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jem_ko's reviews
57 reviews
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
1.0
90% in & still want to DNF? objectively not my taste idk i’m simply left with soup where my brain was
The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements
4.0
Don’t read this book for plot… read it for a trip to Italy & some sunshine soaked silly familia troubles.
This book is seriously receiving an extra star just for atmosphere. Even as my reading of this novel slipped into rainy season I still felt like I was being whisked away to Italy and a loving family home (even enraptured in their petty family troubles at times). The flaws consisted of one mildly rushed lovers arc & a consistent dilemma of Clements referring to female characters by their relation to other males (EG: she uses MY FATHERS WIFE at times which is madness considering Jan is named early on and the mother of both main characters). Regardless, I sped through the book and enjoyed every moment with Matteo & Anna.
This book is seriously receiving an extra star just for atmosphere. Even as my reading of this novel slipped into rainy season I still felt like I was being whisked away to Italy and a loving family home (even enraptured in their petty family troubles at times). The flaws consisted of one mildly rushed lovers arc & a consistent dilemma of Clements referring to female characters by their relation to other males (EG: she uses MY FATHERS WIFE at times which is madness considering Jan is named early on and the mother of both main characters). Regardless, I sped through the book and enjoyed every moment with Matteo & Anna.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4.0
fine! TJR can write! It took a few chapters (exc the epilogue which I was unsure about initially but generally quite enjoyed), however TJR hits every paragraph point break out of the park & nails so many niche emotions involved in familial trauma, abandonment and pain that I can’t deny her excellency in writing. The pacing is great at times as I engulfed whole passages especially when the Riva kids were the main focus BUT there is a lot - seriously a lot - of oscillation between our main characters and secondary characters or even full on strangers who have chapters to themselves. To an extent this pads and aids the story and it’s many interwoven beautiful themes and motifs, nonetheless it also adds a fair amount of drag which hurts the pacing of what otherwise could have been a one-sitting read in my opinion. If you like extra detail to character and theme this is worth it though (i suffered some from a personal longing for speed at high intensity moments tho). The best part of the novel is certainly how TJR describes emotion though - moments so small they could be captured in the flick of a dime or forgotten by any other author are fleeted over with poetic grace that etches them in our mind like little pivotal moments of lives that feel distinctly our own (despite them belonging to the characters). Would recommend this book! Not as a beach read tho … (fr who reads about sm pain on the beach)
Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
5.0
INFURIATED! My internal monologue has been beautifully separated, edited & externalised. Jenny Slate and her book wandered into my life as a fun quick read between heavier novels as i get back into reading and now - goddamn - it is my new favourite book of all time. Bumping out its predecessor which sat as my favourite book of all time for 7 years straight. This book is the amalgamation of every deep crevice of the mind of a mind so akin to mine that I wonder if my heart was pieced up placed in palatable chapters here by some divine source. If you are any of the following you will likely love this book & it may take a grappling hook to your heart:
an over thinker, a mildly traumatised millennial, a lover not a fighter, neurodivergent, queer, anxiety riddled, in ED recovery, hopeful after being hopeless for a long time, a woman who deliberates womanhood, a man who deliberates womanhood, a sister & the list goes on but i suppose you get the gist.
an over thinker, a mildly traumatised millennial, a lover not a fighter, neurodivergent, queer, anxiety riddled, in ED recovery, hopeful after being hopeless for a long time, a woman who deliberates womanhood, a man who deliberates womanhood, a sister & the list goes on but i suppose you get the gist.
Bluets by Maggie Nelson
3.0
Great poetic exploration that feels like a well researched thesis into a singular persons perspective on chromatica. It’s beautiful phraseology is but a thin veil though for just a woman who needs to see a therapist & stop trying to use the term “f*cking” to sound cool and edgy.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
5.0
all the reviews are correct it is the best recently-written fantasy & a feminists dream counter to TLOTR - most importantly the queendom & sapphic elements are written in such a beautiful manner you can’t hate even the women you are supposed to despise because to some level you know you understand them even if they are psychotic.
Let’s start with cons bc that is the shorter side of the list:
- the ending feels a little rushed after 700 pages of build up
- certain characters are confusing in their morals/standards *looking @ Loth* (though still lovable, don’t come for me)
- the social view of dragons in this world is confusing to get used to / understand for a short while
- it is a really heavy book to carry on the train haha
Pros:
literally every other element of the book is sincerely fantastical; you will be as enrapt as all the other high-praise reviews promise and the world - even after you’ve spent ages consuming this somewhat behemoth of a single book - will leave you not wanting to read the final pages as you won’t want to leave these exceptionally fleshed out characters and their fascinating religions, lore & lives.
Let’s start with cons bc that is the shorter side of the list:
- the ending feels a little rushed after 700 pages of build up
- certain characters are confusing in their morals/standards *looking @ Loth* (though still lovable, don’t come for me)
- the social view of dragons in this world is confusing to get used to / understand for a short while
- it is a really heavy book to carry on the train haha
Pros:
literally every other element of the book is sincerely fantastical; you will be as enrapt as all the other high-praise reviews promise and the world - even after you’ve spent ages consuming this somewhat behemoth of a single book - will leave you not wanting to read the final pages as you won’t want to leave these exceptionally fleshed out characters and their fascinating religions, lore & lives.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
3.0
does it get much better as you progress & care a tad more for each character? yes. do i feel the urge to read the following books in the series? no. I’d suspect if you are older than 17 you will find the same dilemma but hey it’s a bit of fun and if you can put aside the notion that Feyre seems a tad daft even for a 17yr old (she fended for her family for years but can’t read social cues purely based on other characters being of a different species? either it’s raging indoctrinated racism [tbf that is there so i don’t blame her entirely] or she is just fulfilling the ‘daft enough to fail a bit but is somehow still the Chosen One’ trope) then again maybe i’m bitter that i never had a fantastic hot fairie whisk me off to a life of adventure and pools of starlight…
overall it’s not trash but it isn’t amazing if you have any semblance of mature wisdom.
overall it’s not trash but it isn’t amazing if you have any semblance of mature wisdom.
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
4.0
This was my first graphic novel ever and I finished it within 24hrs to my utter shock as I went in skeptical! There is 20 chapters of drop dead beautiful art, it is extremely touching especially if you love a found family plot line, there’s fleshed out endearing character development including some wonderful moments of respect for the journeys of others outside our main characters & there is the obvious highlight of beyond brilliant representation. If you’re willing to look past a few small plot holes for a rollercoaster of love and emotion then i’d highly recommend it.
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo
4.0
another great folklore style piece from Vo ~ certainly a progression too in her narrative style. However, whilst I do agree that this is both A- the better of the two singing hills books & B- a standalone, i do think it helps to read The Empress of Salt and Fortune first if only to accustom yourself to Vo’s fairly unique style, the occasional way in which you will have to glide over confusing phraseology & to understand the importance of Chih and Almost Brilliant. a great read tho and certainly a reckoning with the contemporary ways of telling fantastical tales as it brings the mythic into a nice harmony with the eastern oratory tradition despite being written fiction.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
3.0
“Accuracy above all things. You will never remember the great if you do not remember the small.”
An extremely ambient and atmospheric read full of small fable-style lessons and a great deal of observational beauty (if only you are playing “eagle eye”). For a very short story full of mystic and legend you naturally have to excuse some plot holes but for the most part the narrative style allows for any misgivings to be swept over with ease. Beautifully told & a very unique read.
An extremely ambient and atmospheric read full of small fable-style lessons and a great deal of observational beauty (if only you are playing “eagle eye”). For a very short story full of mystic and legend you naturally have to excuse some plot holes but for the most part the narrative style allows for any misgivings to be swept over with ease. Beautifully told & a very unique read.