Scan barcode
laurelthebooks's reviews
644 reviews
The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Ann Older
3.75
If you thought that the first entry in the series was Holmesian, wait until you get your hands on this one!
Mossa and Pleiti are back with a missing persons mystery that quickly grows larger and larger. The mystery provides the setting, but it is Mossa and Pleiti that shine in this novella. There is a charming push and pull to Pleiti’s narration of their relationship, and if John Watson is one of your favorite narrators this will absolutely appeal to you. The entire sentence structure and word choices are positively Victorian in style.
You can see small growth in their relationship since its inception in book one, and I look forward to seeing how it expands in future entries. A special callout to the food mentions in this book as well. There is so much food from so many corners of the world that all sounded scrumptious! Mystery, the feel of a historical piece set on a far future gaseous planet that veers near to steampunk, and an assemblage of clever language make for another tea-sipping while reading entry in Mossa & Pleiti’s journey.
Mossa and Pleiti are back with a missing persons mystery that quickly grows larger and larger. The mystery provides the setting, but it is Mossa and Pleiti that shine in this novella. There is a charming push and pull to Pleiti’s narration of their relationship, and if John Watson is one of your favorite narrators this will absolutely appeal to you. The entire sentence structure and word choices are positively Victorian in style.
You can see small growth in their relationship since its inception in book one, and I look forward to seeing how it expands in future entries. A special callout to the food mentions in this book as well. There is so much food from so many corners of the world that all sounded scrumptious! Mystery, the feel of a historical piece set on a far future gaseous planet that veers near to steampunk, and an assemblage of clever language make for another tea-sipping while reading entry in Mossa & Pleiti’s journey.
All Is Not Lost: 20 Ways to Revolutionize Disaster by Alex Zamalin, Alex Zamalin
hopeful
"Have faith that growing up is a worthwhile activity to be embraced, not a mindless chore to be tolerated. "
"20 Examples" may be more accurate than "20 Ways", but Zamalin does provide a few options for what can be done in the future with some of said examples.
Zamalin chose to actively focus on optimism in response to private, public, large, and small disasters in this book. He occasional skirts around some of the consequences for actions, and many of his suggestions are only employable with a robust support structure, but there are some useful nuggets for perseverance instead of despair when things are dark. This isn't necessarily a direct guidebook, but it was a useful reminder that abandoning the effort to change things is not the answer.
Read for a dose of positivity in a world beset by tragedy, and I recommend it for people who often think "why bother to try" in response to actively supporting change. If you're already determined to actively pursue positive change this may feel like a shallow read to you - or you may feel it bolsters your attempts!
I may not be 100% behind everything in this book, and there is much in here that I would like to believe yet struggle to, but I am glad to have read it.
"20 Examples" may be more accurate than "20 Ways", but Zamalin does provide a few options for what can be done in the future with some of said examples.
Zamalin chose to actively focus on optimism in response to private, public, large, and small disasters in this book. He occasional skirts around some of the consequences for actions, and many of his suggestions are only employable with a robust support structure, but there are some useful nuggets for perseverance instead of despair when things are dark. This isn't necessarily a direct guidebook, but it was a useful reminder that abandoning the effort to change things is not the answer.
Read for a dose of positivity in a world beset by tragedy, and I recommend it for people who often think "why bother to try" in response to actively supporting change. If you're already determined to actively pursue positive change this may feel like a shallow read to you - or you may feel it bolsters your attempts!
I may not be 100% behind everything in this book, and there is much in here that I would like to believe yet struggle to, but I am glad to have read it.
Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo
medium-paced
4.25
In Mammoths at the Gates Cleric Chih is headed home to the Singing Hills abbey, a place we’ve only had mentions of before. And of course, Almost Brilliant is back for this entry.
Just like the previous three books I am amazed at how much can be packed into such a small package. Themes such as grief, old friends, recognizing change, coming home, and the complexity of memory suffuse this bite sized story. I recognize my own bias here, but this whole series makes me soft and mushy inside 💖
“I would be honored to hear your story . . . Whether it is long or short, broken or whole, sad or joyful or angry or strange.”
Just like the previous three books I am amazed at how much can be packed into such a small package. Themes such as grief, old friends, recognizing change, coming home, and the complexity of memory suffuse this bite sized story. I recognize my own bias here, but this whole series makes me soft and mushy inside 💖
“I would be honored to hear your story . . . Whether it is long or short, broken or whole, sad or joyful or angry or strange.”
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea
dark
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Ballet brings to mind the ephemeral, the elite, and the kind of soft beauty that is backed by absolute iron discipline. In Shea’s novel, Laurence Mesny strives to become the best ballerina amongst the competitive Parisian ballet. After being constantly overlooked despite her skill she strikes a deal with an unknown power to bring her to the top. As she drives forward she discovers that she isn’t the only monster here though.
The book covers obsession, insecurity, pettiness, power balances, and the slowly dawning realization that the validation we are told to strive for might not even exist. I adored the setting and characters in this novel, and I definitely can see this appealing to ballet lovers and those who adore a good young adult villain origin story.
This book fascinates and intrigues, although the execution fell a tad flat to me I still adored so many parts of this. It has some gore descriptions, but it falls surprisingly low on the creepiness factor. I’d love to know what you thought of you’ve read this!
“What kind of person becomes a monster only to embrace their curse and build a sanctuary with it?”
The book covers obsession, insecurity, pettiness, power balances, and the slowly dawning realization that the validation we are told to strive for might not even exist. I adored the setting and characters in this novel, and I definitely can see this appealing to ballet lovers and those who adore a good young adult villain origin story.
This book fascinates and intrigues, although the execution fell a tad flat to me I still adored so many parts of this. It has some gore descriptions, but it falls surprisingly low on the creepiness factor. I’d love to know what you thought of you’ve read this!
“What kind of person becomes a monster only to embrace their curse and build a sanctuary with it?”