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jedore's reviews
503 reviews
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
I wish I had known that this delicious book is best served up with Dickens’ Great Expectations as the first course! I read it, but it was too long ago (2008) to serve me while reading this book. There’s no doubt my rating would have been 5 stars had my memory not faded.
Despite missing a lot of the Great Expectations references, I absolutely loved this book. It’s very well written, the characters were wonderful (especially Matilda, the narrator and main character), and the story was incredibly touching, heartbreaking, and tragic. Loved the message about imperfect people still being able to do perfect things…something I needed to be reminded of these days. You’ll also learn about a beautiful place called Bougainville, a small island in Papua New Guinea that I knew nothing about before picking up this book.
I added this to my reading list more than 20 years ago…I wish I could remember how and why it ended up there. So glad it did!
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
I had found a new friend. The surprising thing is where I’d found him – not up a tree or sulking in the shade, or splashing around in one of the hill streams, but in a book. No one had told us kids to look there for a friend. Or that you could slip inside the skin of another. Or travel to another place with marshes, and where, to our ears, the bad people spoke like pirates.
I wish I had known that this delicious book is best served up with Dickens’ Great Expectations as the first course! I read it, but it was too long ago (2008) to serve me while reading this book. There’s no doubt my rating would have been 5 stars had my memory not faded.
Despite missing a lot of the Great Expectations references, I absolutely loved this book. It’s very well written, the characters were wonderful (especially Matilda, the narrator and main character), and the story was incredibly touching, heartbreaking, and tragic. Loved the message about imperfect people still being able to do perfect things…something I needed to be reminded of these days. You’ll also learn about a beautiful place called Bougainville, a small island in Papua New Guinea that I knew nothing about before picking up this book.
I added this to my reading list more than 20 years ago…I wish I could remember how and why it ended up there. So glad it did!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Rape, Abandonment, Colonisation
Minor: Gore
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
Apparently I read this book a couple decades ago, but it was all new to me this time around.
Having been the victim of various degrees of bullying from the first day of 4th through the beginning of 9th grade, I thought I would connect deeply with this book. I totally related to much of what Elaine (coincidentally my middle name) went through…though it was quite a bit harsher and more focused than my experience. We even shared the experience of one of the bullies’ parents being a POS and a mother who knew it was happening, but did nothing to stop it. But Atwood lost me at the point Elaine’s abuse ended, which was quite a large portion of the book.
Maybe it’s because I’m such a sensitive soul, but being bullied totally wrecked me for the first three decades of my life. I was so terrified of females that I steered clear of them until my thirties. I thought it was totally unbelievable that Atwood had Elaine reunite with her primary abuser in high school and remain best friends for several more years, seemingly without any repercussions. Once I escaped my bullies (also in early high school), I would NEVER, EVER have returned! I also found it unrealistic that Elaine joined women’s groups in early adulthood. It was disappointing that Atwood didn’t dive deeper into Elaine’s damage and true feelings toward women. I also became hyper-focused on males because they didn’t play the mind games and treated me so much better (albeit that was always because they wanted something from me, which was also damaging in a different way). While on several occasions Elaine mentioned her preference of males, it didn’t go deep enough given the severity of her abuse at the hands of females.
To this day, as a result of being bullied as a young girl and a consistent flow of baffling situations and/or minor to moderate bullying by grown women, I’m in a strange place with women…I absolutely love and support them from afar, but I can only claim one deeply loving and mutually supportive female non-familial relationship. I’ve accepted that it must not be meant to be in this lifetime.
So, overall, the book missed the mark for me, which was disappointing considering the massive potential the story held for me. I may be wrong, but my hypothesis is that Atwood didn’t actually live what she wrote about in this book, she just believed herself capable of writing about it.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
3.75
“Little girls are cute and small only to adults. To one another they are not cute. They are life-sized.”
Apparently I read this book a couple decades ago, but it was all new to me this time around.
Having been the victim of various degrees of bullying from the first day of 4th through the beginning of 9th grade, I thought I would connect deeply with this book. I totally related to much of what Elaine (coincidentally my middle name) went through…though it was quite a bit harsher and more focused than my experience. We even shared the experience of one of the bullies’ parents being a POS and a mother who knew it was happening, but did nothing to stop it. But Atwood lost me at the point Elaine’s abuse ended, which was quite a large portion of the book.
