perksofbeinganorchid's reviews
124 reviews

A Hundred Years and a Day: 34 Stories by Tomoka Shibasaki

Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.

Temporary DNF

From what I have read so far, this is a beautiful short story collection, with strong themes of nostalgia and reflecting on the past, that currently stands on 3 and a half stars for me, and has the potential to be a 4 or 5 star. The reason why I am DNF'ing is it is just not the right time for me to read this book, and if I were to read and review it right now I wouldn't appreciate it as much as I could at a later point. I will definitely be returning to it.

Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood

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reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I planned my death carefully; unlike my life, which meandered along from one thing to another, despite my feeble attempts to control it.

The opening line of the book was as gripping as my introduction to Margaret Atwood. My intention has always been to read The Handmaid first, but it was Lady Oracle that found its way to my shelf. I'll admit to having gone into this book expecting it to be a thriller, a writer who fakes her death and moves away to start over, every reader's dream.

What I wasn't expecting, was the masterful character analysis.

My mother named me after Joan Crawford ... Did she give me someone else's name because she wanted me never to have a name of my own? Come to think of it, Joan Crawford didn't have a name of her own either.

The narrative follows Joan's life from a childhood constantly facing her mother's critique and disappointment, and the influence of that tumultuous relationship on every relationship thereafter. As stated in the opening line, Joan makes feeble attempts at having control in her life. Somehow, her 'battle for survival' never seems to include saving herself. Now I could probably spend this entire review ranting about how insecure and terrible the men she found herself in relationships with were, but it wasn't until I neared the end of the book that I came to understand they offered her the one thing she craved in her childhood, which wasn't her mother's love, but the safety of being invisible.

In my opinion, most women made one basic mistake: they expected their husbands to understand them

As long as they could not see her for who she was, she could not criticise her. Being perceived was something she also struggled with when publishing her first book under her name, instead of her alias. However, it didn't simply end there. We get the opportunity to see the character begin to experience the discomfort and frustration of being seen through after years of wanting that.

I felt I never really loved anyone, not Paul, not Chuck the Royal Porcupine, not even Arthur. I'd polished them with my love and expected them to shine, brightly enough to return my own reflection, enhanced and sparkling.

Admittedly I found the ending of the book slightly unsatisfying, but I'm certain its because I've missed something important that would have helped me understand the author's intention behind it. Overall, this book was an intriguing introduction to Margaret Atwood, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

David Copperfield by Sam Mendes

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Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

What I would give to have been a fly on the wall during Bora and Anton's discussions during the translation process. This is the first book I've read by Bora Chunga and she is without a doubt, a new instant-buy author for me. Her writing style prompts you to tread with caution while giving nothing of the story away. As annoying as it can be, I pride myself on my pattern recognition abilities and being able to predict the ending of a story, but at no point during any of these stories could I have prepared myself for what would come next.

To sum it up in one line, this book perfectly depicts the lengths we are willing to go to in the face of pure desperation, and the horrific consequences thereof.

My Favourites:
🌟 Cursed Bunny
🌟 Snare
🌟 Goodbye, my love

The Odyssey by Homer

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adventurous emotional sad fast-paced