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afi_whatafireads's reviews
580 reviews
Shadowstitch by Cari Thomas
adventurous
fast-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
3.75
This was a big, big book. And after two years, we finally had gotten the sequel, after the novella that came out last year. Shadowstitch was the sequel that was okay, but it was more on, I kind of wished this could end up as a duology instead.
This book started right off where it left from the first book. The aftermath from what had happened with Anna's aunt from the first book, to Effi returning with Attis and how Anna will need to pick up the pieces again. I would say, for the overall of Cari Thomas writing, I actually liked the way she slowly build up the world, the foundations in Anna's magic and how she is coming in terms to using them and the way it is affecting what was going on in their world now. Since its in an urban magical setting, we are brought back to the school and how they blend again with the people without the magic.
My favourite character in this book will always be Rowan. Her antiques and the way she livens up the book and Anna especially makes it bearable, to say the least. I honestly don't really care about Attis at this point. The Effie-Attis-Anna thing for me, just feels so unnecessary, I kind of wished there is another character that Anna can make as a love interest, because I'm just icked with Effie.
And, altho its a big big book, I kind of flew through the pages. Thomas's writing is one that is easy to read, and her magic system is not a 'in your face' thing, but more on lets build the world seamlessly.
I enjoy some parts more than not, but I do feel there's a major chunk of this book that can be cut off. It got really draggy at times, but I do enjoy the magic system (blood magic is always fun). Love seeing Anna's growth from her being sheltered to her embracing her powers. But even after all that, I still would read the third book (the cliffhanger....).
So, don't get intimidated by the length of this book. I feel like, it was worth waiting for the sequel, but again, just wished they could've combined it into a duology instead. Would still recommend this book if you're a beginner to fantasy and would like to delve into something not too heavy but still makes up an experience a fantasy book can provide.
3.75 stars for this one!
Thank you to Times Reads and the publisher for this copy! I truly appreciate it :)
This book started right off where it left from the first book. The aftermath from what had happened with Anna's aunt from the first book, to Effi returning with Attis and how Anna will need to pick up the pieces again. I would say, for the overall of Cari Thomas writing, I actually liked the way she slowly build up the world, the foundations in Anna's magic and how she is coming in terms to using them and the way it is affecting what was going on in their world now. Since its in an urban magical setting, we are brought back to the school and how they blend again with the people without the magic.
My favourite character in this book will always be Rowan. Her antiques and the way she livens up the book and Anna especially makes it bearable, to say the least. I honestly don't really care about Attis at this point. The Effie-Attis-Anna thing for me, just feels so unnecessary, I kind of wished there is another character that Anna can make as a love interest, because I'm just icked with Effie.
And, altho its a big big book, I kind of flew through the pages. Thomas's writing is one that is easy to read, and her magic system is not a 'in your face' thing, but more on lets build the world seamlessly.
I enjoy some parts more than not, but I do feel there's a major chunk of this book that can be cut off. It got really draggy at times, but I do enjoy the magic system (blood magic is always fun). Love seeing Anna's growth from her being sheltered to her embracing her powers. But even after all that, I still would read the third book (the cliffhanger....).
So, don't get intimidated by the length of this book. I feel like, it was worth waiting for the sequel, but again, just wished they could've combined it into a duology instead. Would still recommend this book if you're a beginner to fantasy and would like to delve into something not too heavy but still makes up an experience a fantasy book can provide.
3.75 stars for this one!
Thank you to Times Reads and the publisher for this copy! I truly appreciate it :)
Funny Story by Emily Henry
It took me awhile to process my feelings for Funny Story. Still thinking how it will rank from the rest of the books that I've read from Emily Henry, but what I can tell you is this, Funny Story can come of as a bit slow than the rest of her books, but, for those who are in their late 20's and into their early 30's, this book will definitely have more resonance.
Like all of Henry's books, you will love it, or just hate it. And there is a certain pattern that you will come to realize, especially when you've read all of her books. Funny Story to me, was more of a self-revelation for both of the main characters, and gosh do I feel for Daphne and Miles. Having uprooted your life for someone and just having it vanish for the sake of a 'what if' hits harder. (Peter and Petra can really just go sht themselves) And as much as I want to criticize Daphne, I honestly can't. Funny Story is for the ones that have always been waiting for something to happen in their life, but when it did, they run away, solely because they don't believe they deserve that kind of love for them, and they ended up settling down with what "is comfortable" and not because they like someone. Its for those who wants to feel belonged, somewhere or in someone. But the sense of belonging can't be find in a person, but it comes from the acceptance of your past and the possibility in starting a life fresh with someone. Funny Story is that. Its a hit of reality that can seem way too real (it might come off as draggy), but to me, it feels, whole.
Miles on the other hand. Good lord... Henry can really write the men in her books because Miles? I love him to pieces. I love the way he was tender to Daphne. I loved how their relationship didn't just turn around to be something at first, but instead, they built a solid friendship before going into a serious relationship. I loved how they build up moments for themselves, with the community, building a sort of family around them before delving into something more. And I liked that we get to see parts of Miles trying to overcome the trauma from his parents as well.
Overall, Funny Story will be that book that I might not pick up again, but the story will always remain in my heart. From all of her books, I will rank this 3rd after Book Lovers and Happy Place. Also, this book solidifies that my love for her works too. Its like Ali Hazelwood too, yall can throw anything to me and will still eat up their works.
4.25 stars for this gem
Thank you to Times Reads for this copy!
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
4.25
"Things are allowed to be complicated. They were allowed to be messy. We were allowed to disagree and argue and even hurt each other, on ocassion, and it didn't mean it was time to let the revolving door of life carry us away from each other.
Sometimes things are hard. They just are.
It took me awhile to process my feelings for Funny Story. Still thinking how it will rank from the rest of the books that I've read from Emily Henry, but what I can tell you is this, Funny Story can come of as a bit slow than the rest of her books, but, for those who are in their late 20's and into their early 30's, this book will definitely have more resonance.
Like all of Henry's books, you will love it, or just hate it. And there is a certain pattern that you will come to realize, especially when you've read all of her books. Funny Story to me, was more of a self-revelation for both of the main characters, and gosh do I feel for Daphne and Miles. Having uprooted your life for someone and just having it vanish for the sake of a 'what if' hits harder. (Peter and Petra can really just go sht themselves) And as much as I want to criticize Daphne, I honestly can't. Funny Story is for the ones that have always been waiting for something to happen in their life, but when it did, they run away, solely because they don't believe they deserve that kind of love for them, and they ended up settling down with what "is comfortable" and not because they like someone. Its for those who wants to feel belonged, somewhere or in someone. But the sense of belonging can't be find in a person, but it comes from the acceptance of your past and the possibility in starting a life fresh with someone. Funny Story is that. Its a hit of reality that can seem way too real (it might come off as draggy), but to me, it feels, whole.
Miles on the other hand. Good lord... Henry can really write the men in her books because Miles? I love him to pieces. I love the way he was tender to Daphne. I loved how their relationship didn't just turn around to be something at first, but instead, they built a solid friendship before going into a serious relationship. I loved how they build up moments for themselves, with the community, building a sort of family around them before delving into something more. And I liked that we get to see parts of Miles trying to overcome the trauma from his parents as well.
Overall, Funny Story will be that book that I might not pick up again, but the story will always remain in my heart. From all of her books, I will rank this 3rd after Book Lovers and Happy Place. Also, this book solidifies that my love for her works too. Its like Ali Hazelwood too, yall can throw anything to me and will still eat up their works.
4.25 stars for this gem
Thank you to Times Reads for this copy!
Tempt by Melanie Harlow
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
So..... I picked this book up in a whim, thinking.. maybe.... I would really like it.
Don't get me wrong, this book has all the funsies that I usually will go to.
✅ Plus-size female rep.
✅ Appropriate age gap.
✅ Small town-ish romance.
But, what turned me off for most of the part of the book , was maybe, the way it was written overall. This was my first ever Melanie Harlow (honestly, I might've picked up one book of hers before but I really can't remember), so I came in this book with a bit of high expectations, but ended up not really feeling it at the end.
Lets get to what I actually liked about this book.
1) The Communication.
Well, the communication part of this book was top notch. I was seated. I loved how they really let out and talk about whats their do's and don't and what works for them. Refreshing to say the least and I liked that both of them indulged in what they liked.