Maybe it’s because I’m such a sensitive soul, but being bullied totally wrecked me for the first three decades of my life. I was so terrified of females that I steered clear of them until my thirties. I thought it was totally unbelievable that Atwood had Elaine reunite with her primary abuser in high school and remain best friends for several more years, seemingly without any repercussions. Once I escaped my bullies (also in early high school), I would NEVER, EVER have returned! I also found it unrealistic that Elaine joined women’s groups in early adulthood. It was disappointing that Atwood didn’t dive deeper into Elaine’s damage and true feelings toward women. I also became hyper-focused on males because they didn’t play the mind games and treated me so much better (albeit that was always because they wanted something from me, which was also damaging in a different way). While on several occasions Elaine mentioned her preference of males, it didn’t go deep enough given the severity of her abuse at the hands of females.
To this day, as a result of being bullied as a young girl and a consistent flow of baffling situations and/or minor to moderate bullying by grown women, I’m in a strange place with women…I absolutely love and support them from afar, but I can only claim one deeply loving and mutually supportive female non-familial relationship. I’ve accepted that it must not be meant to be in this lifetime.
So, overall, the book missed the mark for me, which was disappointing considering the massive potential the story held for me. I may be wrong, but my hypothesis is that Atwood didn’t actually live what she wrote about in this book, she just believed herself capable of writing about it.
The Secret of Roan Inish by Rosalie K. Fry
Set in Scotland, this short and sweet magical tale for all ages tells the story of a young girl searching for her baby brother who was swept out to sea when the family left the tiny island where they had lived for generations.
The magic is in the form of selkies, which are mythological creatures that are both seal and human, and the life of the baby, then little boy, they both kept and protected.
As I read this story, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite books—Bridge to Terabithia. Like this book, The Secret of Roan Inish was also made into a movie.
This is a super short young adult book, so character development doesn’t go very deep, but you do get a solid taste for life in Scotland’s seaside and island communities. This was an absolutely delightful treat in between two grown-up books!
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
4.0
I've no idea of the future, but I can see the past quite well. And the present, if the weather's clear.
Set in Scotland, this short and sweet magical tale for all ages tells the story of a young girl searching for her baby brother who was swept out to sea when the family left the tiny island where they had lived for generations.
The magic is in the form of selkies, which are mythological creatures that are both seal and human, and the life of the baby, then little boy, they both kept and protected.
As I read this story, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite books—Bridge to Terabithia. Like this book, The Secret of Roan Inish was also made into a movie.
This is a super short young adult book, so character development doesn’t go very deep, but you do get a solid taste for life in Scotland’s seaside and island communities. This was an absolutely delightful treat in between two grown-up books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Well, THAT was weird. Definitely not my type, but I was curious because of its high rating here and its inclusion in 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die. While I can imagine others enjoying this book, I’m a little befuddled about it being on this list. Just goes to show you that, like beauty, lists are solely in the eyes of their beholders!
The ending was so blunt and pointless I thought I had somehow gotten a bad Kindle version. After doing some Googling, I found out it’s because it’s a series…still poorly done, in my opinion.
I did laugh a few times. And, I’m the kind of reader who is still glad I read a book I didn’t really care for if I get some sort of insight…even if it’s just about popular culture.
This book was (is) very popular. They even made a movie out of it (which I’m going to watch out purely out of curiosity). I respect that. It just wasn’t my thing.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movement of small green pieces of paper, which was odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.
Well, THAT was weird. Definitely not my type, but I was curious because of its high rating here and its inclusion in 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die. While I can imagine others enjoying this book, I’m a little befuddled about it being on this list. Just goes to show you that, like beauty, lists are solely in the eyes of their beholders!
The ending was so blunt and pointless I thought I had somehow gotten a bad Kindle version. After doing some Googling, I found out it’s because it’s a series…still poorly done, in my opinion.
I did laugh a few times. And, I’m the kind of reader who is still glad I read a book I didn’t really care for if I get some sort of insight…even if it’s just about popular culture.
This book was (is) very popular. They even made a movie out of it (which I’m going to watch out purely out of curiosity). I respect that. It just wasn’t my thing.
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Despite having an inherently predictable witch hunt storyline (weak, psychopathic men and women getting rid of the women they can’t control), this book about witch trials in Norway in the 1600s, totally held my interest.
It’s the first historical fiction I’ve ever read about Norway (and it’s indigenous population (the Samí people), which made it intriguing. I learned a lot about how the people living in this part of the world managed to survive in an extremely harsh environment. The characters also had depth and were either very relatable or totally detestable.
This was the author’s first adult book…I think she nailed it! I look forward to reading more.
Highly recommend this book to historical fiction lovers…and, of course, it’s a must read for all my fellow witches (AKA uncontrollable, walk-to-the-beat-of-their-own-drum non-Christians)!
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
“Many of them seem past caring what is true or not, only desperate for some reason, some order to the rearrangement of their lives, even if it is brought about by a lie.”
