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jasper_a's reviews
206 reviews
I'm Waiting for You and Other Stories by Kim Bo-young
challenging
sad
medium-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
3.0
i thought the shorts were fine.. they're really just two short stories, and two sequels to those short stories.
i was intrigued by the two (prophet) novellas but found the 'conclusions' to be lacking. and the two (waiting) novellas were, okay.
i don't think i'll be recommending this to anyone. and i'm wondering what it was about the (shelf talker) in Elliot Bay Books that drew me in to this book.
i was intrigued by the two (prophet) novellas but found the 'conclusions' to be lacking. and the two (waiting) novellas were, okay.
i don't think i'll be recommending this to anyone. and i'm wondering what it was about the (shelf talker) in Elliot Bay Books that drew me in to this book.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 11 by Kanehito Yamada
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
i said 'YAAAAY!' out loud -- iykyk
i love Frieren so much.
💕
i love Frieren so much.
💕
Solo Leveling, Vol. 9 by Chugong
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
awesome.
there's a lot to love about Solo Leveling. and there's a lot to nitpick about it...
but something that stands out to me is how yes, the story is focuses on Jinwoo but it manages to include the looming threat on a global scale. we only get hints and nods that similar events are happening but i think many stories like Solo Leveling don't bother considering these things.
it's bittersweet how we are nearing the end of the series.
there's a lot to love about Solo Leveling. and there's a lot to nitpick about it...
but something that stands out to me is how yes, the story is focuses on Jinwoo but it manages to include the looming threat on a global scale. we only get hints and nods that similar events are happening but i think many stories like Solo Leveling don't bother considering these things.
it's bittersweet how we are nearing the end of the series.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
a solid novel.
i am unsure about what, exactly, my expectations were for this book... my feelings and conclusions far exceeded my expectations but they weren't met, if that makes any sense.
Smith spins a tale that on the outset feels like nothing at all is happening and then everything happens all at once, and life comes at you fast. as a child it almost IS this way. where you have so much time to while your days away, not really worrying about food or clothes or keeping warm because it's your parents doing all the worrying... and then you simply must grow up and are suddenly thrust into the world. you have priorities now that you've never had; wants and dreams sometimes take a backseat to obligation.
i think, being the age that i am (39yo), i can internalize the contents of this book in a reflective, pondering way that i am certain, wouldn't have appreciated when i was younger. -- the early parts of the book frustrated me BECAUSE it seemed like nothing was happening; there was no direction/drive for the characters. such is life. -- since reading for me is an escape, and this was very true to life.
i am glad to have read this.
i am unsure about what, exactly, my expectations were for this book... my feelings and conclusions far exceeded my expectations but they weren't met, if that makes any sense.
Smith spins a tale that on the outset feels like nothing at all is happening and then everything happens all at once, and life comes at you fast. as a child it almost IS this way. where you have so much time to while your days away, not really worrying about food or clothes or keeping warm because it's your parents doing all the worrying... and then you simply must grow up and are suddenly thrust into the world. you have priorities now that you've never had; wants and dreams sometimes take a backseat to obligation.
i think, being the age that i am (39yo), i can internalize the contents of this book in a reflective, pondering way that i am certain, wouldn't have appreciated when i was younger. -- the early parts of the book frustrated me BECAUSE it seemed like nothing was happening; there was no direction/drive for the characters. such is life. -- since reading for me is an escape, and this was very true to life.
i am glad to have read this.
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
an enjoyable and entertaining graphic novel. there were a few points that really stood out to me but apart from those, the narrative was a bit aimless -- which is to say, not a terribly bad thing. it is a memoir of sorts so there doesn't need to be sensational-ish or fantastical events... but i think it's important for people to 'know what they're getting into,' as it were.
tl;dr DUCKS is 2-3yr slice-of-life story in the Alberta Oil Sands. there are in actuality, a lot of ducks, but we, the reader do not see much of them at all.
tl;dr DUCKS is 2-3yr slice-of-life story in the Alberta Oil Sands. there are in actuality, a lot of ducks, but we, the reader do not see much of them at all.
Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
gosh. what do you even say about a book this far into a series?.. w/r/t anyone on the fence about reading Battle Grounds 🧐
initial thoughts: i kinda like Peace Talks more.. Butcher, more often than not, does a good job with fantasy action -- i think one of the moments that stand out the most to me is the battle sequence at Chichen Itza (sorry if i spelled that wrong). it was chaos and lots of threads happening all at once but i came out on the other side of that understanding everything going on. -- but the sheer scale of everything going on with the Battle for Chicago and the different factions... it felt so cumbersome. and what happened with Murphy.. (idk. i have some thoughts.) there were choices here which may pay off later down the line but i've never ACTUALLY been here in the waiting room with y'all. so there's that. the very last chapter had me really wide-eyed and shocked BUT those choices felt very natural if not unexpected.
i am undoubtedly going to continue with the series. 16-17 books deep and hearing Harry's voice in my head is very warm and snarky. he's an old friend that i am always happy to see.
initial thoughts: i kinda like Peace Talks more.. Butcher, more often than not, does a good job with fantasy action -- i think one of the moments that stand out the most to me is the battle sequence at Chichen Itza (sorry if i spelled that wrong). it was chaos and lots of threads happening all at once but i came out on the other side of that understanding everything going on. -- but the sheer scale of everything going on with the Battle for Chicago and the different factions... it felt so cumbersome. and what happened with Murphy.. (idk. i have some thoughts.) there were choices here which may pay off later down the line but i've never ACTUALLY been here in the waiting room with y'all. so there's that. the very last chapter had me really wide-eyed and shocked BUT those choices felt very natural if not unexpected.
i am undoubtedly going to continue with the series. 16-17 books deep and hearing Harry's voice in my head is very warm and snarky. he's an old friend that i am always happy to see.
Ruination by Anthony Reynolds
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
2.0
"Are the flaws of the main character(s) a main focus of the book?" Emphatically, yes.
i love League of Legends. i love its lore. i love the insane range of topics and themes. i love Arcane. i even love that s2 will be the end of the Arcane storyline. i am excited for the future of this franchise.
with that out of the way, Ruination was a hot f*{-ing mess. maybe spoilers ahead:
.
.
i was stoked to read the first novel from the LoL team, and i was intrigued about diving deeper into the Ruined King story to compliment the cinematics Riot released. but this book wasn't it, y'all.
talk about lazy characters who were mind-controlled into following the plot. the entire time i was reading through this i kept asking myself, "WHY?"
why did Kalista bend to Viego?
why did Tyrus agree to bring them aboard his ship?
why is Ryze in this book?
Soraka is bae but why is she in this book?
-- the most believable character in Ruination is 1) Isolde 2) Viego, and tbh, it's probably because we got so very little time with them and so there isn't anything to question.
Jenda'kaya.. why was she making these weapons?
i think it took the author the better part of 200pgs for Kalista to get to Helia -- why? AND they waste her time, she goes home, and then she comes BACK? yeeesh.
there are an endless supply of 1-dimensional characters to move the plot along.
the ending is super rushed.
definitely one of the few books to date that i have hate-read. sorry to say.
.
.
a couple of good things going for it: the writing style gets a passing grade. there were more than a few one-liners or passages that i really enjoyed.
the presentation of the book is great, i like the cover and the embossed BotRK on the front in that Shadow Isles green.
the character art in the back is cool but wish it were in color. the type face is a solid A+.
and there you go.
i love League of Legends. i love its lore. i love the insane range of topics and themes. i love Arcane. i even love that s2 will be the end of the Arcane storyline. i am excited for the future of this franchise.
with that out of the way, Ruination was a hot f*{-ing mess. maybe spoilers ahead:
.
.
i was stoked to read the first novel from the LoL team, and i was intrigued about diving deeper into the Ruined King story to compliment the cinematics Riot released. but this book wasn't it, y'all.
talk about lazy characters who were mind-controlled into following the plot. the entire time i was reading through this i kept asking myself, "WHY?"
why did Kalista bend to Viego?
why did Tyrus agree to bring them aboard his ship?
why is Ryze in this book?
Soraka is bae but why is she in this book?
-- the most believable character in Ruination is 1) Isolde 2) Viego, and tbh, it's probably because we got so very little time with them and so there isn't anything to question.
Jenda'kaya.. why was she making these weapons?
i think it took the author the better part of 200pgs for Kalista to get to Helia -- why? AND they waste her time, she goes home, and then she comes BACK? yeeesh.
there are an endless supply of 1-dimensional characters to move the plot along.
the ending is super rushed.
definitely one of the few books to date that i have hate-read. sorry to say.
.
