mkjacobswrites's reviews
564 reviews

Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel

4.0

This was an interesting look at different ways to conceive of personality types; some I had familiarity with and others this was my first exposure. Bogel's tone is delightfully accessible, and she's a clear reader, so many of her examples were (relatively) well-known literary figures, which was fun. I actually would've liked more examples, personal or literary; at times, we didn't get as much into the application or details beyond broad overviews of the typing process.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

2.0

I love the show and the movie, so I assumed I'd enjoy this, and maybe I went in with unrealistic expectations, but I was left disappointed. Maguire's version has so much potential, but it fails to be impactful. I didn't see a lot of growth in most of the characters, and many of the reveals lacked emotional impact as a result. It felt like too much crammed together and so nothing was explored in full depth - the clock of the time dragon, for instance, popped up randomly but never satisfactorily; Elphaba supposedly wants to help Animals but doesn't ever accomplish anything or really ever seem to try after the doctor dies; political discussions and the complications of race relations are more incidental than concretely explored. There were a lot of characters, especially Yackle and Liir, that could've added to the story if they'd been explained better, but instead it was just more running around without full explanations or motivations. How could Elphaba really be in hiding for multiple years with her condition, and how could she not know if she's a mother or not? That one conversation she has with a Cow is the closest we get to see of Animal's perspectives, but even that is very hastily done and never touched again. This world, idea, and even basic plot and characters could really be special in a fantasy book, but unfortunately this was not that book for me.

Miss Newbury's List by Megan Walker

5.0

This was such a fun concept for a Regency novel - finishing a list of things to try before she gets married, with some unexpected help - and the female friendship also felt authentic, although Rosalind is kind of selfish towards Liza sometimes and that never fully gets addressed. I would've loved more time spent in lush scenery, like the masquerade ball. The mood and tone here were immaculate. A great read! 

To Charm a Lady by Joanna Barker

5.0

This was a great Regency romance. Cora has been in love with her best friend's older brother for 10 years, but he's never seen her the same way - until he agrees to help her find her way during a house party after the Season. With a little archery, some rivals, and a sweet friendship that turns into something more, I really enjoyed the second book about the Cartwells.

A Game of Hearts by Joanna Barker

5.0

I inhaled this entire book during the Superbowl and it was such an engaging read! The connection between the leads felt real and it was really refreshing to get to see the complications of engagement; many Regency romances make the leadup to the engagement the tricky part and then it's smooth sailing from there. The archery contest was such a fun way to see the depth of the characters' feelings and motivations.

Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories by Sandra Proudman

3.75

I picked this up for the first story, Shame and Social Media by Anna Meriano, which was an amazing 5-star space remix of Pride and Prejudice - accessible and SUPER fun without taking away from the original's themes! I didn't connect as much with any of the other stories, but overall this was a creative collection.

Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young

4.0

I read this before realizing it was in a series, and I really liked it overall. I think the beginning would have been stronger if Lane didn't start the book already having Matt's attention - like if she had to work for him even a little, since their relationship felt so unequal. Some of the twin representation here was unbelievably spot-on; other times it relied on stereotypes. This was a sweet story and a fun read.

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

4.5

This was a quick, engaging read with a lot of twists I didn't expect (I thought this was detective + Jane Austen, not 

Jane Eyre

. The intertextuality with letters and newspaper articles really added to my enjoyment. Seales clearly understands the Regency period enough that she can play with it, poking fun at the amount of rules ladies had, including the gender double standard.  I did wish the names were a little less on the nose, and I thought the youngest sister side plot detracted from the overall arc of the story, but this was really fun overall, especially if you don't try to take it too seriously!

Highcliffe House by Megan Walker

5.0

Highcliffe House is the perfect name for a Regency Brighton home by the sea. This did not always feel like 1813, though, at least not with the tone in dialogue and physical contact, not to mention the convenient ending where the father gives his daughter a lot more leeway than I think would typically happen. Still, it was such a pleasure to read. Anna and Graham both had clear motivations and growth through the story, and, more than that, I liked how it wasn't just the love interests who were fleshed out; the little sister characters were both done especially well. Also, on a personal note, my favorite flowers are poppies, so when I found out that I had that in common with the protagonist, it made me feel even more like she could be real. I wish we got a scene of Graham really reading to Anna with his spectacles on - like poetry or a play or something, like when Fanny can't focus on her sewing in Mansfield Park...but the fact that I can picture another scene so vividly for this book shows how well Walker constructed the world.

Jacob's Ladder by Ljudmila Ulitskaja

4.5

This involved chronical of generations of a Russian family encompasses the universality of heritage, love, and struggle. There was a lot of minute details I didn't understand with Russian politics, history, and literature, but I got the gist. I wished there was more celebration of the beauty of womanhood rather than primarily focusing on tragedy, but it is a Russian novel after all. Some characters had more arc than others, and I cared more about certain storylines. I wish we got more from Marusya's perspective especially, but some of the theater stuff for Nora was easy to skim.