larabavery's reviews
34 reviews

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

fast-paced

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

2.75

The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Super lovely and interesting to glimpse inside the setting (the up-and-coming Iceland of Laxness’s childhood), but the events of the novel only seemed loosely connected to one another, and often circled around the same ideas or desires through multiple scenes. A few strong characters emerge, but their motivations are often obscured by the narrator’s lack of definition and emotional range. If you don’t mind being a bit confused at times while you read, you’ll enjoy these charming tales of a (at the time) provincial country trying to make a name for itself on the world stage through the eyes of a young musician and the con man who captures his imagination. 

Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler

challenging funny informative reflective medium-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

One of the many sad smart white girl novels of this current literary age. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it, just felt like I was reading a particularly long New Yorker article that never made any major points (that haven’t already been made elsewhere) or emotional revelations. A meandering, neurotic meditation on Internet selfhood. 

Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense 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

The Midwestern sports setting—especially the bleakness of winter on a campus, the single-mindedness that kind of environment can create—is so accurate it’s hurtful. I loved this book because it gives you an utterly unique reading experience, but it is without a doubt the weirdest book I’ve ever read. Gave me strange dreams. Will not recommend it to everyone, but will fervently recommend it to certain people, if that makes sense. 

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

adventurous emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

I appreciate the research and care that went into telling this story, but there was little about the characters’ voices that couldn’t have been replicated in a straightforward novel, so the “oral history” format felt a bit wasted. The testimonies also took away a bit (for me) from the actual feelings driving these characters. Because they are speaking about events so long ago, they could only immerse themselves in the events of the past to a certain extent, which made the events themselves feel a bit lackluster compared to supposed impact they had. And because their stories resembled so closely a patchwork of well-known music documentaries and lore, the beats and character arcs felt a bit predictable. Entertaining enough, but not revelatory. Probably will not seek out the show.

Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Definitive Oral History of the Real Housewives by Dave Quinn

funny informative lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

3.75

Such fun! Definitely learned some new things about each franchise, but mostly it was a repeat of what we already suspect about the ladies’ relationship to the show/each other—not that I didn’t enjoy that. Highlights are BH, NJ, and Potomac. Dallas was super interesting to read, too, despite the fact I’ve never seen it. Some *seriously* f-ed up dynamics there. Highly recommend this book for Bravo fans. 

The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

Intriguing episodes that thread together into one woman’s journey to establish herself as a private detective. The tone nimbly  jumps from cheeky to serious to reflective from adventure to adventure, and knowledge about the past that has led her to her habits, her expertise, and her calling is well-placed throughout. There are some outdated attitudes that pervade the described culture and narration, but the characters’ depth overshadow anything harmful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Violence

The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight

dark informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

3.0

More a biography of the one of the doctors leading this research than an actual account of the Premonitions Bureau itself. Some interesting research and lovely writing, but a mostly threadbare catalog with little or no reflection on the project’s broader significance. Should have been an article. 

Middlemarch by George Eliot

emotional funny informative reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

A portrait of marriage and middle class life that goes deeper and more unapologetically into the characters’ heads and hearts than any novel I’ve ever read. In a setting deeply rooted in its time, the characters are somehow modern, recognizable, and often hilarious. The blueprint for humane literature. 

In the Company of Men by Véronique Tadjo

dark informative reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

It feels like there were some missed opportunities for expansion and experimentation considering the unconventional POVs (which included a tree, a bat, and the virus itself, among others). No larger throughline except a vague chronology of the epidemic, so maybe calling it a novel is a mischaracterization. Overall a brief but profound—and sometimes lyrical—read.