Kelly

"Survival is insufficient." 

Station Eleven is different from apocalypse books because it doesn't focus on the collapse & destruction of society. Instead it focuses on the things we need after survival - human connections, the arts, and appreciation for the everyday things we take for granted. 

I initially struggled with understanding how the various characters and timelines would eventually converge. But patience paid off as the book progressed and I really enjoyed how everything tied together towards the end. I felt the book was unbalanced at times, for example it'd focus a lot someone's pre-pandemic backstory but post-pandemic they don't play a big role.

I enjoyed seeing Kaikeyi as a woman who chooses power over freedom. She defies convention when it comes to the gods because they've never helped her.  She's also hypocritical, stubborn, and manipulative. She's great as the anti-hero.  But all the other characters felt so one dimensional, which was disappointing because we know they're also conflicted.

The book also felt longer than it actually was and I was hoping for more action to help break up the long sequences of domestic drama. 

I have mixed feelings about this book. The plot and premise is interesting, I love that Zetian doesn't stray from her path of vengeance, and it's a quick read. I also appreciated the true love triangle (not like most love Vs out there) and random jabs of humor from Shimin and Zetian. I didn't like the writing style or the oversimplified character development. It all felt very face value and lacked the complexity and depth that I look for in books.

I'll keep reading the series to see what happens next, but I'm in no rush.

I don't normally read horror yet I had an entertianing time reading, certain parts flew by because I had to know what happened next. I love me some slow burn, forbidden romance and even better when it's not meant to be . 

There wasn't anything that stood out to me, the plot was predictable and the ending felt flat compared to all the build up. It was still an easy, solid read.

At first the story draws you in trying to piece together what happened between Chani and Gabe and the external forces at play. But as you get closer to finishing, you realize that this isn't living up to expectations, borderline problematic, and it's disappointing. Because this book could have been way better.  I also wasn't a fan of the constant time jumps & news articles. It made the book confusing and repetitive. 

I'm generally a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books, but this noir pulp fictiontook some effort for me to get through. I had a hard time staying interested, there wasn't much of a hook to pull the story forward.  The writing is solid and the backdrop of political unrest creates tension in most interatctions. I kept hoping for something to draw me into the story and it does...just at the end. 

The characters really carried the book, especially Maite. At first I didn't like her because she was vapid and had odd quirks. But as I learned more about her and understood her insecurities, she started to make the events much more interesting. 

I'm still a fan of SMG, but I'll probably stick with her fantasy books.

A sweeping and ambitious story of power and corruption in India that failed to impress. There was a lot of potential, the plot was exciting and the multiple POVs helped build up the mystery around the Wadia family. I could see this easily transformed into a TV show.

Unfortunately the execution was rough, it was repeatitive and filled with backstories for minor characters. The book is split into 5 different parts with each part focusing on different characters. In parts 1 - 3 we're introduced to our main characters Ajay, Neda, and Sunny and cover the same pivotal events from their perspective. Each perspective revealed more about the criminal Wadia empire, but covering the same events multiple times felt very repeatitive. Before we reach the conculsion to the events set in motion in the first half of the book, we're introduced to minor characters and get their entire backstory. Backstory is not a replacement for character development. Honestly I could have skipped half the book and been fine. 

I should have DNF'd this but my desire to complete a book over 500 pages was too strong. 

Great story, I enjoyed seeing the characters evolve and women outsmart their situations. Wanda was my favorite heroine. My biggest critique is while the women were single they were protrayed as intelligent and determined to survive, yet at the end Irina and Miryem stayed married with their captors. I know this is a fairy tale re-telling and the men changed for the better, but the romance felt so shallow. 

I had a good time listening to the audio book, but it was challenging recognizing when POVs changed. The narrator sublty changes her voice between the female characters so it's really easy to miss if you aren't fully paying attention. 

Great seeing older characters (30 years and higher) take the main stage. I had fun reading this fairy tale inspired fantasy. The quests at the start were very attention grabbing and world building was solid. My favorite part has to be the humor, Agnes and the Dust wife really stole the show. 

This is my first T. Kingfisher book, I'll definitely have to check out her other books. 

A Man Called Ove is a well crafted, feel good novel about a very grumpy old man called Ove. At first I was really offput but Ove's grumpiness but I think everyone else in the story and the fitting ending made up for it. 

Even though I have zero emotional investment and strongly dislike him (until the end lol), I thought Backman did a fantastic job developing Ove. The use of flashbacks and symbolism really paint a story of who is Ove and why he's a big meanie who distrusts everyone he meets. 

Stalker romance, where the MMC is the CEO and the FMC is his secretary. Honestly when it comes to characters and set up there's nothing new - it's your typical rich, possessive, alpha jerk with no personality who insta-loves (and stalks) his hot, sassy, and secretly intelligent secretary. And everything takes place in two weeks.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the abusrd scenarios (seriously how heavy of a sleeper is Violet?) that were supposed to be smutty but I couldn't stop laughing. 

