violetturtledove's reviews
368 reviews

Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman

emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-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? No

5.0

The title of this one is vaguely ironic to me because, although I understand the subject matter can be quite dark for some, to me Gaiman's writing is always a safe space. It's just pure magic,  I thoroughly enjoyed each of these stories.  

The Voyeur's Motel by Gay Talese

challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.5

I don't usually research too far before picking a book to read,  but maybe this wasn't the best choice for my first Gay Talese book! It's an interesting and unsettling read,  although a lot of the latter is from questions of journalistic ethics (I don't know much about confidentiality agreements and laws,  but keeping something like this confidential leaves a bad taste in my mouth) and tone (it focuses on the social/psychological aspect rather than the criminal).

The fact that this book was the 'going public' of the story does mean that the reader is left with unanswered questions as to the public response. A quick google gives an update that is both reassuring (inconsistencies have been revealed to call the truth of much of the story into question) but also predictably frustrating (statute of limitations preventing any legal repercussions). 

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

adventurous emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is just beautiful.  In some ways it's a very old story but also shockingly original. It leaps between so many interesting scenarios, and where another book might get bogged down in explaining all the little hows and whys of the world,  this instead gives you a series of beautiful snapshots, all leading to a very satisfying ending.  

I didn't know where it was going,  and didn't quite know where I was some of the time,  but it was a hell of a journey.

Along with the high-concept aspects of the world building, there's also some brilliant mixing of pop culture references,  everything from Shakespeare to 80s pop music can be presented as ancient lore. And I never expected to find myself laughing at a seal-clubbing pun. 

I did find it a little difficult at first to remember who was speaking (or rather, writing) but as far as obstacles to enjoyment go, that was pretty quickly cleared. 

Selected Letters by Marquis de Sade, Marquis de Sade

informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

This was a really good insight into the mind and life of a very controversial character.  Reading his letters I had very mixed feelings,  he makes some very good points, but at other times he is thoroughly unlikeable (not that I didn't expect this!) 

There are certainly bits where I doubted his version of events,  or his mental state in general, but it's all great context for his novels.  Also, I know this heavily depends on the translation,  but I found the letters much more readable than his novels!

I think the letters are well chosen (of course I don't know anything about those that didn't make the cut) and the introduction/preface does a decent job,  the only thing I felt it was missing was a little more context of historical and personal events at the time some of the letters were written. 

Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder

adventurous funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This is an amazing book but it snuck up on me slowly. At first I thought it was cute, that the framing story was pretty simple and a little twee, but that the 'history of philosophy' lesson at the heart of it was interesting and well explained.  I would have kept reading the lesson even without the story. 

But as the story continues, linking in more subtle ways with the lesson, I realised what an intricate and well thought out work this was. 

Despite the intellectual subject matter, its never for a moment dry, and the plot points which seemed a little silly at first started to make sense once I saw how the narrative was growing alongside the lesson. 

I don't think there's any other book like this out there and I'm very glad to have read it. 

Angels of the North Notable Women of the North East by Joyce Quin and Moira Kilkenny

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

I found this a really informative read, I hadn't heard, or knew very little of, most of the women mentioned in this. 

I found it a little dry at times, a lot of the entries relate to politics and while I can see the relevance of the issues, I zone out a little at lots of mentions of seats, ballots etc.  

That's more of a problem with my attention span rather than the book though, it really is a varied and interesting read. 

Wielding a Red Sword by Piers Anthony

challenging medium-paced

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

1.0

Oh dear. I've given this series a lot of leeway on some things because of the genre and when it was written, and apart from the bits that made me cringe they've been pretty readable with some interesting ideas. But this one... The misogyny really stands out and in an attempt to be more diverse (I think?) we also end up with a bunch of unflattering ethnic stereotypes and tropes. The Western world has flying cars and teleporters, but in the East it's like Arabian Nights. 

There's not any especially interesting mechanics in the way the role of War works, the standard challenge from Satan didn't hold my attention, and by the time the main character falls in love for the third time it barely seemed relevant. As far as I can see this one doesn't add anything to the overarching plot, so I'm fairly confident in saying this is one to skip.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Rape and Slavery

Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare by Megan Kamalei Kakimoto

dark emotional funny reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I often find it difficult to rate story collections because the quality can vary, or I may just not connect with some stories as much as others, but I feel like every one of these stories is going to stick with me. They are moving, disturbing, relatable and insightful, taking themes like womanhood, motherhood, identity, indigenous culture and self image, and giving them all a darker twist. Everyday experiences, some familiar to me, some not, are described in a way I've not seen done before, with small details that make you think 'yes that's exactly how it is', while at the same time hinting at otherworldliness.

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

This book is many things; it's touching, slow, brave , depressing, beautiful and an all-encompassing story of the queer experience.

I found it especially slow at first, it starts before the protagonists birth and spends quite a while on her childhood. For all the love of Morton, it's only on leaving it that the story really starts. But it's beautifully written, there were many times I felt a phrase was familiar and I'm not sure if it's been quoted a lot or simply absorbed into the queer literature that has followed it.

Whereas modern books might focus on some aspects of the queer experience, this being a 'first of its kind' packs it all in, and there's a lot of philosophising on aspects such as the demoralising results of being rejected by society, the pressure of being a 'pioneer' trying to change society for others like you, or the dilemma of living in society but denying yourself.

There's a strong theme of the love of nature, and the contrast with those who see the characters as 'unnatural'. 

A lot of what is said probably seems commonplace or obvious today, but it may not even be discussed today if not for books like this.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

funny lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

3.75

Someone said to me when I started this 'just assume everything Austen says is sarcastic and you'll be fine'. I've never read or watched this story before, and only had it in my head that it was a great romance... I never considered that it was also a satire of regency society. It is packed with witty lines, silly characters and polite insults. And by the end I could see why it is so popular, being the inspiration for countless rom-coms and enemies-to-lovers tales.

That said, I didn't find it a particularly enjoyable read, especially at first. There was a lot of dialogue at the start which I found hard to get into, and a lot of the wit in hidden in layers of politeness, insinuation and double negatives so it was a bit of a challenge to untangle it all to see what was really being said (I guess that's part of the fun?).

Ultimately, although I found it slow at times, and this is not a historical period I feel much of an affinity for, the characters are entertaining and memorable, and the love story drew me in and charmed me despite the silliness.