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theinquisitxor's reviews
804 reviews
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
2.0
This book was a sore disappointment, but solidifies the fact that Mark Twain really just isn't for me. This was one of the books I've had on my tbr the longest, and I've owned a copy of this book since high school. I was expecting to like it.
What is this book? It is a satire of a man from late 19th century Connecticut who finds himself in 6th century Camelot. He sees how backwards the people are, and how such institutions such as the monarchy/royalty and the church are bad, and he tries to reform them. He also pretends to be a wizard, and is able to reproduce 19th century inventions such as the telephone, guns, electricity and such.
The good? I generally enjoy satires, and I found the satire part of this book to be humorous and it engaged well with the social issues presented. I enjoyed the first half of the book (but from then to the end it all spiraled downhill). I thought that Mark Twain was very insightful to how the romanticization and idealization of the Medieval past brings about bad things. This book is a critique to slavery and recalls the American Civil War several times. Twain looks at Romantic writers such as Walter Scott and Alfred Tennyson who really romanticized and glorified the Middles Ages, and Twain critiques them. That's fine, as Twain sees how this glorified notion of the Middle Ages lead to the perpetuation of slavery in the Americas. A passage I enjoyed:
"It reminded me of a time thirteen centuries away, when the "poor whites" of our South who were always despised and frequently insulted, by the slave-lords around them, and who owed their base condition simply to the presence of slavery in their midst, were yet pusillanimously ready to side the slave-lords in all political moves for the upholding and perpetuating of slavery, and did also finally shoulder their muskets and pour out their lives in an effort to prevent the destruction of that very institution which degraded them"
Um yes, I think that is even true with certain groups of people today! Also, Twain critiquing the glorification of the Middle Ages is a harbinger of the future- especially to WW2 and the misuse of the middle ages by the nazis.
The bad? While I liked Twain's critique of the Middle Ages, I can't also help but not agree with how extreme Twain takes on the Middle Ages. I am soon to have a degree in history, and my focus throughout my undergrad has been on the Middle Ages. While I absolutely agree that we cannot glorify and whitewash the Middle Ages, we also can't perpetuate the Middle Ages as a "dark age" where people never bathed, were illiterate, and couldn't think for themselves. Twain exaggerates this for the sake of satire, but as someone working in the field, trying to correct people's stereotypes about the Middle Ages, I really didn't enjoy this.
Also, I found this book generally boring. I was engaged with the first half or so, but after that I found myself skimming large sections and jumping ahead. If it wasn't for the wonderful illustrations in this edition, I may have dnf'd it.
Lastly, I hated the ending. Maybe I'm just not getting the satire at this point, or it's not my sense of humor, but I thought the ending was horrible. Interestingly though, the ending has some parallels to WWI (which Twain never lived to see). The ending was disturbing to say the least, and I did not enjoy it.
Overall, this book felt like reading a good joke that slowly gets dragged through the mud to the point where it is an absolute slog. While I appreciate some of the political commentary that Twain provides, my general dislike of the story and the ending resulted in the fact that I am not putting this back on my shelves- it is going straight into the donate box.
What is this book? It is a satire of a man from late 19th century Connecticut who finds himself in 6th century Camelot. He sees how backwards the people are, and how such institutions such as the monarchy/royalty and the church are bad, and he tries to reform them. He also pretends to be a wizard, and is able to reproduce 19th century inventions such as the telephone, guns, electricity and such.
The good? I generally enjoy satires, and I found the satire part of this book to be humorous and it engaged well with the social issues presented. I enjoyed the first half of the book (but from then to the end it all spiraled downhill). I thought that Mark Twain was very insightful to how the romanticization and idealization of the Medieval past brings about bad things. This book is a critique to slavery and recalls the American Civil War several times. Twain looks at Romantic writers such as Walter Scott and Alfred Tennyson who really romanticized and glorified the Middles Ages, and Twain critiques them. That's fine, as Twain sees how this glorified notion of the Middle Ages lead to the perpetuation of slavery in the Americas. A passage I enjoyed:
"It reminded me of a time thirteen centuries away, when the "poor whites" of our South who were always despised and frequently insulted, by the slave-lords around them, and who owed their base condition simply to the presence of slavery in their midst, were yet pusillanimously ready to side the slave-lords in all political moves for the upholding and perpetuating of slavery, and did also finally shoulder their muskets and pour out their lives in an effort to prevent the destruction of that very institution which degraded them"
Um yes, I think that is even true with certain groups of people today! Also, Twain critiquing the glorification of the Middle Ages is a harbinger of the future- especially to WW2 and the misuse of the middle ages by the nazis.
