melc's reviews
1058 reviews

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.

I don't think Sarah Perry and I are a good match. I find the ideas and themes behind her books interesting, her characters original and her prose beautiful. But I always feel like I'm wading through mud reading her writing, grasping pieces of storyline, fascinating details, beautiful sentences, but ultimately struggling to piece it altogether and end up feeling like I am missing something. I really wanted to like this book, but just found it disjointed and confusing. It's a shame, because I enjoyed spending time with the characters, but I couldn't gel with the flow and ended up DNFing this at 36%.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

funny reflective slow-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

3.5

Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country by Patricia Evangelista

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

I couldn't connect with this as much as I'd wanted to. 

I think partly it was the journalistic style - she definitely had commentary on the political narrative of Dutertes. But I felt her writing lacked as much emotional perspective and she let the facts speak for themselves. Obviously, the horrific violence was moving, but I would have liked more of her own reaction to it. 

Also, it was really interesting how she showed how ordinary people were taken in by Dutertes and then went back to their reflections of how they realised they'd been wrong. But I would have liked more of what it felt like for ordinary people to be living with the violence and the fear this created. We heard this from the victims and their families, but I think wider community voices would have helped me feel more involved.

Finally, I think it would have been good to have heard about any police who were against the extrajudicial killings, rather than solely those absorbed in corruption. Again this would have enabled me to have more empathy. Human rights workers were talked about, but more personal voices would have balanced the narrative about those who were as bullish as Dutertes.

This book had strength but it would have taken me deeper if it had been a bit more 360° . Her reporting is clever and her use of irony completely chilling in revealing how easily someone so much of a thug could gain power and corrupt a country so much. 

The grammar explanations were interesting but grated slightly.

Overall informative, but I couldn't quite find the emotional layers I wanted to. Definitely a brave piece of writing though!

The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.

I appreciate books that tackle hard issues but not at the expense of story and I'm afraid that this is where this novel fell down for me. I kept wondering if the plot would develop but just kept getting bored with the shoehorned diatribes about women's rights, the Irish small town life and pro-life Vs abortion. All noble debates, but this novel just lacked enough story and provided too much of a platform for fragmented discussion. The start of this was really muddled with the shift in character perspective happening initially after quite a short time and then a long stretch with no return to Nell. I kept persevering but in the end DNFd at 23%.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

Quickly, While They Still Have Horses by Jan Carson

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a thoroughly enjoyable short story collection. Carson has great insight into the everyday, human nature and the characteristics of relationships. She writes each of these stories with distinctive narrative voices ensuring each stays with you in its own unique way. I love her wry Irish humour and her observations of people. The stories were quirky and interesting reflecting Irish identity in all of its complexity, beauty and flaws. Would highly recommend.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.

I was interested in the political themes but could not gel with the narrator as a character and her life experiences. I found the prose style difficult to read, stilted and slightly pretentious. I discovered that many readers were put off by the level of detail the book goes into surrounding the performance of Hamlet and scripts taking up large chunks of narrative and decided to dnf.

The Night in Question: A Novel by Susan Fletcher
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.

I was initially enchanted by this novel. Fletcher's ability to draw characters is excellent and I enjoyed the humorous no-nonsense narrative voice of Florrie. 

But whilst I could see the plot has serious themes at times, the cozy old people's home crime investigation took up too much space in the book. I would have enjoyed more detail and to have spent more time looking back at Florrie's past. This does happen but it's written in a fragmentary way and often skips around in a way that left me feeling less engaged. This combined with the large cast of characters in the present time line diluted the impact of this book for me. 

In the end the pace was just too slow and I grew tired of it. There are real strengths in this novel, but I grew impatient with the parts I was less interested in and wanted to journey in the more engaging themes more.

DNFd at 41%.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

How to Do Life with a Chronic Illness: Reclaim Your Identity, Create Independence, and Find Your Way Forward by Pippa Stacey

hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

This is a really well put together introduction to living with a chronic illness. Written in an open, friendly tone, Stacey works through issues such as illness management, relationships, mental health and more. She acknowledges problematic attitudes within our ableist world with a good balance of frustration, hope for change and above all compassion for ourselves. Her advice about rethinking our life choices with kindness and self-care are written with friendliness and vulnerability. This is an excellent first stop for anyone who is struggling to manage their condition.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

A Trace of Sun by Pam Williams
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.

I couldn't get on with the fast pace of the story and the short chapters. I didn't feel this worked with the emotional level of the book and prevented me from connecting with the characters.