Scan barcode
halfcactus's reviews
73 reviews
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
adventurous
2.0
It seemed promising but it was mediocre at best.
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
dark
5.0
WHAT THIS BOOK IS: a slow-burning revenge story in space
WHAT THIS BOOK HAS: loyalty, animal AI, a literally calculating protagonist who has an unironic love for dramas, animal AI, crises of pastry, 2 people sharing a body
This was great! The visual detail and worldbuilding are amazing; I kept getting distracted imagining how the signifiers change forms. At some point I had to stop reading just to take in the description of a sinister candle (whose existence gave us a deeper sense of the history and context of the current regime).
The editing is very *chef's kiss*. The entire novel is a product of conscious, careful choice, no scene wasted.
WHAT THIS BOOK HAS: loyalty, animal AI, a literally calculating protagonist who has an unironic love for dramas, animal AI, crises of pastry, 2 people sharing a body
This was great! The visual detail and worldbuilding are amazing; I kept getting distracted imagining how the signifiers change forms. At some point I had to stop reading just to take in the description of a sinister candle (whose existence gave us a deeper sense of the history and context of the current regime).
The editing is very *chef's kiss*. The entire novel is a product of conscious, careful choice, no scene wasted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide and Gore
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
slow-paced
3.5
I liked this a lot more than Uprooted, although I still have the SOFTEST spot for the Agnieszka/Kasia relationship in Uprooted.
Spinning Silver was a very slow but rewarding read for me. I loved having 3 heroines who each had her own problems and priorities that were sometimes at odds with each other's. I still think the plot could have been streamlined; the other POVs feel extraneous in the end (*cough* Stepon), and the narrative could have benefited from plumping up the heroines' POVs more. The canon romance felt rushed and overdone. I wish it had been left platonic, but Miryem's story and the Jewish fantasy that came with it were strong enough that it didn't bother me too much. I love it and her magic SO much, every drop of it was earned and paid for.
Spinning Silver was a very slow but rewarding read for me. I loved having 3 heroines who each had her own problems and priorities that were sometimes at odds with each other's. I still think the plot could have been streamlined; the other POVs feel extraneous in the end (*cough* Stepon), and the narrative could have benefited from plumping up the heroines' POVs more. The canon romance felt rushed and overdone. I wish it had been left platonic, but Miryem's story and the Jewish fantasy that came with it were strong enough that it didn't bother me too much. I love it and her magic SO much, every drop of it was earned and paid for.
Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee
slow-paced
3.0
This is an effective outsider's POV in that I got hysterically emotional whenever Cheris/Jedao so much as breathed. The POV is so opaque that I was fully attuned to every twitch of their fingers, hungrily hoarding every scrap of observation about them. Cheris/Jedao's entire existence is still very much an open wound to me, even though it's been a year since I read Ninefox Gambit. If I loved Cheris in the first book, I loved her 100 times more here, and I'm still just super emotional about her and Jedao's storyline, especially as Cheris continues to make the hard choices and attempt the impossible.
Overall Raven Stratagem feels very much like a transitional book. It introduced a host of new characters with their own sets of conflicts and decision-making, and I'm looking forward to getting to the end of the trilogy. I'm a huuuuuge fan of themes of loyalty, so watching the Kels be confronted with the meaning of it was 10/10.
This book also made me seriously contemplate growing my own spring onions, I was SO jealous of Mikodez. :(((((
Overall Raven Stratagem feels very much like a transitional book. It introduced a host of new characters with their own sets of conflicts and decision-making, and I'm looking forward to getting to the end of the trilogy. I'm a huuuuuge fan of themes of loyalty, so watching the Kels be confronted with the meaning of it was 10/10.
This book also made me seriously contemplate growing my own spring onions, I was SO jealous of Mikodez. :(((((
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
<3
3.5
Faith had always told herself that she was not like other ladies. But neither, it seemed, were other ladies.
<3
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino
4.0
I don't always agree with her, but these are all excellent and well-structured essays that have shaped some of my conversations. It's just nice to read longform pieces about pop culture that aren't about specific shows/books. Worth owning in hard copy (I only borrowed my friend's copy).
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo
4.5
Never got to write about my thoughts about it, but I loved this novella, it's so captivating. I like it so much better than the first, but more than that, I think it enhances the first since it just works so well as a series. I hope there's more!
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
3.0
I found this nice but mostly just okay. I'm not sure if the novella length/structure worked for or against the story. The cover's really pretty though.
You Are My Glory by Gu Man
...I didn't read the novel extras, only the 37 main novel chapters, does that count as finishing the book???? Not sure if I want to, but maybe I should.....
Thoughts:
- characters are 30 y/o, and act like it!
- loved the FL, she’s v mature, self-sufficient, and has her life together.
- i loved everything up to the e-sports tournament, but kinda lost interest after—i didn’t really care much about the ML’s POV or the get-together.
- there were great scenes about being an adult and not having your life together enough for emergencies & family situations, it really touched a nerve
- i didn’t think the ML had enough personality for me to care about his character growth. but i liked how he was always so supportive & happy of the FL.
- overall, a cute and short romance
3.5
“……”翟亮忽然想起一个重要问题，“对了，棉花漂不漂亮？”
于途这回沉思了一下，回答他：“大街上随处可见吧。”
...I didn't read the novel extras, only the 37 main novel chapters, does that count as finishing the book???? Not sure if I want to, but maybe I should.....
Thoughts:
- characters are 30 y/o, and act like it!
- loved the FL, she’s v mature, self-sufficient, and has her life together.
- i loved everything up to the e-sports tournament, but kinda lost interest after—i didn’t really care much about the ML’s POV or the get-together.
- there were great scenes about being an adult and not having your life together enough for emergencies & family situations, it really touched a nerve
- i didn’t think the ML had enough personality for me to care about his character growth. but i liked how he was always so supportive & happy of the FL.
- overall, a cute and short romance
“没事，虚惊一场。”于途垂下眼睛，“但是我无法不去想，如果有事呢？我有没有能力给她最好的医疗？”
他自嘲地自问自答，“我没有。我明明可以有，但是我没有。”
一瞬间乔晶晶差点想说，我可以帮你。但是她知道这话绝对不可以说。好了一会，她问：“那你接下来打算去做什么？”
“投行吧。”
不过到底他本科的专业也荒废了很多年，一切都要从头开始。他笑了笑，声音有些沉郁和自嘲，“我从小自负聪明，结果人到三十，一事无成。”
乔晶晶停下脚步，看着他，一时说不出话来。
于途站了一会，说：“走吧，很晚了。”