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turninpages_sippintea's reviews
239 reviews
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was strongly advised against reading it, but I'm so glad I did anyway.
The choices Yeong-hye was making were taking strands of control over her from other people's hands. She might not have rebelled consciously, but everything she did broke the norms, and oh how we hate when someone dares to go against the grain.
Refusal to eat meat in a predominantly meet eating society. (Why not help her come up with a nutritious vegan diet instead of shaming her for losing weight?)
Refusal to consent to sex with her spouse in a society that believes that a man has a full right to his wife's (or any woman's) body. (Why not find a woman who will actually want to sleep with you?)
Refusal to adhere to societal norms of conversing in a polite manner. (Why take it personally when someone doesn't follow the unspoken protocols for eye contact? Why do we get offended when the person answers your question but not in a manner we think respectful? Who made those rules and why are we still forcing people to follow them?)
Refusal to wear clothes that the society deems appropriate for a woman. (Why is it ok for men but scandalous and immoral for women to take their shirts off when they're hot? How can we pride ourselves for evolving and separating from animal-like behaviour, call ourselves civilised societies, yet still get all hot and bothered when we see a topless woman?)
Refusal to eat as the last attempt at autonomy, and even that choice is taken away from her by force-feeding. (Why is euthanasia not an option everywhere? Why do we keep forcing what we think is good for someone when they clearly disagree?)
Her sister was the only one who admitted that she envied Yeong-hye - as soon as the boundaries got crossed, she became aware that the boundaries had existed in the first place, and she came to a painful realisation that she's too much of a coward not to keep conforming. Yeong-hye wasn't even breaking any legal rules, everything she did had a direct effect only on her, but instead of resolving the situation peacefully - and by doing that, bypassing the ridiculous norms everyone must follow for some reason, - every single person resorted to violence against Yeong-hye by forcefully denying her the agency over her own body. Getting used to committing violence, or getting desensitised to witnessing it, comes easier to us than accepting the idea that we ourselves might feel more free if we started questioning the societal norms.
The choices Yeong-hye was making were taking strands of control over her from other people's hands. She might not have rebelled consciously, but everything she did broke the norms, and oh how we hate when someone dares to go against the grain.
Refusal to eat meat in a predominantly meet eating society. (Why not help her come up with a nutritious vegan diet instead of shaming her for losing weight?)
Refusal to consent to sex with her spouse in a society that believes that a man has a full right to his wife's (or any woman's) body. (Why not find a woman who will actually want to sleep with you?)
Refusal to adhere to societal norms of conversing in a polite manner. (Why take it personally when someone doesn't follow the unspoken protocols for eye contact? Why do we get offended when the person answers your question but not in a manner we think respectful? Who made those rules and why are we still forcing people to follow them?)
Refusal to wear clothes that the society deems appropriate for a woman. (Why is it ok for men but scandalous and immoral for women to take their shirts off when they're hot? How can we pride ourselves for evolving and separating from animal-like behaviour, call ourselves civilised societies, yet still get all hot and bothered when we see a topless woman?)
Refusal to eat as the last attempt at autonomy, and even that choice is taken away from her by force-feeding. (Why is euthanasia not an option everywhere? Why do we keep forcing what we think is good for someone when they clearly disagree?)
Her sister was the only one who admitted that she envied Yeong-hye - as soon as the boundaries got crossed, she became aware that the boundaries had existed in the first place, and she came to a painful realisation that she's too much of a coward not to keep conforming. Yeong-hye wasn't even breaking any legal rules, everything she did had a direct effect only on her, but instead of resolving the situation peacefully - and by doing that, bypassing the ridiculous norms everyone must follow for some reason, - every single person resorted to violence against Yeong-hye by forcefully denying her the agency over her own body. Getting used to committing violence, or getting desensitised to witnessing it, comes easier to us than accepting the idea that we ourselves might feel more free if we started questioning the societal norms.
Mel & Sue: Should Know By Now by Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins
funny
informative
4.5
i don't really know why it's listed here because in no way is this a book, but i laughed so hard i cried in every single chapter/episode 😂 the only reason i'm not giving it a 5 is because at times it felt like listening to 2 of your very distant aunties talking to you excitedly about places and people you've personally never met, no context is given on who those people or places are, and soon you realise that they forgot you're even at the same table with them, and they're just chatting to each other 😂
Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
5.0
This whole book felt like a love letter to the country, written in a style that reminded me of Michael Palin's documentaries and diaries. The narration masterfully navigates between humour and frustration of a young teacher in a foreign country, personal anecdotes blend really well with factual information about the places Chris Broad has lived in.
I've only seen one video with Chris before, and it was his rant about Mr Beast (which instantly earned my respect for this stranger lol), but after listening to his audiobook I'm definitely going to check out his videos about Japan!
I've only seen one video with Chris before, and it was his rant about Mr Beast (which instantly earned my respect for this stranger lol), but after listening to his audiobook I'm definitely going to check out his videos about Japan!
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
and i'm expected to just go on with my day after this??
i'm usually that kind of person who gets frustrated when a lot of questions are left unanswered by the end of the book. yet here these questions don't matter in the slightest.
i loved the way the MC learned how to accept or at least understand the feelings of other women over time, but never managed to express them herself. i thought it made perfect sense for her. to be honest, i disagree with some reviewers' take that the book is steeped in sadness of the MC - the only time she expressed sadness and grief was when her best friend died, when she realised way too late what love was.
the emotions that i personally got from her were frustration and restlessness, which i would totally relate to in her circumstances (but perhaps i was just projecting the whole time). despite being raised by women who still remembered their past lives to some extent, she was the product of her environment, she could never fully empathise with the profound loss the other women felt when remembering the time before the abduction. and perhaps this inability to mourn the past was the force behind her desire to constantly move forward.
having lost my grandma to cervical cancer, the ending hit me particularly hard.
i'm usually that kind of person who gets frustrated when a lot of questions are left unanswered by the end of the book. yet here these questions don't matter in the slightest.
i loved the way the MC learned how to accept or at least understand the feelings of other women over time, but never managed to express them herself. i thought it made perfect sense for her. to be honest, i disagree with some reviewers' take that the book is steeped in sadness of the MC - the only time she expressed sadness and grief was when her best friend died, when she realised way too late what love was.
the emotions that i personally got from her were frustration and restlessness, which i would totally relate to in her circumstances (but perhaps i was just projecting the whole time). despite being raised by women who still remembered their past lives to some extent, she was the product of her environment, she could never fully empathise with the profound loss the other women felt when remembering the time before the abduction. and perhaps this inability to mourn the past was the force behind her desire to constantly move forward.
having lost my grandma to cervical cancer, the ending hit me particularly hard.
Девушка со снежным сердцем by Loputyn
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
the story is cute and sad, BUT GOOD GOD THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SO STUNNING!!!
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
yeah, no, this will not work for me as an audiobook, i'll need my eyes to process all the timey-wimey stuff
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was my re-read of this book, and I think I liked it as much as before, but back then, when I was in my 20s, I remember mostly liking the ✨vibes✨. Now, though, I can appreciate the world building properly and how distinct each character is (this book deserves a full-cast audiobook narration, tbh - the person whose narration I was listening to didn't come close to doing everyone justice, his voices for Lyla and Holland were atrocious). Really looking forward to diving into the sequel! But I might buy an ebook instead of an audiobook this time.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
not a single likeable character, and i don't think that was intended. there are a few characters who you don't hate, but they're absolutely irrelevant to the plot.
the female protagonist was unbearable throughout the whole book. she shouldn't continue her practice after whatever happened, but she should never have become a therapist in the first place, being such an awful judge of character.
i despised how her reaction to abuse towards her was written. 2 different men kissed her against her will on 2 separate occasions - and there were no repercussions whatsoever. she kept seeing both of them. kept being friendly with one of them. but women being stupid is alex michaelides' specialty, i guess. every other book of his follows the same trope - weak, stupid women, needing men to rescue them.
the writing was so pretentious that the reading became nauseating at some point. the logic made no sense. there would be no intrigue whatsoever if a very obvious thing - the thing that would've been if not investigated then at least questioned immediately - had been dealt with in time. the murders - how, HOW did they keep happening? the bodies kept appearing in plain sight, and NO ONE saw anything? there are no cameras? ok, maybe the first murder was unexpected, but NOT installing CONSTANT patrol after that is just insane, no? at such a reputable university where the children of freaking senators are studying? NO surveillance????? ..........................sure.
the female protagonist was unbearable throughout the whole book. she shouldn't continue her practice after whatever happened, but she should never have become a therapist in the first place, being such an awful judge of character.
i despised how her reaction to abuse towards her was written. 2 different men kissed her against her will on 2 separate occasions - and there were no repercussions whatsoever. she kept seeing both of them. kept being friendly with one of them. but women being stupid is alex michaelides' specialty, i guess. every other book of his follows the same trope - weak, stupid women, needing men to rescue them.
the writing was so pretentious that the reading became nauseating at some point. the logic made no sense. there would be no intrigue whatsoever if a very obvious thing - the thing that would've been if not investigated then at least questioned immediately - had been dealt with in time. the murders - how, HOW did they keep happening? the bodies kept appearing in plain sight, and NO ONE saw anything? there are no cameras? ok, maybe the first murder was unexpected, but NOT installing CONSTANT patrol after that is just insane, no? at such a reputable university where the children of freaking senators are studying? NO surveillance????? ..........................sure.
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Adventurous and cute :3