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megansmith's reviews
159 reviews
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I....i'm kind of speechless. I have so many thoughts but this book was also a mindf*ck of a last 50 or so pages, and I don't know if it's in a good way or a bad way?
Pro for this book: I've read a lot of fiction and nonfiction in the "terrible workplace" category, and this definitely turns that concept on it's head. It's unique and surprising as you work your way towards the end, which I think these books tend to lack in this category - shock-filled descriptions of workplace abuse with flat, predictable endings plague this genre. This is not that...but also, what even is this? It almost catapults into an entirely opposite direction, flipping from weird moments of surprise and intrigue to complete shock and disgust. I want to find the meaning in why the author chose to go this route, but the direction feels SO stark and graphic that it feels done more as a means to shock over saying something meaningful or going to those violent extremes for a purpose.
The ending also, for all the violence it built up to, fittered out in the most important moment. Even just a few more pages of struggle, or not a random cut when Victor finally catches up to the narrator and has his hands around her throat, to suddenly her safe in a hospital? I don't think there was even a mention of her passing out, no struggle or anything, just sudden touch and the next chapter. .
The writing building up to this moment was well done, and thoughtful in building out the character's back story before bringing her to the main conflicts. But the ending just frankly ruined any hard work done by the beginning of the book, all in the name of shock value. I wanted to like this more but I'm not really sure how to feel other than kind of disappointed by the ending.
Pro for this book: I've read a lot of fiction and nonfiction in the "terrible workplace" category, and this definitely turns that concept on it's head. It's unique and surprising as you work your way towards the end, which I think these books tend to lack in this category - shock-filled descriptions of workplace abuse with flat, predictable endings plague this genre. This is not that...but also, what even is this? It almost catapults into an entirely opposite direction, flipping from weird moments of surprise and intrigue to complete shock and disgust. I want to find the meaning in why the author chose to go this route, but the direction feels SO stark and graphic that it feels done more as a means to shock over saying something meaningful or going to those violent extremes for a purpose.
The ending also, for all the violence it built up to, fittered out in the most important moment. Even just a few more pages of struggle, or not a random cut
The writing building up to this moment was well done, and thoughtful in building out the character's back story before bringing her to the main conflicts. But the ending just frankly ruined any hard work done by the beginning of the book, all in the name of shock value. I wanted to like this more but I'm not really sure how to feel other than kind of disappointed by the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Torture, Pregnancy, and Rape
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book is a totally different turn from the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, but I do enjoy how Schwab’s strengths as a writer (great story building, good twists, an interesting plot) carry over in this different style. This read a the golden era MCU movie - fast-paced, enticing - with the gore and rawness of the Boys, or Birds of Prey. I really enjoyed it overall, and Ill definitely be reading the next. My only main complaint might be some of the goriest bits early on with Victor and Eli. I had a hard time reading it, which maybe just means it was particularly well done, but even if I stuck to the page to read what was happening, I had a few moments it was hard to follow the physics of the exact sequence. That extreme of horror is maybe just not for me? But either way will still be reading #2 lol
Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone by Sarah Jaffe
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I really enjoyed this, I think it's honestly a must read for just about anyone. I realized while reading this I like nonfiction books that feel more based in fact and less fluffy / prose-y, and this definitely fit that bill! I liked learning about the history and it made everything feel far more informed when looking at the present day - but I also enjoyed balancing the history with modern day stories from people in these industries.
I think my only complaint would be, after a while the formula got a little old, but I think some of that ties back to history having so much overlap (shocker, Regan fucking suuuucks and he just didn't hate one industry, he hated em all! Same with Thatcher).
I think my only complaint would be, after a while the formula got a little old, but I think some of that ties back to history having so much overlap (shocker, Regan fucking suuuucks and he just didn't hate one industry, he hated em all! Same with Thatcher).
Come & Get It by Kiley Reid
For all the complicated choices her characters made, many of which I disagreed with, I still felt myself pondering their stories and wanting the best for them, wondering where they'd go from here. She did a great job finding multiple perspectives and intertwining three relatively separate stories into one coherent story.
