Thank you so much to my 2019 Secret Santa for the gift!
This was a lovely quick read. Historical with trans & ace rep, hooray! Super fun to see the LilThank you so much to my 2019 Secret Santa for the gift!
This was a lovely quick read. Historical with trans & ace rep, hooray! Super fun to see the Lilywhite Boys again, and definitely making me want to reread Any Old Diamonds before reading Temp's book!
Merged review:
Thank you so much to my 2019 Secret Santa for the gift!
This was a lovely quick read. Historical with trans & ace rep, hooray! Super fun to see the Lilywhite Boys again, and definitely making me want to reread Any Old Diamonds before reading Temp's book!...more
Wonderful, as one would expect from this author. I really enjoyed dipping back into this universe, and the characters were fabulous a4.5 rounded down.
Wonderful, as one would expect from this author. I really enjoyed dipping back into this universe, and the characters were fabulous and interesting and had fabulous chemistry. I will say, I did feel a smidge... idk, disappointed, maybe? with the reactions to the revelation that (view spoiler)[Templeton actually wasn't a massive asshole the way everybody assumed based on the word of his asshole father. IDK, I get why Susan and Justin etc. all believed it, but it felt a little anti-climactic when they learned they'd been lied to. I kind of wanted something like an acknowledgement that *they* were in the wrong for having zero faith in James and never giving him a chance to explain. Small quibble overall, as I do mostly get it, but emotionally it wasn't quite satisfying for me to have them basically not own up to their part in things more explicitly. (hide spoiler)]
Merged review:
4.5 rounded down.
Wonderful, as one would expect from this author. I really enjoyed dipping back into this universe, and the characters were fabulous and interesting and had fabulous chemistry. I will say, I did feel a smidge... idk, disappointed, maybe? with the reactions to the revelation that (view spoiler)[Templeton actually wasn't a massive asshole the way everybody assumed based on the word of his asshole father. IDK, I get why Susan and Justin etc. all believed it, but it felt a little anti-climactic when they learned they'd been lied to. I kind of wanted something like an acknowledgement that *they* were in the wrong for having zero faith in James and never giving him a chance to explain. Small quibble overall, as I do mostly get it, but emotionally it wasn't quite satisfying for me to have them basically not own up to their part in things more explicitly. (hide spoiler)]...more
This was a fine read, but it didn't grab me as much as I was hoping to. Interesting as a reference if you were thinking of creating something set in tThis was a fine read, but it didn't grab me as much as I was hoping to. Interesting as a reference if you were thinking of creating something set in this time period, and the writing style is decently engaging, but I ended up thinking this was just OK....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: TUNISIA === The setting here was certainly interesting -- Tunisia in the 1920s, with a cast of native Arabs, coloniaAround the World Reading Challenge: TUNISIA === The setting here was certainly interesting -- Tunisia in the 1920s, with a cast of native Arabs, colonialist French, and visiting Americans from Hollywood shooting a movie. The writing itself was excellent, and the themes were intriguing, but unfortunately I found the pacing to be overly slow and the whole thing felt like a bit of a slog. ...more
Interesting historical true crime book covering one of the earlier known serial killers and the evolution of forensic science. I'm not m3.5 rounded up
Interesting historical true crime book covering one of the earlier known serial killers and the evolution of forensic science. I'm not much of a true crime girlie, but I did find the forensic stuff and learning more about France in that time period all pretty interesting. The actual crime stuff and focus on the murderer himself wasn't my favorite, particularly post-apprehension and the circus of the trial, but I thought this was surprisingly thought-provoking in terms of how we view "insanity" and lack of personal responsibility when it comes to violent crimes....more
I thought this was an engaging and well-paced book, shedding light on events that I'd never heard of before this book had come out. I 4.5 rounded down
I thought this was an engaging and well-paced book, shedding light on events that I'd never heard of before this book had come out. I thought the "birth of the FBI" stuff would be a bit more prominent than it was; I wasn't disappointed in it, but I do think the subtitle is a bit of a stretch. Very readable, and though it's a heartbreaking bit of history, its impacts are still felt. ...more
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER: 2024 === I found this a somewhat baffling Pulitzer pick, to be honest. Set at the end and in the aftermath of the Civil War, the PULITZER PRIZE WINNER: 2024 === I found this a somewhat baffling Pulitzer pick, to be honest. Set at the end and in the aftermath of the Civil War, the book started off strong for me. Twelve-year-old ConaLee, who's spent her recent memory caring for a mother who refuses to speak due to trauma and her three infant siblings, while dealing with the rages of the man she thinks is her father, was a compelling character and story. I enjoyed the bits of magical realism, particularly driven by Dearbhla, ConaLee's unofficial grandma with origins as an Irish indentured servant. The book starts in the "present", 10 years after the end of the war, with ConaLee and her mother being dropped off at the Assalym, and then we get a shift in narrative for about a 1/3 of the book that that takes us back to the very end of the war, before we come back to the present.
I was still quite enjoying the book through most of the flashblack, though I found the very detailed and explicit rape scene to be gross and totally unnecessary -- the point would have stood without the very detailed account, especially one that felt like it was written almost like an actual love scene. I found it really horrendous.
