ladykatka's reviews
906 reviews

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

dark 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? It's complicated

3.0

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is undeniably a masterclass in writing. The prose is sharp, evocative, and immersive, capturing the gritty reality of life in a poverty-stricken town with haunting accuracy. Kingsolver's vivid descriptions and character development make the story feel incredibly real, perhaps to the point of discomfort. The book's strength lies in how it portrays the struggles of its protagonist, Demon, with such authenticity that it often feels less like fiction and more like a stark, painful reflection of real life.

However, this level of realism is also the book's greatest challenge. The subject matter is deeply troubling, dealing with themes of addiction, abuse, and extreme poverty, and it can be a difficult read. For anyone who has had personal experience with drugs-whether through their own struggles, those of family members, or their work with at-risk youth-this novel may be too raw, too close to home. The emotions and situations portrayed are so realistic that they may dredge up memories and experiences that are not easily forgotten.

While Kingsolver's ability to portray these harsh realities is impressive, it can also feel like the book veers into "poverty porn"-a type of storytelling where the suffering of marginalized groups is used for dramatic effect without providing a sense of hope or resolution. The novel offers an unflinching look at the darkness of addiction and poverty, but in doing so, it can leave the reader feeling drained and unsettled.

It's difficult to rate Demon Copperhead because, on one hand, it is so brilliantly written that it demands respect. On the other hand, the emotional weight of the book makes it nearly impossible to enjoy. If you're looking for a book that challenges your perceptions and makes you think deeply, this is certainly that. But be prepared-this is not a light or easy read, and it's not one that will offer you much relief from its heavy themes.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Interesting take on Sleeping Beauty and I liked the concept. The ending was a little anticlimactic for my tastes. 
This is probably because it's so short. I would have liked a little more backstory or information about Fayette. I know it wasn't her story but I have questions and no answers. Maybe I am missing the obvious. 

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was much sweeter than I thought it was going to be. I finished this book in one day because I just enjoyed it so much. Also a little surprised at how it has a trauma theme but also feels quite cozy. I've already recommended it to someone.

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado

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

1.5

This book did more telling than showing which did not make for a great book. It did not help that Sol was an insufferable character. She was an alcoholic and did nothing but whine and complain. Considering how much she thought everyone was racist she herself was also racist a little bit. Her chalking everything up to racism or homophobia was exhausting. She would be exhausting to be around but also I can't imagine how tired she must be from all these terrible thoughts in her mind about how absolutely everyone is against her all the time. 

I agree with previous reviews about the rushed ending. That was one heck of a 180 turn around for no reason. They had a few snippets in the book that could have made the turn around plausible like the job situation, the guys confession and death, but they didn't really do anything with it. The journal ended up being a dropped plot which annoyed me because I liked the journal. 

Side note about the audiobook - why was it read like a bad impression of William Shatner's Captain Kirk, with the stunted sentences. There was a period every two or three words. This was literally how it sounded "Sol looked down. at the array. of inoffensive. and frankly, bland. food items. she emptied. out of the fridge. and pantry." It claims to have been read by a real person but was it really AI? I can't believe a real person would read this way. Yeesh. If it was a real person, are they ok? Are you under duress? Should we send help?

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This verges on cozy fantasy since it has a satisfying ending but nothing seemed to be very tense or dramatic. I enjoyed this easy to read book. Any book with a  chicken that has a demon in it is a good one 

The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga

reflective medium-paced

0.25

This book should have been my first dnf of the year. I hated this book. It was boring and tedious to read and I disagreed with pretty much everything it had to say. The closer I got to the end the longer it was taking me to read it because I had to keep putting it down due to its boringness. And I am not convinced that the philosopher actually convinced that young person to agree with him. Even two pages towards the end. He still didn't agree and then suddenly he agrees at the very end even though he was confused by everything the whole time? I don't believe it. It just had to end that way because you had to convince the young person that the philosopher was right even though he's clearly not. I also did not enjoy how this was written like a conversation because it got very tedious and boring when reading it because there's no plot. There's no real novel here. It's just reading a conversation between two people for 260 pages.

Degrees of Separation: A Decade North of 60 by Alison McCreesh

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

The information about Yellowknife and Yukon was really interesting. I read this book as it was listed as one of Canada's best books of 2024. It is really good. My only real complaint is the book is really large and heavy making it hard to hold and read comfortably.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

While I find that this book does not do anything new with the concept of people knowing when they are going to die which makes it a bit predictable I still cried. Jack's story was the one I think I was into the most followed by Hank and Ben.

I think what gets me in the feels is the concept of that someone else's strong is long because yours is short.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai

emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Very light hearted but a little repetitive. Would have liked a little more connection between the stories.

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Well this was a bit of a bummer without any resolution. I guess the question is what are we without our memories.