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jasper_a's reviews
106 reviews
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
not my favorite -- either i'm not a fan of GGM's writing style or the translation is tooooo antiquated. the subject matter was very one dimensional, and i found myself wanting the (narrator) to get the hell on with the report/recountment of of the event; as a matter of impatience. the greatest feeling i have is i can now check Gabrielle Garcia Marquez off my list of writers to check out.
Peace Talks by Jim Butcher
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
a very middling (setup) book that had a few very exciting moments... the score might feel a little low but i'm trying to grade it accordingly to the rest of the series -- not bad by any means but there was a whole LOT of fluff here, imo.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 10 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i was right in believing vol.9 was certainly a set up for vol.10.. and what a grand (start of the) payoff~
if memory serves, every single volume of Frieren has flashbacks, and Kanehito does a magnificent job utilizing this method of storytelling to inform us of why characters move and act the way they do. BUT. the first 40-50% of this volume is a flashback. and it's so good. and the back half of the volume is present day, and it's even better.
i need a shirt that says:
Himmel &
Heiter &
Eisen &
Frieren
if memory serves, every single volume of Frieren has flashbacks, and Kanehito does a magnificent job utilizing this method of storytelling to inform us of why characters move and act the way they do. BUT. the first 40-50% of this volume is a flashback. and it's so good. and the back half of the volume is present day, and it's even better.
i need a shirt that says:
Himmel &
Heiter &
Eisen &
Frieren
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
first off: this novel is heavily plot-driven BUT the the first-person perspective of Signum Dinios Kol is so deliciously rich.
OKAY. admittedly, i am a BIG fan of Robert Jackson Bennett's writing -- i have been since City of Stairs.. and while i loved the rest of the Divine Cities novels, and i loved Foundryside, it wasn't until i started reading The Tainted Cup where i truly felt the wonder that i did when reading City of Stairs. the worldbuilding is so grand and wondrous. the murder mystery was intricate, yes, but when Ana was unravelling the threads it all felt very deliberate and natural. i liked it very much.
i was on the last 50 or so pages, and i didn't want it to end, when a friend came by and asked me about the book. i impulsively gave it to them so they could start reading it, just so i'd have someone to talk about it with.
if you enjoy a little fantasy [and a lot of worldbuilding], with your murder mystery, this book is for you. if you like exploring new lands and cultures that have DEFINITE parallels with our world [rife with all the painful corruption and greed and politics it comes with] then this book is for you. if you like the holmes+watson type of murder mystery, this book is for you.
~~> didn't give it five stars because i think the end was a trifle-bit rushed. very nit-picky, i know. it left me wanting. which isn't a bad thing... as i am longingly waiting the second novel.
OKAY. admittedly, i am a BIG fan of Robert Jackson Bennett's writing -- i have been since City of Stairs.. and while i loved the rest of the Divine Cities novels, and i loved Foundryside, it wasn't until i started reading The Tainted Cup where i truly felt the wonder that i did when reading City of Stairs. the worldbuilding is so grand and wondrous. the murder mystery was intricate, yes, but when Ana was unravelling the threads it all felt very deliberate and natural. i liked it very much.
i was on the last 50 or so pages, and i didn't want it to end, when a friend came by and asked me about the book. i impulsively gave it to them so they could start reading it, just so i'd have someone to talk about it with.
if you enjoy a little fantasy [and a lot of worldbuilding], with your murder mystery, this book is for you. if you like exploring new lands and cultures that have DEFINITE parallels with our world [rife with all the painful corruption and greed and politics it comes with] then this book is for you. if you like the holmes+watson type of murder mystery, this book is for you.
~~> didn't give it five stars because i think the end was a trifle-bit rushed. very nit-picky, i know. it left me wanting. which isn't a bad thing... as i am longingly waiting the second novel.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
this was a silly and fun and quick read. i'm not well-versed in plays (structure, pacing, setting, do's/don'ts, etc) but i found this to be delightful. i facepalmed A LOT in the best ways.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
i really, really liked this book! i would recommend this to anyone looking for a fast-paced [dark] adventure. if you don't read too much into the synopsis or other reviews i think it makes for a more enjoyable read. i wish it were longer, or at the very least: i wish for the author to return to this world because the groundwork laid here has so much potential. i found the characters to be very lovable. man. i'll definitely need to check out more T. Kingfisher in the future!
>> this bit is for my fellow writers~ this is one of those short stories that is cute but not exactly long enough to be a full-on novel but it's also a bit chunkier than a novella... i'll put it like this: there are aspects of this book that are sooo good and sooo creative but we were only teased with what it could be. and it was a bit perplexing after just finishing the book but taking a moment, any elaboration or the like would have tripped up the pacing, if that makes sense?
>> this bit is for my fellow writers~ this is one of those short stories that is cute but not exactly long enough to be a full-on novel but it's also a bit chunkier than a novella... i'll put it like this: there are aspects of this book that are sooo good and sooo creative but we were only teased with what it could be. and it was a bit perplexing after just finishing the book but taking a moment, any elaboration or the like would have tripped up the pacing, if that makes sense?
Saga, Vol. 11 by Brian K. Vaughan
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
it's been a while. this was so good and it went by so quick...
i think the biggest testament to BKV+FS's storytelling is how i went 5~ years not having read the title, pick this volume up, and know exactly who everyone is, what their standings are with each other, the stakes, etc.
also, i feel like any reviews on volume 11 of any long-standing series is a bit of a wash because you either love the series or you dropped it long before volume 11. lol.
i think the biggest testament to BKV+FS's storytelling is how i went 5~ years not having read the title, pick this volume up, and know exactly who everyone is, what their standings are with each other, the stakes, etc.
also, i feel like any reviews on volume 11 of any long-standing series is a bit of a wash because you either love the series or you dropped it long before volume 11. lol.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this review is after my 2nd time reading. i decided to reread this novella bc i had just finished The Narrow Road Between Desires, which i loved so much. and as i picked up this book, i could only recall how middling i thought it was. and tried as might, i couldn't remember much about what happens to Auri in the 150pgs~
it took me the better part of two months to get through this books. i would read parts of a chapter and get lost in the flow of Rothfuss' prose, then need to go back a read the chapter again to make certain that i would retain what happens... i think i struggled as much as i did with this novella bc my brain follows logic, and causality; IF this, THEN that. and this novella doesn't care about plot or consequence or the like.. not in the traditional, writing sense. Auri is a character that is based in the moment. she feels. she wakes up and asks her room what kind of day it is. she cares about Foxen. she cares about the universal placement of the things that she finds, bc these things serve a purpose.. they just need help to fulfill them. i think i rather enjoyed this second read. i didn't expect anything of it. i simply let the story happen. i took the time to process the emotions that Auri was experiencing. and i feel that i understand her a little better.
it took me the better part of two months to get through this books. i would read parts of a chapter and get lost in the flow of Rothfuss' prose, then need to go back a read the chapter again to make certain that i would retain what happens... i think i struggled as much as i did with this novella bc my brain follows logic, and causality; IF this, THEN that. and this novella doesn't care about plot or consequence or the like.. not in the traditional, writing sense. Auri is a character that is based in the moment. she feels. she wakes up and asks her room what kind of day it is. she cares about Foxen. she cares about the universal placement of the things that she finds, bc these things serve a purpose.. they just need help to fulfill them. i think i rather enjoyed this second read. i didn't expect anything of it. i simply let the story happen. i took the time to process the emotions that Auri was experiencing. and i feel that i understand her a little better.
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
2.5
hm.
this was a book club book.. if it weren't, i do believe i would have dropped it some 60 or so pages into the book.
objectively, the writing is very good; long-winded, winding, repetitive, sure but good.
there were many characters, many voices, many dialects and accents and languages (which is a hard sell imo, and were it not for the lovely narrator, Dominic Hoffman, i would have really struggled to get through it).
personally, i didn't enjoy how cyclical the vignettes were. events/incidents were referenced or recounted from multiple character's POVs, which to me were less insightful and more droning. i kept wanting the story to progress but the author wanted to hammer home how everyone felt about everything.
and honestly i would have given the book a passing grade if it weren't for the abrupt ending. i didn't hate how things were resolved but w/r/t the author's cadence, i feel that the ending was rushed out the door lest it miss its train.
it might be a short book club meeting tomorrow.
this was a book club book.. if it weren't, i do believe i would have dropped it some 60 or so pages into the book.
objectively, the writing is very good; long-winded, winding, repetitive, sure but good.
there were many characters, many voices, many dialects and accents and languages (which is a hard sell imo, and were it not for the lovely narrator, Dominic Hoffman, i would have really struggled to get through it).
personally, i didn't enjoy how cyclical the vignettes were. events/incidents were referenced or recounted from multiple character's POVs, which to me were less insightful and more droning. i kept wanting the story to progress but the author wanted to hammer home how everyone felt about everything.
and honestly i would have given the book a passing grade if it weren't for the abrupt ending. i didn't hate how things were resolved but w/r/t the author's cadence, i feel that the ending was rushed out the door lest it miss its train.
it might be a short book club meeting tomorrow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, Rape, and Physical abuse
Minor: Mental illness and Xenophobia
Solo Leveling, Vol. 8 by h-goon, Chugong
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
good volume. i think it'll be hard to top the [hype] of volume 7 but it's Solo Leveling after all..