Off the charts spice!!  

Yes, they're college aged step-siblings but the author portrays their relationship in a way that it could easily be friends to lovers. What I really loved was the constant tension between them, they want to go over the edge but they hold themselves back. 

I'm definitely going to check out Evangeline Anderson's other books

If you're looking for a literary dystopian or commentary on the worker-drone routine then look no further! But if you're looking for an adventurous, zombie end of the world story, look elsewhere. 

The book is told in different timelines, and I enjoyed the past/lead up to the End way more than the present day plot line. 

The author did a really fantastic job showing how being stuck in routines, going on auto-pilot is a modern epidemic. Enter our main character, Candence. Even with the world ending and everyone turning fevered, she faithfully continues to go into the office until her contract expires. Very ironic considering the Shen fever turns people into zombies stuck on an infinite loop of routine.

Yellowface is a brilliant satire on the publishing industry. It's very meta, RF Kuang is writing in the first person as a white woman who stole her Chinese friend's manuscript. Our main character June flips between victim and perpetrator, ally of diversity and aggrieved white person (Karens have feelings too!). Athena is no saint either and meets her share of posthumous controversy. Throw in social justice warriors and clout-chasing allies to get an unhinged take at cultural appropriation, performative diversity, and racism. At some points it reminded me of real life, but in a much more exaggerated and entertaining way.

Kuang is a master in building up to big scenes, but not everything paid off. I thought Athena's notebooks or Mrs. Liu were going to play a bigger role in the truth coming out. I was also expecting more from the aftermath of Candice's confrontation. There were some parts that felt underutilized or like a loose end that left me wanting more. 

Just in case you need another reason to read this book there's a Babel easter egg.

I didn't love this book and would have DNF'd it except that I was reading this for a challenge. At first glance this seems like an epic love story, where the lovers are separated by time. But when you really dive into Clare and Henry's realtionship across the years it gets complicated and creepy. 
When Henry time travels to Clare as a kid and teenager he's between 30 - 40 years old. He's such an all consuming part of her life that it feels manipulative. When she finally turned 18 Henry was like 42, oof that was an age-gap I didn't want to know about.  Even as adults, future-Henry meddles with present day Henry & Clare's relationship. These moments pose moral questions that the author casually skips over. 

The premise drew me in, it's a chilling dystopia where mothers are held to impossible standards and judged for everything they do. There's so much tension, despair, and gaslighting that it makes you question your own perceptions of what being a good mother means.  As much as that reeled me in, the book felt repeatitive and drawn out. There were also elements of world building that seemed unfinished. It was a good book, but had potential to better.

Demon Copperhead is a modern retelling of David Copperfield, set in the Appalachian region of West Virginia. We follow Demon from birth to young adult as he navigates the harsh reality of growing up as an orphan in rural Lee County ravaged by Oxy and other drugs. It's an emotional journey filled with turns of luck and misfortune for Demon and his friends. 

I was captivated by the incredible characters and depth. Kingsolver avoids relying on stereotypes or tropes. Instead, she dives into the characters' backgrounds, motivations, and emotions, showing us why each character acts that way. There's a strong critique of class, the artificial divides in society, and the foster care system. We see this exemplified throughout the book and its impact becomes especially poignant when set against the backdrop of the opioid crisis.

As it happens with longer and slow paced books, the plot drags in the middle. There were parts where I powered through as I was hoping for more drama. I definitely enjoyed the ending, but some of the shifts in relationships were too subtle and easily missed. I knew Demon cared for Angus because she always believed in him, but the change to romantic parter left me wondering when did he start seeing her that way?  

Fantastic book, definitely give this a read! 

A cautionary tale of what happens when believing in the power of fairy tales becomes all consuming. 

It's hard to describe this book, other than be prepared for a very sumputious, atmospheric, and dark experience. There's a lot of flowery language and lush scenes that are meant to invoke your senses. It portrays reality in a magical breathtaking way, but slowly the cracks of something obsessive and sinister appears. 

A word of caution - one of the characters is a toxic, possessive, and dangerous person. The power this person holds over other is romanticized to fit the story. So just be warned if that triggers you.

I can't believe this is a debut novel, what a charming and refreshing read!  Remarkably Bright Creatures is a heartwarming read that focuses more on the journey than the outcome. 

Marcellus the octopus definitely steals the show, I loved his chapters. His dry, observational humor was great.  

I especially loved that the theme of getting older was explored in such a heartfelt and way. Often times in literature elderly characters are ignored or casted as mentors/wise sages, but not here. Tova and her friends the Knit-Witts are carefree retirees. But they realize the embers of frailty will come for them and independent living won't be an option. Marcellus' is on his last good years as well, maybe that's why he and Tova understand each other. On a smaller and cheekier scale, even Cameron complains about turning 30 and his body not being the way it used to be. 

There were minor parts of the plot that could have been developed more, but nothing that took away from me enjoying the book. I truly enjoyed this read and am inspired to learn more about octopi!