The bad? While I liked Twain's critique of the Middle Ages, I can't also help but not agree with how extreme Twain takes on the Middle Ages. I am soon to have a degree in history, and my focus throughout my undergrad has been on the Middle Ages. While I absolutely agree that we cannot glorify and whitewash the Middle Ages, we also can't perpetuate the Middle Ages as a "dark age" where people never bathed, were illiterate, and couldn't think for themselves. Twain exaggerates this for the sake of satire, but as someone working in the field, trying to correct people's stereotypes about the Middle Ages, I really didn't enjoy this.
Also, I found this book generally boring. I was engaged with the first half or so, but after that I found myself skimming large sections and jumping ahead. If it wasn't for the wonderful illustrations in this edition, I may have dnf'd it.
Lastly, I hated the ending. Maybe I'm just not getting the satire at this point, or it's not my sense of humor, but I thought the ending was horrible. Interestingly though, the ending has some parallels to WWI (which Twain never lived to see). The ending was disturbing to say the least, and I did not enjoy it.
Overall, this book felt like reading a good joke that slowly gets dragged through the mud to the point where it is an absolute slog. While I appreciate some of the political commentary that Twain provides, my general dislike of the story and the ending resulted in the fact that I am not putting this back on my shelves- it is going straight into the donate box.
Call of the Bone Ships by RJ Barker
5.0
When I read The Bone Ships last November, little did I know that it would rise to be one of my favorite books of 2020, and then now that I have finished the second book, it is safe to say that this is one of my favorite on-going series currently out there. This series is so so so good and it hurts to see how under hyped it is and how so few people have read it.
As I mentioned in my review of The Bone Ships, one of the most refreshing aspects of this series is how sexuality, skin color, gender, are all inclusive, and it's a completely normal thing in this world. Our main character, Joron is described as having dark skin and is mlm. There is a non-binary asexual character, wlw characters, etc. This isn't your typical fantasy series where sexism and racism run rampant and mirror our world. You can literally do anything in a fantasy world and Barker really takes this to heart. (however, this fantasy world isn't perfect- there is discrimination against disabled people, and towards the children of mothers that died in childbirth.)
I've heard this series get called 'grimdark' and I really don't think it is. Yes, there are dark and bad things that happen (more so in this book than the first) but things are not entirely bleak or without hope. This is a story about trying to stop the cycles and feuds of the past and work together to build a better and brighter future for all.
This series shines most in its character work. While there is a broad worldly scope- there is a detail to the main characters that is so well done. Joron is the best. no contest. he is simply my favorite (and he may end up as a favorite character of all time). I really just love everything about this series, and I can't really find any faults. I am eagerly waiting for the third and final book to be released in September!
As I mentioned in my review of The Bone Ships, one of the most refreshing aspects of this series is how sexuality, skin color, gender, are all inclusive, and it's a completely normal thing in this world. Our main character, Joron is described as having dark skin and is mlm. There is a non-binary asexual character, wlw characters, etc. This isn't your typical fantasy series where sexism and racism run rampant and mirror our world. You can literally do anything in a fantasy world and Barker really takes this to heart. (however, this fantasy world isn't perfect- there is discrimination against disabled people, and towards the children of mothers that died in childbirth.)
I've heard this series get called 'grimdark' and I really don't think it is. Yes, there are dark and bad things that happen (more so in this book than the first) but things are not entirely bleak or without hope. This is a story about trying to stop the cycles and feuds of the past and work together to build a better and brighter future for all.
This series shines most in its character work. While there is a broad worldly scope- there is a detail to the main characters that is so well done. Joron is the best. no contest. he is simply my favorite (and he may end up as a favorite character of all time). I really just love everything about this series, and I can't really find any faults. I am eagerly waiting for the third and final book to be released in September!
Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
4.0
I read Vicious back in January 2020. I put off picking up Vengeful for so long because of all the mixed reviews I had heard of. And after my disappointment with Addie LaRue, I wasn't sure I was ready for another Schwab let-down. But! I was able to get my hands on a copy and decided to finally read this and see for myself.
