Scan barcode
loxeletters's reviews
215 reviews
Sagte sie. 17 Erzählungen über Sex und Macht by Kristine Bilkau, Lina Muzur
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
Due to the heavy subject matter, this was a slow read for me - though the strikes themselves were very readable. As always with mixed anthologies, some stories stayed with me more than others. A very diverse collection. I struggle to give a coherent, overall review because I read this over the span of multiple months.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence
Circe by Madeline Miller
adventurous
emotional
fast-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
4.0
This was a fun read! Definitely very enjoyable. I read the last half in two sittings over 12 hours lol.
I feel this is a superb kind of retelling: it really captures the feeling of reading the Odyssey and Iliad while conforming, at least in the later chapters, more to our modern taste in storytelling. The beginning certainly had strong narrative resemblance to the old classics.
My main gripe with this book is that, for being marketed as a feminist retelling, it really focuses so much on men and Circe's relationship with them. There's no female friendship or relationship in this book that is given as much space or development as her relationships to her lovers, her father, Telegonus, and her brother.
That being said, I did really enjoy exploring her complex relationship with Telegonus, and even shed a few tears there. She went through so much and still would give everything for him. That really touched something in me.
Important ideas explored here are immortality and divinity, needless cruelty, motherhood, loneliness, and death. Regardless of my complaints, this was a lovely read.
I feel this is a superb kind of retelling: it really captures the feeling of reading the Odyssey and Iliad while conforming, at least in the later chapters, more to our modern taste in storytelling. The beginning certainly had strong narrative resemblance to the old classics.
My main gripe with this book is that, for being marketed as a feminist retelling, it really focuses so much on men and Circe's relationship with them. There's no female friendship or relationship in this book that is given as much space or development as her relationships to her lovers, her father, Telegonus, and her brother.
That being said, I did really enjoy exploring her complex relationship with Telegonus, and even shed a few tears there. She went through so much and still would give everything for him. That really touched something in me.
Important ideas explored here are immortality and divinity, needless cruelty, motherhood, loneliness, and death. Regardless of my complaints, this was a lovely read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual violence, War, Pregnancy, Grief, and Misogyny
Island by Siri Ranva Hjelm Jacobsen
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
This book was a fascinating read that resonated deeply with me. The prose was gorgeous. However I feel like I need to reread it to get a deeper understanding.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, War, Death, and Grief
To Build a Fire by Jack London
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Makes an interesting point about the value of instinct/experience versus "knowledge"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What an interesting read! I especially enjoyed the themes of faux-feminism, the absurdity of academia, and the relationship between you and your creation. Regarding that last point, I think I might have benefitted from having read Frankenstein? It seems there's some links here, but that's just guess work. I still really enjoyed this, and though I didn't cry, the ending broke my heart.
It was quite depressing at times, which is why I couldn't rate this as "funny" even though the satirical aspects worked well. I guess that is the horror of this book for me - I wasn't very affected by the gore, I was never really scared, more just very depressed by the ongoing loneliness of our MC.
I can't say I could've guessed most of the major twists, which is a plus :)
Speaking of which, I agree that it's quite disorienting and difficult to figure out what is real and what isn't, but I think that's the point. I mean... They even discuss in the book how disorientation can be valuable for writing lol.
I did think the final scene was maybe a bit too clean-cut.
Maybe the way her relationship to Jonah is portrayed could have used some more nuance. He was always nice, sure, but I feel like her realisation that he just doesn't care about others' judgement doesn't really make up for the contempt she had for him throughout the book. He is always portrayed as so pathetic, and I can't really reconcile this with her attitude towards him at the end.
But this is somewhat nit-picky!
My second issue was the prose - overall it was good, but some phrasings were a bit repetitive for me. Maybe some adjectives could've been cut out as well. But that's just my personal taste, I think.
Overall, a very interesting book, which leaves you questioning what is real and what isn't, while providing some much-needed cultural criticism — exactly my cup of tea!