2) The Family
I liked the relationships of the fmc siblings. Its very wholesome in a sense that they will always be there for each other which I really liked.
BUT, the two things that pulled me in the book was what made me a bit icked in a sense.
I've always loved female plus size reps in a book, but this one, for me, was not it. At first, I liked her overall confidence, but somewhat, it gets REPETITIVE. To a point that its just preachy. I don't really know how to say it, but the way it was written? Was not really meant for a plus size rep gurlie (and I'm saying this as a plus size myself).
And the depth of the characters? I really don't expect much tbh, but it felt the WHY they couldn't be together for me could've really been settled easily if yall just sit down and talk. Also, they're exes for a reason. I don't know. Yeah its a tad weird but again, the son was even married ?????? Like.....?????? Yeah. I was frustrated to say the least.
Romance part was okay to say the least. If yall need a scale, its a 3/5🌶 for me. But even that was a tad lacking. I really can't pinpoint what exactly but that was what I felt reading it.
So, this book was just okay for me. I expected more, but it didn't really work out at the end.
2.75🌟
Don't get me wrong, this book has all the funsies that I usually will go to.
✅ Plus-size female rep.
✅ Appropriate age gap.
✅ Small town-ish romance.
But, what turned me off for most of the part of the book , was maybe, the way it was written overall. This was my first ever Melanie Harlow (honestly, I might've picked up one book of hers before but I really can't remember), so I came in this book with a bit of high expectations, but ended up not really feeling it at the end.
Lets get to what I actually liked about this book.
1) The Communication.
Well, the communication part of this book was top notch. I was seated. I loved how they really let out and talk about whats their do's and don't and what works for them. Refreshing to say the least and I liked that both of them indulged in what they liked.
2) The Family
I liked the relationships of the fmc siblings. Its very wholesome in a sense that they will always be there for each other which I really liked.
BUT, the two things that pulled me in the book was what made me a bit icked in a sense.
I've always loved female plus size reps in a book, but this one, for me, was not it. At first, I liked her overall confidence, but somewhat, it gets REPETITIVE. To a point that its just preachy. I don't really know how to say it, but the way it was written? Was not really meant for a plus size rep gurlie (and I'm saying this as a plus size myself).
And the depth of the characters? I really don't expect much tbh, but it felt the WHY they couldn't be together for me could've really been settled easily if yall just sit down and talk. Also, they're exes for a reason. I don't know. Yeah its a tad weird but again, the son was even married ?????? Like.....?????? Yeah. I was frustrated to say the least.
Romance part was okay to say the least. If yall need a scale, its a 3/5🌶 for me. But even that was a tad lacking. I really can't pinpoint what exactly but that was what I felt reading it.
So, this book was just okay for me. I expected more, but it didn't really work out at the end.
2.75🌟
Stupid Dirty by Erin Russell
dark
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? Yes
2.75
Randomly picked this one up (cause it was recommended after I finished Garron's Park) and I got to say, whilst the overall idea was actually good, the execution part of the book was lacking. (but since this was a debut, kudos to the author but would have loved it if some things were done better).
The first half of the book was actually not bad. It was how the friendship started, the way Silas and Cade hit it off from being enemies of sort and ended up becoming friends. If I were to say, the parts that I liked were how the author wrote about their vulnerabilities, their family situations and how they were handling it in their own way.
But then, the second half happened and everything just went downhill after that. Everything was just RUSHED . There was no build up to their friendship into becoming more, and honestly, it almost felt like stereotyping despite the book having made almost all of the other characters around the mains to be free to be themselves with no toxicity in any way.
And the conflict? Good lord that was messy. I don't know, it just felt like there was little-to-no build up? And everything just happened???? and well I was pissed. I did finish it because I wanted to know how it will end (and the premise of the second book sounded really really good), but lowkey I was just left disappointed.
Will actually still read the second book cause I really liked Ford, but I hope that the build up would be better :')
The first half of the book was actually not bad. It was how the friendship started, the way Silas and Cade hit it off from being enemies of sort and ended up becoming friends. If I were to say, the parts that I liked were how the author wrote about their vulnerabilities, their family situations and how they were handling it in their own way.
