owl_the_bookworm's reviews
900 reviews

Who Killed Palomino Molero? by Mario Vargas Llosa

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 Peru, 1950s. A young airman is found brutally murdered near an Air Force base in the northern desert. Lieutenant Silva and Officer Lituma set out to investigate, hitching rides on chicken trucks and cajoling a cab driver into taking them to the crime scene. Without support from their superiors and with the base's commanding officer standing in their way, the case won't be easy. But they are determined to uncover the truth. 

Everybody by Olivia Laing

informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

 In Everybody Olivia Laing Olivia Laing explores the concept of bodily freedom highlighting the ever-changing nature of our identities, emotions, desires, and experiences.     
  
Laing draws upon various figures and voices to explore the theme of freedom, including the influential and controversial psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, the civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, the artist Agnes Martin, Susan Sontag, Sigmund Freud, Nina Simone, and others.     
 

"Everybody" is an intellectually vigorous and emotionally stirring book and Laing’s writing is rich and thought-provoking. where the reader can find moments of reflection and insight into the beauty and importance of the free body and the bond between the body and personhood. 

Ήμισυ του παντός by Δήμητρα Κολλιάκου

sad fast-paced

3.0

Modern Greece: What Everyone Needs to Know by Stathis N. Kalyvas

informative medium-paced

4.5

"Modern Greece: What Everyone Needs to Know" is an excellent resource for those seeking a comprehensive understanding of Greece's modern history. Stathis N. Kalyvas's meticulous research and accessible writing style make this book an indispensable guide. Whether you are a student, a traveller, or simply an individual interested in broadening your knowledge, this book will deepen your understanding of Greece's fascinating journey.

The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia by Masha Gessen

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

In “The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia,” Masha Gessen delivers a remarkable and thought-provoking examination of Russia’s post-Soviet landscape. It offers a fascinating and illuminating analysis of the country’s complicated journey and a deep understanding of the events and forces that have ravaged Russia in recent times. 

The book follows the lives of seven people, four of whom were born at what appeared to be the dawn of democracy and each of them came of age with unprecedented expectations. Gessen provides valuable insight into the mechanisms of authoritarianism and its impact on society by drawing on a wide range of sources, interviews and personal narratives and by putting together the dynamics that have shaped modern Russia, particularly through her examination of the concept of “Homo Sovieticus,” which has been introduced by the sociologist Yuri Levada. 

Gessen contends that the deep state never really went away and that the country is still struggling to free itself from the psychological subjugation fostered during the long decades of Soviet rule. The book is a superb, disturbing depiction of an authoritarian regime that exercises outsize influence in society, at significant human cost. 

Dracula by Bram Stoker

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

While We Were Dreaming by Clemens Meyer

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

“While We Were Dreaming” by Clemens Meyer is a powerful novel that follows the lives of a group of boys in Leipzig during the tumultuous years of German reunification. In the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the subsequent years, many young people in the former East Germany found themselves struggling to come to terms with the sudden changes in their lives. The characters’ dreams and aspirations are constantly challenged by the harsh realities of their environment.

Clemens Meyer explores these changes, describing vividly the desperation, confusion and lack of direction that permeates the lives of these boys. His writing is raw and visceral, which adds authenticity to the characters and their experiences.

Meyer employs a non-linear and complex narrative structure that helps to tell the story from the perspective of the different characters in the book. I found it very interesting, but for some readers, that might be disorienting. The vivid descriptions of sex, drugs and violence can also make the reading quite uncomfortable at times.

Overall, While We Were Dreaming is a challenging book that explores the struggles of young people on the margins of society to find their footing in a world that seemed to be changing too quickly for them to keep up. It is not a book for everyone, but for those who are willing to persist and confront the darker aspects of the human condition, it can be a rewarding read. 

Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics by Adam Rutherford

informative medium-paced

4.5

Rutherford, a geneticist, offers a thought-provoking scientific analysis of eugenics, which he calls "a defining idea of the twentieth century." 

The book covers a wide range of topics related to eugenics, including gene editing technology, embryo selection, IQ, heritability, and complex polygenic traits. Rutherford, who argues passionately against eugenics, warns of the dangers of using eugenic ideas to try to manipulate or control polygenic traits, as this could lead to unintended consequences and ethical dilemmas. 

The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green

mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Point Counter Point by Aldous Huxley

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75