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literaryjunarin's reviews
491 reviews
Para Kay B (o kung paano dinevastate ng pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin) by Ricky Lee
2.0
I read this for the upcoming stage adaptation but I didn't like it. The only thing on my mind while reading is "Ugh this is another entry for #MenWritingWomen.". Overzealous description of body shape, one-dimensional female characters, and distasteful sex.
I hope the play will make it better.
I hope the play will make it better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz
informative
medium-paced
3.0
“Aurel hoped that women writers would disobey the laws that bound men’s books. It was time for women to take language for themselves, Aurel said, even one word at a time, to take their own names and become. To become even one word.”
After Sappho is a collection of reimagined lives of a brilliant group of feminists, sapphists, artists and writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as they battle for liberation, justice and control over their own lives. It is interesting and informative but lacking soul. At some point, it started to read like a research paper. Disappointing.
After Sappho is a collection of reimagined lives of a brilliant group of feminists, sapphists, artists and writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as they battle for liberation, justice and control over their own lives. It is interesting and informative but lacking soul. At some point, it started to read like a research paper. Disappointing.
The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Boring and not in the mood for it.
Fragile Animals by Genevieve Jagger
sad
slow-paced
3.0
This is a vampire-bait. The vampire only served as a trigger for the main character to trauma-dump her mommy issues into. Sad girl lit at its finest indeed. The sex was unpleasant. I liked the ending though. I was there on the boat. Emotional. Cathartic.
The Glutton by A.K. Blakemore
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“He wants to say: hunger is all I am and all my life is. Hunger runs through my veins like blood, branches through me like a fungus, swelling and renewing itself daily. I am lost on a sea of hunger, blue and black and heaving and full five fathoms deep below and rarely, rarely do I feel anything besides /hungry/, rarely, rarely does a jolt of feeling or emotion pierce the hide of my hunger, and never, never have I been able to live the life God presumably gave me to live, to dance and think and remember and kiss, no, all my life I have stood at the threshold of my life waiting to be let in because of this hunger, no living for Tarare.”
In 1798, in France, Tarare, also known as the Glutton of Lyon, was dying in a hospital in Versailles. A young sister named Perpetué is assigned to watch over him and unwittingly becomes a listener to his story. They say he ate a golden fork, and that it’s killing him from the inside. But that’s not all—he is rumoured to have done monstrous things in his attempts to sate an insatiable appetite… an appetite they say tortures him still.
A word of advice: don’t read this book while eating or just before a meal, as it may ruin your appetite. I was near the end of the book, quietly enjoying a croissant, and that scene where Tartare eats bucket after bucket of raw meat was too much. I physically cringed away from the book.
This was a challenging read because Tarare's life is anything but pleasant. He lived a life plagued with poverty and violence and Tarare is too soft for such a harsh world. He was naive, painfully honest and terribly kind in a time when everyone was out to exploit any hint of weakness. It was heartbreaking to see how his optimism and love for life were twisted by those who took advantage of him.
While often disgusting, I still recommend this book.
In 1798, in France, Tarare, also known as the Glutton of Lyon, was dying in a hospital in Versailles. A young sister named Perpetué is assigned to watch over him and unwittingly becomes a listener to his story. They say he ate a golden fork, and that it’s killing him from the inside. But that’s not all—he is rumoured to have done monstrous things in his attempts to sate an insatiable appetite… an appetite they say tortures him still.
A word of advice: don’t read this book while eating or just before a meal, as it may ruin your appetite. I was near the end of the book, quietly enjoying a croissant, and that scene where Tartare eats bucket after bucket of raw meat was too much. I physically cringed away from the book.
This was a challenging read because Tarare's life is anything but pleasant. He lived a life plagued with poverty and violence and Tarare is too soft for such a harsh world. He was naive, painfully honest and terribly kind in a time when everyone was out to exploit any hint of weakness. It was heartbreaking to see how his optimism and love for life were twisted by those who took advantage of him.
While often disgusting, I still recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism
The Complete Poems of Sappho by Sappho
3.0
"And I answered her, "Be happy, go and remember me, you know how we worshipped you.""
This Skin Was Once Mine by Eric LaRocca
dark
3.5
The first story is the best one. What is truly frightening about these tales is the depravity of the characters. The body horror elements are somewhat underwhelming; to be honest, I’ve read more disturbing body horror that was genuinely nauseating. That’s what I expected when I began reading, so I felt a bit disappointed. Nevertheless, the stories are very intriguing and original. I don’t think I’ve come across anything quite like them before.
The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Honestly? I would've loved this more if it was a bit shorter. Also, Asher Todd might be clever, but she is blind and stupid and too hungry for her mother's love to make smart decisions, so she let herself be swayed repeatedly.
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
3.75
“... so I am saying to you Chie, my first and only child, that you might regard in wonder these men walking on the moon but you must never forget the price humanity pays for its moments of glory, because humanity doesn't know when to stop, it doesn't know when to call it a day, so be wary is what I mean though I say nothing, be wary.”
This is my reminder that I may love astronauts but there should also be a plot for me to enjoy the story. Despite that, I still ended up liking this quite a bit. The narration of the astronauts and cosmonauts is mesmerizing, almost hypnotic but also deeply thought provoking.
This is my reminder that I may love astronauts but there should also be a plot for me to enjoy the story. Despite that, I still ended up liking this quite a bit. The narration of the astronauts and cosmonauts is mesmerizing, almost hypnotic but also deeply thought provoking.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
“Remember this: Nothing is written in the stars. Not these stars, nor any others. No one controls your destiny.”
Like many others, I became obsessed with *Wicked* after watching the movie. Ever since then, I've been playing the movie soundtrack every morning right after I wake up. It’s a bit insane!
And so, here I am. I’m glad I went in knowing that the movie and musical were only loosely based on the book, so I was open to the differences. The tone of the book is quite different as well—it's bleak, violent, and oddly sexual. Ahem, “dragon-snaking.”
However, I enjoyed learning more about Elphaba's childhood and Glinda's thought process, which were not fully explored in the musical. Boq is quite charming in the book, too.
That said, the pacing is terrible. It jumps unexpectedly, and suddenly, seven years have gone by.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read!
Like many others, I became obsessed with *Wicked* after watching the movie. Ever since then, I've been playing the movie soundtrack every morning right after I wake up. It’s a bit insane!
And so, here I am. I’m glad I went in knowing that the movie and musical were only loosely based on the book, so I was open to the differences. The tone of the book is quite different as well—it's bleak, violent, and oddly sexual. Ahem, “dragon-snaking.”
However, I enjoyed learning more about Elphaba's childhood and Glinda's thought process, which were not fully explored in the musical. Boq is quite charming in the book, too.
That said, the pacing is terrible. It jumps unexpectedly, and suddenly, seven years have gone by.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Murder