But then, the second half happened and everything just went downhill after that. Everything was just RUSHED . There was no build up to their friendship into becoming more, and honestly, it almost felt like stereotyping despite the book having made almost all of the other characters around the mains to be free to be themselves with no toxicity in any way.
And the conflict? Good lord that was messy. I don't know, it just felt like there was little-to-no build up? And everything just happened???? and well I was pissed. I did finish it because I wanted to know how it will end (and the premise of the second book sounded really really good), but lowkey I was just left disappointed.
Will actually still read the second book cause I really liked Ford, but I hope that the build up would be better :')
Sweet Days of Discipline by Fleur Jaeggy
Reading this book was like looking through the scene laid out by the narrator from the above. From the surface, its almost like a beauty of sorts, looking through the lenses of girlhood and having the lush of the Switzerland's landscape as the background. But when you deep dive down deeper through the layers of sweet innocence, there's almost a sheer terror that runs through the story. Straightforward but also laced with its own bout of the complex of the human nature and psyche.
I breezed through this book but in a sense, it almost feel like I was disassociating. Jaeggy's proses are straightforward but laced with hints of the darkness that looms within the human nature. The lines between freedom were blurred with the concept of 'discipline' that the narrator has undergone through various phases of her life. And coming from a person that was also sent to a boarding school (an all female at that), the sense of constant scrutinisation that is formed through the rules that is set by the school will somewhat shape you as the adult that you will turn out to be.
A fairly short novella but one that is impactful on its own. I was definitely in the clouds whilst reading this, but there's also something about Jaeggy's writing and the translation itself that makes you feel compelled to finish this story. Splendid read indeed, especially since I read this for #WIT.
4.25🌟 overall for this gem
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"Up on the hill I was in a state you might describe as 'ill-happiness'. A state that required solitude, a state of exhilaration and quiet selfishness, a cheerful vendetta. I had the impression that this exhilaration was an initiation, that the sickness in the happiness was due to a magical novitiate, a rite. Then it went wrong. I didn't feel anything particular any more."
Reading this book was like looking through the scene laid out by the narrator from the above. From the surface, its almost like a beauty of sorts, looking through the lenses of girlhood and having the lush of the Switzerland's landscape as the background. But when you deep dive down deeper through the layers of sweet innocence, there's almost a sheer terror that runs through the story. Straightforward but also laced with its own bout of the complex of the human nature and psyche.
I breezed through this book but in a sense, it almost feel like I was disassociating. Jaeggy's proses are straightforward but laced with hints of the darkness that looms within the human nature. The lines between freedom were blurred with the concept of 'discipline' that the narrator has undergone through various phases of her life. And coming from a person that was also sent to a boarding school (an all female at that), the sense of constant scrutinisation that is formed through the rules that is set by the school will somewhat shape you as the adult that you will turn out to be.
"The pleasure that comes from obedience. Order and submission, you can never know what fruits they will bear in adulthood.
A fairly short novella but one that is impactful on its own. I was definitely in the clouds whilst reading this, but there's also something about Jaeggy's writing and the translation itself that makes you feel compelled to finish this story. Splendid read indeed, especially since I read this for #WIT.
4.25🌟 overall for this gem
Mina's Matchbox: A Novel by Yōko Ogawa
If someone were to ask me to describe Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa?
It is tender. It is bittersweet. It is heartfelt
It is a story that has nothing and everything
A story that takes us back to 1972 Japan, of a peculiar family with a hippo as a family pet
A story of a tender friendship and of girlhood.
A story of that is told through the lenses of a 12 year old Tomoko, who lived through her Summer with her aunt’s family.
A story of love and family, of loss and hope and a story of innocence and a summer unforgotten.
Gosh, how I felt so much after reading this. Ogawa took a slightly different take with Mina’s Matchbox but it still has the somberness that we sometimes equate with her work. But with Ogawa, the beauty lies within the characters itself. It almost seems that the characters were alive - that the stories that Mina told through her loneliness, surviving her condition (one that I can really relate as I faced the same predicament as her when I was younger). It gives an odd sense of comfort to my younger self in seeing Mina navigate through her illness.
The tender friendship that she found within Tomoko and its girlhood at its best form 🎀 I simply love Tomoko’s and Mina’s adventures. But besides all that, what made the story has a bittersweet truth of its own is the impending loom of Mina’s family dynamics, the reminiscent of war thru the lenses of Mina’s German grandmother and learning the presence of animals that creates a bond for the family.
Of all my love towards this book, there was one part that I felt quite unexplained why Ogawa had included it in the book. It was a chapter where she mentioned about the Black September Munich massacre during the 1972 Olympics (coincidentally finished this during this year’s Olympics season too). It didn’t feel like she was making a statement but it leaves you icked to read an act of resistance portrayed in such a way. I understand why it was written - of in focus of war crimes and Mina’s German grandmother - but it also felt a bit unnecessary.
With that said, Mina’s Matchbox was a book that touched my heart, more ways than one. There's a subtlety in Ogawa's writing, that is both magical and endearing. And the fact that these stories are told from perspectives of children - brings out the air of innocence and youth. It felt like watching a slow movie, through the lives of these characters, magical in its own way. I adored it.
4.75🌟 for this gem 🎀
Thank you to Pantheon Books for the early copy!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Ogawa can write absolutely anything, and I will dig it.
"Before I met Mina, matches were nothing more than matches, in my view. But from the first time she produced a matchbox in my presence, I realized that they could become a silent ritual, a devout prayer."
If someone were to ask me to describe Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa?
It is tender. It is bittersweet. It is heartfelt
It is a story that has nothing and everything
A story that takes us back to 1972 Japan, of a peculiar family with a hippo as a family pet
A story of a tender friendship and of girlhood.
A story of that is told through the lenses of a 12 year old Tomoko, who lived through her Summer with her aunt’s family.
A story of love and family, of loss and hope and a story of innocence and a summer unforgotten.
Gosh, how I felt so much after reading this. Ogawa took a slightly different take with Mina’s Matchbox but it still has the somberness that we sometimes equate with her work. But with Ogawa, the beauty lies within the characters itself. It almost seems that the characters were alive - that the stories that Mina told through her loneliness, surviving her condition (one that I can really relate as I faced the same predicament as her when I was younger). It gives an odd sense of comfort to my younger self in seeing Mina navigate through her illness.
The tender friendship that she found within Tomoko and its girlhood at its best form 🎀 I simply love Tomoko’s and Mina’s adventures. But besides all that, what made the story has a bittersweet truth of its own is the impending loom of Mina’s family dynamics, the reminiscent of war thru the lenses of Mina’s German grandmother and learning the presence of animals that creates a bond for the family.
Of all my love towards this book, there was one part that I felt quite unexplained why Ogawa had included it in the book. It was a chapter where she mentioned about the Black September Munich massacre during the 1972 Olympics (coincidentally finished this during this year’s Olympics season too). It didn’t feel like she was making a statement but it leaves you icked to read an act of resistance portrayed in such a way. I understand why it was written - of in focus of war crimes and Mina’s German grandmother - but it also felt a bit unnecessary.
With that said, Mina’s Matchbox was a book that touched my heart, more ways than one. There's a subtlety in Ogawa's writing, that is both magical and endearing. And the fact that these stories are told from perspectives of children - brings out the air of innocence and youth. It felt like watching a slow movie, through the lives of these characters, magical in its own way. I adored it.
4.75🌟 for this gem 🎀
Thank you to Pantheon Books for the early copy!
Permafrost by Eva Baltasar
dark
emotional
fast-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
4.25
According to Merriam-Webster, the phenomenon of <b>Permafrost is: any ground that remains completely frozen—32°F (0°C) or colder—for at least two years straight.</b>, and that's exactly how the overall feel of the book and the main character was. It felt like a layer of ice that is impenetrable, seeing and living the world through a permanent surface. Seen but somehow may not always be heard.
A story of depression, self-discovery, the complex dynamics and relationships between women in the family and most importatnly, its a story that is of containment, of letting a form of layer through the self's surface as an act of defense mechanism against the pains of the world.
Second read from Eva Baltasar, translated from Catalan by Julia Sanches, and Baltasar has introduced me to a world of dark humour in the most painful of ways. But that's the beauty of her works, its in the striking and almost non-conforming proses that hits you sometimes in places that you didn't know existed. Her characters will tend to be unlikable to most people, but for me, they represent people at its rawest forms. Its funny how I can actually relate to some parts of the main character's struggle - especially through her multiple botched attempts - and it was so hilariously written but it doesn't take away the severity or invalidating the characters problems. It goes to show, how humans are wired at some parts to be resilient, in their own ways.
