mejisilliterate's reviews
74 reviews

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

5.0

I picked this book up this morning. It is a particularly cold and dreary day, and I read the first pages over my breakfast before I had to leave for school. All day this book has been on my mind. In the biting cold as I moved from lecture to lecture, I was thinking about Furlong, about coal and turf, about Sarah. A five star review is so watery and ambiguous when assigned to this book, but I feel like anything else is simply unfitting.

1984 by George Orwell

I thought that the first part of the story, while interesting, was at times very repetitive and forceful in the themes it was imparting. I really enjoyed part 2, especially the constant foreshadowing that heightened the tension. Third part was whatever, Im not a very big fan of unhappy endings lol but I knew it was coming. 

Maurice by E.M. Forster

4.5

This is my second Forster read, after A Room With A View. The two books share some similarities, but I feel that I can really see the maturation and deepening of Forster's writing in this one. 

There's something ephemeral about this story, which I only began to really think about after reading the authors note, where he states that the greenwood into which the couple escaped at the end does not exist any longer. When the comfort of wilderness disappears, where do people hide then? 

The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Did not finish book.

er not for me. really dont connect with selin

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

5.0

Holy shit WHAT a book. From the very famous first line, I was in the spell. I was there, walking with the narrator. One of the most impressive scenes for me was when the heroine is recalling the night of the ball from her dazed, entranced state, and I physically felt every disconnected emotion, like I was in a dream myself. Seriously gripping the whole way through. I’m in absolute awe of the way du maurier wrote a character, who isn’t even present, that COMMANDED the entire mood of the book. And the themes of time, identity, love……there is so much to say and explore. A book so complex it’s one of those that make you want to study it, just to begin to get the full picture. 

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

2.0

Shit and boring. The premise was interesting, but absolutely zero chemistry to make it believable. Also feels incredibly claustrophobic for some reason. Can’t explain why but I just was so bored

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

3.25

Pretty solid. Nice fall read. Plot-wise it was very fast-paced and, though I could complain about a lot of what happened, it reminded me of the structure of classic fairytales and adventure stories, which I thought was endearing. Biggest problem with it is probs that Ashcroft was a very weak villain. As far as romance goes it was really nothing special--it moved far too quickly, and while cute at times, lost any lustre it had pretty fast--but thats pretty typical of YA stories which unfortunately ive been baited into reading once again. sigh. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Though I really enjoyed this book and all the beautiful and witty prose angelou has to offer, it came at a really bad time in my life. I finished the book halfway in about 2 days before being completely unable to pick it up again (or any of my other hobbies lol) for another three weeks. Good news is, I’m doing better and finished the other half extremely quickly! Goes to show how much of a reading experience is influenced by personal factors rather than purely the work itself. Oh well, I still really liked it despite it all. 

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

Wasn’t really feeling it atm

James by Percival Everett

4.75

Astounding book. Even having never read the source material, the characters jumped off the page. Got me out of a long reading slump with its amazing writing and thoughtful story. .25 off because it left me wondering about

his feelings for leaving a son behind, even if that son was white

But I also can see how it makes sense with the story