emmaliborski's reviews
47 reviews

Sisters by Lily Tuck

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.75

Sisters is a stark but subtle novella about a woman who develops an obsession with her husband's ex-wife. This felt more like a creative writing exercise than a finished project but I appreciated the subtlety and the stylistic creativity. The author leaves a lot unsaid and asks the reader to read between the lines- she uses allusions to historical figures or pieces of art that the narrator reflects on to introduce the reader to the narrator's emotions and motivations. I finished it on a short flight and it was an easy, relaxing read that explores a topic that's often misrepresented or romanticized (the complex fixation someone can have with their partner's ex). Other than that, I didn't think it was particularly compelling- I found the characters equal parts irritating and dull, except the ex-wife.

Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier by Marisa Meltzer

medium-paced

2.75

I honestly came away from this book feeling like I didn't learn anything at all- or at least, I didn't learn anything worth remembering. I enjoyed the passages on marketing/brand identity in the beauty industry as a whole the most, but if you're familiar with Glossier lore at all, I'm not sure how much new information you'd glean from this book.

It seemed like the author was afraid to take any sort of stance. It's obvious that her feelings toward Emily Weiss are complex, which is valid, but it felt like she couldn't decide if this book was a hit piece or a glowing profile. She tries to strike a happy medium, but I think she could've gone with another tone entirely. It just feels a bit unsteady, not quite sure what it wanted to be. 

I wonder if part of the issue is that it might not have been the right "time" to write a book about Glossier. Sure, the brand doesn't hold the cultural cache it used to, but its story is far from over. The history feels too fresh. 

I listened to this one as an audiobook, which made it a lot more enjoyable. It has a podcast-esque style to it that made the experience feel natural. 

The Fall by Albert Camus

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This is my favorite in-a-single-sitting book I've ever read. Insanely quotable, equal parts funny and dark, and a unique form & structure. It's like the greatest self-own of humanity ever written. Nothing I write in this review will be intelligent or original enough to stand in conversation with it, but I'll just say: we all know Jean-Baptiste, and we've all been him. Can't wait to reread this one someday and find new philosophical pathways I missed the first time. 

"We are all exceptional cases. We all want to appeal against something! Each of us insists on being innocent at all cost, even if he has to accuse the whole human race and heaven itself."

Banyan Moon by Thao Thai

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This was just a formulaic multi-generational contemporary lit novel to me. The three main characters were well-developed and equally flawed and I enjoyed diving into their complex histories. The motif of secret-keeping was a compelling one; how do we justify keeping certain secrets and divulging others, and how do those decisions impact our relationships? The theme of motherhood was powerful and complex as well. All three Tran women are well-intentioned but deeply imperfect mothers, and the reader gets to explore why mothers make certain mistakes and how those mistakes affect their children. Unfortunately, most of the dialogue felt contrived (especially dialogue between Ann and her friends/partners), the figurative language was often clunky, and the story itself didn't feel very original to me. This was an ambitious debut novel that felt a bit clumsy or cliche at times, but I enjoyed exploring the characters and felt satisfied by the ending.

“I think there's something so heartbreakingly beautiful about boys -- their softness, their vulnerability, before the world tells them that they must be something else. What could the men who hurt us have been, had they been loved enough?”

Easy Beauty: On Seeing and Being Seen by Chloé Cooper Jones

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

A stunning and thoughtful memoir about how identity intersects with our relationships to beauty, joy, and the people around us. Chloé, writing from her perspective as a disabled writer and professor, critiques herself as much as the world around her and emerges with a renewed perspective.  Relationships, motherhood, travel, art, and philosophy all play critical roles in Chloé's reflections. Her prose is meditative, sharp, and even funny- she writes with an authenticity that feels completely unperformative. I personally resonated with some of the internal journey she writes about- it's ultimately a story of outgrowing defensiveness and reinvigorating your relationship to the world around you without ignoring the hard truths of life. 

“I am making things worse than they are, but this is deep in the core of being a person. You are the thing standing in your way.”

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.25

One of the main points of the book is that art cannot be an effective arena in which to solve ethical dilemmas.  Therefore, Dederer doesn't give us answers or moral direction- she gives us thorough research and personal reflection. I think this book is worth the read for any creative person, or anyone whose life is centered around creating or consuming art.

“Love is not reliant on judgment, but on a decision to set judgment aside. Love is anarchy. Love is chaos. We don't love the deserving; we love flawed and imperfect human beings, in an emotional logic that belongs to an entirely different weather system than the chilly climate of reason.”

No One Left to Come Looking for You by Sam Lipsyte

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

A quick, entertaining true-crime style read that immerses you in a bygone era of the downtown New York music scene. The protagonist has a Holden Caulfield-esque voice that was fun to read in this setting. I would almost prefer this book as a movie; its plot is condensed enough for it to work, the emotional truths are self-explanatory, and the setting would be so fun to experience visually. As a book, it's slightly simplistic.

The Trump element of this book came out of left field and sort of soured the experience for me- it felt like the writer just wanted to make fun of Trump in a new literary setting. I'm all for making fun of Trump, but his name cast a different light over the book. It just felt a little on-the-nose. I would have preferred stand-in name for a character like Trump- people can read between the lines.

“All you need to understand is that you are living in a goddamn amusement park that is pretty much safe if you stay within the perimeter, stick to your coffee shops, your bars, your clubs, even your cop spots. But do not fuck with the people who really belong here, whether they are slinging dope on the corner or closing real estate deals in office towers. Not to mention all the hardworking civilians just trying to get through the day. Do you understand? Just play out your artsy-fartsy dream until you get too old or too tired of being broke and mediocre and it's time for the next batch of fools to roll in.“

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

3.0

To Kuang's credit, I quite literally finished this book within thirty-six hours. Something about the pace and writing style made it easy for me to keep turning pages. However, I do think this story is a little on-the-nose and lacks nuance.

"Writing is such a solitary activity. You have no assurance that what you’re creating has any value, and any indication that you’re behind in the rat race sends you spiraling into the pits of despair. Keep your eyes on your own paper, they say. But that’s hard to do when everyone else’s papers are flapping constantly in your face."

The Price of Salt, or Carol by Patricia Highsmith

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Stunning. I love a road trip novel and a New York novel and this was both. 

I loved how Highsmith wrote Therese's experience of falling in love with a tone that reminded me more of a thriller than romance. It captures the human experience of a first love, especially one that defies social expectations. I didn't love Carol and Therese together, and I don't think Highsmith is asking you to fully buy in to their relationship. This is Therese's coming-of-age story, and she makes plenty of irrational and relatable mistakes on the way. I can't wait to reread this one day when I'm closer to Carol's age than Therese's. 

"How was it possible to be afraid and in love... The two things did not go together. How was it possible to be afraid, when the two of them grew stronger together every day? And every night. Every night was different, and every morning. Together they possessed a miracle."

Stay True by Hua Hsu

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

A short and impactful memoir about grief, friendship, identity, and art. We all knew that person in college wrapped up in their own tastes and vision with blinders put up to the world around them, and this is the version of Hua Hsu you encounter in the book. The sudden loss of a friend forces him to reconsider his personal truths and priorities. Art, music, and political activism play roles in shaping his views before this trauma and, later, mingle with his grief. Emotional, earnest, and completely worth the read.
 
"We spent so much of our time in this mode--sifting through culture as evidence, projecting different versions of ourselves based on our allegiances and enthusiasms. We weren't in search of answers. These weren't debates to be won: certainty was boring. We were in search of patterns that would bring the world into focus."