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alishareadsandrambles's reviews
95 reviews
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
I just couldn't get into this book. The synopsis sounded interesting and the first couple pages really drew me in, but it just ended up being too confusing for me. Jumping between times and places and people just didn't make sense. I wasn't following what was happening so I decided to dnf.
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
Eh. Felt kinda annoyed by it and listening to it was feeling like a chore. I don't think it was bad, it just wasn't for me.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
This book makes no sense. It was super hard to follow. I see a lot of people describe it as dream-like, which I guess is true. It is like most of the dreams I have where the is no consistent plot and you are never exactly sure what is happening you are just jumping from scenario to scenario without understanding why.
Also is not one going to talk about how weird it is that this 30 year old man is hanging out with a 16 year old girl?
Also
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Caught Bread Handed by Ellie Alexander
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
3.5
I enjoyed this book as I have with all of the others I have read in this series so far, however; I do agree with the other reviews I have seen that say this is the weakest entry in the series so far. I noticed more issues with the writing in the book than the others, especially with some slightly awkward dialogue and descriptions. I also don't like Carlos as a character and I don't think he is as well fleshed out as the other characters in the series. With hime being a large part of this book it made it a little less enjoyable for me.
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
I was really intrigued by it from the first time I heard about the premise of being, and for me it did not disappoint at all. This book easily stood up to the hype I heard about it and only had a couple moments that fell a little flat for me. There was couple moments were the dialogue felt a little flat and one character whose motivations could have been explained a little bit clearer, but they were pretty small issues that didn't get in the way of my enjoyment of this book. I think the mystery in this book was well handled with some of the aspects being easy to guess earlier and other aspects leaving you guessing the whole time.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Loved the concept but couldn't get into the book. I read the first few chapters over the course of a number days but I felt like I was having to force myself to pick up the book. I couldn't get into the story and thought the writing felt a little flat.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was cute and fun, but it didn't do anything special. The set up was interesting, but I never got truly pulled into this book. I felt like the writing style was keeping me at arms. There was only one character that I really loved, and the plot was fairly predictable. None of this is surprising, since it is a middle grade book, but I had heard so many good things about this book so I was expecting a little bit more.
This is also a book that felt like it was more about the lesson than the story. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a lesson in books, but I don't think that lesson should come at the expense of good story telling.
That all being said this book also didn't do anything terrible, it was just very middle of the road for me.
This is also a book that felt like it was more about the lesson than the story. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a lesson in books, but I don't think that lesson should come at the expense of good story telling.
That all being said this book also didn't do anything terrible, it was just very middle of the road for me.
The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book has been sitting on myself for years, and I am so glad I finally got around to it. When I first started this book there was a little bit of a rollercoaster. I really enjoyed the prologue, but then the book got really confusing and boring real fast. This book shifts timelines and POVs without any real warning. On the page there is a small page break, but there is no indication of the character whose POV it is switching to or if the events happened before or after the events that the previous section was about. I love POV shifts and time jumps, but without knowing what was happening this was super confusing. Combine this with the fact that nothing much happened during the first 100 or so pages and I almost DNF'd this multiple times. In the end I'm glad I didn't because after about 100 pages I did start to enjoy it.
This book mostly centers around Fassin who is a seer in the distant future, and the first 100 pages just follows him in different spaces and time as we get ready for the story of the book. It isn't until after the 100 page mark that the story started to make sense to me, and also it was after that point that the synopsis on the back of the book seemed to be relevant at all. Some authors can get away with the long delay, but I don't think Banks has the chops to pull it off successfully.
Most of the characters in this book felt boring and one dimensional, but there are some side characters that really stand out. We meet my favorite characters in the book very late in the story, but they remind me a little of The Mad Hatter, and are just fun to read about. Additionally Banks did do a good job at making me legitimately hate the villain, even if he did feel like a stereotypical villain.
While this book has some problems where it really shines is the aliens. Holy cow there were some really freaking cool aliens and alien worlds in this book. Also as the story does pick up the plot does become interesting, and the story did pull me in so I really wanted to know what happened.
There are some moments in this book that feel very male gaze-y, and every time one of those would occur it was really frustrating and honestly didn't feel like it belonged in the story at all. For example there is one minor side character that we get a POV from for a few pages and there is multiple paragraphs about how this side character hates meetings and spends all his time during meetings picturing the women in the meeting with him naked. It was really gross, and also not relevant to the story at all.
This book mostly centers around Fassin who is a seer in the distant future, and the first 100 pages just follows him in different spaces and time as we get ready for the story of the book. It isn't until after the 100 page mark that the story started to make sense to me, and also it was after that point that the synopsis on the back of the book seemed to be relevant at all. Some authors can get away with the long delay, but I don't think Banks has the chops to pull it off successfully.
Most of the characters in this book felt boring and one dimensional, but there are some side characters that really stand out. We meet my favorite characters in the book very late in the story, but they remind me a little of The Mad Hatter, and are just fun to read about. Additionally Banks did do a good job at making me legitimately hate the villain, even if he did feel like a stereotypical villain.
While this book has some problems where it really shines is the aliens. Holy cow there were some really freaking cool aliens and alien worlds in this book. Also as the story does pick up the plot does become interesting, and the story did pull me in so I really wanted to know what happened.
There are some moments in this book that feel very male gaze-y, and every time one of those would occur it was really frustrating and honestly didn't feel like it belonged in the story at all. For example there is one minor side character that we get a POV from for a few pages and there is multiple paragraphs about how this side character hates meetings and spends all his time during meetings picturing the women in the meeting with him naked. It was really gross, and also not relevant to the story at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
I found this book to be pretty boring. I got about halfway through and there was no real intrigue to keep me interested in the book.