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nprtotebag's reviews
166 reviews
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Mikhail Bulgakov
4.0
This book was surreal and magical, filled with mischief and hijinks! The plot was a bit difficult to follow and there were so many characters, all with very confusing Russian names, so I certainly couldn’t keep track of all that. They being said, the author did a great job of making each character unique, whether they were a main character or just a side character, in terms of their speech, characterization, and so on.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
4.0
I honestly considered DNFing when I started because it took me getting past the first quarter info and lore dump to really get sucked in. That being said, it was worth pushing through for the compelling family at the center of the story. Things got even more compelling around the middle point with that crazy (devastating) event. The 4 main characters were complex and flawed and I cared about them all even when I didn’t agree with their choices. The fantasy system had potential, but it felt underdeveloped, leading to this book feeling more political drama than fantasy (though I love a good political drama)
Vita Nostra by Sergey Dyachenko, Marina Dyachenko
4.0
This was a really cool fantasy read with a unique and creative magic system (if you can really call it a system…it felt a little more like a concept than a system). It was mysterious and surreal and felt kind of magical realism, which I quite enjoyed. I think there was probably a lot more meaning in the philosophical conversations than I picked up on. I can absolutely see why people compare this to the magicians. I think it’s better though, especially because sometimes I just wanna read a book about an overpowered, super smart lady and not an underdog, below average power level main male lead. Apparently there’s a direct sequel that’s out but hasn’t been translated to English yet, so I’m very much looking forward to reading that and seeing where they take this story.
The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories, Volume One: Where on Earth by Ursula K. Le Guin
3.0
3.5
As always, Le Guin's writing is lush. However, many of these stories were meandering and stream of consciousness, so I had a hard time connecting and engaging with most of them. That being said, the stories that stood out to me were The Diary of the Rose, Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight, and Horse Camp.
As always, Le Guin's writing is lush. However, many of these stories were meandering and stream of consciousness, so I had a hard time connecting and engaging with most of them. That being said, the stories that stood out to me were The Diary of the Rose, Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight, and Horse Camp.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
4.0
First time revisiting this book since I first read it in high school. I enjoyed it then and I enjoyed it now. Rather than the nihilistic aspects that I think most would say the book is known for, what really gripped me was the commentary on the legal & prison systems in the last half. I also enjoy the experience of being in the mind of someone who thinks so differently from me. Meursault is not a good man, but, in the words of Camus: “The hero of my book is condemned because he does not play the game.”
Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang
4.0
I’ve been incredibly conflicted on whether I should give this book 3.5 or 4 stars.
This book felt like the author really wanted to write a textbook about colonization, linguistics, philosophy, and history, but realized no one would read that, so packaged it into a magical realism fiction book instead. The care and research that went into those aspects of the book are palpable. I recognize that therefore this book won’t be for everyone - I loved it, personally, but it was a double edged sword. It’s very clear that the conversations about colonization, linguistics, and so on were at the expense of well rounded and nuanced characters.
Aside from robin maybe, all of the characters feel pretty one note, like author picked a single adjective to describe them and didn’t go much further. I was especially disappointed with how she wrote the two female characters. Victorie was by far the most level headed, but she really only got her time to shine in the last third. Otherwise she felt sidelined.
Letty, on the other hand, oh boy. I liked what author was trying to say about white women, and I like what she was doing with the character for the first 2 thirds. Until she has Letty betray and KILL one of her friends. Suddenly Letty is a Big Bad, and the nuance of her character is lost. I’m not sure how to put into words my other thoughts on this character so I’ll stop there.
I’m criticizing this book at a lot, but to be clear I thought it was mostly amazing, and I want to see more books like it.
This book felt like the author really wanted to write a textbook about colonization, linguistics, philosophy, and history, but realized no one would read that, so packaged it into a magical realism fiction book instead. The care and research that went into those aspects of the book are palpable. I recognize that therefore this book won’t be for everyone - I loved it, personally, but it was a double edged sword. It’s very clear that the conversations about colonization, linguistics, and so on were at the expense of well rounded and nuanced characters.
Aside from robin maybe, all of the characters feel pretty one note, like author picked a single adjective to describe them and didn’t go much further. I was especially disappointed with how she wrote the two female characters. Victorie was by far the most level headed, but she really only got her time to shine in the last third. Otherwise she felt sidelined.
Letty, on the other hand, oh boy. I liked what author was trying to say about white women, and I like what she was doing with the character for the first 2 thirds. Until she has Letty betray and KILL one of her friends. Suddenly Letty is a Big Bad, and the nuance of her character is lost. I’m not sure how to put into words my other thoughts on this character so I’ll stop there.
I’m criticizing this book at a lot, but to be clear I thought it was mostly amazing, and I want to see more books like it.