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maria_thebookworm's reviews
66 reviews
Promising Young Women by Caroline O'Donoghue
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Dykette by Jenny Fran Davis
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Zauner writes about her childhood, her relationship with her mother, and her grief over her mother's death. She explores their connection through Korean culture and Korean food, along with her journey to understand her own Korean-American identity.
I really connected to Zauner's honest recollections of her relationship with her mother. I love that she doesn't sugarcoat her grief over losing her mother, her regret over her teenage angst, the ways she took her mother for granted, her desperation to be the perfect caretaker while her mother had cancer, or her mother's flaws. Zauner's unflinching honesty endeared me to her.
Her deep affection and love for her mother exudes throughout the entire book, not a love without fights or differing opinions, but a love made stronger through pain.
Zauner does not attempt to paint herself in a flattering light. She is just striving to be her mother's living legacy, viewing herself as the art her mother left behind.
I appreciated how Zauner explores her experiences struggling to belong in two different cultures. I appreciated her openess about her challenges in her relationship with her hypercritical mother: the desire to gain her approval, the frustration with her obsession with perfection, their struggle to understand each other, and the feeling like she would never live up to her mother's expectations.
I loved learning about traditional Korean cuisine as Zauner describes her favorite childhood foods, her mother's Korean cooking, Korean street food, and H Mart purchases in exquisite detail.
This is Zauner's story of her complicated relationship with her mother, her grief over her mother's passing, and their bonding over food, but her story carries universal themes for every reader. She writes in an engaging, deeply personaI way that I was quickly absorbed by.
Whether you're a mother, a daughter, or both, this book is an absolute must read. I was renewed in my appreciation for own mom's diligent care, realizing that I never want to take her presence or love for granted. I highly recommend Crying In H Mart!
I really connected to Zauner's honest recollections of her relationship with her mother. I love that she doesn't sugarcoat her grief over losing her mother, her regret over her teenage angst, the ways she took her mother for granted, her desperation to be the perfect caretaker while her mother had cancer, or her mother's flaws. Zauner's unflinching honesty endeared me to her.
Her deep affection and love for her mother exudes throughout the entire book, not a love without fights or differing opinions, but a love made stronger through pain.
Zauner does not attempt to paint herself in a flattering light. She is just striving to be her mother's living legacy, viewing herself as the art her mother left behind.
I appreciated how Zauner explores her experiences struggling to belong in two different cultures. I appreciated her openess about her challenges in her relationship with her hypercritical mother: the desire to gain her approval, the frustration with her obsession with perfection, their struggle to understand each other, and the feeling like she would never live up to her mother's expectations.
I loved learning about traditional Korean cuisine as Zauner describes her favorite childhood foods, her mother's Korean cooking, Korean street food, and H Mart purchases in exquisite detail.
This is Zauner's story of her complicated relationship with her mother, her grief over her mother's passing, and their bonding over food, but her story carries universal themes for every reader. She writes in an engaging, deeply personaI way that I was quickly absorbed by.
Whether you're a mother, a daughter, or both, this book is an absolute must read. I was renewed in my appreciation for own mom's diligent care, realizing that I never want to take her presence or love for granted. I highly recommend Crying In H Mart!
The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
The way Olga often treats her children with an utter lack of care is deeply disturbing. Her extraneous internal monologue often prevents her from taking any reasonable action. Olga wastes time that should have been used to care for her young children wondering why her husband left her. She is coldly neglectful, leaving them alone for hours in the middle of the night. The parentification of her 7-year-old daughter is infuriating.
Olga was overall so dislikable and unbearable! Her situation is terrible and at first I felt like I should only pity her. But because she was often a terrible mother, it was very hard for me to sympathize with her. I was left wondering if I was supposed to feel bad for her!
Towards the end of the book Olga became more sympathetic, seemingly turning her life and perspective around, which was relieving. I appreciated that Ferrante chose to explore how a woman would realistically react to her husband leaving her; she would need to rediscover herself. However, this book just didn't work for me.
#ferrante #elenaferrante #daysofabandonment #italian #womenintranslation #bookreviews #bookstagram #bookhighlights #booksta #bibliophile #review
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The MC's husband has left her for a woman nearly half her age. Translated from Italian, the unique writing style of this book is extremely rich. Ferrante delves into the inner world of an abandoned woman, with the MC describing her visceral thoughts and feelings in absurd detail.
The writing is not my favorite because it goes on and on without much actually occurring.
The writing is not my favorite because it goes on and on without much actually occurring.