Baltasar's writing can sometimes come out as brusque and super straightforward, but it also delves into the human psyche and most importantly, a self discovery of being a woman - through its sexual encounters and even blooming of girlhood - Baltasar writes it simply as it is. And I honestly dig it. The character becomes endearing at some points, even as unlikable as they are at some.
Picked this up during #WIT month and it definitely fits the theme of the month. It caught my heart it the uncoventional way that Boulder caught me.
<b>4.25🌟 for this <3 </b>
A story of depression, self-discovery, the complex dynamics and relationships between women in the family and most importatnly, its a story that is of containment, of letting a form of layer through the self's surface as an act of defense mechanism against the pains of the world.
Second read from Eva Baltasar, translated from Catalan by Julia Sanches, and Baltasar has introduced me to a world of dark humour in the most painful of ways. But that's the beauty of her works, its in the striking and almost non-conforming proses that hits you sometimes in places that you didn't know existed. Her characters will tend to be unlikable to most people, but for me, they represent people at its rawest forms. Its funny how I can actually relate to some parts of the main character's struggle - especially through her multiple botched attempts - and it was so hilariously written but it doesn't take away the severity or invalidating the characters problems. It goes to show, how humans are wired at some parts to be resilient, in their own ways.
Baltasar's writing can sometimes come out as brusque and super straightforward, but it also delves into the human psyche and most importantly, a self discovery of being a woman - through its sexual encounters and even blooming of girlhood - Baltasar writes it simply as it is. And I honestly dig it. The character becomes endearing at some points, even as unlikable as they are at some.
Picked this up during #WIT month and it definitely fits the theme of the month. It caught my heart it the uncoventional way that Boulder caught me.
<b>4.25🌟 for this <3 </b>
A Woman's Story – WINNER OF THE 2022 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE by Tanya Leslie, Annie Ernaux
This had been a super short read, but left such an impact that it still makes my heart ache when I think about it. Ernaux has a way of reeling you in, of making you see through a world that is her own, where its a story that is told in the honour of her mother, her girlhood, her youth, the relationship that she has with her, growing through adulthood, and towards the end, how she copes with her dementia and the deteoriariotion of her body from the living world.
The love and hate relationship between a mother and a daughter. The love that you hate that equates sometimes to the grudge that you hold towards her. Ernaux wrote it in a way that she was coming out of grief from her mother's death, and that's when she started to write stories of her mother through her lenses. I loved how in depth it was, and it was like the readers also is peeking through the live of Ernaux's mother. And in the centre of this book, grief and loss can hit someone unexpectedly and it sometimes makes us feel detached from the world. That's what I felt with Ernaux's writing in here. Its ever so present but also felt so far away, as if she's writing this story through a glass and it felt like seeing a movie together with her.
There is a beauty and pain in life, and handling dementia and Alzheimer is no easy feat. It takes a toll not only for the ones in pain, but also to the family that is grieving them - for they are grieving for someone who is lost but is still alive. That, to me, is the worst form of grief. Here but not here. The fleeting moments that sees them as the person they used to be but loss in a state of sorrow of the corruption of the mind.
A beautiful, tragic and heartfelt read. Ernaux is a storyteller indeed and gosh I love her works.
4.25🌟 for this gem I would highly recommend it.
Thank you to Times Reads for the copy! Much appreciated it.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
4.25
This one had gotten me so teary eyed towards the end, I was staring at the wall for a good few minutes.
Read this for the #WomenInTranslation 2024
Read this for the #WomenInTranslation 2024
"Naturally, this isn't a biography, neither it is a novel, maybe a cross between literature, sociology and history. It was only when my mother - born in an oppressed world from which she wanted to escape - became history that I started to feel less alone and out of place in a world ruled by words and ideas, the world where she wanted me to live."
This had been a super short read, but left such an impact that it still makes my heart ache when I think about it. Ernaux has a way of reeling you in, of making you see through a world that is her own, where its a story that is told in the honour of her mother, her girlhood, her youth, the relationship that she has with her, growing through adulthood, and towards the end, how she copes with her dementia and the deteoriariotion of her body from the living world.
The love and hate relationship between a mother and a daughter. The love that you hate that equates sometimes to the grudge that you hold towards her. Ernaux wrote it in a way that she was coming out of grief from her mother's death, and that's when she started to write stories of her mother through her lenses. I loved how in depth it was, and it was like the readers also is peeking through the live of Ernaux's mother. And in the centre of this book, grief and loss can hit someone unexpectedly and it sometimes makes us feel detached from the world. That's what I felt with Ernaux's writing in here. Its ever so present but also felt so far away, as if she's writing this story through a glass and it felt like seeing a movie together with her.
There is a beauty and pain in life, and handling dementia and Alzheimer is no easy feat. It takes a toll not only for the ones in pain, but also to the family that is grieving them - for they are grieving for someone who is lost but is still alive. That, to me, is the worst form of grief. Here but not here. The fleeting moments that sees them as the person they used to be but loss in a state of sorrow of the corruption of the mind.
A beautiful, tragic and heartfelt read. Ernaux is a storyteller indeed and gosh I love her works.
4.25🌟 for this gem I would highly recommend it.
Thank you to Times Reads for the copy! Much appreciated it.
Giant by Mollie Ray
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sometimes, you don't need words to understand a story, and that for me is the beauty of art in general. It allows anyone who sees upon it, the art of perception, where the interpretation of each page and each stroke comes through the lenses of the beholder. And that for me was the strength of this graphic novel.
Giant is a reflection that follows a teenage boy where had woke up suddenly to become a giant. As I was reading about the author, I found out that she had written it in honour and through the grievance and experiences of her family handling her brother's cancer, which adds more depth to the drawings and the story in general.
In Giant, we get glimpses from both perspectives - the one that is in pain, and the family who has to see said loved ones being in pain. These two pains can converge and become whole, and can break or make a family. I for one find the parts in the hospital to be tough, and I honestly almost cried. It reminded me through my childhood where I was frequently hospitalized due to my own health conditions, and the quiet loneliness that comes from staying in the hospital - which no one really talks about - makes me want to hug the character so bad.
And through the lenses of his family members, they see him deteriorating, from being joyful and upbeat to losing the colours that makes them, them. Sickness can do that to a person, in which the graphic novel was splendidly well-made. It was a book with no words written but is so very loud in its message. Grief and handling pain for one's family, in going through the emotional turmoil to see your loved ones in pain, was drawn perfectly by the author. I teared up, and the ending was filled with hope and love which makes it a good read.
This will make a great book to build different narration stories to the ones who are willing to listen. Its a story of a family coming together in times of sickness, in handling pain, and most of all, of love and hope that is everlasting.
A gem. I loved it.
Thank you to Times Reads for this copy! I truly appreciate it.
Giant is a reflection that follows a teenage boy where had woke up suddenly to become a giant. As I was reading about the author, I found out that she had written it in honour and through the grievance and experiences of her family handling her brother's cancer, which adds more depth to the drawings and the story in general.
In Giant, we get glimpses from both perspectives - the one that is in pain, and the family who has to see said loved ones being in pain. These two pains can converge and become whole, and can break or make a family. I for one find the parts in the hospital to be tough, and I honestly almost cried. It reminded me through my childhood where I was frequently hospitalized due to my own health conditions, and the quiet loneliness that comes from staying in the hospital - which no one really talks about - makes me want to hug the character so bad.
And through the lenses of his family members, they see him deteriorating, from being joyful and upbeat to losing the colours that makes them, them. Sickness can do that to a person, in which the graphic novel was splendidly well-made. It was a book with no words written but is so very loud in its message. Grief and handling pain for one's family, in going through the emotional turmoil to see your loved ones in pain, was drawn perfectly by the author. I teared up, and the ending was filled with hope and love which makes it a good read.
This will make a great book to build different narration stories to the ones who are willing to listen. Its a story of a family coming together in times of sickness, in handling pain, and most of all, of love and hope that is everlasting.
A gem. I loved it.
Thank you to Times Reads for this copy! I truly appreciate it.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
They say the relationship of sisters are ones that are irreplaceable. It can be messy, almost all of the time, and it can be high in tension at times, but at the end of the day, the pleasure of having sisters are one of the greatest thing life can offer - and I for one can attest to that.
