iksme's reviews
140 reviews

The Circus Infinite by Stefan Menaul, Khan Wong
Did not finish book. Stopped at 59%.

This book made me want to hit my head against the wall repeatedly. The only reason I DNFed it after eight hours instead of instantly is the lack of asexual, aromantic representation in the media. The universe building is so weird, the characters so unrealistic

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

adventurous fast-paced

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

5.0

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

adventurous challenging fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris by Mark Honigsbaum

informative reflective fast-paced

3.5

This is such a weird book to read, it details previous pandemics of the 20th and early 21st centuries and analyses the responses by governments, NGOs and international bodies. As it was published in 2019, it has no reference to the COVID-19 pandemic that I live in now, except in the epilogue. where it talks about disease X and how we are going to see such a disease in the next 30 years. Before the 2020 pandemic, I thought plagues, pandemics and mass infection were a thing of the middle ages, no one taught me about the Spanish flu of the 1920s or the 10ish other pandemics that occurred. These were things I learnt about after Friday, the 13th of March 2020. So to read this pre-pandemic book and learn that all the lessons "we are going to learn from COVID-19" have been taught before disappoints me. I should be worried, I will almost certainly face another pandemic to match the scale of COVID-19 in my lifetime. But nothing will persuade governments to invest in public health when rich white cishet able-bodied men aren't dying in the streets. We need change.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

adventurous lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Misrule by Heather Walter

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

Malice by Heather Walter

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

4.5

The adjectives used are often unnecessary and if I have to hear about oynx eyes again.... Also I wish the characters had more self reflection, like Alyce is weirdly unobservant, she never considers the consequence of anything. However, I love the story line, the villain becoming the villain not because they are evil but because society told them they where villainous. Mmm good soup

The Plague Year: America in the Time of COVID by Lawrence Wright

informative reflective fast-paced

3.75

This book is so weird the way it describes women is weird but also the amount of like weird American patriotism is astronomical. It was a really weird read and I'm starting to understand why America seems like a thought experiment a insomniac PhD student thought of in desperation.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Solid book, the main character couldn't be more self insert if she tried, if you ignore all the cliche it's kinda a good premace.
The world building is why this book has a 4 star rating because the characters are iffy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Classism, Gore, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Infidelity, and Murder

Letters from an Astrophysicist by Neil deGrasse Tyson

challenging informative inspiring fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Racism