omnomicons's reviews
100 reviews

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

4.25

beautiful, intimate, and moving. i regret i read this on kindle because i could almost feel the texture and scent of the old paperback with a creased cover that it was meant to me (and that now i want to buy). Baldwin takes you into the gay scene of 1950s Paris and into the mind of David, the narrator. A man repressing his sexuality, David and his attitude towards his various lovers is heartbreaking. I could feel his anguish, self-hate, and love he felt for the people around him. this is also definitely one of those books where I’ll have to read it several times to understand all the different sides. anyone wanna form a literary circle and talk about this book w me :D

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

4.25

I quite liked it! It’s definitely graphic and gory, but that aspect is balanced out by Larsson’s discussions on ethical philosophy in the realms of industry, crime, and gender. I’ve never had a mystery book invite so many philosophical questions and I found that I really liked that it wasn’t just a cut and dry whodunnit. Both the main characters are extremely multifaceted and interesting, and even the side characters are fleshed out and keep you guessing. I really enjoyed learning about Swedish society and geography as well. I don’t think I’d pick up any of the sequels but I really devoured this book!

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

3.25

Better twists than A Talent for Murder but still didn’t wow me. Solid read, nothing more.

The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne

4.0

Despite their almost guarantee of offensive language, there’s something quite adorable and cozy about this specific style of British whodunnit. They’re sort of in line with Agatha Christie’s style, and the grittiness of American contemporary mysteries is thankfully nowhere to be found. The British equivalents lean into their campiness in a way that can’t possibly be self-aware, but delights nonetheless. The Red House Mystery was a perfect short murder mystery with just enough ridiculousness to be lighthearted but not utterly unbelievable. Great job from the author of Winnie the Pooh!

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

3.0

an enjoyable read and fresh(ish) take on a genre that can feel tired and repetitive. I felt that the ending became extremely predictable about halfway through the book and Lily was almost too perfect as a character? I was also really disappointed that

Martha died! It lowkey devastated me.

other than that, solid mystery to pick up but nothing special. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

3.0

read this hella wired after having caffeine too late at night and also after having read it for the first time in early middle school I believe. it very much is a book targeted to teens/adolescents and I think I missed the target age range on both reads, but it was a bit disconcerting because I haven’t read anything targeted to YA in a long time. Chbosky does a good job handling topics like drug use, suicide, sexual abuse, etc, to the point where I was surprised because the book is actually much heavier than I remember it being! it’s also VERY 90s and I didn’t remember that aspect either. I guess I honestly wasn’t paying too much attention the first time I read it. overall a solid read when you cannot sleep at night

Funny Story by Emily Henry

3.75

Ms. Henry had me worried there for a bit but she managed to reel me back. After loving Beach Read more than words can express (I now even own a physical copy, so you know it’s real), I was more and more disappointed by each of her follow ups, to the point of actively disliking Happy Place. Given that trend, I was worried I would hate Funny Story even more, but it’s a return to form! Though obviously not as good as Beach Read, Funny Story has all the elements that make me love romance — a realistic timeline of the two characters falling in love, a ridiculous meet-cute, and silly yet multi-dimensional characters. The plot didn’t feel contrived or melodramatic in the way that Happy Place did. My only critique is that Miles’s characterization felt all over the place — is he a scruffy stoner or a suave charmer? It didn’t really make sense for him to be both. The side characters in this one were especially vibrant, and Emily Henry proves again that she’s part of the elite group of white writers that can write characters of color without it being wildly offensive. Funny Story hits the spot as a romance novel. This makes me optimistic for Henry’s future books!

Hello Girls by Emily Henry, Brittany Cavallaro

4.0

I quite enjoyed this as a fun little read! It’s Thelma and Louise, but set in high school. The writing was clever and funny, and not stilted in the way that collaboration novels can be. The ending felt a bit unrealistic but in a way that I still thoroughly enjoyed. 

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

2.5

You can tell I’ve been really bored at work through the amount of books I’m barreling through. This one was to scratch the romance itch I go through every few months, and it sort of managed to achieve that purpose. The premise of how Josh and Ari meet is pretty fun and I enjoyed seeing their relationship move through time. However (and it’s a big however), the characterization was, frankly, cartoonish. Josh is 6’4 for no reason (seriously, there’s not THIS many guys out there that tall, and trust me I know from personal experience it’s not even always a plus) and is randomly a hopeless romantic. He kind of annoyed me through the entire book and it felt like Radhya forgave him for being an asshole for the sake of the plot, not because characterization prompted it. Ari is extremely commitment averse, especially after one of hers fails, but we never see her truly work through that. She just decides to be with Josh. The characterization on the whole was unrealistic and this is one of the few romance books where I could not imagine the main couple staying together. 

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

3.0

fun little romance, didn’t want to make me dnf (rare for romances I read these days). the explosion of romance as a fiction genre has oftentimes meant authors are shoving in literally as many tropes as possible into a book, and it’s also led to the rise of many authors who would be better suited publishing on wattpad (Ali Hazelwood). The Unhoneymooners didn’t manage to completely unshackle itself from this, but it did perform better than expected. the mmc isn’t some insane possessive mafioso and behaves somewhat normally. the romance itself is pretty cute even though enemies to lovers always portrays its fmc as the stupidest person ever, unable to interpret even the clearest clue that the mmc likes her. I did think the side plot with Ami was completely unnecessary and clearly shoved in for conflict between Ethan and Olive, with the unintended side effect of me thinking Ethan was a huge dick and that they shouldn’t have even ended up together. but ENOUGH of telling me how small Olive is and how large Ethan is. ITS JUST WEIRD!!!!