I really, really didn't expect to get so emotional about this one man's attempt to catch a fish, but here I am. There's a lot in here about the futiliI really, really didn't expect to get so emotional about this one man's attempt to catch a fish, but here I am. There's a lot in here about the futility of our life's ambitions and the unending power of hope, even as it slowly slips away, but ultimately I just really hope the old man eventually caught a fish. ...more
There was a point about a third of a way in when I realized that this entire novel was going to be about the bridge explosion and I was a little disapThere was a point about a third of a way in when I realized that this entire novel was going to be about the bridge explosion and I was a little disappointed -- until I got in further, and I was blown away by how effective it was to write in such detail the two days leading up to it, the minutiae of waiting and the psychology of strangers who are forced into this situation. It's the kind of story that could only have come from someone with a knowledge of the technicalities of warfare, but also a broader understanding of what it does to a person, and Hemingway delivers.
I can safely say I've never been so nervous reading anything than I was when the attack finally happened. My only point of dislike is Maria, who was two-dimensional and really only there to be docile. But at the same time, I feel like Hemingway had a strong understanding of the unique horrors women face during wartime, and Pilar had far more agency, so I still think this book improves upon his earlier works that I've read in respect to women. ...more
I liked this one a little better than 'The Sun Also Rises', and I really appreciated the depiction of war, in which Hemingway's knowledge of the horroI liked this one a little better than 'The Sun Also Rises', and I really appreciated the depiction of war, in which Hemingway's knowledge of the horrors and reality of the front really came through. I wish the characters could've had a little more depth, and I'm finding I'm not a fan of how he writes his female characters....more
I picked this up to scratch an 'Only Murders in the Building' itch, and it was a cute cozy mystery, though I could've used more interaction between thI picked this up to scratch an 'Only Murders in the Building' itch, and it was a cute cozy mystery, though I could've used more interaction between the four members of the titular club to sell their friendship. There were a few too many red herrings and fake out endings before getting to what really happened, but overall it was fun read. ...more
I wanted to read this book for some summertime, French Riviera vibes, and I slogged through it, so it wasn't the light sunny read I was hoping for. MaI wanted to read this book for some summertime, French Riviera vibes, and I slogged through it, so it wasn't the light sunny read I was hoping for. Maybe my expectations contributed to my opinion, I found the book a little tedious. It meanders for a chapters at a time, punctuated by interesting incidents but the characters didn't hold my interest in the interim.
I wanted more of Nicole, the last quarter of the book when she finally gets tired of Dick were what I liked best, but the preceding chapters where Dick gets petty and jealous about the 22-year-old he wants to have an affair with before he drowns in his own alcoholism just made me want to roll my eyes into the back of my head. Maybe this is a book that'll hold up on re-reading now that I know what to expect, and I'll be able to appreciate the tragedy that Fitzgerald lays out. ...more
I'd like to start by apologizing to the English professor in university who assigned this book, I never finished it and I should have, it was really gI'd like to start by apologizing to the English professor in university who assigned this book, I never finished it and I should have, it was really good.
Jane Austen does such a good job at crafting her characters. I read about Elinor and Marianne and I immediately know them, I've met several people like them and it's a testament to how little people change. The rest of the characters are funny, irritating, some terrible, and for the most part it's a really good story of following the sisters' lives through love and heartbreak.
The only problem is that it feels like Austen gave up near the end. I really could've used about 30 more pages to actually bring the emotional arcs to a satisfying end because while she details the misunderstandings that lead to heartbreak in great detail, she rushed the happy ending so much it didn't really seem like a balanced payoff.
