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lucybbookstuff's Reviews (392)
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Not a favorite memoir ever, but definitely interesting to learn more details of his life! I wondered if the book would feel redundant after watching The Dawn Wall documentary, but there was a lot of new information here.
Definitely inspires me to get back to the climbing gym more regularly! I'll always be several hundred levels below him 😂 but we can agree on finding pure joy out on the rocks. 🤝🏻
Definitely inspires me to get back to the climbing gym more regularly! I'll always be several hundred levels below him 😂 but we can agree on finding pure joy out on the rocks. 🤝🏻
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
What the heck 😭😭
This book ended up being so lovely! Which is not what I expected from something that was also intermittently creepy, grotesque, silly, and deeply odd.
On the surface, it feels like a medieval parable to not fear that which is different. But it also had such deep things to say about religion, friendship, good vs evil, acceptance of self and others, forgiveness, and more. And it said it all in such a unique and engaging way.
Not to mention, there ended up being one of the most criminally endearing found families I've ever read. 😭
Highly recommend this weird as hell fantasy standalone for spooky season and beyond!!
This book ended up being so lovely! Which is not what I expected from something that was also intermittently creepy, grotesque, silly, and deeply odd.
On the surface, it feels like a medieval parable to not fear that which is different. But it also had such deep things to say about religion, friendship, good vs evil, acceptance of self and others, forgiveness, and more. And it said it all in such a unique and engaging way.
Not to mention, there ended up being one of the most criminally endearing found families I've ever read. 😭
Highly recommend this weird as hell fantasy standalone for spooky season and beyond!!
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a very worthwhile story to tell. Very sad but with a sliver of hope and light at the end of the tunnel (though just the barest sliver). But I'm sorry to say I don't think it was written very well. It was sooooo incredibly repetitive. And not just in a "making us feel the characters' suffocating circumstances" way. Unfortunately, it was mainly in a poorly-crafted and -edited way.
I listened to this with a friend on a road trip and we frequently found ourselves laughing incredulously because OH MY GOD are they really having this EXACT same conversation AGAIN??? (And laughter is an entirely inappropriate response to ANYTHING in this story.) And not just one set of characters, but pretty much every character relationship had the same scene repeated multiple times throughout the book. Though it was most frustratingbetween Sara and Deya - like just give the girl some tangible advice, I BEG YOU 💀
The characters were sympathetic but the repetition (and thus the emphasis on their intransigence) made it hard to root for them.
That said, I do think it's an important story to tell. And I did come to understand most of the characters' motivations even if I can't identify with them in the slightest. I also see how it was all so influenced by the occupation of Palestine, though I do wish it had gone into that a bit more.
I think this could have made a really gripping novella. I'm afraid it didn't quite hit the mark as a novel.
However, I look forward to trying Evil Eye! I think Rum has interesting things to say, and talent for character writing, so I'd like to see how she went on from this debut.
I listened to this with a friend on a road trip and we frequently found ourselves laughing incredulously because OH MY GOD are they really having this EXACT same conversation AGAIN??? (And laughter is an entirely inappropriate response to ANYTHING in this story.) And not just one set of characters, but pretty much every character relationship had the same scene repeated multiple times throughout the book. Though it was most frustrating
The characters were sympathetic but the repetition (and thus the emphasis on their intransigence) made it hard to root for them.
That said, I do think it's an important story to tell. And I did come to understand most of the characters' motivations even if I can't identify with them in the slightest. I also see how it was all so influenced by the occupation of Palestine, though I do wish it had gone into that a bit more.
I think this could have made a really gripping novella. I'm afraid it didn't quite hit the mark as a novel.
However, I look forward to trying Evil Eye! I think Rum has interesting things to say, and talent for character writing, so I'd like to see how she went on from this debut.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not quite sure what to do with myself 1 million odd words later. 😵
Therein lies my biggest complaint. WORDS. TOO MANY OF THEM, KEN. I've come to be somewhat at peace with the fact that the seemingly endless engineering descriptions and philosophical musings are like candy for some, but like pulling teeth for me. Even so, I really believe he could have had his fun with all of it and still gotten quite detailed, but with far fewer words. I also think the story itself could have been achieved more efficiently. And/or this story should have been like 7 or 8 books.
That said, it really is a brilliant story by a brilliant writer. It may have felt sloggy and frustrating at times, but ultimately I could hardly put these last two books down (helped in large part by switching mainly to audio). And I absolutely adored the ending. An ending which couldn't have been achieved without everything that preceded it (everything in a grander storytelling sense; I stand by my opinion about fewer words).
