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shanaqui's reviews
1148 reviews
Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sarah Caudwell's Thus Was Adonis Murdered suddenly seemed to be everywhere for me, for a couple of months at the end of 2024. I love a good mystery (though I'm often most drawn to older mysteries), so I was curious about all the praise and decided to give it a shot, although I was a bit worried by it being characterised as funny -- sometimes that means slapstick or embarrassment squick, which I wouldn't gel very well with.
It's not that. It's witty and light in tone, though sometimes leans a bit too heavily on "Julia is weirdly stupid about a lot of things" to be quite comfortable for me. The cast of characters is fun, though I probably won't remember how to tell them apart by the time I read the sequel, because somehow their names wouldn't stick in my head. (Or rather, which name belonged with which character.) I suspect it's the kind of book that some non-Brits would find very charming for being "British humour".
What I found really interesting was that Hilary Tamar does almost all the mystery-solving from a distance, and the characters we follow are mostly kept up to date from a distance, receiving evidence via letters from Julia (the suspect) and reports from people who have gone to the scene of the crime. Despite it being set in Italy, it feels like the reader never leaves London, and yet it doesn't feel like missing out on the action. Part of that is the wittiness and banter, I'd say, and the letters help with immediacy as well.
If I'd described this to myself beforehand, I'm not sure I'd have picked it up just based on a description of how the story is told, the wittiness, etc -- but as it is, I did pick it up, and loved it, and I'm eager for the second book.
It's not that. It's witty and light in tone, though sometimes leans a bit too heavily on "Julia is weirdly stupid about a lot of things" to be quite comfortable for me. The cast of characters is fun, though I probably won't remember how to tell them apart by the time I read the sequel, because somehow their names wouldn't stick in my head. (Or rather, which name belonged with which character.) I suspect it's the kind of book that some non-Brits would find very charming for being "British humour".
What I found really interesting was that Hilary Tamar does almost all the mystery-solving from a distance, and the characters we follow are mostly kept up to date from a distance, receiving evidence via letters from Julia (the suspect) and reports from people who have gone to the scene of the crime. Despite it being set in Italy, it feels like the reader never leaves London, and yet it doesn't feel like missing out on the action. Part of that is the wittiness and banter, I'd say, and the letters help with immediacy as well.
If I'd described this to myself beforehand, I'm not sure I'd have picked it up just based on a description of how the story is told, the wittiness, etc -- but as it is, I did pick it up, and loved it, and I'm eager for the second book.
Who Owns This Sentence?: How Copyright Became the World's Greatest Money Machine by Alexandre Montagu, David Bellos
informative
medium-paced
4.0
David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu's Who Owns This Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs is surprisingly readable, for a book on a subject that could be incredibly dry. It helps that they split things down into plenty of chapters, and take one or two examples at a time -- they're quite through in discussing the development of each successive law and expansion to law, but the chunks are pretty bitesize for the most part, and the tone is fairly casual.
If you are pro copyright without limit including for corporations, then you probably won't enjoy the general tone they take, pointing out multiple times (and in multiple ways) that the argument that copyright gives people a livelihood and fosters creativity isn't a universal truth (people will often create without financial incentives) and that the laws anyway aren't focused on providing that (you wouldn't need lifetime + 70 years just for that).
Their argument is that far too much stuff is tied up in copyright in a way that hampers creativity and the sharing of knowledge, and they make a fair case for it, especially when it's clear that a bare handful of companies own almost all of it anyway, and the net result is that the rich keep on getting richer and richer -- based on the hard work of others who are often dead.
That said, it is a fairly opinionated account, so if you want a dispassionate rundown of what copyright is, you don't want this book.
If you are pro copyright without limit including for corporations, then you probably won't enjoy the general tone they take, pointing out multiple times (and in multiple ways) that the argument that copyright gives people a livelihood and fosters creativity isn't a universal truth (people will often create without financial incentives) and that the laws anyway aren't focused on providing that (you wouldn't need lifetime + 70 years just for that).
Their argument is that far too much stuff is tied up in copyright in a way that hampers creativity and the sharing of knowledge, and they make a fair case for it, especially when it's clear that a bare handful of companies own almost all of it anyway, and the net result is that the rich keep on getting richer and richer -- based on the hard work of others who are often dead.
That said, it is a fairly opinionated account, so if you want a dispassionate rundown of what copyright is, you don't want this book.
A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Rose Sutherland's A Sweet Sting of Salt is ultimately a selkie story, but it doesn't feel like one -- this isn't a fantasy story, is what I'm trying to say, but feels much more literary fiction/historical fiction. Which is not a bad thing, per se, but it was on fantasy lists and I think the vibe is quite different to that. The story is mostly grounded in physical, historical detail: milking goats, making cheese, delivering babies... and it's not that fantasy never does that, but this book is so coy about the selkie reveal that you only know it's going there for sure because the cover copy says so.
The main character, Jean, is a big part of that, because she's very much grounded in the everyday, physical tasks of her life, and quick to interpret everything in light of that everyday life. Muirin's not a selkie, she's just a Scot who doesn't speak English; Kiel's webbed hands are just a minor birth defect; their seal-like barks are just an odd laughter...
You get the drill.
There's a significant creepiness and tension to the book that I hadn't quite expected, as Muirin's husband becomes colder, angrier, and more determined to keep her locked inside her home, and keep Jean off his land. His suspicions turn into violent anger and creepy behaviour, in a way that feels realistic at each step -- and then you take a step back and look at how unhinged he was, see all the warning signs, and know that all along he was awful, really.
It's well done, and I enjoyed it; I didn't find it "unputdownable", but I did want to know how things worked out exactly. I liked some of the supporting characters, like Anneke, Laurie, and the brief glimpses we get of Dal and Jo.
The main character, Jean, is a big part of that, because she's very much grounded in the everyday, physical tasks of her life, and quick to interpret everything in light of that everyday life. Muirin's not a selkie, she's just a Scot who doesn't speak English; Kiel's webbed hands are just a minor birth defect; their seal-like barks are just an odd laughter...
You get the drill.
There's a significant creepiness and tension to the book that I hadn't quite expected, as Muirin's husband becomes colder, angrier, and more determined to keep her locked inside her home, and keep Jean off his land. His suspicions turn into violent anger and creepy behaviour, in a way that feels realistic at each step -- and then you take a step back and look at how unhinged he was, see all the warning signs, and know that all along he was awful, really.
It's well done, and I enjoyed it; I didn't find it "unputdownable", but I did want to know how things worked out exactly. I liked some of the supporting characters, like Anneke, Laurie, and the brief glimpses we get of Dal and Jo.
Sheeplands: How Sheep Shaped Wales and the World by Alan Marshall
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Alan Marshall's Sheeplands is, as it says, a history of Wales (and the wider world) through the lens of sheep and sheep-farming. This isn't trivial: farming has been very important over the years, and the development of farming techniques, breeds of sheep and ways of transporting the sheep have been vital in the economy, war, colonisation, and everyday lives. I definitely appreciated a history that kept coming back to Wales, specifically, and from a very pro-Welsh point of view.
However... the problem is, the book doesn't have numbered references, just a list of sources in the back, making it very difficult to follow up a particular anecdote and reference it. Sometimes something is stated as sheer fact when it sounds like mere theory, and sometimes the flippant easy tone elides the author's lack of knowledge on a subject ("Homer" didn't "scribe into text" anything, folks; Homer quite possibly never existed -- it's all more complicated than that). Sometimes that doesn't affect the underlying point, and it didn't in the case of this example. But. What about inaccuracies in the stuff I don't have personal knowledge of? How can I tell apart flippancy, opinion, and fact, without proper sourcing?
I know it's meant for a popular audience, but that shouldn't mean you put yourself beyond fact-checking. Adding numbered sources doesn't interrupt the flow for someone who is reading very casually, and allows anyone to look up the source for more information if they're curious, sceptical, etc.
I did also find that I wasn't so keen on the personal interjections about the author and his son Shelley. It's cute, but it doesn't really add to the narrative for us to be told what the author's six-year-old son thinks about a given fact or location.
So... there were definitely things I enjoyed about the reading experience, don't get me wrong, but it did also leave a lot to be desired in other ways.
However... the problem is, the book doesn't have numbered references, just a list of sources in the back, making it very difficult to follow up a particular anecdote and reference it. Sometimes something is stated as sheer fact when it sounds like mere theory, and sometimes the flippant easy tone elides the author's lack of knowledge on a subject ("Homer" didn't "scribe into text" anything, folks; Homer quite possibly never existed -- it's all more complicated than that). Sometimes that doesn't affect the underlying point, and it didn't in the case of this example. But. What about inaccuracies in the stuff I don't have personal knowledge of? How can I tell apart flippancy, opinion, and fact, without proper sourcing?
I know it's meant for a popular audience, but that shouldn't mean you put yourself beyond fact-checking. Adding numbered sources doesn't interrupt the flow for someone who is reading very casually, and allows anyone to look up the source for more information if they're curious, sceptical, etc.
