farbooksventure's reviews
359 reviews

We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter by Celeste Headlee
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.

Something about the tone of the writing in this one doesn't sit right with me.

I'm not interested to saw to it until the end.

The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Really enjoy Milan's writing style & the way the infamous 3'rd act conflict is handled in this story. It balanced the conflicts & the feel good aspects quite well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Chronic illness

Minor: Death of parent

In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writing by Elena Ferrante
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.

I don't understand enough to compel me to finish the book. It's simply not for me.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I read Red, White, & Royal Blue again in the aftermath of Prime's film adaptation release. The film is cute & fun for sure, but all it does is making me appreciate how layered the story in the original book is.

I can't believe the way it still managed to be a delighful escapism the second time around. All of these characters are endearingly flawed, I root for them until the very end.

The only draw back for me might be the excessive amount pop culture references. I don't mind the nod towards Stars Wars or The Hunger Games, honestly. The frequent mention of a particular magical fantasy series however? Doesn't age well. I could do without that, but oh well.

If a book managed to make me sit through the topic of international relations and American politics, they do something great.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Outing

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

I'm always aware of long-distance running/marathons as a concept for the longest time. Being a person who's not really interested in sports, I couldn't tell you much about it. In What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, I learn quite a bit about it from someone who has been dedicating hours of their life to this & finding fulfillment in doing it. More than that, it provides a glimpse into Haruki Murakami's outlook on life, personal philosophy, and also his relationship with sport in general.

Murakami elaborates on why running suits him. Down to the discipline needed for them. He even connected the process of running marathons with his profession as an author. How endurance is essential for both of them. After reading, I could see why writing & running is perfect for Murakami as a person.

BUT, this book is not all glory and achievement. In fact, what sticks with me the most is the opposite. Murakami's reflection about getting old and learning to accept that his body couldn't handle as much grueling sports work as it used to be, is very memorable. Reading about his experience at a triathlon event at the end of the book is particularly bittersweet. On another side, Ray Porter does a great job conveying the tone that Murakami is going for in this audiobook. I couldn't stop listening.

If you're having a hard time getting into Haruki Murakami's fictional works, give this nonfiction a try. It works for me, at least. I've already reached the point of giving up finding a suitable Murakami novel for me. I think I will reconsider after reading this short & insightful memoir of his. 

The Door by Magda Szabó

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

Good storytelling, good translation, and good audio narration too. What else could I ask for?

In The Door, we follow the complicated relationship between two flawed women (an author & her older housekeeper). Both are too stubborn for their own good. We read the way they love/hate each other & the push/pull that comes with it. It's not the quickest or easiest book to read (thanks to its characters), but it definitely feels so rewarding (haunting even?) in the end. If you love slow-paced character study featuring unlikeable women as the character, give this book a try. 

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

It's a meandering story, alright…

I'm happy to report that I actually enjoy American Gods more than I expect myself to. This can be credited to the fact that Neil Gaiman's writings are always a delight to read & I'm invested in Shadow Moon as the main character.

I still agree with my earlier assessment that a >500 pages book is way too much commitment for me. The fact that Shadow gives off himbo energy does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of incentivizing me to finish the book. If I find him annoying, I don't think I will finish American Gods at all. The many times various characters refer to him as a "big guy" who's often time too naive for his own good... Endless.

"A voice from behind him, in the shadows, said, very quietly, 'You have never disappointed me.'
Shadow did not turn. 'That's weird,' he said. 'I disappointed myself all the way. Every time.' - from page 575.

Not gonna lie I am this close (🤏) to giving up in the middle point. But the plot finally picks up at the last part of the story & I really enjoy all the revelations or twists that come with it. When Shadow's backstory came to light & a big plot twist happened, I found myself satisfied as a reader. The appearance of Gods from the Ancient Egyptian pantheon is another highlight for me.

Alas, it turns out I'm reading something exciting! 

Passing by Nella Larsen

emotional reflective fast-paced

5.0

Another book that is going to haunt me for a while.

In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri

emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Jhumpa Lahiri's works have been on my radar for quite some time now. I am glad to be introduced to her writings through this book at last.

In Other Words is Lahiri's first book in Italian. It is a collection of writings about her experience learning Italian. How that journey started, how long it was in progress, and how she (eventually) got to the point where she writes in that language.

On one hand, It was an exploration of how one immerse oneself in a new language. On another hand, it was also an author's attempt at reinventing themself in a completely different language. At some points, it also serves as Lahiri’s attempt at grappling with her 'in-between' identity. 

“I write on the margins, just as I’ve always lived on the margins of countries, of cultures. A peripheral zone where it’s impossible for me to feel rooted, but where I’m comfortable. The only zone where I think that, in some way, I belong.”

In Other Words leaves quite a deep impression on me first and foremost simply because I love reading about all-things-language. I am also in the middle of my Spanish learning journey, so this book came to me at the perfect time.

More than that though, I can relate to the sentiment that Lahiri conveyed regarding her mother tongue. About how she felt oddly distanced from her it. This has been a feeling I am grappling with too these past years about Baso Minang. Thankfully, I’m way luckier than Lahiri in the sense that I do find home & feel secure in Bahasa Indonesia. Reading about how English never to feel safe to her is quite heartbreaking.

Writing-wise, I love how Lahiri plays around with simple language to convey a really sharp & memorable passage. I can’t wait to explore her fiction works now after I’m finished with this one. Apparently, the English translation of her second book in Italian was released last year? I hope she writes another nonfiction in the same vein as this one. I’m curious how her mind changes after all these years. Especially about translating her own works.

If you love reading about language or are interested in that realm, I think you’re going to appreciate In Other Words. I would also recommend it to people who love reading about the behind-the-scenes process of a seasoned author. 

Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

I cannot believe this, but I think I already found one of my favorite reads of 2022 this early in the year.

On the surface, Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio is a mystery/police procedural story. One tenant has been murdered, another enigmatic tenant (who's loved by all) suddenly disappeared. Sounds like a cut and dry murder case, right? Of course, it isn't. Not only told through a series of witness accounts from various characters around Piazza Vittorio, but in between the accounts, we will also get a glimpse of the missing tenant (named Amedeo) personal diary. What follows is a hilarious satire about how wildly different and biased everyone sees the world & everything around them.

At the heart of it, Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio is a story about identity, prejudice, and immigration. It is also a story about racism, xenophobia, and having a place you called home. 

’Amedeo, you were suckled by the wolf!’ By now I know Rome as if I had been born here & never left. I have the right to wonder: am I a bastard like the twins Romulus and Remus or an adopted son?

The racist/xenophobic believe of some characters dial up to 100 in this satire to the point of over-the-top sometimes, but I think it gets the point across.

I would recommend this super short & fast book if you’re looking for a hilarious satire that pokes fun at human fear of “the other”.