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moonbeammckenna's reviews
79 reviews
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i got something out of this book for sure but I don't know if it's what I was supposed to get. loved it.
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
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? It's complicated
3.0
it was super cozy and the aesthetic was all there but the execution was pretty poor. read all of it though so.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
relaxing
sad
slow-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
5.0
anything less than five stars would be disrespectful of the amount of talent and understanding of storytelling that made a book this large enjoyable and coherent. it wasn't the best thing I've ever read but it was a really good, solid novel - the kind that's going to put me in a reading slump for like a month because I've been so caught up in this world that I won't know what to do with myself. follett writes with ease and in a way that makes it easy to get lost in the words despite there being so many details about the world. I felt like I was living in it, he did his research so well. I wish he were less eloquent with describing the breasts of every female character and I will say I never felt particularly moved by any one scene or character, but other than that I can't be more expressive of how GOOD a book it is, if that makes sense ? this is how books ought to be written. I'm rambling but. would really recommend.
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
dark
emotional
funny
fast-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
4.5
ahhh loved it. I love seeing the way zusak writes about people -- his understanding of relationships is what strikes me as the most important, as the whole book seemed like a genuine understanding of the intrinsic value of human beings. the ending was unnecessary, actually -- I never really cared about who was sending the cards because the meat of the book was so satisfying. and of course his personification is something I remember from the book thief -- love it.
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.75
Woolf writes beautifully and her brain in unmatched to anything I've read before -- I love the things she notices and her train of thought, even if she writes as if it were her train of thought (looking at you, page-long-sentences). the subject matter i couldn't help but find some holes in now, with women having much more freedom in their daily life. i don't think it diminishes the value of the argument, though. it was insanely thought out and observant of her time. and it's an important matter to agree on. idk. I really liked it.
There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I loved the plot -- burnt out woman will go for any job other than the one she's got and they all go weirdly awry.
I don't know if it was the translation that barred me from grasping the concept of the story deeply or a cultural barrier, but it was still a really enjoyable read. reflective, relaxing.
I don't know if it was the translation that barred me from grasping the concept of the story deeply or a cultural barrier, but it was still a really enjoyable read. reflective, relaxing.
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
oh my GOD what a book. I feel so understood. and triggered. and horny.
I don't have any critiques -- this book knew exactly what it wanted to do and how to get there and it went and did it masterfully. I am forever chasing that feeling of being so immersed in a book that I can't put it down, that I forget I'm reading, that I feel it in my soul and it dredges up all the things I haven't thought of myself in a while and this was one of them. I want more! I want more Miriam and Rachel and I want to see more authors bringing this kind of fearless narrative of romance and devotion to something overlooked like eating disorders and weight.
lovely story. 10/10
I don't have any critiques -- this book knew exactly what it wanted to do and how to get there and it went and did it masterfully. I am forever chasing that feeling of being so immersed in a book that I can't put it down, that I forget I'm reading, that I feel it in my soul and it dredges up all the things I haven't thought of myself in a while and this was one of them. I want more! I want more Miriam and Rachel and I want to see more authors bringing this kind of fearless narrative of romance and devotion to something overlooked like eating disorders and weight.
lovely story. 10/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Just Kids by Patti Smith
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
eehehhHHHh.
this is a very important book in the way of expression alone -- I can tell that every word came directly from Smith's soul and the pages are laced with a longing and perspective that I couldn't totally grasp but resonated with me anyway. also, this is a prime example of how to write an Ode To piece; the relationship between Patti and Robert is tangible and she speaks of him with such admiration that I can't imagine him being anything less than saintly.
that said, a lot of it reads as a log of all the famous people Smith has met and the clothes she wore doing it. it skipped around a bit too much; each new paragraph introduced someone important to Smith and yet they were always gone by the end of the page. I just wish it were more like a story, not a romanticized diary. I suppose you can only do so much when the event in question is 40 years in the past, though.
this is a very important book in the way of expression alone -- I can tell that every word came directly from Smith's soul and the pages are laced with a longing and perspective that I couldn't totally grasp but resonated with me anyway. also, this is a prime example of how to write an Ode To piece; the relationship between Patti and Robert is tangible and she speaks of him with such admiration that I can't imagine him being anything less than saintly.
that said, a lot of it reads as a log of all the famous people Smith has met and the clothes she wore doing it. it skipped around a bit too much; each new paragraph introduced someone important to Smith and yet they were always gone by the end of the page. I just wish it were more like a story, not a romanticized diary. I suppose you can only do so much when the event in question is 40 years in the past, though.
Loner by Teddy Wayne
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
eeeeUUUGHGHHWWWWEEEEEEE this book made me feel disgusting inside.
it blew boy parts and my year of rest and relaxation out of the water in terms of unreliable narrator
the similarities to Caroline Kepnes' book You are uncanny, though in my opinion this book was much better at exploring the main character as a narcissist, and also class, status, gender politics, and desire.
the one thing is with both of Wayne's books so far, I was able to piece together A Point, a reason he wrote the book, a piece of his little writer's soul in the main character, and I couldn't quite grasp that in this one. there are suggestions scattered around the pages (aforementioned class, gender politics, etc) and I am almost certain I missed it because I was too busy being repulsed by David Federman. I suppose the sake of exploring the brain of someone repulsive would be reason enough, for the mirror this book holds up can't -- and shouldn't -- be ignored.
nevertheless it was wonderfully written and I kinda loved it.
Please check trigger warnings, loves.
it blew boy parts and my year of rest and relaxation out of the water in terms of unreliable narrator
the similarities to Caroline Kepnes' book You are uncanny, though in my opinion this book was much better at exploring the main character as a narcissist, and also class, status, gender politics, and desire.
the one thing is with both of Wayne's books so far, I was able to piece together A Point, a reason he wrote the book, a piece of his little writer's soul in the main character, and I couldn't quite grasp that in this one. there are suggestions scattered around the pages (aforementioned class, gender politics, etc) and I am almost certain I missed it because I was too busy being repulsed by David Federman. I suppose the sake of exploring the brain of someone repulsive would be reason enough, for the mirror this book holds up can't -- and shouldn't -- be ignored.
nevertheless it was wonderfully written and I kinda loved it.
Please check trigger warnings, loves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence