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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Usually, when I read a book I know how I feel about it—whether I loved it, really liked it, thought it was just okay, or disliked it—and I have an idea of how to articulate my feelings. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is one of those rare books that has me really torn up and…
1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 20th century, 3 STARS, abortion/miscarriage/bodily autonomy, academia, Adult, age gap, America, anxiety, asian american, big books, books that make me mad, California, cambridge (us), class, coming of age, Contemporary, DEATH, DEPRESSION, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), disabilities, drama, female authors, friendships, Gabrielle Zevin, gay side characters, GRIEF, growing up, GUILT, Harvard, HISTORICAL FICTION, horrible friends, Jewish, korean american author, lgbtq+ side, LITERARY FICTION, loneliness, los angeles, m/m side, Massachusetts, mental health, nostalgic reads, Not Like Other Girls, orphans, published in 2022, queer side characters, ROMANCE, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, toxic relationships, trauma, UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE, unrequited love, videogames, work culture -
The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton
this is my fault. i should know by now that titles claiming to have dark academia or sapphic vibes should be approached with extreme caution. DISCLAIMER: I did not like this book and my review reflects of that. I will be brutally honest about my thoughts on this novel so if you want to read…
1 STAR, 3rd pov, academia, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, ANGST, boarding/private school, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, books about writers, cheesy, Christianity, cliques, Contemporary, dark academia, drama, eating disorders, f/f side, female authors, horrible friends, lesbian side characters, Longing, maine, MELODRAMA, music, My reviews, MYSTERY, obsession, philosophical, published in 2022, queer, read in 2022, reading, Religion, sex, SEXUALITY, SUSPENSE, Tara Isabella Burton, teen angst, The World Cannot Give, toxic relationships, unrequited love, weak prose, weak worldbuilding -
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho
Fiona and Jane is yet another one of my most anticipated 2022 releases that left me wanting. While the author is certainly a decent writer, I found myself dissatisfied by the friendship that was meant to be the core of her book. Their relationship did not feel complex or nuanced, in fact, it did not…
2.5 STARS, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS, Adult, America, American, asian american, BISEXUAL/PANSEXUAL, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, California, cheating, collection of short stories, Contemporary, contemporary malaise, conversational style, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), f/f side, female authors, female friendships, fiona and jane, friendships, girlhood, growing up, GUILT, horrible friends, interconnected stories, Jean Chen Ho, lgbtq+, los angeles, My reviews, NEW YORK, published in 2022, queer, read in 2022, reading, ROMANCE, short stories, style over character, taiwan, Taiwanese American Author, toxic relationships -
Ponti by Sharlene Teo
Ponti, Ponti, Ponti…what a vexing read. This is one of those books that was ceaselessly frustrating and, dare I say, ultimately pointless. What was this book even about? There is no story, not really. We don’t even get satisfying character studies to make up for the plotlessness of Ponti. The characters are thinly-rendered and unfunny…
1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 2 STARS, 2000s, 2010s, actors, Adult, ALIENATION, ANGST, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, Contemporary, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), female authors, female friendships, film industry, friendships, grotesque, HIGH SCHOOL, HISTORICAL FICTION, horrible friends, illness, LITERARY FICTION, loneliness, mothers & daughters, My reviews, Ponti, published in 2018, read in 2021, reading, Sharlene Teo, singapore, singaporean, Singaporean author, slow pacing, teen angst, toxic relationships -
Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados
“It takes practice to have restraint, and we are not yet at an age to try it out.” As the title and cover themselves suggest, Happy Hour is the book equivalent of an aperitif. I’m thinking of an Aperol spritz and some black olives. Nice enough while you’re having them but once they are gone…
1st pov, 3 STARS, Adult, ALIENATION, America, American, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, canada, canadian author, class, cold tone, Contemporary, contemporary malaise, ennui, female authors, female friendships, friendships, gay side characters, Happy Hour, horrible friends, latinx author, lgbtq+ side, loneliness, Marlowe Granados, millennial, mumblecore, My reviews, navel gazing, NEW YORK, PRIVILEGE, read in 2021, reading, rich people, satire, SLICE OF LIFE, SOCIAL COMMENTARY, toxic relationships -
Wahala by Nikki May
The cover and premise for Wahala made me think that this novel would be a beach thriller, something in the realms of Liane Moriarty. While the unfolding drama between a trio of ‘friends’ was fairly amusing to read of, Wahala wasn’t quite the suspenseful domestic thriller I’d hoped it to be. Still, this was, for…
3 STARS, 3rd pov, affairs, arc, Black & Black heritage authors, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, cheating, Contemporary, domestic thriller, drama, england, female authors, friendships, gay side characters, horrible friends, jealousy, lgbtq+ side, LONDON, MARRIAGE, millennial, motherhood, MURDER, My reviews, netgalley, nigerian british author, obsession, psychopaths, published in 2021, read in 2021, reading, SUSPENSE, THRILLER, work culture -
The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan
For a book published in the 90s The Kitchen God’s Wife comes across as strangely outdated. And I guess in spite of Tan’s writing—which is far from mediocre or incompetent—I could not look past the fact that her story was the antithesis of female solidarity. At first I was taken by Tan’s storytelling. The first…
1930S, 1940s, 1990s, 1st pov, 2 STARS, 20th century, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS, Adult, America, Amy Tan, China, chinese american author, class, drama, HISTORICAL FICTION, horrible friends, MARRIAGE, MELODRAMA, MEMORY, mothers & daughters, published in 1991, read in 2020, sexual assault/abuse/rape, Sino-Japanese War, story within a story, The Kitchen God's Wife, war -
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas — book reviews
While I understand historical context and I am quite able to appreciate classics without wanting them to reflect ‘modern’ sensibilities, I have 0 patience for books that glorify rapists. SPOILERS BELOW I don’t mind reading books about terrible people. I read Nabokov’s infamous Lolita and Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. I enjoy books by Agatha…
1 STAR, 17th century, adventure, Alexandre Dumas, big books, BOOK REVIEWS, books i hate, CLASSICS, drama, duels, FRANCE, FRENCH, French author, friendships, heroes, HISTORICAL FICTION, horrible friends, male authors, MELODRAMA, men who do not seem to know how to write women, musketeers, political intrigue, problematic, published in 1844, rape, read in 2020, sexual assault/abuse/rape, story within a story, The Three Musketeers, TRANSLATED FICTION -
How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi — book review
DISCLAIMER: having just come across a 5-star review that says negative reviews should not remark on how this book doesn’t really explore Amir’s faith and/or heritage I felt the need to better articulate my thoughts about this book:1) I’m not saying this book doesn’t have great Muslim rep because I found it unbelievable that a…
2 STARS, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, ANGST, arc, Arvin Ahmadi, coming of age, Contemporary, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), drama, family, gay, horrible friends, How It All Blew, Islam, Italy, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, netgalley, published in 2020, read in 2020, Religion, Rome, travel, weak prose, YOUNG ADULT -
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro — book review
Never Let Me Go is a bleak novel, that is made ever bleaker by the way in which our narrator normalises her horrifying reality. Although this is a work of speculative fiction, Kathy’s world does not seem all that different from our own one (there were many moments which struck me as quintessentially British). Although…
4 STARS, academia, Adult, boarding/private school, BOOK REVIEW, Booklr, British author, coming of age, england, friendships, horrible friends, identity, introspective, Kazuo Ishiguro, LITERARY FICTION, MEMORY, modern classics, near future/alternate reality, Never Let Me Go, read in 2020, relationships, SPECULATIVE FICTION
luce [is reading] 