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leduyhxxng's reviews
39 reviews
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
2.0
two days ago, i got depressed pretty hard, feeling like i could never do anything good in my life. i wallowed in the sentiments for a bit, made a few changes, and started this book. i was on TikTok fishing for titles that can help me get out of a book rut, and there it was. it works, and i had a really good time reading this (i'm starting to reacquaint myself with this whole reading-for-fun thing). not the best title i have ever read in terms of storytelling or character design (i think it's too simplistic for its own good), and there are some questionable details, but it does get me out of my head for a while. the book gave me tons of hope for what's to come (which is more than enough for my emotionally unstable arse).
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4.0
i can see and feel a lot of heart went into writing this book. i was sceptical at first when i found out the author was a white woman writing about the coloured and bisexual experience. but her portrayal of Evelyn Hugo still feels really honest and no-bullshitting. i think it was really well-written and thought out; actually, i kept reading because of the beautiful writing. i dont regret reading the book at all. i had a lot of fun, and did not think that i would be so absorbed in a book like this before. but the book's pacing. ngl, this kinda threw me off when i was 200 pages (50%) into the book. it felt dragged out and long as i read of the husbands and her relationship with Celia. tumultuous times were fine (even though i feel like we're only going over the same formula: Evelyn would meet men—whom she sometimes felt strong feelings for—and it would not work out because she still was in love with Celia, and the men were cheating). but happier times. for a while, they did make me feel secured and loved (as i took in Evelyn), but they became dull and flat, and i think there should be something to be done about that. i'll keep thinking. i guess im a bit addicted to chaos.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
4.0
i think this is the greatest experience i've ever had reading a book (and i don't read lots of books). so much heart went into this book. it's gripping, moving and fucking wholesome. this definitely stays in the recommendation list if i were to have children.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
5.0
this book is a journey, a rough one. i went from total denial to resigned forbearance. id known beforehand that im diving headfirst into a tragedy (which usually isnt my style). i know there will be heartbreak and loss; worse still these had never been what ive brought much into my life, so reading the book has tormented me over and over and over. but im in love with the book. and this may jumpstart a venture into tragedies for me. i love it for how beautifully it was written, how human the characters were portrayed, how the world was so deftly built through wording and pacing so so so clever.
i noticed my body twitching and aching for the needlessly blood-spattered plot. i wonder, whats with the bloodshed? does it matter? and who gets to decide whose life? too vicious, too much. im supposed to go to bed, even more so after the seven consecutive hours of binging every single word. im tired, but i want more to keep it raw and real. i had fun. a lot of it.
i noticed my body twitching and aching for the needlessly blood-spattered plot. i wonder, whats with the bloodshed? does it matter? and who gets to decide whose life? too vicious, too much. im supposed to go to bed, even more so after the seven consecutive hours of binging every single word. im tired, but i want more to keep it raw and real. i had fun. a lot of it.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
4.0
im not sure how i feel about this book. i feel very strongly that i had a pleasant time reading. heck, theres a lot going on with book that deserves dialogues, and its great that way, but i cant think of a reason why. the writing felt a bit lax and unfocused, which sometimes i found a bit annoying, but i dont hate it. i love the third-person narrative; i'd thought it felt a bit detached and cold, but this perfectly captures the experience of young adulthood. i love how raw the main characters are portrayed. i love the time skips that sneak up on you. and its weird because i dont like the plain writing, i dont like how Marianne's mother and brother are portrayed (i think its overly black and white), i dont like how hung (and a bit anti-climatic) the ending felt, but i dont hate it at all. i feel that there is something there that i cannot quite catch yet. and it stresses me a bit to see people pour praises on this book, and i dont get why. huh
Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry
4.0
phenomenal read. i used to think Greek myths were boring and needlessly violent, but only because i read poor interpretations of an otherwise vast and rich world. now this book blew my mind completely away and back in time and among the ancient Greeks. i wanted to say i devoured this book, but i'd be lying, because this book devoured me, so thoroughly i consider changing majors to the study of Classics. this. is. amazing.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
4.0
this book is manic. i barely understood most of the action, but i was genuinely disturbed. im in love the first person narrative; many of Mary's dissociative/intrusive thoughts were written and paced really well. the way the narrative jumps around between reality and these moments of dissociation were a delight to read; they really help set the tone and vibes of the story. however, i got lost a lot following the narrative sometimes, which i think was on me. this definitely calls for a reread
Circe by Madeline Miller
3.0
im a bit underwhelmed tbh. i plough thru the book not out of fascination but disbelief of sorts, because Madeline Miller's previous novel The Song of Achilles has left such a deep impression on me as a reader and a person both—it inspired and empowered me to read more, and to write, and to see the world and its history a bit more poetically and thoughtfully. but this book didnt do it, at least for me this time.
reading Circe, i found myself grow very quickly less interested in what was unraveling on the pages, and would seek a specific kind of respite from the story: manic memes that'd help explain my frustration and disappointment with the book. i dont blame Circe for pursing happiness or normalcy, in fact i love that shes human, proven many times over thru clashes with the gods, especially when her early years were marked with so much antipathy and muted friction from a place of family. that sucks balls, and to see something good come out of it is a big blast.
at first i hate seeing Circe please the men around her; it was one of the biggest reason why id wanted to DNF the book. but i grew to understand it, albeit very slowly and unwillingly.
now after seeing the entirety of this book, i still have bones to pick with the writing. i was afraid i imagined it, so i circled back to a couple of paragraphs from The Song of Achilles, and it only confirmed what i had felt. i dont like the writing of Circe; most of the time, it felt forced and uninspired, the poetic hints ever present in the previous novel stripped bare of its vigour. id get to read of plants and herbs, variations in the weather, and nuances of Aiaia (Circe's island of exile), but they fail to delight or surprise. and this neglect carries over to the plot and the characters also, and it really ruined the fleeting pleasure i had with the ending (im forever a sucker for a happy-ever-after).
i thought this would be a journey.
reading Circe, i found myself grow very quickly less interested in what was unraveling on the pages, and would seek a specific kind of respite from the story: manic memes that'd help explain my frustration and disappointment with the book. i dont blame Circe for pursing happiness or normalcy, in fact i love that shes human, proven many times over thru clashes with the gods, especially when her early years were marked with so much antipathy and muted friction from a place of family. that sucks balls, and to see something good come out of it is a big blast.
at first i hate seeing Circe please the men around her; it was one of the biggest reason why id wanted to DNF the book. but i grew to understand it, albeit very slowly and unwillingly.
now after seeing the entirety of this book, i still have bones to pick with the writing. i was afraid i imagined it, so i circled back to a couple of paragraphs from The Song of Achilles, and it only confirmed what i had felt. i dont like the writing of Circe; most of the time, it felt forced and uninspired, the poetic hints ever present in the previous novel stripped bare of its vigour. id get to read of plants and herbs, variations in the weather, and nuances of Aiaia (Circe's island of exile), but they fail to delight or surprise. and this neglect carries over to the plot and the characters also, and it really ruined the fleeting pleasure i had with the ending (im forever a sucker for a happy-ever-after).
i thought this would be a journey.