Scan barcode
sleepylaurka's reviews
11 reviews
Bellies by Nicola Dinan
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
this was SO intimate, heartfelt, and tender.
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
3.5
a very quiet and depressing read, but i enjoyed it. historical fiction with a pinch of daddy issues and loneliness—but make it belfast, 1975. made me cry!!
Memorial by Bryan Washington
4.5
it's almost like normal people but make it queer
a slice of life literary fiction is exactly my cup of tea!! memorial was written in a very unique style, with sometimes simple and distilled sentences that give away how turning emotions into thoughts and words can be super frustrating and challenging, leaving much room for reader's interpretation. i loved it to bits — the exploration of modern human relationships, how love shapes and reshapes and changes its forms so rapidly it's hard for people to keep up with, and the difficulties of communication, even with someone you know and love so dearly
a slice of life literary fiction is exactly my cup of tea!! memorial was written in a very unique style, with sometimes simple and distilled sentences that give away how turning emotions into thoughts and words can be super frustrating and challenging, leaving much room for reader's interpretation. i loved it to bits — the exploration of modern human relationships, how love shapes and reshapes and changes its forms so rapidly it's hard for people to keep up with, and the difficulties of communication, even with someone you know and love so dearly
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
oh to notice everything but the good about yourself and see beauty in everything else!!!
perfectly written book about finding comfort in self destruction and soothing all of the pain by staring out the window and staying home
perfectly written book about finding comfort in self destruction and soothing all of the pain by staring out the window and staying home
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
a wonderful poignant novel about the reality of glasgow during the thatcher era, horror story about toxic hypermasculinity, and two tender souls in a very violent place. very family-centered, exploring abandonment, love, and queerness through the most beautiful writing possible. each character is SO well crafted it's just absolutely heartbreaking. young mungo you have my heart
Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
such a cozy read set in a north & south korea bordertown during off–season, about a twenty–something girl with a raging need for older men's approval and food being her only comfort. wintery, cold, airy, like a postcard from sokcho
Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-Jin
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
a book in which the conservative world collides with the queer one. it provides an elaborative insight into the mind of the older generation that was taught to consider being gay as being different, deviant, and socially unacceptable.
written in a perspective of a woman who lost stability in her life, and attempts to subconciously reclaim it by impacting lives of two women she is the closest to.
she has two faces: a warm hearted, sensitive person that provides care for an older woman, and a homophobic mother of a queer daughter. the book follows her change of heart when she faces the society's intolerance turning into violence against her own daughter—as she learns that sympathy does not have to come with understanding.
this was a truly good short read, studying the stages of womanhood, exploring an interesting mother–daughter relationship, and a good portrayal of the loneliness and the fear of it within the korean society.
written in a perspective of a woman who lost stability in her life, and attempts to subconciously reclaim it by impacting lives of two women she is the closest to.
she has two faces: a warm hearted, sensitive person that provides care for an older woman, and a homophobic mother of a queer daughter. the book follows her change of heart when she faces the society's intolerance turning into violence against her own daughter—as she learns that sympathy does not have to come with understanding.
this was a truly good short read, studying the stages of womanhood, exploring an interesting mother–daughter relationship, and a good portrayal of the loneliness and the fear of it within the korean society.
All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
to me, it wasn't as shocking and absurd as most readers say so. i'd rather say i do think this is a very uncomfortable story about a neglected child with its boundaries violated and ways to escape the harm she experienced. we can observe the way traumatized her mind protects itself from the way adult disappointed and hurted her, and later on just make her an outcast with little to no ability to live in the society as a normal earthling.
even the ending wasn't scary. it was all just very sad.
even the ending wasn't scary. it was all just very sad.