You know what, I used to be way too hard on this play. I read this as an adult for the first time since I was made to in high school and it is genuineYou know what, I used to be way too hard on this play. I read this as an adult for the first time since I was made to in high school and it is genuinely fast-paced and entertaining. And I've realized that because Romeo and Juliet has become cultural shorthand for 'young, dumb and in love', the actual tragedy of their circumstances and the point of the story (a warning against keeping and encouraging old grudges) is lost. So my apologies to Shakespeare, he knew what he was doing. ...more
I started this book at the same time I started The Legend of Vox Machina, and I really like the twins as characters but I think their strength is whenI started this book at the same time I started The Legend of Vox Machina, and I really like the twins as characters but I think their strength is when they're working together and playing off each other, so I think the story suffers a little for the amount of time they spent separated. I also felt like there were a lot of side characters known by name and one or two characteristics, I would've liked a little deeper characterization to really flesh out the dilemma of which side they should prioritize helping. But it was still a fun read, with fun characters and I wouldn't be opposed to reading more Vox Machina novelizations...more
I love Magical Realism so I thought I would like this book, but I really didn't expect just how much I would. It feels so vast, so much so that when II love Magical Realism so I thought I would like this book, but I really didn't expect just how much I would. It feels so vast, so much so that when I finished it I genuinely felt the weight of 100 years and the sheer amount that the family had been through in that time. Gabriel García Márquez does an incredible job with descriptions of the surreal and absurd, and the almost dream-like quality of everything that happens. And something I didn't expect and I don't see said a lot about his writing, it's also really funny at times, cutting through the tragedy that dogs each character.
If you do read this book, and I can't recommend it enough, do yourself a favour and get a copy with a family tree that you can reference repeatedly, it makes for a much smoother reading experience. I also had the benefit of a few video primers on what to expect, so the constant repetition of Aurellianos and Jose Arcadios wasn't a surprise and I was able to keep the generations straight.
It's wild that as enduring as Shakespeare's works are, we know so little about the man himself. This was a really fun, quick read about what we do knoIt's wild that as enduring as Shakespeare's works are, we know so little about the man himself. This was a really fun, quick read about what we do know, and in the absence of concrete facts about Shakespeare's life, Bill Bryson includes context on Shakespeare's world and contemporaries. It was a nice overview of what Shakespeare's works contributed to the English language and canon, though not very in depth. ...more
**spoiler alert** I can't really tell if this should go down a star or not, because I had some issues with the plotting and pacing, but I also knew ex**spoiler alert** I can't really tell if this should go down a star or not, because I had some issues with the plotting and pacing, but I also knew exactly what I wanted this book to be and it delivered precisely. I will say that it had some genuinely good twists and revelations, and I don't really understand why Kerri Maniscalo chose to save them all for this book. The reveal about Emilia being a goddess should've been built to in the previous book, and the layout explanation of the underworld would've been much more useful when she first 'arrives' in it.
I also have some issues with how the mysteries of this book are laid out, there's a lot of talking around characters being cursed and cursing each other with nebulous consequences that don't get brought up until plot convenient. Also, an entire subplot about a murder investigation that could've been cut out. But it was a fun weekend read, I like the main characters, and if she ever decided to write short stories exploring the other sins I think that could have a lot of potential. ...more
Barack Obama is a masterful storyteller, and in writing this book I get the feeling he's taking the chance to finally lay out all the details of his tBarack Obama is a masterful storyteller, and in writing this book I get the feeling he's taking the chance to finally lay out all the details of his time in office in a way I think he wishes he could've while he was still president. When he goes into the weeds on the issues he faced such as foreign policy, the financial crisis, the fight for healthcare (among many others) he's meticulous in laying down the facts and how they informed the decisions his administration made. This is where the book can get dense, but I get the feeling that one of the things that frustrated him the most about the presidency was how complicated issues would get boiled down to catchy headlines, and lose their nuance.
When he gets out of the policy details and goes into the politics that surround them, that's when his storytelling really shines. I really enjoyed every anecdote he had about foreign leaders, other US politicians, and especially the everyday citizens he met along the way. And the last thirty pages or so that surround the raid on Osama Bin-Laden were genuinely gripping, and left me anticipating the next volume....more
My first time reading Hemingway and it didn't really impress me as much as I expected it to. I've heard a lot about Hemingway's short, brusque style, My first time reading Hemingway and it didn't really impress me as much as I expected it to. I've heard a lot about Hemingway's short, brusque style, but there was a lot left unsaid, I didn't particularly like any of these characters, and I feel like I should've read a primer on bullfighting before I started. ...more
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