Despite having an inherently predictable witch hunt storyline (weak, psychopathic men and women getting rid of the women they can’t control), this book about witch trials in Norway in the 1600s, totally held my interest.
It’s the first historical fiction I’ve ever read about Norway (and it’s indigenous population (the Samí people), which made it intriguing. I learned a lot about how the people living in this part of the world managed to survive in an extremely harsh environment. The characters also had depth and were either very relatable or totally detestable.
This was the author’s first adult book…I think she nailed it! I look forward to reading more.
Highly recommend this book to historical fiction lovers…and, of course, it’s a must read for all my fellow witches (AKA uncontrollable, walk-to-the-beat-of-their-own-drum non-Christians)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Another book from the very beginning of my TBR list that I started more than a couple of decades ago.
There was a moment in the beginning where I almost put the book down…during a hyper-intellectual scene that required knowledge of Greek history to fully comprehend. I decided to power through it despite my lack of core knowledge and made it to the end.
While I’m ultimately glad I did, it wasn’t an easy read by any means. First, there is not a single likable character in the entire book. Everyone was some combination of entitled, narcissistic, addictive, cold-hearted, delusional and psychopathic. Second, it’s an incredibly slow read…the story could have been told in half the amount of words. Finally, it’s pitch dark…nothing uplifting or hopeful on these pages. While situations were presented as conundrums, they definitely wouldn’t be for most people.
Yet, somehow, it was a compelling read. I can’t say it never felt like a chore to pick up, but I remained determined to finish it after that initial Greek scene. As I closed the back cover, I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Love doesn't conquer everything. And whoever thinks it does is a fool.
Another book from the very beginning of my TBR list that I started more than a couple of decades ago.
There was a moment in the beginning where I almost put the book down…during a hyper-intellectual scene that required knowledge of Greek history to fully comprehend. I decided to power through it despite my lack of core knowledge and made it to the end.
While I’m ultimately glad I did, it wasn’t an easy read by any means. First, there is not a single likable character in the entire book. Everyone was some combination of entitled, narcissistic, addictive, cold-hearted, delusional and psychopathic. Second, it’s an incredibly slow read…the story could have been told in half the amount of words. Finally, it’s pitch dark…nothing uplifting or hopeful on these pages. While situations were presented as conundrums, they definitely wouldn’t be for most people.
Yet, somehow, it was a compelling read. I can’t say it never felt like a chore to pick up, but I remained determined to finish it after that initial Greek scene. As I closed the back cover, I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Incest, Sexual assault
A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
What a strange little book. Another one I added to my list over 20 years ago…I’m pretty sure just because I had watched a Willa Cather movie and wanted more of her.
On the surface, this would seem to be a story I would have wanted to read about a strong woman in a time where it was extremely challenging to be strong. Nope. In fact, the center of the story, the wife of a railroad engineer, was quite annoying and unlikeable. And, the story wasn’t even told from her perspective, but from that of a young man who admires her while growing up. (And he becomes as disgusted with her as I did.)
The characters weren’t developed enough for this story to really get meaty and interesting, either from a historical or emotional perspective. And, it’s not really an older classic that stands the test of time as much as others. There are so many others that do out there that I would hesitate to recommend this one to anyone other than those particularly interested in the railroad expansion throughout the U.S., and even then I would caution them that this aspect of the story is pretty glossed over.
This is one of those books that might be better appreciated if discussed in detail by a lit professor.
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“Well, then, my philosophy is that what you think of and plan for day by day, in spite of yourself, so to speak —you will get. You will get it more or less. That is, unless you are one of those people who get nothing in this world. I have lived too much in mining works and construction camps not to know that.”
What a strange little book. Another one I added to my list over 20 years ago…I’m pretty sure just because I had watched a Willa Cather movie and wanted more of her.
On the surface, this would seem to be a story I would have wanted to read about a strong woman in a time where it was extremely challenging to be strong. Nope. In fact, the center of the story, the wife of a railroad engineer, was quite annoying and unlikeable. And, the story wasn’t even told from her perspective, but from that of a young man who admires her while growing up. (And he becomes as disgusted with her as I did.)
The characters weren’t developed enough for this story to really get meaty and interesting, either from a historical or emotional perspective. And, it’s not really an older classic that stands the test of time as much as others. There are so many others that do out there that I would hesitate to recommend this one to anyone other than those particularly interested in the railroad expansion throughout the U.S., and even then I would caution them that this aspect of the story is pretty glossed over.
This is one of those books that might be better appreciated if discussed in detail by a lit professor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism
Moderate: Death, Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
Disclaimer: I’m not a fan of fantasies or series.
So, why would I read the second book in this series about medieval Russia that is a mix of fantasy and reality?
Because the main character is a witch, of course. And, because I liked the first book (The Bear and the Nightingale) well enough to read the second.
I don’t know what it was (or wasn’t) about this book…it was yet another one that had all the elements I usually love (history, a strong female lead, good writing), but I just couldn’t get into it. My theory is that Russian history and culture just isn’t my thing. It might also be that I find it annoying when the main character is immature and constantly messes shit up. 😆
Honestly, if all things Russian and pagan float your boat, I’d recommend this to you!
Now that I’ve read two of the three books in the series, of course, I have to read the third…after some time passes, so my attitude improves 😄
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
“Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet.”
Disclaimer: I’m not a fan of fantasies or series.
So, why would I read the second book in this series about medieval Russia that is a mix of fantasy and reality?
Because the main character is a witch, of course. And, because I liked the first book (The Bear and the Nightingale) well enough to read the second.
I don’t know what it was (or wasn’t) about this book…it was yet another one that had all the elements I usually love (history, a strong female lead, good writing), but I just couldn’t get into it. My theory is that Russian history and culture just isn’t my thing. It might also be that I find it annoying when the main character is immature and constantly messes shit up. 😆
Honestly, if all things Russian and pagan float your boat, I’d recommend this to you!
Now that I’ve read two of the three books in the series, of course, I have to read the third…after some time passes, so my attitude improves 😄
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Pregnancy
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Another book from the start of my TBR list more than two decades ago. Loved it!
It had all the ingredients I treasure…history, a fascinating location, complex characters, shades of grey instead of black and white, emotional depth, women’s empowerment, and a reasonably unpredictable storyline. And, despite being a “classic,” it was a very easy and quick read. Right after I finish this review, I’m going to add more W. Somerset Maugham books to my list!
Watching the film adaptation with Ed Norton and Naomi Watts on Netflix now and it’s also good!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“You know, my dear child, that one cannot find peace in work or in pleasure, in the world or in a convent, but only in one’s soul.”
Another book from the start of my TBR list more than two decades ago. Loved it!
It had all the ingredients I treasure…history, a fascinating location, complex characters, shades of grey instead of black and white, emotional depth, women’s empowerment, and a reasonably unpredictable storyline. And, despite being a “classic,” it was a very easy and quick read. Right after I finish this review, I’m going to add more W. Somerset Maugham books to my list!
Watching the film adaptation with Ed Norton and Naomi Watts on Netflix now and it’s also good!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexism, Medical content, Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Classism
On a Wing and a Prayer: A Journey of Self-discovery on the Trail of Central American Wildlife by Sarah Woods
This book is from my “Books About Panamá” reading list. Although I didn’t love it, it’s one of the more relevant and interesting ones I’ve read from this stack of eclectic books.
This is a non-fiction book by a woman who traveled throughout Panamá (and Colombia) in search of the harpy eagle in the wild. I loved reading about places I’ve been, or are familiar with, and about many of the animals I encounter on a regular basis around my home in Panamá.
In typical British style, the “self discovery” thing is overstated. I was hoping for more…the only meaty self discovery I encountered was in the epilogue. It was really just a nature-heavy travelogue…not a bad thing, but not quite what I was expecting from a female author.
A couple of warnings…
It’s very “birdy”…so if you’re a birder, you’ll likely enjoy it more than me. As one who appreciates, but is not obsessed with birds, I got bored by all the bird naming. I also found the writing annoyingly heavy on adjectives. I just feel like descriptive words shouldn’t be constantly shoving you out of the story.
If you’re interested in Panamá or an expat like me, definitely read this book…the positives outweigh the shortcomings!
adventurous
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.0
“I am reminded again that everything in the jungle demands attention, however small and insignificant it may seem.”
This book is from my “Books About Panamá” reading list. Although I didn’t love it, it’s one of the more relevant and interesting ones I’ve read from this stack of eclectic books.
This is a non-fiction book by a woman who traveled throughout Panamá (and Colombia) in search of the harpy eagle in the wild. I loved reading about places I’ve been, or are familiar with, and about many of the animals I encounter on a regular basis around my home in Panamá.
In typical British style, the “self discovery” thing is overstated. I was hoping for more…the only meaty self discovery I encountered was in the epilogue. It was really just a nature-heavy travelogue…not a bad thing, but not quite what I was expecting from a female author.
A couple of warnings…
It’s very “birdy”…so if you’re a birder, you’ll likely enjoy it more than me. As one who appreciates, but is not obsessed with birds, I got bored by all the bird naming. I also found the writing annoyingly heavy on adjectives. I just feel like descriptive words shouldn’t be constantly shoving you out of the story.
If you’re interested in Panamá or an expat like me, definitely read this book…the positives outweigh the shortcomings!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation