scruffie's reviews
94 reviews
A Gathering: A Personal Anthology of Scottish Poems by Alexander McCall Smith
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Our tastes in poetry do not align much, but I still managed to find a few poems I liked in this collection.
Helpfully, the poems written in Gaelic come with translations, and the ones written in Scots come with small word/expression translation annotations. However, I could have used a couple more annotations in a few places.
Helpfully, the poems written in Gaelic come with translations, and the ones written in Scots come with small word/expression translation annotations. However, I could have used a couple more annotations in a few places.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Loved the writing style. A couple of bits towards the end felt less edited but I'm definitely gonna be reading more Kuang
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
I'll get back to this at a later time.
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
I'll get back to this at a later time.
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Animal cruelty, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Amphibian by Christina Neuwirth
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Probably not for everyone, but definitely for me. "Hatchling" in particular hit really hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Cannibalism
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0