ida03a's reviews
167 reviews

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

4.0

I found this to be very entertaining with a pace that keeps you hooked throughout the whole story. I didn't find I predictable, as I often do with thrillers. But I was also not mind-blown by the ending. I feel like the plot twist came a bit suddenly, and I would've liked more text after it (if that makes sense??). My conclusion is that this is a good thriller, and I understand why this book has been so popular, but I probably won't think that much about it after this. Still, I would recommend this as a quick, fast paced, thriller, just for entertainment.

Open Throat by Henry Hoke

5.0

Wow! This surprised me so much. I picked this up due to its uniqueness, with having the point of view be from a mountain lion. This is also a very short book and I thought it wouldn't be that deep. But it actually shocked me by being a very well formed out story that makes you think beyond the text. I devoured this in one day, but I feel like this will sit with me for quite some time.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

4.0

This was surprisingly enjoyable for me. It was a tiny bit cheesy at times, but I never really cringed at anything (as I often do with romance novels). I really enjoyed that the main characters career was such a big part of the plot line, and to learn more about "SNL". The Corona parts put me off a little to begin with, but after a while I realized I was ok with it. It was interesting to hear others viewpoint of the quarantine period etc. Would actually recommend.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

5.0

Wow. This is probably the best book I have read so far in 2024. I was hooked at every page, and couldn't wait to keep reading when I was busy. This book is a good example of how the joy of reading feels. I didn't know anything about tennis before reading it, and learning about it was so interesting to me. The pacing was perfect, I wasn't bored at any time, I actually felt so giddy reading this. This book was also surprisingly emotional for me and it actually made me cry. 
Taylor Jenkins Reid truly has a talent for writing characters that feel so real that you want to google them after, and also putting them in very interesting settings. This one might actually beat Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the six, if I were to compare them. 
I also loved the ending so much, it truly wrapped the whole story up in a pretty little bow.
Would recommend everyone read this!! Please :)

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

1.0

This is probably the worst classic I have read so far, and I honestly do not understand why it is so well praised. I found the whole thing so extremely boring. I also thought that the point of the book was that the reader was supposed to sympathise with the main character, and feel conflicted because of it, but I never felt a single ounce of sympathy for that man. I also spent the whole book waiting for something to happen that would justify its slowness, but I was honestly just glad it was all over when I was done.
Honestly this did not feel worth spending my time on...

Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier

4.0

This is a short intense books with many difficult themes. It was very fast to read and the writing style was very simple, which I sort of didnt like in the beginning, but then grew to like. I found it very interesting how this book shows how depression can be very hidden, one can seem "normal"; showing up to work everyday and not crying in front of other etc, but still struggling deeply with depression. The themes of unwanted pregnancy and alcoholism really hit close to home for me, but the ways the main character handles the situation she was in really frustrated me. 
This book was very hard to rate because it is in many ways good, and the plot is unique, but it didnt feel like it was thorougly developed enough maybe? I feel like if this book was 50-100 pages longer it could have been 5 stars :)

1984 by George Orwell

4.75

I must say this is one of the few classics I've read that I actually found enjoyable. I feel like this is the blueprint for the dystopian genre and I really appretiate it for that. I really like how the world of this book was presented, and the eerieness of it all. The concept is both far fetched and so close to reality. Loved how it made me rethink things. Why do we think the way we do? Do we really have free will in todays society?
I have to say though that the part where he reads the book dragged on a bit, as the main character states himself; it didn't tell us anything we didn't already know, it just presented the facts in a more structured way. But after several pages of that it got a bit boring. Luckily, it quickly moved on right as I was thinking this. I also found the ending really facinating.
Would recommend :)

Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

5.0

I bought this book after watching the movie in January, but didn't get to it before now. I have to say that the book is even better. I feel like it handles the things I found confusing in the movie a lot better and the book, and I do notice that some plotpoints vary from the book and movie. First of all I really liked that it was written from McCandles perspective with the letters from Bella in between it all. The writing style was very interesting and never boring. I also liked the little illustrations in between the chapters (idk if its like that in all editions of the book.) Lastly I was a little shocked and confused by the ending of the book, and at first it kind of ruined it a bit for me. But after sitting with it for a couple of days I realize that I really liked that the author chose to do this.  This book is so unique and it makes you think in a way I really love. I would really recommend people read this, and it also pairs nicely with the movie in my opinion.

Brother Alive by Zain Khalid

4.5

This one is so hard to rate. It was such a unique story that it's hard to compare to others, and it tackles so many different themes. Throughout the whole book you are a bit confused, and I felt myself being sure I understood it one second, and then having no idea the very next. This is a feeling I kind of enjoy though. The characters feel real and flawed in a good way. I loved how the story was from both Youssef and Imam Salims point of view, would have loved to seen other characters weigh in too. I found Imam Salims part especially engaging as it revealed so much that was left unsaid in the first part. The third part was a bit too confusing to me, and I'm not 100% sure how we ended up there. It felt a bit like a sudden genre switch and left me a bit unsure. Would have given this a five star if it ended differently. Would still recommend to a friend looking for a complicated and thought-provoking book.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

4.5

This was such an interesting book. All the characters felt so authentic. The story also suprised me as it twisted trough a wast amount of time. Really liked how this author portrayed family dynamics. Would recommend to a friend.