It was quite depressing at times, which is why I couldn't rate this as "funny" even though the satirical aspects worked well. I guess that is the horror of this book for me - I wasn't very affected by the gore, I was never really scared, more just very depressed by the ongoing loneliness of our MC.
I can't say I could've guessed most of the major twists, which is a plus :)
Speaking of which, I agree that it's quite disorienting and difficult to figure out what is real and what isn't, but I think that's the point. I mean... They even discuss in the book how disorientation can be valuable for writing lol.
I did think the final scene was maybe a bit too clean-cut.
But this is somewhat nit-picky!
My second issue was the prose - overall it was good, but some phrasings were a bit repetitive for me. Maybe some adjectives could've been cut out as well. But that's just my personal taste, I think.
Overall, a very interesting book, which leaves you questioning what is real and what isn't, while providing some much-needed cultural criticism — exactly my cup of tea!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Toxic friendship, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Gore, Murder, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Sexual content and Car accident
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was so, for a lack of a better word, fun! Of course it was quite depressing at times, and often infuriating. But since we were mostly "spared" the perspective of handmaids and wives, it was somewhat less grim than the first book. I guess that is also why it had less of an emotional impact on me, though it was still so captivating and immersive that it feels wrong to give it any less than five stars. I enjoyed all three perspectives, and again found the primary source concept fun and interesting. Some more elaboration on the actual downfall of Gilead would've made me happy, but the vagueness gives room to think and speculate, which I always appreciate. Interestingly, I perhaps connected most with Aunt Lydia, since I found her characterisation to be the most fleshed out and compelling.
All in all, this is not the kind of literary fiction that the Handmaid's Tale was - and that's fine by me. I enjoyed both it's literary and thriller aspects a lot.
All in all, this is not the kind of literary fiction that the Handmaid's Tale was - and that's fine by me. I enjoyed both it's literary and thriller aspects a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Pedophilia, Torture, and Suicide
Minor: Infidelity
Lady Tan's Circle Of Women by Lisa See
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a pleasure to read, and I finished it quickly. Having previously read and loved See's Snow Flower, it was interesting to see the differences and parallels between the two books.
I adored the friendship between Yunxian and Meiling, though it didn't feel as deep or strong as in the other book. Of course, the focus of this one was quite different! Seeing the world as described by a woman brought-up in a wealthy family was certainly interesting, and I enjoyed the poetic language the protagonist used due to her upbringing. Yunxian could be frustrating as a character, seen mostly in her treatment of Meiling, but I felt she grew quite nicely. The entire topic of her medicine was fascinating. Some aspects (the concubines, especially) were infuriating to read about, yet felt realistic and true to the time. The mystery aspect surprised me pleasantly and, after I had seen one twist towards the beginning of the book coming, I was later absolutely surprised by other twists that were set up masterfully.
The ending gave quite a generous amount of pages to tying up various plotlines, which almost felt *too* simple, but the postscript revealed new questions which left me with much to think about.
Sometimes I felt I had to put the book down to give my mind time to process all the things that were happening quite quickly - especially with the large time skips between each of the four sections. However, I feel this speaks more to the extreme readibility which made me devour the book in essentially four long sittings than detract from its quality.
While I think I would have liked to see some more development in the relationships that weren't with her family, I enjoyed this book greatly and look forward to reading more of See's work.
I adored the friendship between Yunxian and Meiling, though it didn't feel as deep or strong as in the other book. Of course, the focus of this one was quite different! Seeing the world as described by a woman brought-up in a wealthy family was certainly interesting, and I enjoyed the poetic language the protagonist used due to her upbringing. Yunxian could be frustrating as a character, seen mostly in her treatment of Meiling, but I felt she grew quite nicely. The entire topic of her medicine was fascinating. Some aspects (the concubines, especially) were infuriating to read about, yet felt realistic and true to the time. The mystery aspect surprised me pleasantly and, after I had seen one twist towards the beginning of the book coming, I was later absolutely surprised by other twists that were set up masterfully.
