samihami's reviews
68 reviews

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I adore this piece of work. 
It was for sure a rollercoaster reading it but I enjoyed every bit of it. 
At first I thought it's be just a commentary on the transgender experience in late 19th century and early 20th century; however, it never failed to surprise me. The commentary on

change of cultures, specifically the dramtic change that cam ewith Industrialisation of Britain and the various ways of living from rich England to Turkey to humble, almost porr, savages and wanderers

. 
The symbolism of

the Oak Tree

is beautiful, definitely keep your attention to it through out. 
Woolf is a magician of words and I have fallen for her spells. Immaculate, can't recommend enough.

Birthday Stories: Selected and Introduced by Haruki Murakami by Haruki Murakami

adventurous challenging lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

3.0

I'm not a big fan of some of them and most fell flat for me. Though I do have favourites and I definitely enjoyed some too. I believe everyone will find their own in this collection. Rewfreshing concept which I enjoyed, just not every story was of my taste. But then again, that's kinda the point. 
I found my own, I believe you will too.

Maus: Souborné vydání by Art Spiegelman

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is a piece of art (no pun intended) I will remeber for a long time, if not the rest of my life. 
Everyone should read this at least once in their life. The depth of the characters (though real people) and the dive into human relationships is authentic and endearing. I appreciate that the author strayed away from romantisising vistims of holocaust and decided to picture his father the way he is though it sometimes completes the Jewish stereotype or it puts him at bad light. 
The depiction of animals is perfect for the story and tells a great deal of history.
If you're hesitating, this is your sign to pick it up. You won't have regrets.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Antisemitism, War, Murder, and Violence

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Kafka na pobřeží by Haruki Murakami

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I wasn’t super into it. Like it’s great but since it was for school, I really struggled with the complexity of the story. Great recreational read but not so great for academical writing, though it is rich in themes. 

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

5.0

Just amazing. Never disappoints. 

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

challenging dark emotional informative reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

4.25

Didion’s narrative style combined with snippets of scientific articles and quotes from all kinds of people creates an authentic and exquisite take on grief, mourning and love. Her view of independence of one and dependence on another draws the reader into the story and creates an intimate bond between them and the author. Stunning writing with every word carefully picked.  

Zbabělci by Josef Škvorecký

adventurous dark funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

4.5

Skvela kritika ceskeho naroda a jeho letme hrdosti. Vypravec romantizuje revoluci a vyobrazuje tim nadlehceny pohled na smrt a utrpeni. Misty zdlihave (-0.5), ale jinak naprosto uspokujici a zabavne. 

Wind/ Pinball: Two Novels by Haruki Murakami

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

4.25

Pinball (I read Wind as a separate novel), a great novel of love, dedication, frustration with one’s identity, finding your purpose, traditions, ways of life, obsession and more.

The Rat decides to search for new future and main character hunts after his past.

In places I can’t tell if Murakami was just high  however I just think my mind is not divine enough to understand some passages and I don’t mind a single bit. 

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I couldn’t find sense in it. +3 stars for the creative narrative style and the theme of culture, traditions, and going against them. -2 because it seems

like vegetarianism is a sign of mental condition (since Yeong-hye ends up having an ed, attempts suicide, dissociates completely, and exhibits unusual behaviour) and because it just didn’t make sense to me. The dream inputs in the beginning were confusing, the characters seemed to have been quite one dimensional and Yeong-hye’s mental state just felt out of place and a little but silly. 

 
Though I must say I enjoyed the depiction of

marital SA as that rarely gets acknowledged or represented and isn’t commonly shown so realistically as it is The Vegetarian.

Overall it’s okay but wouldn’t recommend it to someone out of nowhere or reread it. 

Keep in mind that this can be triggering for some. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Blood, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, and Body shaming

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Abandonment