I will say, I thought about knocking off .25 of a star, since after Halloween I lost track of time in this book and couldn't tell if it was the end of semester, or the end of the year, but I think that might have just been me flying through this book and not reading slowly enough to catch cues where Reid left them.
Overall, I recommend this for anyone who enjoys; books about the college experience that do not have pretentious & overly-complicated prose, anyone hustling in tough circumstances, anyone who liked Such a Fun Age...or almost anyone. I do think this is such a great book and it's my favorite so far of '24!
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I really enjoyed this book so much, like to the point I don't want to look up reviews. Maaaybe it's my (painful) RA experience that had me feeling all kinds of stressed as this book progressed, but I found it hard to put down and even if I was busy and couldn't read that day, I was thinking about the book and wondering what would happen.
Kiley Reid is a fantastic author and this book really shines. I liked Such a Fun Age but i LOVED this book and you can tell Reid took her work as a researcher seriously (more than Agatha did!) and wrote living truth into great prose. She summed up a feeling I've been chasing in books lately in one line in her "making of Come & Get It" section -
Kiley Reid is a fantastic author and this book really shines. I liked Such a Fun Age but i LOVED this book and you can tell Reid took her work as a researcher seriously (more than Agatha did!) and wrote living truth into great prose. She summed up a feeling I've been chasing in books lately in one line in her "making of Come & Get It" section -
The fiction I want to read places the best and worst parts of a person on the same page and lets the reader make up their own mind.
For all the complicated choices her characters made, many of which I disagreed with, I still felt myself pondering their stories and wanting the best for them, wondering where they'd go from here. She did a great job finding multiple perspectives and intertwining three relatively separate stories into one coherent story.
I will say, I thought about knocking off .25 of a star, since after Halloween I lost track of time in this book and couldn't tell if it was the end of semester, or the end of the year, but I think that might have just been me flying through this book and not reading slowly enough to catch cues where Reid left them.
Overall, I recommend this for anyone who enjoys; books about the college experience that do not have pretentious & overly-complicated prose, anyone hustling in tough circumstances, anyone who liked Such a Fun Age...or almost anyone. I do think this is such a great book and it's my favorite so far of '24!
OUTSPOKEN: Why Women's Voices Get Silenced and How to Set Them Free by Veronica Rueckert
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.75
I enjoyed this! I think this made me think about my voice in a very different way - I went into this focused on the mental side, the words I may not vocalize etc, but didnt consider the physical aspects of having a voice. Breathing and making space for breath, conditions that can impact your vocal health, and verbal techniques to interrupt professionally were just a few of the tips shared in this book. I do think the first half caught my attention more, but the second half lost me a bit, mainly since it felt less research-grounded and a bit more opinionated in the assertions being made. I do understand where the thinking is coming from and agree with parts of it, I did just like the first half more and the solid roots in science. Overall, really interesting read if this is something you feel like you struggle with at work, at home, or anywhere, honestly.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First five star of 2024! Wow, this book was intense in such a good way. I found myself thinking about this a lot when I wasnt reading it, and got hooked tonight around 40% and couldnt stop until I finished. The story is really well done, even for how much i found myself cringing at the unreliable narrator I was reading the perspective of. I loved the pacing, loved the important themes this tackled, loved a lot of this. The hype around this book was so worth it and I highly reccommend!
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this!! This is what Final Girls Support Group *should* have been - proving to me that the concept would’ve been far better written by women, for women. This book goes really quickly - if anything, the end pacing felt almost too fast and I wanted more! But it was still good all the same. I appreciated the throwbacks against the modern work and overall this was a fun romp from start to finish. Great if you like mystery / suspense books but hate the raging sexism present in most books in that genre!!
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
I surprisingly really enjoyed this book, more than I admittedly thought I would! This read like a single lecture over a tedious book and I really enjoyed the style of writing. I could read in quick snippets or in long bursts and still get a lot from these pages, which I really appreciate. Everything is fairly conversational but still insightful, and I liked Gilbert's generally positive take on creativity. Especially that we don't have to painstakingly suffer to be a creative, or hope for it to magically strike - but rather, work dilligently and be ready for the moment to strike when big magic is upon us.
