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literaryjunarin's reviews
455 reviews
And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin
dark
sad
slow-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
"We were monsters once, and although we are not anymore, we know we remain unforgiven."
An interesting take on the zombie apocalypse idea. I liked the conversational style of narration but the plot has very little action so this story is fairly forgettable.
An interesting take on the zombie apocalypse idea. I liked the conversational style of narration but the plot has very little action so this story is fairly forgettable.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin
dark
sad
fast-paced
3.0
“Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist: the refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain. If you can lick them, join them. If it hurts, repeat it. But to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything else.”
You live in a city called Omelas which is peaceful and filled with happiness. What if you found out that in exchange for the joy of the whole town is the misery of one? Will you stay or will you walk away?
You live in a city called Omelas which is peaceful and filled with happiness. What if you found out that in exchange for the joy of the whole town is the misery of one? Will you stay or will you walk away?
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A story about how different people carry and deal with their trauma. I thought this book would be really dark but I laughed out loud multiple times!
Greta, who works as a transcriber for a sex coach became obsessed with one of the clients, Flavia, which she calls Big Swiss because she's tall and Swiss. While Greta is uninhibited and messy, Flavia is collected and restrained. The two of them are total opposites, but they somehow fell in love. They're both obsessed and repulsed with each other so that part is a bit difficult to read.
Staying in Greta's head is such a treat though. She's so frenzy, unpredictable, sometimes gross and constantly making bad decisions but I liked her a lot.
However, if you're expecting closure or resolution, this book has none of that but this was a truly fun and chaotic ride!
Greta, who works as a transcriber for a sex coach became obsessed with one of the clients, Flavia, which she calls Big Swiss because she's tall and Swiss. While Greta is uninhibited and messy, Flavia is collected and restrained. The two of them are total opposites, but they somehow fell in love. They're both obsessed and repulsed with each other so that part is a bit difficult to read.
Staying in Greta's head is such a treat though. She's so frenzy, unpredictable, sometimes gross and constantly making bad decisions but I liked her a lot.
However, if you're expecting closure or resolution, this book has none of that but this was a truly fun and chaotic ride!
Animal Wife by Lara Ehrlich
dark
3.0
“In none of her lives will she be brilliant or famous or content. Her mediocrity will hound her through a kaleidoscope of futures.”
This book is said to explore gender expectations but I think only about three out of 15 stories have a point. I read this via audiobook and some of the stories are just too forgettable to leave an impact on me.
The title "Animal Wife" is quite clever though. In one story, the wife is a swan, hence an animal, but in others, the woman is a wife to an animal. One cohabited with a bear and another one wore a deer suit (?) and lived months in a forest and actually had sex with a stag she knew from childhood. I believe that was a form of escape from her crippling depression but boy - that one was disturbing.
I think I wasn't in the right headspace to read this critically so the underlying message behind the flowery writing was lost on me.
In summary, this is a collection of unhappy girls and women (from yearning little girls to domesticated mothers) which made me feel utterly hopeless. Not sure if that was what the book was going for.
This book is said to explore gender expectations but I think only about three out of 15 stories have a point. I read this via audiobook and some of the stories are just too forgettable to leave an impact on me.
The title "Animal Wife" is quite clever though. In one story, the wife is a swan, hence an animal, but in others, the woman is a wife to an animal. One cohabited with a bear and another one wore a deer suit (?) and lived months in a forest and actually had sex with a stag she knew from childhood. I believe that was a form of escape from her crippling depression but boy - that one was disturbing.
I think I wasn't in the right headspace to read this critically so the underlying message behind the flowery writing was lost on me.
In summary, this is a collection of unhappy girls and women (from yearning little girls to domesticated mothers) which made me feel utterly hopeless. Not sure if that was what the book was going for.
Follow Me to Ground by Sue Rainsford
dark
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
It was a short, okay read. I loved the eerie atmosphere and the idea of how they heal their patients. The book mentioned that they open up the patient's body and fix the internal organs. How I don't know. Sometimes they sing the illness away, sometimes they bury the patient in the Ground to absorb the sickness.
On how the daughter came to be, her father combined plants and planted her during a thunderstorm. She doesn't have a sexual organ so when she took a liking to a boy and started to want intimacy, she literally grew her own genitals. They do not need to eat and they age slowly. Oh, and her father can transform into a bear. How cool is that?
All in all, this book is an engaging, almost hypnotic read.
On how the daughter came to be, her father combined plants and planted her during a thunderstorm. She doesn't have a sexual organ so when she took a liking to a boy and started to want intimacy, she literally grew her own genitals. They do not need to eat and they age slowly. Oh, and her father can transform into a bear. How cool is that?
All in all, this book is an engaging, almost hypnotic read.
There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
4.5
That was actually enjoyable. Tho I didnt like the last part.
The Memory Trees by Kali Wallace
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“She was carrying with her, the cold. She was holding on to that icy stone of grief. It had been there all along, sitting high in her chest, and with every step another fissure split through its middle-shivering over the orchard, frosting and melting, seasons flickering around her with the rhythm of her breaths, with the beat of her heart, she and the trees and the earth all part of the same creature.”
I took an interest in this book because of the magical realism aspect, however, there is very little magic here. The concept of a family feud twelve generations back is quite amusing, albeit a bit ridiculous.
This was a pretty good read although terribly slow at times. I wish it was shorter.
The writing redeemed the story, fortunately. The author made this very atmospheric and enchanting. Following the main character in her walks also felt like stepping into another world. I can praise the writing all day. Spellbinding.
I took an interest in this book because of the magical realism aspect, however, there is very little magic here. The concept of a family feud twelve generations back is quite amusing, albeit a bit ridiculous.
This was a pretty good read although terribly slow at times. I wish it was shorter.
The writing redeemed the story, fortunately. The author made this very atmospheric and enchanting. Following the main character in her walks also felt like stepping into another world. I can praise the writing all day. Spellbinding.
You're Cute When You're Mad: Simple Steps for Confronting Sexism by Celeste Headlee
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Very helpful