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orangeburrito's reviews
44 reviews
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
An incredible book that will make you see the world around you differently, transforming a quiet, empty forest into a teeming hotbed of life branching and intertwining beneath the soil.
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I have been absolutely devastated by this book. If interested I would suggest reading it.
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Minus one star for the ridiculous nonbinary genderism alone, and minus another three for the awful, meandering plot. Don't read this.
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
If you went into this book hoping to see some Gideon and Harrow interactions, prepare to be sorely disappointed. The lack of communication that's extended to two books now does a disservice to both of their characters, who have not had any time to clear the air between them or have any meaningful character development.
This novel is a 400 page book that could have been abbreviated into a 50 page arc, as most of it is spent doing mundane things with boring characters, while the reader waits for a conclusion that never arrives. It is a futile exercise in frustration.
The plot meanders and makes no sense as per usual, featuring:
- Recurring characters introduced from the previous books bearing stupid nicknames and contributing nothing to the storyline
- Boring dream exposition from the ever-unlikeable sanctimonous moid who is apparently God with cringeworthy dialogue/jokes
- Extended periods of time spent the with whiny, annoying male children who are supposed to be the titular MC's friends
- People making references to important characters but never explaining what happened to them
It was more subtle in the previous books, but the author's dormant libfemmery has come out in full force.
Tamsyn Muir is apparently unable to identify the sex of any background character and refers to he/she as "person", even if the character's entire body is exposed, they/theming the lot at a noticeable detriment to clarity.
It gets worse when a major character is they/themed, thus elevating the stupidity to the forefront.
A major problem for me is that the universe of this entire series is thematically inconsistent, confusing at many points.
This novel is a 400 page book that could have been abbreviated into a 50 page arc, as most of it is spent doing mundane things with boring characters, while the reader waits for a conclusion that never arrives. It is a futile exercise in frustration.
The plot meanders and makes no sense as per usual, featuring:
- Recurring characters introduced from the previous books bearing stupid nicknames and contributing nothing to the storyline
- Boring dream exposition from the ever-unlikeable sanctimonous moid who is apparently God with cringeworthy dialogue/jokes
- Extended periods of time spent the with whiny, annoying male children who are supposed to be the titular MC's friends
- People making references to important characters but never explaining what happened to them
It was more subtle in the previous books, but the author's dormant libfemmery has come out in full force.
Tamsyn Muir is apparently unable to identify the sex of any background character and refers to he/she as "person", even if the character's entire body is exposed, they/theming the lot at a noticeable detriment to clarity.
It gets worse when a major character is they/themed, thus elevating the stupidity to the forefront.
A major problem for me is that the universe of this entire series is thematically inconsistent, confusing at many points.
The first book starts off looking like a fantasy world with necromancy, swordfighting and knockoff Hogwarts houses. The only technology that anyone seems to use are space shuttles, everything else is fairly medieval.
Where it starts to go wrong is in the second book, which is set on a spooky skeleton space station. It still has necromancy and walking skeletons, but has a sci-fi aspect just haphazardly crammed in there, with weak excuses for it. The two different genres clash horribly, and the fantasy ends up feeling sorely out of place.
The third book completely veers off into universe assassination, being set in some war-torn planet with modern innovations like cars, tanks and guns. Necromancy and souls are just slapped on top to somehow convince readers that, hey, we're still in the same universe here.
In conclusion, this book is an interlude between the times when shit is actually happening. I doubt the fourth and last book will be any better, but at this point in time I see no happy ending for Gideon and Harrow, whose amazing lack of character development due to that being benched and repeating that amnesiac gag twice in a row, may lead to the last book feeling rushed in terms of pace.
Where it starts to go wrong is in the second book, which is set on a spooky skeleton space station. It still has necromancy and walking skeletons, but has a sci-fi aspect just haphazardly crammed in there, with weak excuses for it. The two different genres clash horribly, and the fantasy ends up feeling sorely out of place.
The third book completely veers off into universe assassination, being set in some war-torn planet with modern innovations like cars, tanks and guns. Necromancy and souls are just slapped on top to somehow convince readers that, hey, we're still in the same universe here.
In conclusion, this book is an interlude between the times when shit is actually happening. I doubt the fourth and last book will be any better, but at this point in time I see no happy ending for Gideon and Harrow, whose amazing lack of character development due to that being benched and repeating that amnesiac gag twice in a row, may lead to the last book feeling rushed in terms of pace.
Minus one star for the ridiculous nonbinary genderism alone, and minus another three for the awful, meandering plot. Don't read this.
The Overstory by Richard Powers
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
I would have rated this book five stars just for the long passages of eloquent, flowery prose describing the living, breathing interconnected web that is a forest ecosystem alone, but it also includes a bonus entire book that has a poignant, meaningful message.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
adventurous
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Writing was pretty good, but I'm not really a fan of M/M romance YA novels disguised as modern adaptations of mythology.
If you're a woman not as inclined towards fictions of the fujioshi kind, I would rather recommend Circe.
If you're a woman not as inclined towards fictions of the fujioshi kind, I would rather recommend Circe.
Complete Musashi: The Book of Five Rings and Other Works: The Definitive Translations of the Complete Writings of Miyamoto Musashi--JapanÆs Greatest Samurai by Alexander Bennett, Miyamoto Musashi
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I downloaded this thinking it was Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi. Well, it was actually a collection of all of the OG samurai's writings. You might like this if you're: a) a "japanophile" (weeb for adults) or b). study the blade instead of partying.
Holds up alright after 400 years, but if you're looking for an epic historical adventure or a biography of The Life and Times of The Samurai Guy you've got the wrong book.
Translated prose ends up weeeird.
Holds up alright after 400 years, but if you're looking for an epic historical adventure or a biography of The Life and Times of The Samurai Guy you've got the wrong book.
Translated prose ends up weeeird.
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The mystique and wonder of this book didn't fare as well as the first, in my opinion.
I personally was not a fan of this as I couldn't give a damn about the weirdo ex-ambassador guy stuck in Mahit's head, the clone emperor boy, or the run-of-the-mill humanoid aliens with Mobius-strip vocal chords.
Another irritation was the occasional dash of woke terminology which is minor but includes such gems as a "they/them" space pilot and the author being seemingly allergic to using the word "woman".
Great prose, but I sincerely hope Martine peaks soon. If you're reading this, author, I recommend reading J.K. Rowling's excellent essay.
I personally was not a fan of this as I couldn't give a damn about the weirdo ex-ambassador guy stuck in Mahit's head, the clone emperor boy, or the run-of-the-mill humanoid aliens with Mobius-strip vocal chords.
Another irritation was the occasional dash of woke terminology which is minor but includes such gems as a "they/them" space pilot and the author being seemingly allergic to using the word "woman".
Great prose, but I sincerely hope Martine peaks soon. If you're reading this, author, I recommend reading J.K. Rowling's excellent essay.
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A powerful memoir of an exceptional life managing to rise above brutal and restrictive traditions that imprison women in Islam and other religions.
The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine F. Weiss
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.75
A must-read for every woman and pig-headed male out there. It took tremendous amounts of effort and time to win our hard-earned rights, but it only takes a few political grease-stains sitting in a courtroom to take them away. Never forget that.
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
3.75
Shares similarities to the book "Alive" by Piers Paul Read, except it's autobiographical and has less cannibalism. The author's tone lapses into the whiny spectrum at certain points.