I did also find that I wasn't so keen on the personal interjections about the author and his son Shelley. It's cute, but it doesn't really add to the narrative for us to be told what the author's six-year-old son thinks about a given fact or location.
So... there were definitely things I enjoyed about the reading experience, don't get me wrong, but it did also leave a lot to be desired in other ways.
Bite Sized by Eva I.
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Short 'n' sweet. There's not really a lot of development or anything since it's so short, but the art is fun.
Murder as a Fine Art by Carol Carnac
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Murder as a Fine Art is one of E.C.R. Lorac's books under the "Carol Carnac" pen-name, and features Rivers and Lancing rather than Macdonald. I do prefer the books which feature Macdonald, because he seems a bit more human and sympathetic than Rivers or Lancing: my sense is that the puzzle of it is more important than the human element in the books featuring them.
Which is not to say that Lorac's usual attention to character and place is absent: the story is set within a building called Medici House, in a post-war government Ministry, and the Minister himself is a sympathetic character, one you find yourself hoping isn't entangled in the crime. There's definitely still a good eye to what people are like: for example, the two detectives agree that the deceased was probably not hated by his subordinates, as there's a sort of affectionate nickname for him suggesting toleration of his foibles. And Medici House is very carefully evoked, its splendours and inconveniences all at once.
But overall there's a lot of time spent on the howdunit, on procedure, and my impression is that there'd be a bit less of that with Macdonald -- or perhaps it'd feel more hands on? Personal? I'm not sure exactly; maybe it's just that I don't feel I "know" Rivers and Lancing and what they'll do or care about.
Anyway, it's still an enjoyable puzzle. Not a favourite, but absorbing and worthwhile.
Which is not to say that Lorac's usual attention to character and place is absent: the story is set within a building called Medici House, in a post-war government Ministry, and the Minister himself is a sympathetic character, one you find yourself hoping isn't entangled in the crime. There's definitely still a good eye to what people are like: for example, the two detectives agree that the deceased was probably not hated by his subordinates, as there's a sort of affectionate nickname for him suggesting toleration of his foibles. And Medici House is very carefully evoked, its splendours and inconveniences all at once.
But overall there's a lot of time spent on the howdunit, on procedure, and my impression is that there'd be a bit less of that with Macdonald -- or perhaps it'd feel more hands on? Personal? I'm not sure exactly; maybe it's just that I don't feel I "know" Rivers and Lancing and what they'll do or care about.
Anyway, it's still an enjoyable puzzle. Not a favourite, but absorbing and worthwhile.
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Julie Leong's The Teller of Small Fortunes turned out to really hit the spot for me. It's cosy-ish fantasy, with mostly personal stakes (I won't say small stakes, because firstly one of the main characters faces a bunch of racism, secondly there's a child in potential peril who has definitely been lost by her parents, and there's other family stuff going on which is huge for the person in question). It's a bit of a found-family/ragtag band type story, as well, because Tao collects a (former) thief, a former soldier, a young baker and a cat, along the road.
I love that Tao's trying to tell "small" fortunes, as well, but it's clear that those aren't always small in impact: we're shown this early on when she reads Mash's fortune, and tells him that he'll give his daughter a kitten. Sure, it's a small moment, but not for Mash, who has lost his daughter and doesn't know if he'll ever see her again.
In the same way, Tao makes an outsize impact on her travelling companions, as they do on her. I don't want to say too much about the journey, because I enjoyed discovering it myself -- the small cosy moments, the moments of peril (because despite the overall cosiness of it, there are some of those), the camaraderie, and the bits of magic. There are some really touching moments, and they work even though I found them somewhat predictable.
I liked that it's self-contained, as well. Tao and her friends will undoubtedly continue to have small adventures as they travel, but their story is as complete as any stories get.
I love that Tao's trying to tell "small" fortunes, as well, but it's clear that those aren't always small in impact: we're shown this early on when she reads Mash's fortune, and tells him that he'll give his daughter a kitten. Sure, it's a small moment, but not for Mash, who has lost his daughter and doesn't know if he'll ever see her again.
In the same way, Tao makes an outsize impact on her travelling companions, as they do on her. I don't want to say too much about the journey, because I enjoyed discovering it myself -- the small cosy moments, the moments of peril (because despite the overall cosiness of it, there are some of those), the camaraderie, and the bits of magic. There are some really touching moments, and they work even though I found them somewhat predictable.