The ending gave quite a generous amount of pages to tying up various plotlines, which almost felt *too* simple, but the postscript revealed new questions which left me with much to think about.
Sometimes I felt I had to put the book down to give my mind time to process all the things that were happening quite quickly - especially with the large time skips between each of the four sections. However, I feel this speaks more to the extreme readibility which made me devour the book in essentially four long sittings than detract from its quality.
While I think I would have liked to see some more development in the relationships that weren't with her family, I enjoyed this book greatly and look forward to reading more of See's work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Misogyny
Moderate: Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Abortion, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Alcoholism
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
This books left me with extremely mixed feelings.
First off, there were a few things I liked quite a bit: the sort of "mixed media" approach of including emails and news articles was fun, the world and cultures the author had created were interesting, and the writing style was simple and binge read-able.
That being said, I had some major gripes and for the first 80% I thought it was gonna be a 2.5 star at best. Most prominently, while I enjoyed the prose itself (except for some genre-typical infodumps), the storytelling decisions made in this book baffled me. Most of the conflicts, relationships, and arcs set up for the characters developed and resolved quickly and/or off-page, whereas I found myself annotating over and over again: "This would have been impactful if it had been properly set up" for the conflicts that actually were explored on-page.
The time skips seriously took me out of the story multiple times, especially since there is no in-text discussion of time passing.
Since we spend so little time getting to know the characters, I was unable to connect to most of them on any deeper level, especially the (intentionally) unlikeable ones, and this eliminated any emotional impact the first 3/4s of the book should've had. It was still a fun read! But I could tell in many scenes the author was trying to make things emotional or tense, while I just did not care. Certainly not enough to read pages worth of "tragic" backstory for a character that was supposed to be unlikeable less than ten pages ago. This really irked me.
The last 20% or so did kind of throw me for a loop, in that I suddenly did really connect with one emotional event, which I didn't expect. That is what made this book 3 stars for me, in the end. I did also appreciate the final ending, which wrapped up some ties very neatly.
Tldr: while this was an enjoyable and fun read, the narrative structure was bizarre and undermined the emotional impact of many scenes. However, the final conflict and ending surprised me positively in this regard.
First off, there were a few things I liked quite a bit: the sort of "mixed media" approach of including emails and news articles was fun, the world and cultures the author had created were interesting, and the writing style was simple and binge read-able.
That being said, I had some major gripes and for the first 80% I thought it was gonna be a 2.5 star at best. Most prominently, while I enjoyed the prose itself (except for some genre-typical infodumps), the storytelling decisions made in this book baffled me. Most of the conflicts, relationships, and arcs set up for the characters developed and resolved quickly and/or off-page, whereas I found myself annotating over and over again: "This would have been impactful if it had been properly set up" for the conflicts that actually were explored on-page.
The time skips seriously took me out of the story multiple times, especially since there is no in-text discussion of time passing.
Since we spend so little time getting to know the characters, I was unable to connect to most of them on any deeper level, especially the (intentionally) unlikeable ones, and this eliminated any emotional impact the first 3/4s of the book should've had. It was still a fun read! But I could tell in many scenes the author was trying to make things emotional or tense, while I just did not care. Certainly not enough to read pages worth of "tragic" backstory for a character that was supposed to be unlikeable less than ten pages ago. This really irked me.
The last 20% or so did kind of throw me for a loop, in that I suddenly did really connect with one emotional event, which I didn't expect. That is what made this book 3 stars for me, in the end. I did also appreciate the final ending, which wrapped up some ties very neatly.