Overall, I don't have any strong opinions on this book. It was enjoyable and fun to read-- just like Vicious, but on a technical level, Vicious was much better. The entire plot line of this book felt a little too rushed that so much happened this 350(?) page book. If I was a die hard fan of Vicious, I might not have liked Vengeful as much, and I can see how people don't like some of the things Schwab did to the character's personalities.
I'm really just reading these books for the quick, action packed adventure that these books are. I will probably read the third, Victorious when it eventually gets released.
Overall, I don't have any strong opinions on this book. It was enjoyable and fun to read-- just like Vicious, but on a technical level, Vicious was much better. The entire plot line of this book felt a little too rushed that so much happened this 350(?) page book. If I was a die hard fan of Vicious, I might not have liked Vengeful as much, and I can see how people don't like some of the things Schwab did to the character's personalities.
I'm really just reading these books for the quick, action packed adventure that these books are. I will probably read the third, Victorious when it eventually gets released.
The Bone Way by Holly J. Underhill
4.0
It took me about all of 3 seconds to add this to my tbr when I a) saw the cover and b) read this it is a sapphic retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth.
I enjoyed my time reading this novella. It was entertaining, emotional, whimsical and beautiful from the first page to the last. It's set in a Ghibli-esqu world where steam trains and airships travel, but soft cottages, gardens and fluffy cats are always around the corner. Howl's Moving Castle aesthetics all the way. Even the Shadow Land (the underworld land where our characters travel) has it's own set of darker whimsy that shines through.
This book is about a married couple, Teagan and Cressidae. I feel like the less you know about the plot and the circumstances of the characters, the better. The backstories slowly unveil themselves in a quite beautiful way, so I think that going into this book fairly blind is best.
Because this is a novella, this did not have as much depth as I would have liked. Some of Underhill's writing also clashed a bit with my personal taste, but that is just a personal preference. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this tale of whimsy, love and family, and I would definitely recommend picking it up if you are interested!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review!
I enjoyed my time reading this novella. It was entertaining, emotional, whimsical and beautiful from the first page to the last. It's set in a Ghibli-esqu world where steam trains and airships travel, but soft cottages, gardens and fluffy cats are always around the corner. Howl's Moving Castle aesthetics all the way. Even the Shadow Land (the underworld land where our characters travel) has it's own set of darker whimsy that shines through.
This book is about a married couple, Teagan and Cressidae. I feel like the less you know about the plot and the circumstances of the characters, the better. The backstories slowly unveil themselves in a quite beautiful way, so I think that going into this book fairly blind is best.
Because this is a novella, this did not have as much depth as I would have liked. Some of Underhill's writing also clashed a bit with my personal taste, but that is just a personal preference. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this tale of whimsy, love and family, and I would definitely recommend picking it up if you are interested!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review!
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
4.0
This book was such a fun break from all the fantasy I've been consuming lately. This book piqued my interest at the words "Appalachia", "ghosts of the past" and "survival and sacrifice". While I don't typically read thrillers (is this technically a thriller?) I picked up this book based off the summary:
A father (Cooper) and his young daughter (Finch) have been living in the remote Appalachian mountains hiding from a past that can destroy the life and relationship between the two. Only two people know of their existence: a local hermit, Scotland, and Cooper's old friend from the army, Jake. Jake arrives once a year to drop off supplies, but one year, when Jake does not arrive, Cooper and Finch's survival skills are put to the test. Cooper begins to realize that the safety he has built for him and his daughter is teetering on a knife's edge. Cooper will soon have to make decisions that will affect the course of his and his daughter's future.
I thought this book was constantly engaging, entertaining and enjoyable to read. I thoroughly liked the characters. Yes, Cooper has done some not-so-good things, but he is willing to do anything for his daughter and has recognized his mistakes. I was afraid that he would be villainized (especially when there is a young child involved) but I did not need to worry, and I felt understanding and sympathy for his character.
Finch is a joy. Writing young children can be difficult (especially when they have been raised in a not-so-standard way of life). She felt very real and mature, but still a child filled with wonder, sass, and resilience. Even though Cooper is the main pov, this book revolves around Finch- as everything our characters do is for her.
I grew up and live in an Appalachian state, so for me, this setting was very important because this is where I've been living all my life. While this book didn't delve into Appalachian culture as much as I would have liked, it's still okay with me since Appalachian culture can be so mis-interpreted and stereotyped. To me, this book takes place in my home state of Pennsylvania. The book is described as being set in "northern appalachia" (which could definitely mean pa) and near a national forest (possibly the Allegheny National Forest?). Most people don't think of Pennsylvania as having incredibly rural areas, but there are definitely parts of the state that you could hid away for 8 years and no one would find you. Also, Kimi Cunningham Grant is from Pennsylvania, just saying...
Either way, I enjoyed my time reading this book. I don't really have a lot of compare it to, since I don't read this genre very often, but I thought this was a solid book that kept me turning the page, and I look forward to this book hitting the shelves in the Fall 2021!
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review!
A father (Cooper) and his young daughter (Finch) have been living in the remote Appalachian mountains hiding from a past that can destroy the life and relationship between the two. Only two people know of their existence: a local hermit, Scotland, and Cooper's old friend from the army, Jake. Jake arrives once a year to drop off supplies, but one year, when Jake does not arrive, Cooper and Finch's survival skills are put to the test. Cooper begins to realize that the safety he has built for him and his daughter is teetering on a knife's edge. Cooper will soon have to make decisions that will affect the course of his and his daughter's future.
I thought this book was constantly engaging, entertaining and enjoyable to read. I thoroughly liked the characters. Yes, Cooper has done some not-so-good things, but he is willing to do anything for his daughter and has recognized his mistakes. I was afraid that he would be villainized (especially when there is a young child involved) but I did not need to worry, and I felt understanding and sympathy for his character.
Finch is a joy. Writing young children can be difficult (especially when they have been raised in a not-so-standard way of life). She felt very real and mature, but still a child filled with wonder, sass, and resilience. Even though Cooper is the main pov, this book revolves around Finch- as everything our characters do is for her.
I grew up and live in an Appalachian state, so for me, this setting was very important because this is where I've been living all my life. While this book didn't delve into Appalachian culture as much as I would have liked, it's still okay with me since Appalachian culture can be so mis-interpreted and stereotyped. To me, this book takes place in my home state of Pennsylvania. The book is described as being set in "northern appalachia" (which could definitely mean pa) and near a national forest (possibly the Allegheny National Forest?). Most people don't think of Pennsylvania as having incredibly rural areas, but there are definitely parts of the state that you could hid away for 8 years and no one would find you. Also, Kimi Cunningham Grant is from Pennsylvania, just saying...
Either way, I enjoyed my time reading this book. I don't really have a lot of compare it to, since I don't read this genre very often, but I thought this was a solid book that kept me turning the page, and I look forward to this book hitting the shelves in the Fall 2021!
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review!
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
3.0
3.5/5 stars. This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2021, but this was a bit of a let down :( For this to be compared to Uprooted by Naomi Novik is just not a fair comparison. It's a fine book, and I was intrigued enough to keep reading, but it is not on the level as some of my favorites. I generally liked the premise and plot of the story, I generally liked the characters, and generally liked the way this story went. A little repetitive with the 'generally liked' huh?? (well, this book was a little repetitive).
I wasn't all that attached to the characters, their dynamic felt 'eh' to me, and some parts of the plot were very repetitive. The writing style also wasn't my favorite. It felt too YA to me-- it was trying to be flowery and poetic, but it really just came across as metaphors that didn't make sense, and seemed like it was trying too hard to fit in with other books and authors that use this prose.
I really just feel very neutral to this book, and I probably won't continue with the series. I'm a little disappointed, but I hope Ava Reid's The Wolf and the Woodsman is more suited to me and my interests.
I wasn't all that attached to the characters, their dynamic felt 'eh' to me, and some parts of the plot were very repetitive. The writing style also wasn't my favorite. It felt too YA to me-- it was trying to be flowery and poetic, but it really just came across as metaphors that didn't make sense, and seemed like it was trying too hard to fit in with other books and authors that use this prose.
I really just feel very neutral to this book, and I probably won't continue with the series. I'm a little disappointed, but I hope Ava Reid's The Wolf and the Woodsman is more suited to me and my interests.