livlaw's reviews
601 reviews

Life for Sale by Yukio Mishima

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book was so fun and camp. It was totally different than what I’d expected but I loved this!

The Exhibition of Persephone Q by Jessi Jezewska Stevens

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Loved the first part of this book but after that was over it just started to get a little long. Super interesting concept but I feel like the book was trying to do too much in too little space. 

One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson

informative slow-paced

2.5

I really liked a lot of this book but started to find it a bit repetitive after a while. Not my favourite Bryson book but still a good read!

Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart: A Memoir by Jen Sookfong Lee

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

I had no idea that Jen was from Vancouver, and absolutely loved how much she captured this place. So profound and at times hilarious. 

They're Going to Love You by Meg Howrey

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I know absolutely nothing about ballet but this book was so lovely and sad and filled up my heart!

Sentence: Ten Years and a Thousand Books in Prison by Daniel Genis

informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

I found this a super interesting book. Daniel Genis is so observant and the way he writes was so clear. 

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

informative reflective fast-paced

Apparently the best way to get me to finish a book is make it a celebrity memoir and stick me on a BC Ferry. 

I don’t really understand all the negative reviews for this book. To me, it read as super honest, in Matthew Perry’s own unique voice, recalling his own really traumatic experiences. It was super informative and funny and moving. 

(Note: I don’t give memoirs star ratings)

Born to Run 2: The Ultimate Training Guide by Christopher McDougall, Eric Orton

informative inspiring slow-paced

4.0

While I don’t necessarily agree with everything that is proposed in this book, I really love seeing the insights and research behind it all. I’ve been incorporating some drills from the book in my training and I’m feeling better for it!

Feet in the Clouds: A Tale of Fell-Running and Obsession by Richard Askwith

adventurous informative inspiring slow-paced

3.75

This was a pretty fun read! I wish there was less data and numbers and more stories. It was super male focused which was frustrating at times, but it did inspire me to look into some fell races for next year!

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I can’t believe I managed to start and end this book in a month!

First up - all the classic criticisms of this - I totally get it. I really don’t like how Murakami writes women, specifically Aomame, and Tengo’s girlfriend in this book. It almost felt like a parody of ‘men writing women’. Which is gross. 

Aside from that, I was pretty gripped for all like 1300 pages of this book. The story was super engaging and I thought the perspective shifts moved it along at a surprisingly fast pace. 

I wish I had read this for school so I could spend longer analyzing specific themes and track them through the book (but as someone with a job and a life, I just dont want to make that time). 

In all, I can see why this is such a classic. What a way to start the year of reading!