I think the only portion I didn't really resonate with were her musings on careers in creativity and going to school for the arts. To an extent, I get it - college is a predatory system, and if you can find time and energy to do a creative hustle for yourself on the side of a job that covers the bills, that's awesome. I do however think this advice comes from two minds: A) it comes from a place of it having worked well for the author, so she felt like pushing out these paths makes sense. I think it's fine and great to share a more alternative path into the arts working for yourself, I wouldn't however knock someone that wants to go to traditional schooling for some of the other benefits it offers (IE like the networks and the "who you know" that propel you in your career). B) I think this feels just a bit antiquated in the economy we're currently in. This does fit the time of 2015 (sort of?) where some people could still get away with this - but I think in times like what we're currently in, this feels nearly impossible for most young people to do. It was already difficult then but, seemingly even harder knowing most people carry some form of a second job to make ends meet, or live at home since there isn't a state where you can afford a single bedroom apartment on minimum wage. I do think her advice comes from a good place, but I think the topics of creative careers and college deserve a lot more nuance, especially as the requirements to make ends meet, and even excel, in this economy continue to rise.
Still, I do think this is a really lighthearted book and I think it's great for any creatives struggling with their craft, or even doing well and wanting to keep going in their fields.
I think the only portion I didn't really resonate with were her musings on careers in creativity and going to school for the arts. To an extent, I get it - college is a predatory system, and if you can find time and energy to do a creative hustle for yourself on the side of a job that covers the bills, that's awesome. I do however think this advice comes from two minds: A) it comes from a place of it having worked well for the author, so she felt like pushing out these paths makes sense. I think it's fine and great to share a more alternative path into the arts working for yourself, I wouldn't however knock someone that wants to go to traditional schooling for some of the other benefits it offers (IE like the networks and the "who you know" that propel you in your career). B) I think this feels just a bit antiquated in the economy we're currently in. This does fit the time of 2015 (sort of?) where some people could still get away with this - but I think in times like what we're currently in, this feels nearly impossible for most young people to do. It was already difficult then but, seemingly even harder knowing most people carry some form of a second job to make ends meet, or live at home since there isn't a state where you can afford a single bedroom apartment on minimum wage. I do think her advice comes from a good place, but I think the topics of creative careers and college deserve a lot more nuance, especially as the requirements to make ends meet, and even excel, in this economy continue to rise.
Still, I do think this is a really lighthearted book and I think it's great for any creatives struggling with their craft, or even doing well and wanting to keep going in their fields.
Under the Influence by Noelle Crooks
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was fine. I think Crooks is a solid writer but I felt this story was lacking in a lot of places. The switch from skeptical to fully influenced felt fake and too quick. I felt like it ran into a lot of tropes and generalities, and nothing in this book felt particularly groundbreaking. I think The Female Persuasian in the fiction genre or Uncanny Valley in the nonfic genre do this category of workplace drama better, and my hopes felt a little dashed for something more interesting and compelling. It does feel like a time capsule to the era of Sophia Amaruso, which maybe turned me off a bit having it be so specific to one era that feels behind us culturally, but not far enough behind us yet. Not a bad read but definitely found myself wanting more the whole time I read.
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’ll admit, I was kind of skeptical on whether I was going to like this book or not, but it pulled through for me in the end! The first 75-100 pages had their moments that dragged, but it picked up in the later half. The overly detailed footnotes paired with cutting in family history for such long sections before getting back into the present, really took me out of the moment at times, although i kind of wonder if that whiplash was intentional and related to themes in the book. The narrator also comes off as slightly younger than her age, even though shes supposed to be in college I felt like I was reading a high schooler’s narration.
But I like the way this book wrapped things up, and I do appreciate the author’s messages and themes throughout the book. I think this is a good take on the mystery disappearance genre, I would still recommend it but wouldve loved to see some condensing and leveling up on the writing at times.
But I like the way this book wrapped things up, and I do appreciate the author’s messages and themes throughout the book. I think this is a good take on the mystery disappearance genre, I would still recommend it but wouldve loved to see some condensing and leveling up on the writing at times.