The way Olga often treats her children with an utter lack of care is deeply disturbing. Her extraneous internal monologue often prevents her from taking any reasonable action. Olga wastes time that should have been used to care for her young children wondering why her husband left her. She is coldly neglectful, leaving them alone for hours in the middle of the night. The parentification of her 7-year-old daughter is infuriating.
Olga was overall so dislikable and unbearable! Her situation is terrible and at first I felt like I should only pity her. But because she was often a terrible mother, it was very hard for me to sympathize with her. I was left wondering if I was supposed to feel bad for her!
Towards the end of the book Olga became more sympathetic, seemingly turning her life and perspective around, which was relieving. I appreciated that Ferrante chose to explore how a woman would realistically react to her husband leaving her; she would need to rediscover herself. However, this book just didn't work for me.
Ultimately, this book was not enjoyable. It was so laborious! I was left wondering how such a short book could be so miserable. I just wanted it to be over.
I don't think I'd choose to read Ferrante again.
#ferrante #elenaferrante #daysofabandonment #italian #womenintranslation #bookreviews #bookstagram #bookhighlights #booksta #bibliophile #review
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
I genuinely enjoyed Kelly's narration! I wasn't familiar with all of the actors she mentioned, but I enjoyed her frankness and sense of humor. I also appreciated her vulnerability in regards to her mistakes and regrets.
At first, I wanted more of the memoir to be about Gilmore Girls and her time on the set, especially given the title, but her stories about the other parts of her life were surprisingly interesting.
At first, I wanted more of the memoir to be about Gilmore Girls and her time on the set, especially given the title, but her stories about the other parts of her life were surprisingly interesting.
At first, I wanted more of the memoir to be about Gilmore Girls and her time on the set, especially given the title, but her stories about the other parts of her life were surprisingly interesting. I enjoyed learning about her career transition from dancer to actress. Overall, I just loved how honest and candid Kelly is. I liked that I really got to know her as a person and not just as the character Emily Gilmore.
I loved her BTS perspective from the show Gilmore Girls and how she connected the characters with people in her own family (her maternal grandmother as Emily; Lorelai as her mother). I love that she is a feisty childfree woman who speaks her mind and doesn’t let anyone stop her-she's such a badass!
Elysian Fields by Twila Gingerich
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This short book managed to simulatenously devastate and heal me.
Imogen’s life revolves around her debilitating depression, anxiety, and OCD. This book set in Canada is a study in mental health and the ways that it affects the main character.
Imogen also becomes unexpectedly pregnant, which complicates her challenging mental health situation.
As someone who has struggled with severe anxiety and OCD symptoms since I was a young child, I was gripped by the ways that Gingerich so vividly portrays these illnesses, especially in the conversations that Imgoen has with her therapist, Sonya. I found much of the therapy-centered prose extremely healing and relevant to my mental health.
Imogen elicits sympathy. Her mental illnesses themselves are battles, and the events that happen to her in the course of the story are incredibly apalling, yet she develops resilience.
However, there were times where I was frustrated by her self-sabotage, inaction, delays in decision making, and purposeful isolation from others.
Gingerich deals with challenging topics including all of the above mentioned mental health illnesses, pregnancy, death, SA, self-harm, guilt, and parental expectations.
I was reminded of both Jude from "A Little Life" and the main character from "My Year of Rest and Relaxation." Those characters are completely different but pieces of both are combined in Imogen.
I highly recommend this book if you are a sad literary fiction fan, but be prepared to have your heart ripped to shreds.
Imogen’s life revolves around her debilitating depression, anxiety, and OCD. This book set in Canada is a study in mental health and the ways that it affects the main character.
Imogen also becomes unexpectedly pregnant, which complicates her challenging mental health situation.
As someone who has struggled with severe anxiety and OCD symptoms since I was a young child, I was gripped by the ways that Gingerich so vividly portrays these illnesses, especially in the conversations that Imgoen has with her therapist, Sonya. I found much of the therapy-centered prose extremely healing and relevant to my mental health.
Imogen elicits sympathy. Her mental illnesses themselves are battles, and the events that happen to her in the course of the story are incredibly apalling, yet she develops resilience.
However, there were times where I was frustrated by her self-sabotage, inaction, delays in decision making, and purposeful isolation from others.
Gingerich deals with challenging topics including all of the above mentioned mental health illnesses, pregnancy, death, SA, self-harm, guilt, and parental expectations.
I was reminded of both Jude from "A Little Life" and the main character from "My Year of Rest and Relaxation." Those characters are completely different but pieces of both are combined in Imogen.
I highly recommend this book if you are a sad literary fiction fan, but be prepared to have your heart ripped to shreds.
Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5