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sopesock's reviews
146 reviews
Judith und Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
5.0
lives up to the hype, maggie o'farrell is an incredible writer and has created a wonderful, strong main character in agnes.
characters
susanna is going through puberty and appreciates things being in order; judith is a creative mind that is not interested in academics like her siblings & loves cats; hamnet a clever boy but easily distracted, with a fierce love for his twin.
agnes herself has always been a wild child with vast knowledge of herbs and the human body; just by gripping someone's hand she is able to detect their illnesses and to see their future. her husband (who we realise is william shakespeare, but whose name is not once spelled out in the book) is, like his son, clever, but suffers under his fathers violence. only when he leaves to london can he realise his full potential.
timeline & pacing
o'farrell approaches the eventual loss of hamnet by giving us glimpses into different times and backstories to truly understand what lead to this moment.
we see agnes' childhood, the secret love between her and william, their life as a little family when susanna is born, and eventually, agnes' life with the children once william has left for london. we follow hamnet as he runs through town in desperate search of someone to help him treat his ill sister and, unlike him, know where the members of his family are at that moment, hoping, praying he will find them before it's too late.
the glimpses into the past are not at all distracting and help to really get to know the characters.
language
beautifully written und wunderschön übersetzt in der deutschen fassung. what else is there to say <33
characters
susanna is going through puberty and appreciates things being in order; judith is a creative mind that is not interested in academics like her siblings & loves cats; hamnet a clever boy but easily distracted, with a fierce love for his twin.
agnes herself has always been a wild child with vast knowledge of herbs and the human body; just by gripping someone's hand she is able to detect their illnesses and to see their future. her husband (who we realise is william shakespeare, but whose name is not once spelled out in the book) is, like his son, clever, but suffers under his fathers violence. only when he leaves to london can he realise his full potential.
timeline & pacing
o'farrell approaches the eventual loss of hamnet by giving us glimpses into different times and backstories to truly understand what lead to this moment.
we see agnes' childhood, the secret love between her and william, their life as a little family when susanna is born, and eventually, agnes' life with the children once william has left for london. we follow hamnet as he runs through town in desperate search of someone to help him treat his ill sister and, unlike him, know where the members of his family are at that moment, hoping, praying he will find them before it's too late.
the glimpses into the past are not at all distracting and help to really get to know the characters.
language
beautifully written und wunderschön übersetzt in der deutschen fassung. what else is there to say <33
Fünf Leben by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
oooh this was heavy .
will review when i have recovered
will review when i have recovered
Das glückliche Paar by Naoise Dolan
Das glückliche Paar ist ein unterhaltsamer Roman über ein ziemlich unglückliches Paar.
Celine, Konzertpianistin, ist leicht neurotisch und (wie ich meine) leicht autistisch, undefininiert queer; Luke macht irgendwas mit Wirtschaft oder IT (ist auch eigentlich egal), ist bisexuell, ziemlich gut im Für-Celine-Da-Sein, und trotzdem ein ziemlich schlechter Partner. Warum sie beschließen, zu heiraten, ist allen in ihrem Umfeld, und ehrkich gesagt auch ihnen selbst, ein Rätsel. Trotzdem ist es beschlossene Sache.
Aus den Perspektiven von Celine, Luke, ihren Freund:innen, Ex-Partner:innen und Familienmitgliedern nimmt uns Naoise Dolan mit auf den wilden Ritt in Richtung Hochzeit -- Und lässt die Charaktere dabei nach und nach die Dysfunktionalität der Beziehung offenbaren.
Die Übersetzung ist extrem gut gelungen, und Dolan schafft es durch ihren Schreibstil, die Individualität der Erzähler:innen zu charakterisieren, sodass man am Ende alle ein Stück weit versteht, und sie trotzdem einmal kräftig durchschütteln möchte.
Ein zutiefst komischer Roman, den man am liebsten in einem Stück verschlingen möchte !!
4.5
Das glückliche Paar ist ein unterhaltsamer Roman über ein ziemlich unglückliches Paar.
Celine, Konzertpianistin, ist leicht neurotisch und (wie ich meine) leicht autistisch, undefininiert queer; Luke macht irgendwas mit Wirtschaft oder IT (ist auch eigentlich egal), ist bisexuell, ziemlich gut im Für-Celine-Da-Sein, und trotzdem ein ziemlich schlechter Partner. Warum sie beschließen, zu heiraten, ist allen in ihrem Umfeld, und ehrkich gesagt auch ihnen selbst, ein Rätsel. Trotzdem ist es beschlossene Sache.
Aus den Perspektiven von Celine, Luke, ihren Freund:innen, Ex-Partner:innen und Familienmitgliedern nimmt uns Naoise Dolan mit auf den wilden Ritt in Richtung Hochzeit -- Und lässt die Charaktere dabei nach und nach die Dysfunktionalität der Beziehung offenbaren.
Die Übersetzung ist extrem gut gelungen, und Dolan schafft es durch ihren Schreibstil, die Individualität der Erzähler:innen zu charakterisieren, sodass man am Ende alle ein Stück weit versteht, und sie trotzdem einmal kräftig durchschütteln möchte.
Ein zutiefst komischer Roman, den man am liebsten in einem Stück verschlingen möchte !!
Haie in Zeiten von Erlösern by Kawai Strong Washburn
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
HM. this was really good — i think ??
Nainoa was saved from drowning by sharks gently carrying him back to the boat, and since then the people of the island have seen him differently. there is something magical about the boy, no one can deny it, and as he gets older he even seems to develop healing abilities.
but all these big expectations are difficult to carry. and they put a strain on his siblings, who have to grow up in his shadow — We get to see the world through each main characters’ eyes, get to love and care for them and experience their unique struggles.
This is not Nainoas story. these are the stories of his entire family. they’re messy and complicated and at times frustrating.
The scenes set in Hawai’i felt so alive, vivid and colorful and meaningful. i enjoyed those moments the most, when you could feel the magic and mystery rising up from the soil beneath the characters’ feet and into the air they breathe. i loved getting little glimpses into hawaiian myths, and growing up with their family gave me an insight into how the land and its people have changed and suffered through the years.
another reviewer mentioned that, although written by a man, the female characters were written especially well and i have to agree !!!!!!!!!!! kaui’s perspective was my favourite.
i will say, from the three parts that the book is split up in, the last one made me struggle. the characters’ decisions were hard to follow and understand and i was growing a bit tired of all the loose ends. maybe if i had moved through the book a little more slowly, i could have appreciated it more. i did read the end at like 1 am, so i was not the most concentrated, to be fair.
Nainoa was saved from drowning by sharks gently carrying him back to the boat, and since then the people of the island have seen him differently. there is something magical about the boy, no one can deny it, and as he gets older he even seems to develop healing abilities.
but all these big expectations are difficult to carry. and they put a strain on his siblings, who have to grow up in his shadow — We get to see the world through each main characters’ eyes, get to love and care for them and experience their unique struggles.
This is not Nainoas story. these are the stories of his entire family. they’re messy and complicated and at times frustrating.
The scenes set in Hawai’i felt so alive, vivid and colorful and meaningful. i enjoyed those moments the most, when you could feel the magic and mystery rising up from the soil beneath the characters’ feet and into the air they breathe. i loved getting little glimpses into hawaiian myths, and growing up with their family gave me an insight into how the land and its people have changed and suffered through the years.
another reviewer mentioned that, although written by a man, the female characters were written especially well and i have to agree !!!!!!!!!!! kaui’s perspective was my favourite.
i will say, from the three parts that the book is split up in, the last one made me struggle. the characters’ decisions were hard to follow and understand and i was growing a bit tired of all the loose ends. maybe if i had moved through the book a little more slowly, i could have appreciated it more. i did read the end at like 1 am, so i was not the most concentrated, to be fair.
Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Swimming in the Dark is a young, queer man’s struggle for freedom in communist Poland.
A book that feels like watching slightly yellow hued VHS tapes of childhood vacations.
It is whilst working in an agricultural camp that Ludwik sees him for the first time, Janusz. The black haired boy fascinates him and Janusz, too, seems to be interested in Ludwik. They spent the summer reading Giovanni’s Room in secret, working on the field, swimming in lakes, kissing in tents and falling for each other.
As the summer comes to an end and the two return to Warsaw, however, their different political stances become more and more clear: Ludwik is struggling to support his ill landlady as they queue and queue for groceries and medicine in vain, whilst Janusz decides to deepen his friendships with rich and influential members of the Party.
In a country that is falling apart, can their relationship survive?
This is a beautiful novel about bravery and youth with well rounded, imperfect characters. i especially came to like the female characters, which is not always a given in historical gay novels as they are often mistreated but do not seem to have the right to victimhood; are written as jealous and stupid instead. this is not the case here. the women of this novel are intelligent, kind, and in charge of their own futures.
there was a lot of nuance, even the people abusing their privilege had character traits that made them likeable. this made the story incredibly believable and real, i valued it a lot.
A book that feels like watching slightly yellow hued VHS tapes of childhood vacations.
It is whilst working in an agricultural camp that Ludwik sees him for the first time, Janusz. The black haired boy fascinates him and Janusz, too, seems to be interested in Ludwik. They spent the summer reading Giovanni’s Room in secret, working on the field, swimming in lakes, kissing in tents and falling for each other.
As the summer comes to an end and the two return to Warsaw, however, their different political stances become more and more clear: Ludwik is struggling to support his ill landlady as they queue and queue for groceries and medicine in vain, whilst Janusz decides to deepen his friendships with rich and influential members of the Party.
In a country that is falling apart, can their relationship survive?
This is a beautiful novel about bravery and youth with well rounded, imperfect characters. i especially came to like the female characters, which is not always a given in historical gay novels as they are often mistreated but do not seem to have the right to victimhood; are written as jealous and stupid instead. this is not the case here. the women of this novel are intelligent, kind, and in charge of their own futures.
there was a lot of nuance, even the people abusing their privilege had character traits that made them likeable. this made the story incredibly believable and real, i valued it a lot.
mainly and most importantly, i love that this is not a love story. i thought it would be, but i don’t think that’s quite what this book is about — Ludwik is growing into himself, (“Selfish. Growing into yourself is nothing but that.”) and slowly opening his eyes to see the only reality he has ever known for what it is: a corrupt system of injustice; and so he does what he can to make a difference.
No matter what happens in the world, however brutal or dystopian a thing, not all is lost if there are people out there risking themselves to document it.
Little sparks cause fires too.
A Tempest of Tea: Ein Hauch von Tee und Blut by Hafsah Faizal
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
the writing style is just not good and i can already tell from the cringeworthy dialogue that the romance is going to feel insufferable and forced
also, even though it could have worked out, it’s trying to be too many things at once: peaky blinders x arthurian legends x six of crows x vampires — so far, no originality. maybe i’ll come back to this, so far it has just been annoying.
also, even though it could have worked out, it’s trying to be too many things at once: peaky blinders x arthurian legends x six of crows x vampires — so far, no originality. maybe i’ll come back to this, so far it has just been annoying.
Okay Days by Jenny Mustard
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i thoroughly enjoyed this, i was surprised at how much!
the story feels real, with characters that are imperfect and conflicts that are highly relatable. but what makes this book remarkable is not the romance in itself, it’s the attention to detail: the characters know each other so well, and the author has saturated the text with many little observations from day to day life, small things, but seeing them brought to paper like this made them special and nostalgic.
it just feels good, this book, nothing overly dramatic, i liked the characters a lot, and it was easy and fun to read.
the story feels real, with characters that are imperfect and conflicts that are highly relatable. but what makes this book remarkable is not the romance in itself, it’s the attention to detail: the characters know each other so well, and the author has saturated the text with many little observations from day to day life, small things, but seeing them brought to paper like this made them special and nostalgic.
it just feels good, this book, nothing overly dramatic, i liked the characters a lot, and it was easy and fun to read.
Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns
3.0
started off strong, ended quite weak.
i literally could not tell if the author was pro or con protests from the way they portrayed them: the protesters were made to seem obnoxious, performative, unstructured; too many demands and no actual action. but i gather this book was supposed to be PRO protest ... they did not succeed in writing it like that. the protesters seemed like caricatures.
jolene, of course, the cliche of a white yoga woman, which was entirely unsurprising -- i understand the reader was supposed to be shocked at the revelation, but you could see it coming from the start. and why didnt damani message shereef back??? everything up from jolene calling the cops seemed messy, but not in the way it was intended to, unfortunately.
i literally could not tell if the author was pro or con protests from the way they portrayed them: the protesters were made to seem obnoxious, performative, unstructured; too many demands and no actual action. but i gather this book was supposed to be PRO protest ... they did not succeed in writing it like that. the protesters seemed like caricatures.
Der Vertraute by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
Leigh Bardugo goes historical!
Spanien. Zu viel Empathie mit ihrer unglücklichen Herrin Valentina, die sie bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt nichts als unterdrückt und gequält hat, verleitet die Küchenmagd Luzia dazu, ihre zarte Magie als Unterhaltung für Dinner-Gäste vorzuführen. Schon bald macht sie sich damit einen Ruf und wird aufgefordert, an einem Turnier teilzunehmen, dessen Sieger in Dienste des Königs treten darf. Zur Vorbereitung wird ihr Guillén Santangél an die Seite gestellt — Ein Mann mit seltsamen Augen, der unsterblich zu sein scheint. Aber Luzia hat Probleme damit, ihre rohe Macht zu kontrollieren, und in Zeiten der Inquisition darf sie keinen falschen Schritt tun…
Der Vertraute ist eine Geschichte über Aufstieg und Intrige, über Magie und Ketzerei, über Allianz und Liebe.
Der Roman überzeugt mit starken weiblichen Protagonistinnen und einem unvorhersehbaren Plot, der einen bis zum Ende fesselt.
Ich habe es genau rechtzeitig zum Erscheinungstermin beendet und freue mich, das Buch den Kund:innen zu empfehlen!
Vielen Dank an Knaur für das Leseexemplar.
Spanien. Zu viel Empathie mit ihrer unglücklichen Herrin Valentina, die sie bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt nichts als unterdrückt und gequält hat, verleitet die Küchenmagd Luzia dazu, ihre zarte Magie als Unterhaltung für Dinner-Gäste vorzuführen. Schon bald macht sie sich damit einen Ruf und wird aufgefordert, an einem Turnier teilzunehmen, dessen Sieger in Dienste des Königs treten darf. Zur Vorbereitung wird ihr Guillén Santangél an die Seite gestellt — Ein Mann mit seltsamen Augen, der unsterblich zu sein scheint. Aber Luzia hat Probleme damit, ihre rohe Macht zu kontrollieren, und in Zeiten der Inquisition darf sie keinen falschen Schritt tun…
Der Vertraute ist eine Geschichte über Aufstieg und Intrige, über Magie und Ketzerei, über Allianz und Liebe.
Der Roman überzeugt mit starken weiblichen Protagonistinnen und einem unvorhersehbaren Plot, der einen bis zum Ende fesselt.
Ich habe es genau rechtzeitig zum Erscheinungstermin beendet und freue mich, das Buch den Kund:innen zu empfehlen!
Vielen Dank an Knaur für das Leseexemplar.