verbamatic's reviews
150 reviews

Selfless: The Social Creation of "You" by Brian Lowery

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life by John Gray

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Crossing by Pajtim Statovci

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Of Cattle and Men by Ana Paula Maia

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Excellent translation into English by Zoë Perry. This enigmatic novella, told in simple language, gets under your skin with its mystery and brutality. You know there’s more below the surface, but can you get to the bottom? Why were certain phrases said by certain characters? Were some events, seemingly matter-of-course, highly significant? A book to re-read many times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Suicide and Murder

Minor: Death and Vomit

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Great depth to the stories, masterful writing and great translation. Stories about the metaphysics of life, the meaning of existence, the everyday horrors, the good stuff. Bazterrica is truly a world-class writer

They Will Drown in Their Mothers' Tears by Johannes Anyuru

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Tender, heartbreaking, at times horrifying, but hopeful in the end. Rare qualities for a science fiction dystopia. You will like this if you liked Kazuo Ishiguro’s sci-fi (Never Let Me Go, Klara And The Sun). It’s a book one cries at the end of, with relief, and sadness, heart full. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Chronic illness and Mental illness

The Divorce by César Aira

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Disruption: Why Things Change by David Potter

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Informative historical analysis with a poignant conclusion about our current times, stimulating all kinds of thinking

On Speed: The Many Lives of Amphetamine by Nicolas Rasmussen

informative fast-paced

4.0

I loved the thorough history overview in the first part pf the book. The parts about WWII were especially fascinating. It was curious to learn that Nazi Germany actually abandoned Benzedrine and the Allies clung to it despite the evidence that it did more harm than good to the soldiers. And of course, what lead to dextroamphetamine’s place in today’s US army. 

The more the book progressed, the more forcefully one could feel the overall argument the author was trying to make, which is basically how pharmaceutical companies sacrifice the health and lives of the patients in order to turn profit. Amphetamines’ use has more risks than benefits for whatever medical issue they may be prescribed. The history of how illnesses were invented to find the use for amphetamines, and their prevalence distorted in order to sell more of the drugs is quite fascinating. 

I would mention one criticism. I didn’t necessarily agree with the comparison between amphétamines and SSRIs in the latter parts of the book. Sure, both can be and are prescribed in regular practice as basically placebos to people who are having a rough time in life but are not necessarily clinically ill. However, I don’t believe they have the same effect on behaviour, as the author suggests. SSRIs making people peppy, happy and outgoing? Not really. This book was written in 2006 though, shortly before the collective disappointment in the promises the SSRIs failed to fulfill, so I suppose the author was just reflecting the Prozac craze of the times (citations for his claim of SSRI effects being similar to those of amphétamines are markedly scarce or lacking altogether. 

All in all, a fascinating and eye-opening case study looking at how the American dream was and still is, being sought at any cost.