.
a couple of good things going for it: the writing style gets a passing grade. there were more than a few one-liners or passages that i really enjoyed.
the presentation of the book is great, i like the cover and the embossed BotRK on the front in that Shadow Isles green.
the character art in the back is cool but wish it were in color. the type face is a solid A+.
and there you go.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
it's 3:40a. i finished this book some seven hours ago. i told myself that i'd write the review for this later but i can't sleep. so here we are.
this book is messy. the characters are messy. the relationships, the circumstances, the conversations had (and not had), everything -- it's all messy. and it's beautiful. it's real. it's real life..
it's spending an incalculable amount of time with someone you love, knowing them inside and out, only to find, decades later that they still have stories and secrets they've held from you. not out of malice but because of shame, insecurity, pain, etc.
it's also about ego. it's about collaborating with people to make art for yourself and others. and finding peace in letting the art out of your hands and letting it speak for itself.
if you're still reading this review: sorry for rambling! go read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. i can't promise that you'll love it like i did BUT i think it will make you feel something.. Sam, and Sadie are flawed characters, like we all are. a little grace goes a long way.
this book is messy. the characters are messy. the relationships, the circumstances, the conversations had (and not had), everything -- it's all messy. and it's beautiful. it's real. it's real life..
it's spending an incalculable amount of time with someone you love, knowing them inside and out, only to find, decades later that they still have stories and secrets they've held from you. not out of malice but because of shame, insecurity, pain, etc.
it's also about ego. it's about collaborating with people to make art for yourself and others. and finding peace in letting the art out of your hands and letting it speak for itself.
if you're still reading this review: sorry for rambling! go read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. i can't promise that you'll love it like i did BUT i think it will make you feel something.. Sam, and Sadie are flawed characters, like we all are. a little grace goes a long way.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
i'm no stranger to this type of [magical] realism.. particularly because i read a lot of manga [and watch a lot of anime], this sort of thing comes up quite often..
i like the premise overall. i liked the four short stories, and i certainly liked the recurring characters being a through-line in the entire book. AND even though i was moved for a couple of the stories, the plots or resolutions were very obvious.
and to further explain the lower rating, i didn't much care for the english translation of this book. i think the editors could have done a better job localizing the phrasing; every few pages or so, i'd stumble through a sentence or paragraph because of how it was 'written.'
i like the premise overall. i liked the four short stories, and i certainly liked the recurring characters being a through-line in the entire book. AND even though i was moved for a couple of the stories, the plots or resolutions were very obvious.
and to further explain the lower rating, i didn't much care for the english translation of this book. i think the editors could have done a better job localizing the phrasing; every few pages or so, i'd stumble through a sentence or paragraph because of how it was 'written.'
Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
*update!*
having written out my feelings [https://ko-fi.com/post/Journal-016-X7X711GMR0], i'm taking my initial rating of 3.5 up to 4.0.
RJB finished the Founder's Trilogy strong with Locklands. again, i find it difficult to really bring up or recommend this series because of how out-there it is.. and mind you, i think that's a really good thing but i feel that most people wouldn't really enjoy a book like this. i'm a big fan of RJB's writing style but to explain the middling score, i thought that the characters and the escalation and the stakes got away from the author this time around.. and again, it isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just different.
.
.
spoilers ahead:
.
.
my biggest takeaway from this series was the concept of cadences with twinning large groups of people. i absolutely loved the concept and how complex/complicated it was. my heart sank for Berenice with Deila giving herself to Giva. i really loved where Cracedes ended up in this book. i think the ending with Sancia and Berenice was nice.. i like the choice of wrapping everything up in a bow.
having written out my feelings [https://ko-fi.com/post/Journal-016-X7X711GMR0], i'm taking my initial rating of 3.5 up to 4.0.
RJB finished the Founder's Trilogy strong with Locklands. again, i find it difficult to really bring up or recommend this series because of how out-there it is.. and mind you, i think that's a really good thing but i feel that most people wouldn't really enjoy a book like this. i'm a big fan of RJB's writing style but to explain the middling score, i thought that the characters and the escalation and the stakes got away from the author this time around.. and again, it isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just different.
.
.
spoilers ahead:
.
.
my biggest takeaway from this series was the concept of cadences with twinning large groups of people. i absolutely loved the concept and how complex/complicated it was. my heart sank for Berenice with Deila giving herself to Giva. i really loved where Cracedes ended up in this book. i think the ending with Sancia and Berenice was nice.. i like the choice of wrapping everything up in a bow.