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literaryjunarin's reviews
496 reviews
Letters to Milena by Franz Kafka
sad
4.0
"Moreover, perhaps it isn’t love when I say you are what I love the most – you are the knife I turn inside myself, this is love."
From this collection of all-consuming, ardent letters, I've witnessed Kafka's thoughts in the years before his death. Tormented by insomnia and plagued by coughs, Milena's letters brought Kafka moments of happiness but also intensified his feelings of alienation. However, I think his unhappiness is also a result of his own making. Milena asked to meet multiple times but Kafka declined. He shared his fears of love, of life, everything. And we all know how their story ended.
From this collection of all-consuming, ardent letters, I've witnessed Kafka's thoughts in the years before his death. Tormented by insomnia and plagued by coughs, Milena's letters brought Kafka moments of happiness but also intensified his feelings of alienation. However, I think his unhappiness is also a result of his own making. Milena asked to meet multiple times but Kafka declined. He shared his fears of love, of life, everything. And we all know how their story ended.
After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
I think i had enough of this author. He does not interest me anymore.
Regrettably, I am About to Cause Trouble by Amie McNee
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
1535, Oxfordshire. Lady Maude Shaftsberry, a daughter with six brothers is about to marry a lord. All is well except she carries a dark birthmark that stretches over her stomach and between her legs. Upon seeing this, her new husband accused her of being a witch and left her. Where else can she find refuge but from the real witches in town?
I thought that was a solid plot but the execution was mediocre at best.
1. The dialogue was modern. Maude said "thingy" as a euphemism for "cock".
2. The inclusion of the Tudor court came out of nowhere. Suddenly, we are following Anne Boleyn's story instead of Maude's.
3. The romance has no spark. The couple got together just because of proximity.
It was still an okay read since the other witches' banter with Maude was entertaining. Maude's character development was great as well. From a snobbish noble lady to a confident, powerful witch. I always love me some independent woman.
This would've been better if it stuck to the new-found family direction rather than the palace's court drama. Who cares about King Henry VIII when you have fun witches?
I thought that was a solid plot but the execution was mediocre at best.
1. The dialogue was modern. Maude said "thingy" as a euphemism for "cock".
2. The inclusion of the Tudor court came out of nowhere. Suddenly, we are following Anne Boleyn's story instead of Maude's.
3. The romance has no spark. The couple got together just because of proximity.
It was still an okay read since the other witches' banter with Maude was entertaining. Maude's character development was great as well. From a snobbish noble lady to a confident, powerful witch. I always love me some independent woman.
This would've been better if it stuck to the new-found family direction rather than the palace's court drama. Who cares about King Henry VIII when you have fun witches?
A Novel in Nine Letters by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4.0
Indeed, a snake sometimes lies hidden under flowers. This was a hilarious short story.
The Landlady by Fyodor Dostoevsky
2.5
Another sick man's fever dream. Why are Dostoevsky's men always ill?
Reception by Kenzie Jennings
dark
tense
slow-paced
3.5
One line: what the fxck?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism
The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Since reading Tender is the Flesh, I picked up everything Agustina Bazterrica wrote.
This book is incredible. An all-women convent called The House of the Sacred Sisterhood is a place weaponizing religion to oppress women they "saved" after the society's collapse due to the climate crisis. The violence is gut-wrenching. The Superior Mother's visceral punishments often include whipping, putting spikes inside the mouth, mutilation and the like. She also forces the women to self-mutilate as a form of offering to their God e.g., needles in the nipples.
As always, Bazterrica's prose is raw and sharp, which disturbed me but also since this was written in epistolary style, it also reads like a fever dream. From bleak and dark, to warm and heartfelt, until the thrilling end, it was a wild ride.
This book is incredible. An all-women convent called The House of the Sacred Sisterhood is a place weaponizing religion to oppress women they "saved" after the society's collapse due to the climate crisis. The violence is gut-wrenching. The Superior Mother's visceral punishments often include whipping, putting spikes inside the mouth, mutilation and the like. She also forces the women to self-mutilate as a form of offering to their God e.g., needles in the nipples.
As always, Bazterrica's prose is raw and sharp, which disturbed me but also since this was written in epistolary style, it also reads like a fever dream. From bleak and dark, to warm and heartfelt, until the thrilling end, it was a wild ride.
Of the Flesh by Susan Barker, Adorah Nworah, Irenosen Okojie, Mariana Enríquez, Emilia Hart, Bridget Collins, Lionel Shriver, Robert Lautner, J. K. Chukwu, Michel Faber, Evie Wyld, James Smythe, Lewis Hancox, Lavie Tidhar, Francine Toon, Louisa Young, Ainslie Hogarth, Lucy Rose
dark
medium-paced
3.5
Not sure when it started but sometime last year, I became a horror fan. As long as it's tagged horror, I will read it. However, for this collection, some stories do not even resemble horror. Well, some might be a bit unsettling, but on others, I just literally zoned out.
Out of 18, I liked these six stories.
'Apples' by Emilia Hart - a mother ate an apple which magically gave her the ability to hear and see other people's thoughts. Thrilling.
'Waffle Thomas' by Ainslie Hogarth - a woman fresh from a breakup went camping alone to "heal". Towards the end, I can only say, "what the fxckkkk??"
'The Smiling African Uncle' by Adorah Nworah - racism? Of course, that's scary.
'Carcinisation' by Lucy Rose - love the body horror on this. Vomit-inducing.
'BobAJob' by James Smythe - catfishing turned into something unimaginable. I enjoyed this.
Out of 18, I liked these six stories.
'Apples' by Emilia Hart - a mother ate an apple which magically gave her the ability to hear and see other people's thoughts. Thrilling.
'Waffle Thomas' by Ainslie Hogarth - a woman fresh from a breakup went camping alone to "heal". Towards the end, I can only say, "what the fxckkkk??"
'The Smiling African Uncle' by Adorah Nworah - racism? Of course, that's scary.
'Carcinisation' by Lucy Rose - love the body horror on this. Vomit-inducing.
'BobAJob' by James Smythe - catfishing turned into something unimaginable. I enjoyed this.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
5.0
I don't care about all the bad reviews because this series is my home!