Asta
I laughed out loud multiple times while list ning to this, and yet still somehow managed to feel nervous at times. Great play on the tropes of the thriller genre and amazing use of memes. I do wonder if it'll feel outdated soon?
I do recommend only reading/listening if you're familiar with the genre!
Nothing original at all, even the “banter” felt like it was the same stuff I've read many times before.
An entertaining read but the setup of men taking control over what women do didn't really sit right with me, and the “shock twist” was a bit of a letdown.
I really wished I would like this, but the story was dull, the romance unbelievable and the usual banter I enjoy from Hall just wasn't there. I wish I'd reread Boyfriend Material instead.
30% in on the audiobook and there's yet to be anything about how to solve a murder. Mostly irrelevant anecdotes about the writers' jobs isn't that interesting.
This was an interesting read, the flow and style were something that I've come to equate with Japanese literature, it was dreamlike and bordering on magical realism. The stories were touching, although the fact that two were focused on the same main character and the third on someone else was confusing and made it a bit hard to get into the third story, although I turned out to like that one the best. The ending left me feeling hopeful.
Liian masentavaa luettavaa. Pääsin sivulle 102, minkä jälkeen hyppäsin viimeisiin lukuihin nähdäkseni miten kävi.
I am simply not interested in the slightest.
Kind of lost me in the first appearance of the main character, when she told another woman to not wear a corset for health reasons. That's not how corsets work and it's not hard to do research on it.
Torn between 4 and 5 stars, so halfway it is. I loved the story, but at the same time I really think it could've been told in a lot less without losing the essence of it. It took me a month and a half to read, which is unheard of! I bet some marvellous human being of the Internet has made a guide on which chapters to skip and still be on top of the events. I can think of at least three off the top of my head, and even more that could've been paragraphs instead of entire chapters.
I loved the atmosphere of the story, the actual history of the time mixed with the imagined magical history of England. The fairies felt very real as a race and I love that Clarke went with the gender neutral term “magician” instead of “wizard”. (Which definitely feels wrong for the setting.) I really enjoyed the descriptions of Strange's war commission, no matter how gritty, and I sort of love how much I despised Drawlight and Lascelles, as that much emotion towards a fictional character is usually good in my book. I only wish the author had managed to bring the same emotion into the less shitty characters, as well. (Namely Strange. Norrell had both good and bad moments, as people tend to do.)
I didn't love the fact that there was a lot of information that had nothing to do with the story or with the history of magical England. Did we need to read two chapters about Jonathan Strange's family and his servant that didn't play much of a part in the story? I think not. Did we need to have a casually racist chapter about a French officer and his black servant, no matter how proud the officer was said to be of said servant? Not really.
A lot of things could've been said without so much attention being brought to it, which would've also made the reading experience less dragging. As it is, it felt half like a history book, half like a fantasy story. Sometimes the narrator was referred to, mostly not, and I feel like maybe there was just SO MUCH of the story that even Clarke herself got a bit confused. She didn't even name The Raven King before the halfway point, after which it was used constantly! It felt really clumsy and I don't understand why that would've been done on purpose.
I'm also not a huge fan of the ending, as it felt a bit rushed and like all the things I'd been waiting to happen just came ALL. AT. ONCE., slapped me on the face and ran away cackling. Bollocks at the magicians just running off into the sunset! Bollocks at the fairy's curse on Strange not dying with it's caster!
All that having been said, I am really happy I've finally read this book and I will most likely read it again at some point in the distant future. (Or sooner, if I find that guide for reading it faster.) Clarke's Piranesi is one of my favourites, and I was happy to find little details that reminded me of it, namely the King's Road with it's labyrinth-like qualities that brought to mind the House. At time Strange, too, reminded me of Piranesi and I loved that.
Second time I'm trying this, officially giving up. Really uninteresting and the really unnecessary ~historically accurate~ racism just pushed me over the edge to nopetown.
I don't love all of Emily Henry's books, but I sure did love this one!
Unfortunately the name Daphne kept jarring me, why would anyone name their (fictional) child that?
The beginning was not for me and it took me a long time to get properly started, but once I did the rest was a breeze. The story doesn't explain everything but let's you wonder about the details, although at some parts I felt like more of this could be used on the mystery and less on mundane details such as how can this widowed mother afford to send her three daughters to a private school while living in an upper class neighborhood and working as a nurse. (This also made me wonder why the author chose to use this setting at all, as it really didn't play a part in the plot.)
The mystery itself felt refreshing, as I have never read anything like it and did not see the twist coming!
I can't remember the last time I cried this much while reading a book. Khorram captured the struggles of depression, while mixing it with the beauty of finding someone who understands you and giving me a lesson in Persian culture.
This would have been a five star read if the relationship between Darius and Sohrab had been built up a bit more, and the references to Star Trek had been a tiny bit less. I'm familiar with the show myself but I kept wondering how much people who haven't seen it and aren't familiar with Persian culture would have to google to understand all the references. I only had to do it to the Persian things and it already felt a bit confusing!
Definitely a recommended read if you've experience with depression and don't mind looking things up while reading.
Bonus points for having a non-straight (assumed gay) MC where the story doesn't revolve around him being gay. Bonus bonus for fat rep.
Not bad, not great. I probably didn't understand half of it, whereas the other half was either thrilling or boring.
I went through every footnote and reference that was actually inside the book, and that too was a mixed bag. Sometimes it was interesting, sometimes it just kept referring back to itself which got frustrating.
I think I would've enjoyed the story of The Navidson Record on its own, as Johnny Truant's bits were just incomprehensible most of the time and not really much of interest until towards the end when he finally let go of the drugs and sex.
On the good side I was reminded of Susanne Clarke's Piranesi, which is one of my favourites and has a similar labyrinthine feel to it, although a lot more literally than this!
Morgenstern's writing just isn't for me. Years ago I struggled through Night Circus and only picked this up because it was said this was different..... it was not. Too many details that have nothing to do with the plot and too many fancy words just for the sake of fancy words. Action? She tried.
I've been reading this trilogy in reverse (completely by accident) and I feel like they've gotten progressively worse, so it's clear this is the first one. I did not feel any chemistry between Red and Chloe, despite how many times they made googly eyes at each other, and I'm a bit too much of a prude for the language used in the spicy parts.... And I didn't even make it to the actual spice! It's not horrible, just really not the book for me, which is a shame because I liked the rep.
Not as good as the first one, and felt often like things were happening just for the plot to get along. I didn't understand Justice of Torren's reasoning most of the time.
A very quick and easy read, though, and tackled the white saviour syndrome well.
Based on how how I usually like my books more character-heavy, you'd think I wouldn't have enjoyed this one as much as I did. However, since there's also a good amount of simplified science, I ate this one up with the same enthusiasm I did Project Hail Mary a year ago. My biggest grievance with the story was the undeserved demise of Ian Malcolm and all the raptors that just wanted to have a good time and make some raptor babies.
A really bittersweet story, the last chapter left me feeling wistful.
I understand why this is a well loved story, but for me there were just way too many unanswered questions and events that weren't looked into at all. I would've loved to read more about the “science” aspect, but that's just not what he story was about.
Started really strong, I was half convinced this would become one of my favourites, but unfortunately the middle and end just didn't work for me as well as I'd hoped.
Worth a read but I'll happily hand my copy for the next reader, it's not one I'm eager to reread anytime soon.
A book full of interesting stories about conwomen, mostly from North America. Felt mostly like a lighter kind of true crime read, but at times I wondered if what the women needed was a psychologist instead of jail time. Very enjoyable, easy read!
Well this was a waste of time. I knew it before I'd even reached the halfway point but for some reason I persevered.
The suspense was nonexistent, the mfc was beyond stupid to the point where it wasn't even believable anymore (“why hasn't my Airbnb host told me how his parents died, he's totally keeping secrets!!”, “omg he lied about liking Brussel sprouts!!!”) and the advertised twist was not a twist for anyone who's ever read a thriller before. It was until about the 80% mark before anything suspenseful even happened, despite how often the mfc thought to herself how off everything felt. Please, for the love of god, SHOW don't tell!
Add to this a poorly placed smut scene (why. who wants that in a thriller), mmc whose only purpose seems to be to repeat how much he desires the mfc and some unnecessary and very gory dream scenes and you've got yourself a one-star-shouldn't-have-bothered-with-why-was-this-even-published novel!
A really important book about the importance of listening to others and how social media has made us listen, and therefore connect to others, less. I learned a lot, and I know a few people who would absolutely benefit from reading this.
Very mid. Not bad, not good. Passed the time as an audiobook while I did my chores and crafty stuff.
I loved one timeline in this book, I felt like it portrayed the desire to have a child in a way that felt real, and Julia Whelan's narration was perfect for it.
Unfortunately the other timeline went exactly where I was afraid it would, and that ruined the whole book. You can't just go and then she woke up and it was all a dream and claim that's a thriller!