sammiseah's reviews
293 reviews

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that this is the first book by Terry Pratchett that I've read, and that this will count as one of the five books from five authors that I've really wanted to/should have read, but haven't (up until now!). Guards! Guards! is the 8th book in the Discworld series - I've been told that they're all standalone and that you can start essentially anywhere, but I check in a bunch of forums and this book seems to be one of the most recommended. There are some very complicated charts about the sub-series and how everything fits together and I'm... afraid that I'm not there yet.

So... what about the book itself? I initially struggled to get used to Pratchett's style of comedy/frivolity (think Douglas Adams, but even more frivolous in places), but once the plot started to get going, I really enjoyed it. That being said, I think I would have been a much bigger fan about 10-15 years ago and would have proceeded to consume a good part of the Discworld series or even just the City Watch sub-series, but now I'm just glad that I read this and I would maybe look up another book in a few months? It was nice to read something where I could somewhat switch my brain off for a couple of hours, but there isn't really that pull to read everything in the series. (Also it's 41 books and ... I have my limits).

When Mama Fell: A citizen's guide to navigating the healthcare maze for the elderly by Bertha Henson

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informative fast-paced

3.5

Part personal story, part caregiver handbook and part information guide, this book is very different from all of Ms Henson's other books and from the acerbic wit and astute political analysis on her Facebook page.

I managed to get a photo with Ms Henson when I picked up the book, but I was super nervous when she asked me if I follow her Facebook page (“just read, I don’t comment”), which led to a pretty generic message in my copy of the book: “For Samantha, Keep reading!”. And for my parents: “You have a great daughter!” 😆😆😆

I learnt a lot about the Singapore healthcare and elderly support systems. There seem to be a plethora of different grants and schemes and my main takeaway is: consult AIC! And I appreciate caregivers more and more. It’s a tiring and thankless job and one that isn’t properly compensated. I particularly appreciated the photos and personal testimonies of various caregivers scattered through the book. Hopefully, the book will bring caregivers together - even if most of them don’t have time to meet, at least they have a community that empathises and can provide knowledge in certain situations? 🥲

The Bonnet by Katarína Kucbelová

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emotional informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.75

I’ve been reading a bunch of books in parallel, so it wasn’t clear which would be my first read of 2025, but I’m glad it’s this one.

For years, my father-in-law and I have been exchanging books as Christmas gifts. It seems like he has made it his mission to find every single book by Slovak authors that have been translated into English and I’ve been consuming them vicariously in the void between Christmas and New Year’s. There’s something about these books that makes me wonder a lot about the Slovak language. The words and thoughts flow a little differently and I can’t place it. Is it something inherent in the language? Is it the books that end up being translated to English? Is it a wider European literary style?

This year’s read was interesting, to say the least. A poet from Bratislava decides to learn how to make a folk bonnet from an old lady in Šumiac (in central, rural Slovakia), one of the last people alive who still knows how to make one. It’s social commentary about Slovakia + handicrafts (bobbin lace making is mentioned multiple times !!!) + feminism over the years + the author’s own personal reflections on family and life. I’ve probably said too much at this point. I learnt a lot and it was a great journey meeting Iĺka.

The Brave In-Between: Notes from the Last Room by Amy Low

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden

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dark mysterious fast-paced