I liked that it's self-contained, as well. Tao and her friends will undoubtedly continue to have small adventures as they travel, but their story is as complete as any stories get.
Lost Dogs by Jeff Lemire
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Such manpain. Let's not.
Wasn't a big fan of the art, either.
Wasn't a big fan of the art, either.
Lessons in Crime: Academic Mysteries by Martin Edwards
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Lessons in Crime is a pretty recent collection from the British Library Crime Classics series, edited as usual by Martin Edwards. Unsurprisingly, this one focuses on mystery stories set in academic settings -- schools, weekend courses, and of course, universities.
There are some big names here -- Sayers, Arthur Conan Doyle -- and some lesser-known ones, along with ones that are familiar to me from these anthologies, such as E.W. Hornung. As ever, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts: I'm not a huge fan of Reggie Fortune and A.J. Raffles as characters, but in a collection like this, it all adds up to a feel for how writers viewed and used these settings, the trends in the stories, etc.
I was a little surprised by the heavy anti-Welsh sentiment in one of the stories: it's been a while since I met that kind of thing so openly. (The Welsh character mutates ps and bs in English, lies habitually, etc, etc; we're in "Taffy was a Welshman" territory.) I know the British Library Crime Classics series typically doesn't edit this sort of thing out, and they do say so in a preface -- they present the stories as part of their historical context, as well as for entertainment. But it was a little surprising, all the same.
A nicer surprise was a story by Jacqueline Wilson -- yes, that one! Her earliest works were crime stories, and one of her short stories is included here to round out the volume with a recent story.
Overall, a collection I enjoyed!
There are some big names here -- Sayers, Arthur Conan Doyle -- and some lesser-known ones, along with ones that are familiar to me from these anthologies, such as E.W. Hornung. As ever, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts: I'm not a huge fan of Reggie Fortune and A.J. Raffles as characters, but in a collection like this, it all adds up to a feel for how writers viewed and used these settings, the trends in the stories, etc.
I was a little surprised by the heavy anti-Welsh sentiment in one of the stories: it's been a while since I met that kind of thing so openly. (The Welsh character mutates ps and bs in English, lies habitually, etc, etc; we're in "Taffy was a Welshman" territory.) I know the British Library Crime Classics series typically doesn't edit this sort of thing out, and they do say so in a preface -- they present the stories as part of their historical context, as well as for entertainment. But it was a little surprising, all the same.
A nicer surprise was a story by Jacqueline Wilson -- yes, that one! Her earliest works were crime stories, and one of her short stories is included here to round out the volume with a recent story.
Overall, a collection I enjoyed!
The Immune Mind by Dr. Monty Lyman
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I adored the majority of Dr Monty Lyman's The Immune Mind, but the final section lets it down. For most of the book he's talking about fascinating research, which is pretty well sourced and matches what I can easily fact check (in part because I can always ask my mother's opinion of What's Going On With Schizophrenia research, with which she's been involved for years as a psychiatrist and investigator).
That part was fascinating and exciting: I can report that as recently as right now, infectious diseases and immunology classes are still teaching that the brain is an immune-privileged site where no immune reactions can occur -- at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, no less. What he says on that front makes absolute sense, and my knowledge agrees with what he says as far as my it goes (BSc in natural sciences, near completion of MSc in infectious diseases, general voracious curiosity).
Buuut the chapters about how improving your health felt pasted on, like someone told him that you can't finish the book on the point that we may understand the mechanisms behind some diseases yet, but you can't get treated for them because it's still experimental. It's basically regurgitating exactly the same advice you find elsewhere, and the authorities he quotes have been... questioned. (See Alexey Guzey's essay, which at the very least asks some pertinent questions: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/)
So that was a bit disappointing, because the rest of the book was pretty fresh and exciting.
That part was fascinating and exciting: I can report that as recently as right now, infectious diseases and immunology classes are still teaching that the brain is an immune-privileged site where no immune reactions can occur -- at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, no less. What he says on that front makes absolute sense, and my knowledge agrees with what he says as far as my it goes (BSc in natural sciences, near completion of MSc in infectious diseases, general voracious curiosity).
Buuut the chapters about how improving your health felt pasted on, like someone told him that you can't finish the book on the point that we may understand the mechanisms behind some diseases yet, but you can't get treated for them because it's still experimental. It's basically regurgitating exactly the same advice you find elsewhere, and the authorities he quotes have been... questioned. (See Alexey Guzey's essay, which at the very least asks some pertinent questions: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/)
So that was a bit disappointing, because the rest of the book was pretty fresh and exciting.