Tldr: while this was an enjoyable and fun read, the narrative structure was bizarre and undermined the emotional impact of many scenes. However, the final conflict and ending surprised me positively in this regard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide attempt, Violence, Terminal illness, Confinement, War, and Xenophobia
Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-Jin
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is an exploration of the mind of an elderly woman who has to come to terms with the fact that her daughter is a lesbian. It's not a happy or particularly uplifting book; in fact, the protagonist is (intentionally) frustrating and unlikeable.
A second, big part of the story is that the narrator works as a carer at a nursing home. This way, the theme of accepting other people's differences is connected to the fear of growing old alone, and of dying lonely. Another theme is that of being a person - which is discussed very explicitly in relation to the MC's patients, and implied in the way she refuses to refer to her daughter as anything but that - her daughter. Not a person of her own.
Thirdly, the book discusses capitalism, the gruelling reality of work and alienation, and living on the line to poverty.
As is typical for Korean fiction, the book is quite understated. It does not present a neat solution. The world of this book remains relatively bleak throughout its entirety.
While the ending may be frustrating or unfulfilling to some, I enjoyed the realism of it. The beauty of female relationships shone, even in harrowing conditions. And it serves as a fruitful critique of capitalism and contemporary society.
TW for homophobia and an extremely toxic mother-daughter relationship.
A second, big part of the story is that the narrator works as a carer at a nursing home. This way, the theme of accepting other people's differences is connected to the fear of growing old alone, and of dying lonely. Another theme is that of being a person - which is discussed very explicitly in relation to the MC's patients, and implied in the way she refuses to refer to her daughter as anything but that - her daughter. Not a person of her own.
Thirdly, the book discusses capitalism, the gruelling reality of work and alienation, and living on the line to poverty.
As is typical for Korean fiction, the book is quite understated. It does not present a neat solution. The world of this book remains relatively bleak throughout its entirety.
While the ending may be frustrating or unfulfilling to some, I enjoyed the realism of it. The beauty of female relationships shone, even in harrowing conditions. And it serves as a fruitful critique of capitalism and contemporary society.
TW for homophobia and an extremely toxic mother-daughter relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Hate crime, Death, Excrement, Medical content, and Forced institutionalization
The Fireman by Joe Hill
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This had surprisingly nice prose, which I enjoyed quite a lot. I found myself regretting that I couldn't annotate some lines in a physical book - I might have to get a copy!
The characters were incredibly likeable and I did not see most of the plot's twists and turns coming. While I felt that the continued presence of Harper's ex was a bit contrived, he did serve as a compelling villain figure - if a bit exaggerated in some aspects.
The discussion of humanity's kindness towards the end was especially interesting to me.
However I did feel that the last part was quite rushed, compared to the previous sections, and featured surprisingly little detail - though I understand this choice from a storytelling perspective, it felt a bit incoherent with the rest of the book.
One thing I noticed was that John apparently learnt an unspecified sign language from his Irish mother, likely BSL or ISL, which somehow resulted in him being able to sign ASL? That seems like an unfortunate oversight on part of the author.
Nevertheless, the characters, their relationships, and the intricate plot had me devouring this book within a few days, and I even shed a tear towards the end.
The characters were incredibly likeable and I did not see most of the plot's twists and turns coming. While I felt that the continued presence of Harper's ex was a bit contrived, he did serve as a compelling villain figure - if a bit exaggerated in some aspects.
The discussion of humanity's kindness towards the end was especially interesting to me.
However I did feel that the last part was quite rushed, compared to the previous sections, and featured surprisingly little detail - though I understand this choice from a storytelling perspective, it felt a bit incoherent with the rest of the book.
One thing I noticed was that John apparently learnt an unspecified sign language from his Irish mother, likely BSL or ISL, which somehow resulted in him being able to sign ASL? That seems like an unfortunate oversight on part of the author.
Nevertheless, the characters, their relationships, and the intricate plot had me devouring this book within a few days, and I even shed a tear towards the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief, Confinement, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Police brutality, and Child death
Minor: Animal death