Blue sisters follows the POV of three sisters, maneuvering through their lives from the grief of losing one of their sisters at a young age. At each chapters, we go through the complexity of relationships and sister dynamics, of the struggles of women going through pain that only can be understandable by women, and at the heart of this book, of finding yourself again through grief.
What I liked about this book is how raw it was, how closely relatable it was, especially, when you have sisters of your own. The struggles and guilt from the eldest, the calm in the rage of a storm of the second, the spontaneity of the youngest seeking for validation. Through Avery, Bonnie and Lucky, we see part of ourselves through them, and that's what made this book such an easy read, at most, eventho it navigates through a heavy topic.
The complexity of relationships formed by a single word - sisterhood , and in some sense, the pains of being vulnerable towards each other showed Mellors to be quite a splendid writer. She knows how to engage well with her readers and her characters can be unlikeable and messy and messed up, but they are, human - imperfect but striving everyday to find meaning in life. And even tho sisters, I liked how distinc each characters are, and that, even coming from the same place, no one person is ever the same, which is reflective to sisters in real life. Everyone comes with their own set of struggles, and the complex family dynamics was written well in this book.
What I find I wanted more was more of a closure with their mother. It felt a bit rushed towards the end in some sense, and it would've been perfect if their problems were not just 'settled' like that. But in some sense, that's how families works - as imperfect as they are, we tend to forgive them the easiest.
Overall, this was a read that was fast paced and I had enjoyed it. It opened my eyes in reflecting the relationship with my sisters as well, and even after that, there is still a lingering feeling when I finished this.
4 🌟 for this one! would've bumped into five if it was more thought out towards the end of the book. But oh well.
Thank you to Times Reads for this copy!
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
The beauty of this book is in the rawness of grief and the mess that is becoming of humans.
And of sisters, for the joys, fights and love that a sister can have for each other. The beauty of just being able to have sisters of your own.
And of sisters, for the joys, fights and love that a sister can have for each other. The beauty of just being able to have sisters of your own.
"A sister is not a friend. Who can explain the urge to take a relationship as primal and complex as a sibling and reduce it to something as replaceable, as banal as a friend?
True sisterhood, the kind where you grew fingernails in the same womb, were pushed screaming through identical birth canals, is not the same as friendship. You don't choose each other, right from the start."
They say the relationship of sisters are ones that are irreplaceable. It can be messy, almost all of the time, and it can be high in tension at times, but at the end of the day, the pleasure of having sisters are one of the greatest thing life can offer - and I for one can attest to that.
Blue sisters follows the POV of three sisters, maneuvering through their lives from the grief of losing one of their sisters at a young age. At each chapters, we go through the complexity of relationships and sister dynamics, of the struggles of women going through pain that only can be understandable by women, and at the heart of this book, of finding yourself again through grief.
What I liked about this book is how raw it was, how closely relatable it was, especially, when you have sisters of your own. The struggles and guilt from the eldest, the calm in the rage of a storm of the second, the spontaneity of the youngest seeking for validation. Through Avery, Bonnie and Lucky, we see part of ourselves through them, and that's what made this book such an easy read, at most, eventho it navigates through a heavy topic.
The complexity of relationships formed by a single word - sisterhood , and in some sense, the pains of being vulnerable towards each other showed Mellors to be quite a splendid writer. She knows how to engage well with her readers and her characters can be unlikeable and messy and messed up, but they are, human - imperfect but striving everyday to find meaning in life. And even tho sisters, I liked how distinc each characters are, and that, even coming from the same place, no one person is ever the same, which is reflective to sisters in real life. Everyone comes with their own set of struggles, and the complex family dynamics was written well in this book.
What I find I wanted more was more of a closure with their mother. It felt a bit rushed towards the end in some sense, and it would've been perfect if their problems were not just 'settled' like that. But in some sense, that's how families works - as imperfect as they are, we tend to forgive them the easiest.
Overall, this was a read that was fast paced and I had enjoyed it. It opened my eyes in reflecting the relationship with my sisters as well, and even after that, there is still a lingering feeling when I finished this.
4 🌟 for this one! would've bumped into five if it was more thought out towards the end of the book. But oh well.
Thank you to Times Reads for this copy!