That was enough to give me major pause, but where the book really fell off for me was when we came back to the present. The plot begins to verge on the slightly ridiculous with the return of "Papa", amnesia as a plot point, love triangles, mysterious mute children, shootouts, etc. It had all the makings of a campy gothic romance with none of the styling, and the combination of these sort of OTT tropes and what is clearly meant to be "real literature" just did not work for me. And I was disappointed that I thought would be a poignant reuniting ends in tragedy. Certainly subverted my expectations, but I'm left wondering... why? I think it boils down to the fact that the author made several plot choices that just don't make sense to me and didn't really resonate, and in the end I'm not entirely sure what the message or point of the book was. ...more
Wonderfully written, as with all of this author's books, with engaging characters and a snappy storyline. The book is essentially told in three novellWonderfully written, as with all of this author's books, with engaging characters and a snappy storyline. The book is essentially told in three novellas detailing different ~criminal~ events in the main character's life that are all loosely connected. I thought it was an interesting style to see these snapshots of life and the way things changed, both personally and in the greater political and cultural landscape of Harlem in the 1960s. Not quite as heavy as some of his other books, but it certainly doesn't shy away from the darker side of criminality....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: ERITREA === Interesting collection that includes several memoir essays of the author's childhood and experiences durAround the World Reading Challenge: ERITREA === Interesting collection that includes several memoir essays of the author's childhood and experiences during the struggle for independence in Eritrea from Ethiopian occupation, as well as several short plays written by the author. I enjoyed the writing and learning more about Eritrea, which isn't a country I've much knowledge about. I do wish there'd been a bit more of the historical context here, as this really throws you into the author's remembrances and really presumes the reader has a good baseline knowledge of the Ethiopian occupation and what they were fighting for and against. It was certainly readable without that knowledge, but I think even having a brief overview of the occupation would help contextualize the essays....more
I suspect I may have enjoyed this more when I was younger. The writing is excellent, but I found it to be overly long, occasionally bordering on tedioI suspect I may have enjoyed this more when I was younger. The writing is excellent, but I found it to be overly long, occasionally bordering on tedious. I find ensemble casts difficult as I often connect more with one or two characters over the rest, which I definitely found to be the case here. Most of the characters annoyed me in some way, and the whole thing felt very... small. Which I think is the point, and I can see how it's a great book and why people enjoy it, but it just didn't resonate. I also found the ending to be a little underwhelming. A perfectly fine read, which I suspect would have worked better for me if it'd been half the length....more
I went into this expecting something kind of cheesy and dated, and was honestly really blown away. This was such an interesting an4.5 stars rounded up
I went into this expecting something kind of cheesy and dated, and was honestly really blown away. This was such an interesting and fresh take on vampires, I was utterly captivated. The mythology here, how queer it was throughout, the centering of Black experience, particularly in a supernatural... Really so beautifully done. Thought-provoking and gorgeous....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: PALESTINE === 4.5 rounded up
I was a bit nervous going into this one, as the summary made it sound like it would be aAround the World Reading Challenge: PALESTINE === 4.5 rounded up
I was a bit nervous going into this one, as the summary made it sound like it would be a bit bleaker than I tend to enjoy, but I thought this was a gorgeous read. There's definitely a good amount of darkness, but it never felt overwhelming or oppressive, and there continued to be such a resilient thread of hope throughout. The writing was beautiful, the characters complex, and I had to pace myself to keep from devouring it in one sitting. I found my reading was also greatly enhanced by my familiarity with the history of the Palestinian struggle against Israel's colonial forces. It's not necessary, but this book takes place over a long period of time, and I found it added to the experience to have knowledge around context for historical events mentioned, such as Arafat's connect with Saddam Hussein and how that impacted Palestinians, particularly those living in Kuwait. Moving read, and I'd very much would recommend this one....more
Told as a sort of after-the-fact historical recounting of a man who built an automatic nanny in the mid-1900s, which was subsequently used by his son Told as a sort of after-the-fact historical recounting of a man who built an automatic nanny in the mid-1900s, which was subsequently used by his son for his own child, and the unintended consequences. Very steam-punk vibes, and an interesting ~twist~ on the trope. I found this one to be quite charming and amusing....more
Fascinating concept, as I've come to expect from this author, and an incredibly compelling narrative. Focuses on a man who encounters a 4.5 rounded up
Fascinating concept, as I've come to expect from this author, and an incredibly compelling narrative. Focuses on a man who encounters a merchant who has an Alchemist's Gate that can send people into the past or the future, with some interesting examples of how people have used the gate. ...more
I love history, literature, and comics, so I thought this was going to be a slam dunk, but alas... I just... didn't think it was that funny. Most of tI love history, literature, and comics, so I thought this was going to be a slam dunk, but alas... I just... didn't think it was that funny. Most of the comics are really short as well, and I think I tend to prefer graphic novels with an overarching plot....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: ARMENIA === Incredibly long and dense memoir by an Armenian Catholic priest who was arrested in 1915 and bore witnesAround the World Reading Challenge: ARMENIA === Incredibly long and dense memoir by an Armenian Catholic priest who was arrested in 1915 and bore witness to the Armenian genocide committed by the Ottoman Turkish government. This isn't something I've heard a lot about, and I appreciated learning more about what happened, but I can't say this made for an enjoyable read. Not only due to the horrors being described, but because Balakian is just not the best narrator. This wasn't edited, and it really needed to be -- far too long and monotonous at times, with a lot of repetition and occurrences that really should have been cut. This was also written not long after the first World War, and by a member of the Catholic Church, so the religious sermonizing and period-typical viewpoints weren't my favorite--do you really have to refer to all young girls as "virgins" as if that is their only worth? This was honestly more like a 2 star read for me, but I'm giving it 3 stars because I do think it's a historical tragedy that isn't given much coverage, particularly with the current Turkish government still denying that a genocide ever even occurred....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: ISRAEL === 1.5 rounded up
I'll admit, I hadn't realized that this was a memoir when I started reading -- I'd thought Around the World Reading Challenge: ISRAEL === 1.5 rounded up
I'll admit, I hadn't realized that this was a memoir when I started reading -- I'd thought it was a novel with semi-autobiographical elements, and the style is certainly told in that way, though perhaps the need to stick to facts as the author knows/remembers them contributed to my lack of enjoyment. I found this entirely book to be utterly dry and dull beyond belief, and entirely too long. Chapters are dedicated to what felt like every person the author had every met in childhood, in exhausting, mind-numbing detail. I never managed to care one ounce about a single person--of which there were many--that appeared on screen. Again, perhaps due to the memoir nature and the author not wanting to take license. Oz chronicles his childhood in Jerusalem in the last years of Mandatory Palestine and the early years of the State of Israel, and while I could appreciate the feelings of him and the Jewish people who surrounded him, and of course they'd be biased towards Israel, deeply traumatized by the atrocities committed against the Jewish people, and did not have prominent positions in government (and Oz himself was a mere child at the time), but I found the reiterating of some of their perspectives during this time to be upsetting, particularly given that the author was writing this as an adult. It felt clear throughout that the author felt defensive of Israel and their actions against the Palestinian people, and while he does make a few concessions to this in the book, the focus is overwhelmingly on the suffering of Jewish Israeli civilians during the various conflicts, and what felt like a lot of finger pointing at the "Arabs" for "initiating" hostilities, as if settler colonialism isn't an inherent act of aggression. I was not surprised to see this viewpoint in the book, and while I can and do have sympathy for the Jewish position, and particularly the collective trauma that clearly influenced/s so many of Israel's actions, it doesn't excuse them.
So I found the book overly long, the views on Israel/Palestine lacking any perspective, and the story structure, in which the author bounces back and forth in time willy nilly, and spends no time at all on his adulthood, to be confusing and uninspiring. I know this book is widely lauded, and sure there were some pretty lines throughout, but I cannot recommend it....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: ESTONIA === 2.5 rounded up
This was... fucking bizarre. It's a sort of fantasy book set in medieval Estonia, with a lAround the World Reading Challenge: ESTONIA === 2.5 rounded up
This was... fucking bizarre. It's a sort of fantasy book set in medieval Estonia, with a lot of fairy-tale like elements and a fairly simplistic writing style that would make you think it's a YA or children's book, but it's definitely adult--there are some quite gruesome and horrifying scenes, and references to smut, though it's all off-screen. It's a sort of treatise on progress, and the things we lose and give up for so-called civilization. Fascinating themes, and even content, but overwhelming depressing on the whole. Certainly a unique book!...more
Around the World Reading Challenge: MALI === I actually really enjoyed this one! TBH, the summary didn't seem all that interesting, but I found the writAround the World Reading Challenge: MALI === I actually really enjoyed this one! TBH, the summary didn't seem all that interesting, but I found the writing to be incredibly engaging, and Wangrin was a fascinating character! I appreciated that we got to see both his flaws and virtues, and all his machinations made me want to keep reading to see how they all turned out! I do wish we'd had literally anything at all of substance about his wives, who are barely mentioned in passing, and there were a number of other similar instances where threads are sort of dropped and never picked up again, but on the whole I was quite pleased with this one!...more
Around the World Reading Challenge: NIGER === This is a directly transcribed & translated oral epic detailing the life and rule of Askia Mohammed & his Around the World Reading Challenge: NIGER === This is a directly transcribed & translated oral epic detailing the life and rule of Askia Mohammed & his descendants, the most famous leader in the history of the Songhay Empire. It was recorded over the course of two days from a performance by a griot, Nouhou Malio, in Niger. The concept was certainly interesting, and I appreciated the faithfulness to the original, though I don't really think that this oral traditional made for a successful written transcription. The notes needed to understand what was going on were numerous and made for a difficult reading experience, having to constantly pause and go back or forward to the intro & appendix for reference. The style just wasn't that interesting or captivating, though I can imagine it would feel very different when watching it performed as it was meant to be. I didn't really feel like I retained much of the information. ...more
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