tisalwayssunny's reviews
259 reviews

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Keegan really knows how to pack a punch in this devastating take down of the church.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

Genuinely some laugh out loud bits! And I think some bits to chew on re: our consumption of books and how they may shape us. What does it mean to be well read? It does feel somewhat of a limited perspective though. 

White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link

adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-paced

4.5

It’s hard to rate a collection of short stories because they can be pretty varied but I genuinely enjoyed most of these! Loosely based on fairytales, Link uses the structure to tease out something more meaningful. Dark & tense at times but also funny and warm at others. I liked The White Cat’s Divorce; Prince Hat Underground; The Lady and the Fox; and The White Road. A lot of people praising Skinder’s Veil which yes it is excellent but can’t say I enjoyed the experience. 

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

4.25

Dad book of the year?? Grann builds a compelling narrative about a British warship gone awry. He’s quite pointed in his analysis of the underlying motive for mutiny & Imperialism. It does take a while for the book to pick up speed though, but once it does, it’s smooth sailing (hah!). 

Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

challenging informative slow-paced

3.0

I picked this up mainly out of guilt… I too had confused Klein for her doppelgänger, Wolfe. I was curious about her experience and found this book to be surprisingly more in depth! It focused a lot on personhood and identity on different scales. Internally vs online vs politically. I think Klein puts out interesting & compelling theories on the interplay between these ideas. The chapters on conspiracy & counterculture were particularly interesting to me. But the book is too broad— Klein is jumping through so many topics and I think some of her points lose their effect as a consequence. Some bits feel tangential or repetitive. Her chapter on the Israel-Palestine conflict is damning though.

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo

adventurous funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Almost reads like a fable but not sure what the moral would be? Don’t flirt with tigers if you don’t mean it? I think I wanted this to be a bit longer! Things felt a little untied which is a personal gripe.

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins

lighthearted

3.0

Fun little holiday themed short romance stories. I enjoyed some more than others so I’ll give this an even 3. 

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Nostalgic with a true bittersweet flavor. Lyrically written & a short but poignant read. 

This Other Eden: A Novel by Paul Harding

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Beautifully written. Some scenes were so poignant while others felt almost picturesque (especially when describing actual artwork). I struggled with the first half a little bit but the second half shines.