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turrean's reviews
2302 reviews
Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
This was lovely. Also angry, but the anger was righteous. I was uplifted by the journey, outer and inner, traversed by the author, and disquieted as I saw the comparatively privileged ease with which I travel on my own path.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Outing, Colonisation, and Deportation
The Robber Girl by Franny Billingsley
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Franny Billingsley’s books are a joy to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A quiet, gentle story about a quiet, gentle soul. Beautiful illustrations.
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
What an IRRITATING novel. I feel rather cheated, having been led astray by promises of cryptids.
The writing is full of wit and insight. It reminds me very much of Middlemarch, probably because of Cora’s unmourned husband. The Victorian setting works perfectly as the backdrop for a story about the conflict between society’s expectations and human nature.
But the book limped to a halt, rather than an end, with little resolved, and with a very very local and limited salvation at the hands of one rich benefactor, while the rest of creation is still ground under the oppressor’s heel (quite a Dickensian ending, actually.) The reader is left to guess how various plots conclude; the author even ends with a chapter in the present tense, as if to show the story has yet to play out.
The character with autism had moments of connection with his family and friends, but only at times convenient for the advancement of the plot.Francis agrees to help Stella stage her departure, which he does, but he immediately regrets it, and conveniently has the drawing of her scheme, so no time is wasted on difficult conversations as Cora sets out to the rescue.
The writing is full of wit and insight. It reminds me very much of Middlemarch, probably because of Cora’s unmourned husband. The Victorian setting works perfectly as the backdrop for a story about the conflict between society’s expectations and human nature.
But the book limped to a halt, rather than an end, with little resolved, and with a very very local and limited salvation at the hands of one rich benefactor, while the rest of creation is still ground under the oppressor’s heel (quite a Dickensian ending, actually.) The reader is left to guess how various plots conclude; the author even ends with a chapter in the present tense, as if to show the story has yet to play out.
The character with autism had moments of connection with his family and friends, but only at times convenient for the advancement of the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A delight. The heist details are occasionally silly (keys and bottle caps?) but then heist plots are meant to be audacious. The story cleverly lures the reader in with the promise of a comeuppance for the dreadful future in-laws, and then delivers a nuanced tale of evolving friendships and relationships. The expectations Chinese society piles on these women are just wild.
I want there to be a movie. Or better yet, a miniseries, so all the details of the secondary characters aren’t edited out in the service of a 90 minute run time.
I want there to be a movie. Or better yet, a miniseries, so all the details of the secondary characters aren’t edited out in the service of a 90 minute run time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Classism
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
Opaque to me.
The design of the book is lovely, especially the cover. There’s a pretty font, though every word with the letter combination “ct” catches the eye with a hook from the t’s bar to the top of the c. “Ct” is apparently a consonant blend, specifically a t-blend that ends a word. (Look, I have insomnia, and I just spent thirty minutes figuring out if this was a phoneme or a digraph or a platypus or whatever. I write this with great relief as I can now forget it.)
The illustrations are quite formal & stylized; most look like church windows.
The author’s note at the end conveyed more information about the story than the story did. The tale seems so fragmentary and unfinished. I am left bereft of the heft of meaning.
The design of the book is lovely, especially the cover. There’s a pretty font, though every word with the letter combination “ct” catches the eye with a hook from the t’s bar to the top of the c. “Ct” is apparently a consonant blend, specifically a t-blend that ends a word. (Look, I have insomnia, and I just spent thirty minutes figuring out if this was a phoneme or a digraph or a platypus or whatever. I write this with great relief as I can now forget it.)
The illustrations are quite formal & stylized; most look like church windows.
The author’s note at the end conveyed more information about the story than the story did. The tale seems so fragmentary and unfinished. I am left bereft of the heft of meaning.
The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I love the novellas the author has written to expand the world of his novels. This one was delightful, kind of Aaronovitch channeling PG Wodehouse, if Bertie and Jeeves ever had some madcap jazz-age adventures. The audiobooks for the series are spectacular!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, and Outing
the witch doesn't burn in this one by Amanda Lovelace
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
This was written in 2016, and had lots to say about events of the time. It’s depressingly relevant to 2025. The anger feels familiar.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia
A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The dragon culture is fascinating, and so are the details of their language. The author gives readers some thoughtful moments on privilege and the realities of the class system. The main character was hard to like, an interesting choice in a YA book. Her eventual righteousness is never really in doubt, though, and in fact other characters don’t doubt it either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and War
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
So cleverly written, using TV stereotypes and typecasting to illuminate the way Americans of Asian descent are viewed, particularly by the legal system and the entertainment industry.
The audiobook was a delight, with distinct voices even when the scene was just alternating lines of dialogue between two people.
I watched the TV show based on the book, and enjoyed that too, though was not a lot of overlap. Different narrative, similar message.
The audiobook was a delight, with distinct voices even when the scene was just alternating lines of dialogue between two people.
I watched the TV show based on the book, and enjoyed that too, though was not a lot of overlap. Different narrative, similar message.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia