annietaber's reviews
176 reviews

Biography of X by Catherine Lacey

reflective medium-paced

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

1.0

“Unlike any novel I’ve ever read,” says one reviewer on the cover of this book— which is certainly true, given this is simply a fictionalized boring, boring biography of an unlikeable and ripped-off character. I understand that this is a genre feat in and of itself, by re-imagining the US with a seceded South (which was a shallow attempt, in my opinion —

A white supremacist Bernie Sanders presidency? Enough

), combining real life events and people (which ended up being unbelievable rather than clever —

songwriting for David Bowie??

) around a single iconic figure, and using the form of biography as fiction. This is meant as a meditation on the self and life as performance, but I couldn’t be brought to care because both X and CM were so unlikeable and I compelling (X for her pathological cruelty in the name of some perverted “truth” and CM for her total lack of identity and character). Even the satire of genre-pushing art people by X herself fell flat, as the larger project of the book felt like a shock-mongering yet somehow still boring imitation of some modernist/absurdist 20th century work. 

My Husband by Maud Ventura

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I just love a book with an unhinged, unreliable female narrator. I also love reading about obsession, so this book really ticked all the boxes. The reviews on the front called this a “thriller,” but I’d take issue with that characterization. It was more of a deep dive into how romantic paranoia and obsession can spiral and self-justify. I loved how Ventura was compassionate toward her narrator; she doesn’t see herself as crazy — in fact, she believes she’s especially rooted in reality and fact

(as evidenced by her careful keeping of records in her diaries and using her students as outside perspectives, even though that’s wild too)

. Fun read inside a fun narrator’s head.

The twist at the end was awesome. Very much giving “you think she’s crazy? I’m crazier.” And that’s why they work! I laughed when I saw it was the husband’s perspective for the epilogue

. 

Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly

emotional funny fast-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

3.75

This book was on thin ice from the start bc of titular Greta and Valdin’s seriously millennial cringiness (characters calling themselves “full time lesbians,” etc), but as the story went on, they endeared themselves to me. This was a fun story, but felt like a family ensemble movie rather than something suited for a book format. Also, too much of the plot and dialogue hinged on the characters literally knowing nothing about each other and then revealing family-altering pieces of info to other family members (Greta for some reason has no idea how or when her parents met? And V has no idea how or why their dad left the Soviet Union?? Hello!??). Also I simply can’t believe that that many members of one family are gay. Call me a homophobe! (You’re telling me Greta is a lesbian, V is gay, their uncle is gay, their gay uncle’s brother is also gay and oh! Is in a relationship with V, and their nephew is also gay?) Some great funny moments (but also a fair share of seriously cringy and poorly developed bits) but honestly this read like a script for a funny family ensemble movie or TV show rather than a novel. 

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I kept wanting to like this book because there were some real nuggets of great storybuilding: a unique and well developed nature-based magic system, interesting post-colonial/anti-imperialist questions (

including the romance between a would-be emperor and anti-imperial nationalist

), beautiful imagery and settings (the temple and its shifting exterior, the lacquer gardens), etc. Unfortunately, every time I would start to come around on the story, something in the writing (repetitions after repetitions) or plotting (such a drag at the beginning and out of control at the end) would take me right out of it. For all its moments of beauty and creativity, this book had simply too many cliched plug-and-chug plot/literary tropes and far too many gaps of why we should even be rooting for what is billed as THE sapphic desi romance. Ultimately, this effort was unconvincing. 

Talking about Politics: Informal Groups and Social Identity in American Life by Katherine Cramer Walsh

medium-paced

Interesting but also I just hate this kind of non-fiction (read: overly long monographs of what could have/should have been a single journal article). Assessing its literary merit is a non-question, but I like Cramer’s work and participant-observation approach, so this was essential thesis reading. 

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Started off so strong, but after the halfway point, the pacing was so jarring and underdeveloped that each plot point just felt like a plot outline rather than part of what was shaping up to be a very interesting mystery combining science, philosophy, and a pseudo-dystopian near-future. Loved what the author was trying to do, but I feel like we needed double the content for the end, which ended up falling really flat (eg.

the announcement of the Tibetan buyout of DIANIMA??? Hello? And book over?

) 

Tangerine by Christine Mangan

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Really fun premise (think Talented Mr Ripley and Saltburn set in Morocco), but ultimately this was poorly executed. A good plot idea, but I wanted more!! Could have been longer so it could dive more into the themes of doubling, obsession, homoerotic friendship, interacting with locals, the logistics of the crimes, etc etc. This fell flat

Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews

reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.0

I fear this was kind of a flop? The whole thing just felt contrived, slightly overdone, self-conscious. I’m an acolyte of less is more, and this book subscribes to the more is more and telling not showing dogma, two things I struggle with in books in this genre. Also, the exact same metaphors were repeated ad nauseum, and the writing was chock full of cliches (hello milk and honey). Some good nuggets, but I wasn’t rooting for the characters at all, and the main character is obstinate in a way that she seems like an author self-insert in that she just rationalizes bad behavior and miscommunication in the name of being afraid. Which like, felt, but let’s have a little character evolution if we’re gonna tout this book as a journey toward being ready for love and life. Also! Whatever happened to plot details? Who is this man? What do we like about him? Overdone I’ve concluded, which is a shame because the premise seemed made for my European summer vibes. 

Passion simple by Annie Ernaux

emotional reflective fast-paced

4.0

« Le luxe, c’est aussi de pouvoir vivre une passion pour un homme ou une femme » (“Luxury is to live out a love affair for a man or a woman”)
Great little meditation on what it’s like to live through an all consuming affair, regardless of what the other does, to think about someone else incessantly, to live to wait for them. 
The French was super accessible, and I love her writing style and the self-conscious auto-fiction and reflections on how much of writing really is for ourselves vs for posterity. 

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

adventurous medium-paced

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

2.0

Hm. Trying to evaluate how I feel about this book is hard bc it was so formative as a 10-year-old, but perhaps that’s where it needed to stay. Doesn’t stand the test of time I fear, or maybe I’m judging it against everything I’ve read since, which perhaps isn’t fair. Weirdly paced (SUPER slow at times but then would rush through important battles?), and Eragon as a character is sort of whiny and dumb. I don’t know if I’ll return to finish the series