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jedore's reviews
503 reviews
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
This is one of the rare occasions when seeing the movie prompted me to read the book. I loved the movie! It pretty much nailed the lives of my adult life…my ex-husband, my ex-lover, and the ultimate love of my life. So I ran and bought the book, but held off reading it until the memory of the book faded.
I so wanted to love this book as much as I loved the movie…but, I didn’t.
The theme and character development were excellent, but they weren’t enough to make up for the shortcomings for me.
First, this is a hardcore classic. The language and many references, including lots of biblical ones, were very dated making footnotes a regular occurrence and a lot of nuances missed (unless you wanted to conduct research (which I did not).
Second, oftentimes descriptions of the environs would drag on for multiple paragraphs. Zzzzzz…
And, finally, the most important part of the whole story felt like an afterthought. I don’t want to spoil it, but let’s just say that Mr. Hardy should have spent way less time describing the countryside and way more time on the last chapter!
If not for my love of the movie, I don’t think I would have finished this book. I read mostly at night and it acted like a Benadryl stretching my total read time to over a month.
I’m really glad the filmmakers brought this story to the current generation because the theme and message really are fantastic.
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Bathsheba loved Troy in the way that only self-reliant women love when they abandon their self-reliance. When a strong woman recklessly throws away her strength, she is worse than a weak woman who has never had any strength to throw away.
This is one of the rare occasions when seeing the movie prompted me to read the book. I loved the movie! It pretty much nailed the lives of my adult life…my ex-husband, my ex-lover, and the ultimate love of my life. So I ran and bought the book, but held off reading it until the memory of the book faded.
I so wanted to love this book as much as I loved the movie…but, I didn’t.
The theme and character development were excellent, but they weren’t enough to make up for the shortcomings for me.
First, this is a hardcore classic. The language and many references, including lots of biblical ones, were very dated making footnotes a regular occurrence and a lot of nuances missed (unless you wanted to conduct research (which I did not).
Second, oftentimes descriptions of the environs would drag on for multiple paragraphs. Zzzzzz…
And, finally, the most important part of the whole story felt like an afterthought. I don’t want to spoil it, but let’s just say that Mr. Hardy should have spent way less time describing the countryside and way more time on the last chapter!
If not for my love of the movie, I don’t think I would have finished this book. I read mostly at night and it acted like a Benadryl stretching my total read time to over a month.
I’m really glad the filmmakers brought this story to the current generation because the theme and message really are fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death, Stalking
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-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
3.0
"You have all this good inside you, but you give it all away. You don't keep any for yourself."
This is the latest in a string of recently published novels that just didn't really do it for me.
Until the end, this magical realism story was told by secondary characters in the book—only in the second to last chapter did the main character, Weylyn, chime in. Maybe I missed something (big), but I never did fully grasp anything more than he had some magical powers tied to weather and nature (particularly wolves).
Despite reasonably good development, the characters felt flat to me. Being that it's primarily a character driven story, this meant the whole book was flat for me.
Clearly, there are many who would disagree with me as the book is holding a 4+ rating here. I go back to chemistry...we had enough of it to keep me reading until the end, but not enough to stay with me for much longer.
This is the latest in a string of recently published novels that just didn't really do it for me.
Until the end, this magical realism story was told by secondary characters in the book—only in the second to last chapter did the main character, Weylyn, chime in. Maybe I missed something (big), but I never did fully grasp anything more than he had some magical powers tied to weather and nature (particularly wolves).
Despite reasonably good development, the characters felt flat to me. Being that it's primarily a character driven story, this meant the whole book was flat for me.
Clearly, there are many who would disagree with me as the book is holding a 4+ rating here. I go back to chemistry...we had enough of it to keep me reading until the end, but not enough to stay with me for much longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Bullying
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
3.5
“We are all small-minded people, creeping about the earth grubbing for our own advantage and making the very mistakes for which we want to humiliate our neighbors.”
Charming, predictable, cliché...my top three words for this book. I added a fourth when I came here to write my review and I found out that I had already read this book—forgettable!
While the characters were well-developed and there was plenty of charm and emotion on the pages of this book, it didn't bring me anything new or original. Every character was entirely predictable and I knew everything that was going to happen.
If you're looking for a feel-good book that isn't going to disappoint or challenge you in any particular way, this is a good option. Although I'm not sorry I read it once, I am a bit sorry to have done so twice...I'll never get through my TRB list if I do that!
Charming, predictable, cliché...my top three words for this book. I added a fourth when I came here to write my review and I found out that I had already read this book—forgettable!
