kyliemaslen's reviews
196 reviews

Nothing But My Body by Tilly Lawless

4.0

i absolutely tore through this novel about queerness, sex work, mental health and coming of age. it captures contemporary ~australia in a pace akin to a fever dream. i’m excited to read more from lawless in the future. 

The White Album by Joan Didion

3.0

this was my first didion and felt like a good entry point. of course i owe her a debt for my own practice as well as that of many of my heroes. while not everything in this collection hit, some of the sentences???! 

Hydra by Adriane Howell

2.0

have i/we been spoilt by NIGHTBITCH and DEATH VALLEY? this did not hit for me. 

Seeing Other People by Diana Reid

4.0

a beautifully drawn exploration of familiar and loving relationships whilst coming of age. this was a great palate cleanser and would be a perfect beach read, i did want a little more weight to this novel however. 

The Collection by Nina Leger
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.

wanted a slow rumination on sex work, feel like i got the most boring parts of straight porn? 

Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel

5.0

god this was good. i want to buy copies for all my girlfriends so we can talk about it together. 

All the Beauty in the World: A Museum Guard's Adventures in Life, Loss and Art by Patrick Bringley

3.0

i expected this to be more in the vein of books on grief i’ve loved, such as H IS FOR HAWK or THE FRIEND, but this is more about what happens after the acute grief fades and new worlds begin to open. a lovely insiders view into the gallery, however. 

We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida

3.0

i really enjoyed the pacing of this novel, but the ending tried too hard to tie things up and felt unnecessary to me. i would have preferred more ambiguity. that said, i’m keen to read more by this author. 

Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly

5.0

i adored this rom-com that will take some beating. the explorations of family, queerness, colonisation, multi-racial identity and language were treated with care while making me laugh out loud constantly. an absolute banger. 

Exteriors by Annie Ernaux

3.0

“Clearly, his actions are not intended to provoke; they are the ultimate manifestation of loneliness—true loneliness—in the midst of the crowd.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism