'm not one hundred percent on it. I'd love to discuss with someone else.
Wow! I didn't expect to enjoy this so much. Pitched like a thriller, most reviews said to expect more of a literary novella rather than a crime novel. However, Kwon balanced genres like an expert. It's still a murder mystery
Before reading, I didn't know the novel was narrated by three different people. I enjoyed getting to know the three perspectives and trying to figure out who each person was. I wish it was longer, there were some societal and cultural elements that could have been fleshed out with more words, but I enjoyed the small amount of time I had with Da-on and others.
I guessed who the culprits were but I'm not one hundred percent on it. I'd love to discuss with someone else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder
Minor: Eating disorder
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
ugh. did I DNF this?
Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75