This really is a saga, and while I recommend it, I don't do so lightly. It spans generations and is written like a history. Nothing and no one is sacred; everything is subject to change. That is one of the main themes, after all.
And despite my personal issues, I do have to give Ken Liu his due. It takes a truly uniquely brilliant mind to build a world with such deep and detailed science, language, history, culture, and philosophy. He went there, and while it may not have always been my cup of tea, it's unequivocally impressive.
Bravo, Ken. 👏🏼
Therein lies my biggest complaint. WORDS. TOO MANY OF THEM, KEN. I've come to be somewhat at peace with the fact that the seemingly endless engineering descriptions and philosophical musings are like candy for some, but like pulling teeth for me. Even so, I really believe he could have had his fun with all of it and still gotten quite detailed, but with far fewer words. I also think the story itself could have been achieved more efficiently. And/or this story should have been like 7 or 8 books.
That said, it really is a brilliant story by a brilliant writer. It may have felt sloggy and frustrating at times, but ultimately I could hardly put these last two books down (helped in large part by switching mainly to audio). And I absolutely adored the ending. An ending which couldn't have been achieved without everything that preceded it (everything in a grander storytelling sense; I stand by my opinion about fewer words).
This really is a saga, and while I recommend it, I don't do so lightly. It spans generations and is written like a history. Nothing and no one is sacred; everything is subject to change. That is one of the main themes, after all.
And despite my personal issues, I do have to give Ken Liu his due. It takes a truly uniquely brilliant mind to build a world with such deep and detailed science, language, history, culture, and philosophy. He went there, and while it may not have always been my cup of tea, it's unequivocally impressive.
Bravo, Ken. 👏🏼
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Once again, I didn't have an overall amazing experience with this book, but I'm left very intrigued to find out what happens next!
I liked it a bit more than book 1, maybe only because I wasn't so utterly confused (though don't mistake me, there was still plenty of confusion).
Just like book 1, the world is vibrant, it's extremely fast-paced and easy to read, and the characters are very dynamic and leave me loving or hating them depending on the scene. But I still find the storytelling leaves much to be desired. For one thing, it felt very similar to book 1. I was excited to be following people outside Daevabad, just for them to return very early and have the stakes feel almost identical to what they were before. I also don't think the book needed to be this long. It felt very repetitive for a while. And the politics, while dangerous and intriguing, I found more frustrating than anything else. It's the kind of thing that makes me wonder, what's the point of it all? I know our heros are trying to change things, but it feels beyond repair to me.
Anyway. I still had fun, and if nothing else, it's certainly a page turner (and the audiobooks are great!). It won't be cracking my top 10 series, but it's unique and intriguing and I look forward to the conclusion!
I liked it a bit more than book 1, maybe only because I wasn't so utterly confused (though don't mistake me, there was still plenty of confusion).
Just like book 1, the world is vibrant, it's extremely fast-paced and easy to read, and the characters are very dynamic and leave me loving or hating them depending on the scene. But I still find the storytelling leaves much to be desired. For one thing, it felt very similar to book 1. I was excited to be following people outside Daevabad, just for them to return very early and have the stakes feel almost identical to what they were before. I also don't think the book needed to be this long. It felt very repetitive for a while. And the politics, while dangerous and intriguing, I found more frustrating than anything else. It's the kind of thing that makes me wonder, what's the point of it all? I know our heros are trying to change things, but it feels beyond repair to me.
Anyway. I still had fun, and if nothing else, it's certainly a page turner (and the audiobooks are great!). It won't be cracking my top 10 series, but it's unique and intriguing and I look forward to the conclusion!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I finally finished it!!! Maurice, if you're reading this, I'm so sorry it took so long. 🫣 It is totally my fault and very little to do with the book. Thank you so much for the eARC, even though I've taken so long and been of no help with the actual marketing. 😅
This book is a blast!! I had a great time with it and I really look forward to the continued story.
It is really thoughtfully conceived. The world especially has been very carefully thought through, and very little (maybe even nothing) about it raised continuity questions or alarm bells. It is a very intriguing world that I'm excited to explore more of. Both in terms of the map and the types of people populating it.
The characters are really fun. It's definitely more of a plot book, but the characters are still all distinct and, for the most part, loveable. As a character driven reader, I'd love to get more from them. My emotions weren't tweaked very much during this reading experience, but I did really enjoy the crew and their shenanigans.
Probably a bit too much action and a bit too little emotion for me to rate it any higher, but I still really enjoyed this book.