While the characters were well-developed and there was plenty of charm and emotion on the pages of this book, it didn't bring me anything new or original. Every character was entirely predictable and I knew everything that was going to happen.
If you're looking for a feel-good book that isn't going to disappoint or challenge you in any particular way, this is a good option. Although I'm not sorry I read it once, I am a bit sorry to have done so twice...I'll never get through my TRB list if I do that!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, Classism
Moderate: Misogyny, Islamophobia, Colonisation
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.5
“I was so absorbed in the things that I couldn’t change, I forgot the most important thing.”
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a lovely magical realism gem translated from Japanese to English. A blend of short stories and novel, it tells the intimate stories of several people who choose to travel in time from a special chair in a neighborhood coffeehouse.
Character development is as good as it gets. I could literally see, hear and feel every character. Yet, it’s not a verbose book, which speaks to the mad skills of the author. He is able to convey so much so effortlessly.
I shed quite a few public tears while reading this one...tears of sadness, hope, happiness and a myriad of other emotions. It’s “feel good fiction” without the cheesiness.
I’m not usually a series person, but I was happy to find out this is the first book in one.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a lovely magical realism gem translated from Japanese to English. A blend of short stories and novel, it tells the intimate stories of several people who choose to travel in time from a special chair in a neighborhood coffeehouse.
Character development is as good as it gets. I could literally see, hear and feel every character. Yet, it’s not a verbose book, which speaks to the mad skills of the author. He is able to convey so much so effortlessly.
I shed quite a few public tears while reading this one...tears of sadness, hope, happiness and a myriad of other emotions. It’s “feel good fiction” without the cheesiness.
I’m not usually a series person, but I was happy to find out this is the first book in one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“...just because there are no ghosts it doesn’t mean you can’t be haunted. Nor that you shouldn’t fear the haunting.”
It's tough to write a horror book and not be cliché. But, I always hold out hope that the author will somehow find a way to do it differently. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with Mexican Gothic. The clichés start on the first page and don't stop until until you close the book.
Although reasonably well written, this one just didn't do much for me.
I found it distracting and mildly annoying that the author would throw in the occasional high-brow vocab word. There aren't many words that I've never heard or read before...yet somehow there were a small handful in this story. What is the purpose of using a word that no one ever uses...one that would never enter the brain or come out of the mouth of 99% of humans and definitely not a young woman in her 20s living in the 1950s whose first language was Spanish?
Although set in the 1950s, not much felt authentic to this time other than the occasional descriptions of the main character's wardrobe.
Throughout the entire book, I felt like I was reading a book meant for the younger crowd—and that the author was writing with the explicit intent of being the next book-to-Netflix sensation.
I know others who really enjoyed this book, so if you're looking for a gothic horror story and don't mind clichés, just ignore me and give it a shot!
It's tough to write a horror book and not be cliché. But, I always hold out hope that the author will somehow find a way to do it differently. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with Mexican Gothic. The clichés start on the first page and don't stop until until you close the book.
Although reasonably well written, this one just didn't do much for me.
I found it distracting and mildly annoying that the author would throw in the occasional high-brow vocab word. There aren't many words that I've never heard or read before...yet somehow there were a small handful in this story. What is the purpose of using a word that no one ever uses...one that would never enter the brain or come out of the mouth of 99% of humans and definitely not a young woman in her 20s living in the 1950s whose first language was Spanish?
Although set in the 1950s, not much felt authentic to this time other than the occasional descriptions of the main character's wardrobe.
Throughout the entire book, I felt like I was reading a book meant for the younger crowd—and that the author was writing with the explicit intent of being the next book-to-Netflix sensation.
I know others who really enjoyed this book, so if you're looking for a gothic horror story and don't mind clichés, just ignore me and give it a shot!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Suicide
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
3.0
"And at fifty, Less muses drowsily, you’re as likable as you’re going to get.”
Despite being a Pulitzer Prize winner, this was one of those so-so books for me. It wasn't the writing...in fact, it was extremely well written. It wasn't a lack of character development...there was great depth to the main character, Arthur Less. It was simply a chemistry thing. I just wasn't that into any of it. Except for the ending. I loved the ending.
Despite being a Pulitzer Prize winner, this was one of those so-so books for me. It wasn't the writing...in fact, it was extremely well written. It wasn't a lack of character development...there was great depth to the main character, Arthur Less. It was simply a chemistry thing. I just wasn't that into any of it. Except for the ending. I loved the ending.
Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
First of all, I have to say that trying to choose a favorite quote from this book is absolutely ridiculous. Every page had at least one mind or soul blowing nugget for me.
This was not an easy book for me to read. If fact, quite often it felt like required reading for an undergraduate women's studies course. But, I vowed not to take a light-hearted reading break like I did nearly a decade ago and to power through to the end.
It wasn't difficult because it was boring or overly challenging. It just felt like every sentence had the power to change me and had me thinking deeply about my past, present, and future. There is much to digest here if you want to connect with the wild woman inside of you.
And, trust me, YOU REALLY, REALLY DO.
I was gifted the book back when I was still married, but it sat on my shelf until about a decade ago when I read the first third. This launched me into a belated initiation into wild womanhood. Although I did myself a disservice by not finishing it back then, living wildly didn't leave me a whole lot of time to do so!
Now, as I prepare to move into the house I built out of my dreams where the jungle touches the sea in Panamá, I finally got around to finishing it.
So much wisdom, love, and support of women on these pages! So many reminders and so much validation. And, just the guidance I needed for my latest chapter...and onward.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes helped to fill a massive gap in my life. She's my surrogate mom and will always be one of my guides.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Compliance causes a shocking realization that must be registered by all women. That is, to be ourselves causes us to be exiled by many others, and yet to comply with what others want causes us to be exiled from ourselves. It is a tormenting tension and it must be borne, but the choice is clear.
First of all, I have to say that trying to choose a favorite quote from this book is absolutely ridiculous. Every page had at least one mind or soul blowing nugget for me.
This was not an easy book for me to read. If fact, quite often it felt like required reading for an undergraduate women's studies course. But, I vowed not to take a light-hearted reading break like I did nearly a decade ago and to power through to the end.
It wasn't difficult because it was boring or overly challenging. It just felt like every sentence had the power to change me and had me thinking deeply about my past, present, and future. There is much to digest here if you want to connect with the wild woman inside of you.
And, trust me, YOU REALLY, REALLY DO.
I was gifted the book back when I was still married, but it sat on my shelf until about a decade ago when I read the first third. This launched me into a belated initiation into wild womanhood. Although I did myself a disservice by not finishing it back then, living wildly didn't leave me a whole lot of time to do so!
Now, as I prepare to move into the house I built out of my dreams where the jungle touches the sea in Panamá, I finally got around to finishing it.
So much wisdom, love, and support of women on these pages! So many reminders and so much validation. And, just the guidance I needed for my latest chapter...and onward.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes helped to fill a massive gap in my life. She's my surrogate mom and will always be one of my guides.
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"It is a fact verified and recorded in many histories that the soul capable of the greatest good is also capable of the greatest evil."
I am a huge Steinbeck fan. “East of Eden” and “Grapes of Wrath”are high up on my list of favorite books.
But, this one was tough. I didn’t think I was going to make it, but my goal to read every one of Steinbeck’s books—and, I won’t lie, the short length of the book—powered me through to the end.
The quote above perfectly encapsulates the theme of this book.
“Tortilla Flat” is a deep dive into the lives of a group of dysfunctional alcoholic friends—Mexican paisanos (countrymen) living in the Hispanic neighborhood of Monterey just after the end of World War I.
The first detraction/distraction was the use of formal English (“thee”, “thou”, etc.) in the dialogue. WTH?
You have to dig really deep to like any of the characters. I never made it there...even with the couple characters that were potentially likable.
These are men who abhor responsibility far more than struggle, who choose to live a hand-to-mouth existence, and whose morals are based purely on their personal opinions and justifications.
And, they are masters at justifying anything and everything.
Every time you’re happy that they catch a break, they find a way to totally screw it up...and, they don’t care who they take down in the process.
If you’re looking for a tragic tale, you’ve found one in “Tortilla Flat.”
Only a discussion with Steinbeck could make me go higher than a 3-star on this one...but, unless I come across a genie, my rating stands.
I am a huge Steinbeck fan. “East of Eden” and “Grapes of Wrath”are high up on my list of favorite books.
But, this one was tough. I didn’t think I was going to make it, but my goal to read every one of Steinbeck’s books—and, I won’t lie, the short length of the book—powered me through to the end.
The quote above perfectly encapsulates the theme of this book.
“Tortilla Flat” is a deep dive into the lives of a group of dysfunctional alcoholic friends—Mexican paisanos (countrymen) living in the Hispanic neighborhood of Monterey just after the end of World War I.
The first detraction/distraction was the use of formal English (“thee”, “thou”, etc.) in the dialogue. WTH?
You have to dig really deep to like any of the characters. I never made it there...even with the couple characters that were potentially likable.
These are men who abhor responsibility far more than struggle, who choose to live a hand-to-mouth existence, and whose morals are based purely on their personal opinions and justifications.
And, they are masters at justifying anything and everything.
Every time you’re happy that they catch a break, they find a way to totally screw it up...and, they don’t care who they take down in the process.
If you’re looking for a tragic tale, you’ve found one in “Tortilla Flat.”
Only a discussion with Steinbeck could make me go higher than a 3-star on this one...but, unless I come across a genie, my rating stands.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death
Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"We're our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves."
Wow, what a ride! This book was recommended to me by a fellow member of an online book group in response to my request for a book to restore my faith in humanity.
This was my first Tom Robbins book...and there will definitely be more.
After the first several chapters, I was concerned it was going to be one of those books that serves as a platform for the author to profess her/his intellectual superiority. (These go straight to my DNF pile these days.) I was just starting to wonder if I was smart enough when something clicked.
The conversations between characters—or inside their own heads—totally won me over and I started crushing on Tom Robbins writing style.
It's not my usual style at all. I'm not usually a fan of Quirky (with a capital Q)—and definitely not of interludes where the author stops telling the story and talks directly to me (in this case, ranting about a typewriter).
But, the talks and thoughts about how to make love last, the difference between a criminal and an outlaw, the fascinating theories about good and evil and discrimination, and Tom's theory on tunnel vision were downright brilliant.
It was a blast to get out of my literary box with this fun book! And, it brings me comfort knowing that people like Tom exist.
Wow, what a ride! This book was recommended to me by a fellow member of an online book group in response to my request for a book to restore my faith in humanity.
This was my first Tom Robbins book...and there will definitely be more.
After the first several chapters, I was concerned it was going to be one of those books that serves as a platform for the author to profess her/his intellectual superiority. (These go straight to my DNF pile these days.) I was just starting to wonder if I was smart enough when something clicked.
The conversations between characters—or inside their own heads—totally won me over and I started crushing on Tom Robbins writing style.
It's not my usual style at all. I'm not usually a fan of Quirky (with a capital Q)—and definitely not of interludes where the author stops telling the story and talks directly to me (in this case, ranting about a typewriter).
But, the talks and thoughts about how to make love last, the difference between a criminal and an outlaw, the fascinating theories about good and evil and discrimination, and Tom's theory on tunnel vision were downright brilliant.
It was a blast to get out of my literary box with this fun book! And, it brings me comfort knowing that people like Tom exist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Death of parent
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
"But no matter how much the tortoise may wish to fight, he has no fingers."
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree is a fictionalized story of the kidnapping of a group of Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram, an extremist Islamic terrorist group on a mission to take over the northern portion of the country.
Not an easy book to read when you're on a mission to restore your faith in humanity….but, a necessary read to gain perspective on the tragic plight of our fellow humans living in Nigeria. Lots of sensitive topics, including kidnapping, slavery, sexual assault, Stockholm syndrome, and suicide bombing to name a few. Despite the horrific topics, I couldn't put the book down and am really happy I read it.
I appreciate that the author separated the actions of the "Muslim" terrorists from true Muslims, calling them out for what they are — psychopathic criminals using religion to justify their actions.
This book is good for both young and old adults. It's a very fast read with most of the chapters ranging from a couple sentences to a single page. It's unusual for me to finish a book in two days! I do think the fast pace of the book diminished my connection to the story a bit...although it was emotional, it was all over too fast.
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree is a fictionalized story of the kidnapping of a group of Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram, an extremist Islamic terrorist group on a mission to take over the northern portion of the country.
Not an easy book to read when you're on a mission to restore your faith in humanity….but, a necessary read to gain perspective on the tragic plight of our fellow humans living in Nigeria. Lots of sensitive topics, including kidnapping, slavery, sexual assault, Stockholm syndrome, and suicide bombing to name a few. Despite the horrific topics, I couldn't put the book down and am really happy I read it.
I appreciate that the author separated the actions of the "Muslim" terrorists from true Muslims, calling them out for what they are — psychopathic criminals using religion to justify their actions.
This book is good for both young and old adults. It's a very fast read with most of the chapters ranging from a couple sentences to a single page. It's unusual for me to finish a book in two days! I do think the fast pace of the book diminished my connection to the story a bit...although it was emotional, it was all over too fast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy