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shane_the_reading_rat's reviews
1065 reviews
Pretty: A Memoir by KB Brookins
4.5
this was great :)
the poetry didn’t work super great for me in audio form, but i think that was just how it was read
the poetry didn’t work super great for me in audio form, but i think that was just how it was read
Our Beautiful Darkness by Ondjaki
2.75
this was sweet, and i'm glad it's out there and exists, but just didn't have much of an impact on me. much of the writing felt like it was trying too hard to sound deep and meaningful. however, i really liked the translator's note and this imprint's mission to bring picture books to the ya and adult age ranges of publishing (i also rarely read books set in Africa, so this was also nice for that. i've had a hard time finding translated books from Africa). so if you're at all interested, this is a very quick book if you just wanna give it a try and see what you think of it
The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon
3.75
beginning of this book: fine
middle section: meh
ending: REALLY REALLY GOOD
i think overall this is one i would've quite liked back when i was in late elementary-early middle school (although Millie and Rose's accents, when written out, just don't quite work and end up reading as silly or exaggerated. but that could just be me)
favorite character was easily Ben,im so glad he didn't die oh my god i was just about ready to dnf when he was "killed" off honestly , and Olly finding his dad was so sweet and made me so happy
all in all fun little dystopian book (that very accurately says "capitalism is the cause of the earth being awful now" which like yeah)
middle section: meh
ending: REALLY REALLY GOOD
i think overall this is one i would've quite liked back when i was in late elementary-early middle school (although Millie and Rose's accents, when written out, just don't quite work and end up reading as silly or exaggerated. but that could just be me)
favorite character was easily Ben,
all in all fun little dystopian book (that very accurately says "capitalism is the cause of the earth being awful now" which like yeah)
Penance by Eliza Clark
5.0
if i could give this six stars i would, it’ll probably end up being my favorite book of this year. absolutely incredible
this is really for the people who had unfettered internet access in their early teenage years (myself included. reading this got a little uncomfortable sometimes knowing that i was also a lonely young teen who posted incessantly on fandom instagram/tumblr and had no irl friends)
also gonna be honest, reading the last chunk of this at like 5-6am while there was a windstorm happening outside and a siren going off in the distance and rain/wind pounding on my window really was the perfect atmosphere
this is really for the people who had unfettered internet access in their early teenage years (myself included. reading this got a little uncomfortable sometimes knowing that i was also a lonely young teen who posted incessantly on fandom instagram/tumblr and had no irl friends)
also gonna be honest, reading the last chunk of this at like 5-6am while there was a windstorm happening outside and a siren going off in the distance and rain/wind pounding on my window really was the perfect atmosphere
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
i wanted so badly to like this, but (at least to me) it was extremely uninteresting. + the language and honestly just everything felt very weird when the first section of the book is set in 1997. why is Grace wearing petticoats???
The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa
5.0
gonna be honest, most “books about books/the power of reading”, i find cringe. i just don’t like most of them. this is a massive exception!!!
i loved this a lot, it feels wildly timely and yeah the ending probably won’t be for everyone but i loved it. also THAT TWIST, I DID NOT SEE IT COMING AT ALL AND IT WAS AWESOME
i loved this a lot, it feels wildly timely and yeah the ending probably won’t be for everyone but i loved it. also THAT TWIST, I DID NOT SEE IT COMING AT ALL AND IT WAS AWESOME
When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao
5.0
this was devastating and i loved it. this being compared to wandavision just doesn’t quite make sense to me, but eh sometimes comp titles can be wild.
how Nick and Christian treated Eric still makes me so mad, MY BOY IS GRIEVING BE KIND TO HIM
alsoyes i did start tearing up when Jasmine was revealed to be imaginary and that she had died 7 months before. what the fuck dustin thao why did you do this to me
how Nick and Christian treated Eric still makes me so mad, MY BOY IS GRIEVING BE KIND TO HIM
also
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
3.5
this was fun, i still quite like murderbot as a character, but i definitely lost track of the plot partway through which made it a little rough to finish
Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein
3.0
this was good and all, but i think the theme of doppelgängers was really limiting. it strays so far so often from that topic that it’s like, “well what is the purpose of this? is this a book about naomi wolf? about the weirdness of wellness culture online? about the pandemic? about right-wing figures and the damage they cause? about doppelgängers in media?” and it’s just never clear at all. it’s a lot of different ideas thrown into a blender.
Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo
3.75
listened to this while doing a puzzle :)
it was good, not my favorite Singing Hills book but it was nice to go back to the abbey and get some backstory
it was good, not my favorite Singing Hills book but it was nice to go back to the abbey and get some backstory