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mackreads324's reviews
28 reviews
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
5.0
I loved this book. I don’t play or know anything about video games. But this book and the way video games were explained and illustrated was actually super interesting and easy to follow. But the heart of this book is love and friendship, and it explored that so beautifully. The characters were relatable and at times downright unlikeable. But the book showed the truths of friendship, it’s imperfect and messy nature, and the role of play in intimacy.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
3.5
It’s lighthearted, it’s predictable; it’s very Emily henry. Perfect if you want a cute book, an easy read, characters that are loveable but lack some depth, and a hallmark worthy mushy ending.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
4.5
Beautifully woven and heartbreaking. At the end, as unrealistic as it was, I found myself longing for Marcus to find the stone left behind by his ancestor Esi. To reach a realization of who he is, how he and Marjorie are connected, and what his ancestry was. Of course he doesn’t find those things. Which is a crushing metaphor of the African diaspora and the identity/ancestry that has been taken and lost across the Atlantic.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
4.5
It’s like being given a box of puzzle pieces, and once they start fitting together and you sit back and look at what’s forming and said “aha”. The book is so fantastical, Piranesi himself is easy to love and adopt as your hero. The surroundings are so beautifully crafted.
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
4.75
This “novel” is more of a short story collection, where the stories are tied together with a common thread. While it is a science fiction book at its core, the humanity of the novel is what stands out. Some of the stories had me in ugly tears. After the last few years of this pandemic, this book hits close to home on every front. I am unsure of my feelings of the ending. But this is a book that left me thinking for days.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
4.0
Priory of the Orange Tree is a fantasy book that felt, to me, like a fantasy book should. Intricate world building, lore that kept you interested, and characters that made you root for them all somehow all at once. The worlds felt fantasy and familiar all at once. The politics and religion were huge elements of the story, but not boring. Is the book long? Absolutely. But I didn’t find it slow, or any information superfluous. I think it could have even been split into separate books to spend more time exploring this world. reasons why I docked stars are: the main tool the book uses for lore and story background is the “let me tell you a story” trope. Which is useful, but gets old. And also, for as much buildup as the book contained, I felt the resolution came fast and found me wanting.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
5.0
Never Let Me Go is one of those books that creates a slow-growing uneasiness in your stomach, and leaves you with a sucker-punch to the gut feeling that lingers. Ishiguro masterfully uses this first-person narration to develop a portrait of its “truth” in not in dramatic revelations but in fragments. The conversational, non-linear narration allows us to see the nature of this reality through the eye of our naive Kathy H, and her memories of her childhood and young adult life.
Though our narrator herself offers a voice of innocence and naïveté, the feelings of dread come from between the lines as the novels truth reveals itself. Just like Miss Emily and the madame, readers quarrel with sympathy and repulsion of and for the students.
A recurring theme in Ishiguro's work, he explores the question of, “what defines humanity?” While this book is certainly marketed as a dystopian science fiction, it also stands as a coming of age novel that is existential in nature; just because it exists in a sort of “parallel universe” doesn’t mean it’s themes are that far off from our own existence. The use of art and creativity as a distraction from our mortality, the use of imagination and pretending as a means of protection from truth, the inevitability of our end and the search to find connection and meaning before we leave this earth.
I found myself asking, why didn’t the students run or fight? When I read Tommy in his temporary fit of rage after their meeting with the Madame, it culminated my own feelings as well. Ishiguro piece-by-piece crafts the truth of his novel into a portrait, which is really a mirror we then hold to ourselves. In asking the question of why they resignedly accept their place in their world and the loss of everything their lives could have been -we should really be asking ourselves the same.
Though our narrator herself offers a voice of innocence and naïveté, the feelings of dread come from between the lines as the novels truth reveals itself. Just like Miss Emily and the madame, readers quarrel with sympathy and repulsion of and for the students.
A recurring theme in Ishiguro's work, he explores the question of, “what defines humanity?” While this book is certainly marketed as a dystopian science fiction, it also stands as a coming of age novel that is existential in nature; just because it exists in a sort of “parallel universe” doesn’t mean it’s themes are that far off from our own existence. The use of art and creativity as a distraction from our mortality, the use of imagination and pretending as a means of protection from truth, the inevitability of our end and the search to find connection and meaning before we leave this earth.
I found myself asking, why didn’t the students run or fight? When I read Tommy in his temporary fit of rage after their meeting with the Madame, it culminated my own feelings as well. Ishiguro piece-by-piece crafts the truth of his novel into a portrait, which is really a mirror we then hold to ourselves. In asking the question of why they resignedly accept their place in their world and the loss of everything their lives could have been -we should really be asking ourselves the same.
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
4.0
So much of this book was a hit for me: the topic of re-wilding and focus on conservation, the power of her writing, the characterization of the wolves. This book explores wildness -in nature and in ourselves. It offers a deep look into “good and evil” and what constitutes a monster (spoiler alert: the true monsters in this book walk on two legs). McConaghys ability to personify nature, and give breath and soul to flora and fauna, to me was the highlight of the book. And its commentary on human nature and “goodness” was poignant.
Overall, this book will still stand out as one of my favorites this year. But at times I did ask if there was “too much going on” for me to like this book more. Not only does the author cover wolf rewilding, but also a murder mystery, a love story, and a discussion on mental health and trauma/abuse. Some of the plot points seemed far-fetched. At points it gave the feeling that the book was trying to do too much.
But man, did I love the wolves, the forest, and the wildness we found in both the people and the pack.
Overall, this book will still stand out as one of my favorites this year. But at times I did ask if there was “too much going on” for me to like this book more. Not only does the author cover wolf rewilding, but also a murder mystery, a love story, and a discussion on mental health and trauma/abuse. Some of the plot points seemed far-fetched. At points it gave the feeling that the book was trying to do too much.
But man, did I love the wolves, the forest, and the wildness we found in both the people and the pack.
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
3.5
Austin introduces us to a relatable heroine plagued with anxiety and depression, who stumbles through her life’s awkward trajectory of accidentally accepting a job in a Catholic Church as an atheist lesbian. The story then turns into an almost-amateur detective “who dun it” into the murder investigation of the woman whose job she filled.
Although Austin’s story is full of wit and humor (it’s giving Fleabag), it also paints a very real picture of mental illness and provides astute observations on the human experience. There’s a lot to find relatable here: from Gilda’s “depression cave” of a house, her intrusive thoughts, her experience with imposter syndrome, and her family’s denial of their glaring mental health struggles. And although parts of the story were cheeky or even humorous, Gildas mental spiral does at times seem very concerning, traumatic, intense.
I know that not every story needs a complete resolution, but I do feel like this one left me desiring something more. How would father Jeff react to finding out her truth? Will Gilda ever seek the professional psychiatric help she desperately needs? (One of my particular hills I tend to die on….if you’re going to depict mental illness in your book, convey it responsibly. Yes gilda seems to have a “happy ending” at the books close, but are we supposed to infer that is a result of an “epiphany”after her stay in jail, and not from legitimate mental health resources?)
Although Austin’s story is full of wit and humor (it’s giving Fleabag), it also paints a very real picture of mental illness and provides astute observations on the human experience. There’s a lot to find relatable here: from Gilda’s “depression cave” of a house, her intrusive thoughts, her experience with imposter syndrome, and her family’s denial of their glaring mental health struggles. And although parts of the story were cheeky or even humorous, Gildas mental spiral does at times seem very concerning, traumatic, intense.
I know that not every story needs a complete resolution, but I do feel like this one left me desiring something more. How would father Jeff react to finding out her truth? Will Gilda ever seek the professional psychiatric help she desperately needs? (One of my particular hills I tend to die on….if you’re going to depict mental illness in your book, convey it responsibly. Yes gilda seems to have a “happy ending” at the books close, but are we supposed to infer that is a result of an “epiphany”after her stay in jail, and not from legitimate mental health resources?)
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
3.75
It bothered me that our narrator was nameless. In fact, it seemed as if Kitamura gave us as little biographical information as possible to allow us to gain a connection with the narrator. For the entirety of the book, our protagonist seemed rootless, or unmoored. She seemed almost fluid or ambiguous, in her location, her language spoken, and in the morality of her relationship. One couldn’t help but feel that she was simply “a part of the institution she belonged to”.
The book is largely about language, translation, and intimacies (even perceived intimacy). Even though our base of knowledge of our narrator is vague, perhaps that is a tool Kitamura uses to illustrate those themes of intimacy.
This book doesn’t have strong plot movement. It also doesn’t necessarily have strong character background or development. And yet there were still moments where I couldn’t put it down. Because what it does have is an elegant, poignant focus on language.
The book is largely about language, translation, and intimacies (even perceived intimacy). Even though our base of knowledge of our narrator is vague, perhaps that is a tool Kitamura uses to illustrate those themes of intimacy.
This book doesn’t have strong plot movement. It also doesn’t necessarily have strong character background or development. And yet there were still moments where I couldn’t put it down. Because what it does have is an elegant, poignant focus on language.