I also have to praise Maurice for several things, including: taking the editing phase so seriously, marketing so genuinely, and generally being a gem of a human. I'm so impressed with this in general, but especially as an indie debut! Can't wait to read more! 🙌🏻
This book is a blast!! I had a great time with it and I really look forward to the continued story.
It is really thoughtfully conceived. The world especially has been very carefully thought through, and very little (maybe even nothing) about it raised continuity questions or alarm bells. It is a very intriguing world that I'm excited to explore more of. Both in terms of the map and the types of people populating it.
The characters are really fun. It's definitely more of a plot book, but the characters are still all distinct and, for the most part, loveable. As a character driven reader, I'd love to get more from them. My emotions weren't tweaked very much during this reading experience, but I did really enjoy the crew and their shenanigans.
Probably a bit too much action and a bit too little emotion for me to rate it any higher, but I still really enjoyed this book.
I also have to praise Maurice for several things, including: taking the editing phase so seriously, marketing so genuinely, and generally being a gem of a human. I'm so impressed with this in general, but especially as an indie debut! Can't wait to read more! 🙌🏻
I just don't care 💀
I liked the book at the start. I started it and read 20% or so while on a plane, which felt fun and relevant. There was more character stuff going on than I'd been led to believe, and I enjoyed that, as well as some of the more philosophical musings.
But when I picked it back up a few days later, I suddenly just didn't care anymore. It felt like I'd already read enough of it to get the idea. And I was starting to roll my eyes at the very conspicuous purple prose.
I kept going for more of those character moments, but I'm trying to pick it up again now and just can't do it. I get the gist. I don't need to read this whole thing. It would have worked better for me as a short story.
I'm not saying it's bad. I definitely see how a more philosophical and/or science-minded reader might love this. I am not that lol.
I liked the book at the start. I started it and read 20% or so while on a plane, which felt fun and relevant. There was more character stuff going on than I'd been led to believe, and I enjoyed that, as well as some of the more philosophical musings.
But when I picked it back up a few days later, I suddenly just didn't care anymore. It felt like I'd already read enough of it to get the idea. And I was starting to roll my eyes at the very conspicuous purple prose.
I kept going for more of those character moments, but I'm trying to pick it up again now and just can't do it. I get the gist. I don't need to read this whole thing. It would have worked better for me as a short story.
I'm not saying it's bad. I definitely see how a more philosophical and/or science-minded reader might love this. I am not that lol.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I am a sucker for a memoir essay collection, and this was no exception! Not to mention, I love cats (and own a former street cat) AND I live in Tucson. This book was basically made for me.
I honestly don't have much to say about it! It was a very lovely read that had me smiling a lot and weepy at points. I learned a lot about feral cats and cat trapping! The author also tied it seamlessly into stories of her personal struggles. And I really appreciate that in caring for the cats, she also learned how to better care for her community. Hope I see her around town sometime!
I honestly don't have much to say about it! It was a very lovely read that had me smiling a lot and weepy at points. I learned a lot about feral cats and cat trapping! The author also tied it seamlessly into stories of her personal struggles. And I really appreciate that in caring for the cats, she also learned how to better care for her community. Hope I see her around town sometime!
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If I believed in 6 star reads, this might be one. 😭🙌🏻
I'm honestly struggling to find the right words at the moment. So this may be some ineloquent word vomit, apologies in advance.
I don't know that I even need to reiterate at this point what an astounding grasp Hobb has on human nature and nuance. The character arcs in this series are so incredibly real, in both deeply painful and satisfying ways. She can bring you to understand the motivations of even the most detestable villain. The ways that trauma and how different souls may react to it are portrayed in this book are so profound and so gutting. The second half of this book devastated me in ways I'm not sure any book ever has before.
As always, her theme work is beyond brilliant. I put so many tabs in this book. There are deeply explored themes of trauma and trauma responses, choice vs destiny, control, personhood, gender roles, and more...
One thing I must acknowledge about this trilogy as a whole, but especially this book, is the incredible cast of women. (Seriously, this trilogy can be summed up in that one Saoirse Ronan meme.) All of the characters and their arcs are fantastic, but the journeys every single woman went on were particularly moving. Not one of them is recognizable as the person she was when we first met her. They are all deeply flawed, but they are all unique and came into themselves in such beautiful and devastating ways. And as always, nearly every single character's every action made perfect sense with the person they are. Robin puts in the work.
And speaking of Robin putting in the work... MY GOD did this trilogy blow the RotE world wide open!!! I thought the Farseer trilogy went deep, I had NO IDEA how much deeper I had yet to go! And still have in the next books! I am beyond excited to see where else she has to take me! But I also dearly hope we haven't seen the last of these characters. I think she's definitely left the door open for some chance meetings, at the very least. 👀 I can't wait.
