literaryjunarin's reviews
496 reviews

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Damn! What a story! The dark and gloomy atmosphere was well-described and the author managed to keep the suspense up. The last 30% was a blast of terrifying horror which I did not see coming at all!

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

dark sad slow-paced

4.5

"Roscille wonders how many women have stood precisely where she is standing, watching their husbands disappear. Roscille wonders how many of them have imagined the sword-thrust that will make them widows. She wonders how many smiled at the thought."

Okay, I havent read Shakespeare's Macbeth yet so I cannot judge the reimagining of Lady Macbeth but this is such a gorgeous book! I'm in love with the prose! The gothic vibe is just perfect. The stony walls, sea waves, the puddle in the floor, the clanging of swords, I had witnessed and heard them all! This is glorious. 

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways by Eve Kellman

dark funny

4.0

I support women's rights and women's wrongs, but not the wrongs in this one.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

sad medium-paced

4.0

Gorgeous, gorgeous writing! Incredibly sad and miserable story.

The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe

3.0

More detective story than horror.

A Brief History Of Time: From the Big Bang To Black Holes by Stephen Hawking

3.5

 “We find ourselves in a bewildering world. We want to make sense of what we see around us and to ask: What is the nature of the universe? What is our place in it and where did it and we come from? Why is it the way it is?” 

I bought this book because I was fascinated with black holes. The concept was explained in length but very simply without bombarding the reader with mathematical formulas. However, I am an idiot so I did not absorb anything. One point that stuck with me was Hawking said that even though black holes are known to draw anything that comes close and nothing, even light, can escape it, black holes actually emit something, radiation. 

I had a hard time understanding his explanations of space, time, entropy, quantum mechanics, hmm, maybe most of it. HAHAHAHA.

I devoured chapter 3 The Expanding Universe even though I can't wrap my head around it.

And if you thought the universe was vast, you should know that it is still expanding.

I recommend this to really, truly, smart people, unlike me.

People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice: Stories by Ao Omae

3.0

Sad and boring

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.

Too long. 18% in and still nothing has happened yet.

It Would Be Night in Caracas by Karina Sainz Borgo

sad tense

3.0

I just now learned about venezuela's current situation after i reseached it in the end of this book. This is why we read.

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

What if the person who can save the world is a 29 year old magical girl with a credit card weapon? 😂😂

Cringy dialogue but fun and relevant in today's issues.