peter1rose's reviews
41 reviews

How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 8 by Tamifull

3.75

How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 9 by Tamifull

4.0

Moomin and the Spring Surprise by Tove Jansson

3.0

Very cute but strangely executed illustrations. Were they Tove's originals cut and recolored? Some of them seemed that way and some of them looked out of place.

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

Interesting book. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, but it's soft and reflective. I enjoyed her writing as always. 

A Deadly Affair by Agatha Christie

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Very fun book full of many short stories. I enjoyed the second one the most. Entertaining more than anything else. 

The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 1 by Mokumokuren

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Beautifully illustrated! I love how they touch on grief visually and throughout the story. My favorite manga.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

While I usually rate all books I think should be "required reading" 5 stars, books I hold above others and think of as life changing, I cannot bring myself to do that for The Jungle. Since it's an older novel, and the author's style can feel very impersonal, it can be difficult to get into. Once you're into it and become invested the book feels like a large tragedy with very few moments to pick up any hope. I understand that this is the point and there are few things within this book that I cannot also relate to. But in the latter half of the book one can start to see it's age. A bit more vulgar with POC, and demeaning of the worth of women. It's upsetting but again understandable given the original publication date of 1906. Then in the end

it becomes preachy in an uncomfortable way. I consider myself socialist. At least to regard that democrats are never willing to do enough for us and in the end are just business people like the republicans. But the last 3 chapters of the book read more like a church sermon where men cling to socialism like it is a religion. It becomes a drag of lectures and speeches. I also have the privilege of being more than a century into the future, knowing that socialism still holds no ground in the US. It feels like a book on atrocities that never changed. Great for education. Great for the people it impacted and how it changed the food industry. But sad in all other regards.

VICEROY by Casey Marley Breidenbach

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

I definitely was expecting the world of this book, which is bad for giving it an honest chance. I found the author's writing very true to the character's voice, easy to read, and entertaining. The book reminds me of Donny Darko or Heather's. The characters are like the grunge equivalent to The Secret History. It's cathartic to read with a clear sense of wish fulfillment for me. Where the book falls short is in that I think the narrative could have been tighter. Not necessarily shorter, but I found myself enjoying the more realistic aspects of the book, but

when they all travel to New York towards the end everything was more adventurous and fantastical than previous and later sections. I think I wanted it to be more like the climax where Davey dies. Their depravity could have still come from this. </spoiler > Regardless, I enjoyed it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Sexual assault and Drug abuse

Korean Genealogy Guide: A Resource to Help English Speakers Discover Korean Ancestors... by Jason Howard
Did not finish book.

Extremely informative but yet to read cover to cover. I need more understanding first. 

Making Maps, Third Edition: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS by Denis Wood, John Krygier

4.0

Don't let the cover fool you. This book is full of beautiful examples and simple easy to read text. I read this for an intro cartography class and I enjoyed it!