hgullegrogan's Reviews (119)

The City and Its Uncertain Walls

Haruki Murakami

3.75

adventurous mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Inside you are two wolves.

One that seeks endless knowledge, and another that seeks himself.

The first part of this story, while essential to build the world, was slow and meandering. I wondered where this story was going and if any of it had meaning. Parts 2 and 3 pick up the pace and introduce interesting concepts about reality, dreams, and the self. Ultimately, I like the book, but I don't consider it one of Murakami's best works.

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

Kay Redfield Jamison

3.75

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

Rosewater

Tade Thompson

2.5

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I want to like this story but the writing is messy and full of meaningless plot lines.

Babylon's Ashes

James S. A. Corey

4.0

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Nemesis Games

James S. A. Corey

3.75

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

The Briefcase

Hiromi Kawakami

4.0

emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is my second read of The Briefcase. It is a simple story with odd, life-like characters.

The Premonition

Banana Yoshimoto

3.0

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I love BY's writing and flow. Overall, I enjoyed following the protagonist's journey in discovering herself and her origins. However, the teacher's subplot of being a sexual predator was random and completely unnecessary. No part of the teacher's awful behavior is addressed, and honestly the other characters dismiss any concerns of inappropriateness.

Content Warnings