I'm honestly struggling to find the right words at the moment. So this may be some ineloquent word vomit, apologies in advance.
I don't know that I even need to reiterate at this point what an astounding grasp Hobb has on human nature and nuance. The character arcs in this series are so incredibly real, in both deeply painful and satisfying ways. She can bring you to understand the motivations of even the most detestable villain. The ways that trauma and how different souls may react to it are portrayed in this book are so profound and so gutting. The second half of this book devastated me in ways I'm not sure any book ever has before.
As always, her theme work is beyond brilliant. I put so many tabs in this book. There are deeply explored themes of trauma and trauma responses, choice vs destiny, control, personhood, gender roles, and more...
One thing I must acknowledge about this trilogy as a whole, but especially this book, is the incredible cast of women. (Seriously, this trilogy can be summed up in that one Saoirse Ronan meme.) All of the characters and their arcs are fantastic, but the journeys every single woman went on were particularly moving. Not one of them is recognizable as the person she was when we first met her. They are all deeply flawed, but they are all unique and came into themselves in such beautiful and devastating ways. And as always, nearly every single character's every action made perfect sense with the person they are. Robin puts in the work.
And speaking of Robin putting in the work... MY GOD did this trilogy blow the RotE world wide open!!! I thought the Farseer trilogy went deep, I had NO IDEA how much deeper I had yet to go! And still have in the next books! I am beyond excited to see where else she has to take me! But I also dearly hope we haven't seen the last of these characters. I think she's definitely left the door open for some chance meetings, at the very least. 👀 I can't wait.
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Wow. This one really got me thinking.
I will be honest, part 1 really didn't grip me - the recounting of her childhood was interesting information but not told with much emotion. So I was wary going into part 2, her education.
But that is where the emotion and my interest really kicked in! Some may say she told part 1 as context for part 2. But for me, it was the story of her education journey that really contextualized her childhood and made it much more fascinating.
It made me think a lot about how many deeply intelligent people are out there, trapped in situations where they can't realize their potential. So many people in abusive households and/or systemic poverty, unable to get a good education and without people to believe in them. It's truly amazing - not surprising, but amazing - how high Tara Westover was able to fly once she was able to just seize the opportunity. And also important to note that it wasn't a straightforward journey, and devastatingly tough to leave her old life behind.
This book also made me think about how Mormonism is uniquely able to produce such oppressive, abusive environments. All religions are open to extremism, for sure. But Mormonism seems to have an inordinately high amount of extraordinary stories of abuse and psychosis. The Lafferty family from Under the Banner of Heaven, Ruby Franke, Elizabeth Smart's abuser, Warren Jeffs... the Westover family. To name just a few. When the religion itself was born out of delusion/psychosis, that makes it pretty easy to continue to shape it to one's own ends.
Anyway. Great memoir. I wasn't sure in the first half, but it really sucked me in eventually. I can see why it's so highly praised.
My prevailing thought coming out of this book is this: What could we achieve in this world if every single person had equal access to a good education?
I will be honest, part 1 really didn't grip me - the recounting of her childhood was interesting information but not told with much emotion. So I was wary going into part 2, her education.
But that is where the emotion and my interest really kicked in! Some may say she told part 1 as context for part 2. But for me, it was the story of her education journey that really contextualized her childhood and made it much more fascinating.
It made me think a lot about how many deeply intelligent people are out there, trapped in situations where they can't realize their potential. So many people in abusive households and/or systemic poverty, unable to get a good education and without people to believe in them. It's truly amazing - not surprising, but amazing - how high Tara Westover was able to fly once she was able to just seize the opportunity. And also important to note that it wasn't a straightforward journey, and devastatingly tough to leave her old life behind.
This book also made me think about how Mormonism is uniquely able to produce such oppressive, abusive environments. All religions are open to extremism, for sure. But Mormonism seems to have an inordinately high amount of extraordinary stories of abuse and psychosis. The Lafferty family from Under the Banner of Heaven, Ruby Franke, Elizabeth Smart's abuser, Warren Jeffs... the Westover family. To name just a few. When the religion itself was born out of delusion/psychosis, that makes it pretty easy to continue to shape it to one's own ends.
Anyway. Great memoir. I wasn't sure in the first half, but it really sucked me in eventually. I can see why it's so highly praised.
My prevailing thought coming out of this book is this: What could we achieve in this world if every single person had equal access to a good education?