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baielleebooks's reviews
59 reviews
Penance by Eliza Clark
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Penance is dynamic in its structure and blooms royally in relation to how of contemporary prominence it feels. A great novel exploring the egregiousness of creators and writers mining into real human suffering for the sake of intellectual propriety and fame.
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There is a real sense of embeddedess in the way Clark writes; in passages of representing darker internet subcultures to the humourous and complicated renderings of English village living to Carelli's enraging fallacies conjured around terms like 'plasticity' and 'emotional truth' that strike a chord with the current political moment.
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My only minor gripe is Angelica as a significant feature of the novel doesn't necessarily feel as flesh and blood as other characters. Penance's literary vision makes us aware that these characters come into being through Carelli's warped presentations of them, yet I still feel that Angelica doesn't necessarily harmonise as well in the book's broader framing.
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Overall, Penance dazzles and is definitely a book I am chomping at the bit to reccomend to friends. Tackling with embodiedness and deftness the muddy relationships people can share with truth and the gritty morbidity of human fascination.
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There is a real sense of embeddedess in the way Clark writes; in passages of representing darker internet subcultures to the humourous and complicated renderings of English village living to Carelli's enraging fallacies conjured around terms like 'plasticity' and 'emotional truth' that strike a chord with the current political moment.
-
My only minor gripe is Angelica as a significant feature of the novel doesn't necessarily feel as flesh and blood as other characters. Penance's literary vision makes us aware that these characters come into being through Carelli's warped presentations of them, yet I still feel that Angelica doesn't necessarily harmonise as well in the book's broader framing.
-
Overall, Penance dazzles and is definitely a book I am chomping at the bit to reccomend to friends. Tackling with embodiedness and deftness the muddy relationships people can share with truth and the gritty morbidity of human fascination.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Devishly delicious. AbFab dialect tinged with murderous wit; an exploration into the uses and abuses of others, the delectability of sex, food and murder, and above all else a novel that pulsates with a glistening black campness.
-
Not without its occassional fault, some social commentarial notes hit a little flat and Dorothy's potently provincial voice waned slightly in the middle-ending portion of the novel. Also whoever selected the lime-background-pineapple front cover needs an ice pick to the neck Dorothy Daniels style.
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Nonetheless, this was ravishing and deeply enjoyable. I gorged, gobbled and feasted on this novel, and read it with an accelerated manner that didn't even touch the sides.
-
Not without its occassional fault, some social commentarial notes hit a little flat and Dorothy's potently provincial voice waned slightly in the middle-ending portion of the novel. Also whoever selected the lime-background-pineapple front cover needs an ice pick to the neck Dorothy Daniels style.
-
Nonetheless, this was ravishing and deeply enjoyable. I gorged, gobbled and feasted on this novel, and read it with an accelerated manner that didn't even touch the sides.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Sensational, incisive, punchy, my Gaga-esque drawl of supportive synonyms could go on and on ad infinitum. Stellar work depiciting the battleground of the publishing industry, the maddening thrashes of the novel's deeply deluded protagonist, and the truly visceral forms that the green-eyed monster of jealousy can take.
Bad Mormon by Heather Gay
funny
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
What is most applaudable in this book is the quintessentially Heather voice that emerges through the telling of her story. Being fanatical about the Housewives, I had a greater sense of how her humour, referentialism and ironic self-deprecation really show up and show out in the passages.
-
I found the passages regarding the mechanisms of control within the Mormon church most fascinating (as well as the casting, musings and gossip on Salt Lake City housewives obvi!)
-
There is an occasional overly lofty metaphor here and there, and the extracts about the rise and fall of her marriage felt somewhat sweeping for me personally.
-
Overall, I loved having a deeper insight into this Real Housewife and the strength of her voice does come through in the telling of a story that unpacks the divine and complicated forces of control that come from external pressures, be it from the Church or societal attitudes, and what is to be gained in daring to stand up against them.
She may be a Bad Mormon, but I had a good time!
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I found the passages regarding the mechanisms of control within the Mormon church most fascinating (as well as the casting, musings and gossip on Salt Lake City housewives obvi!)
-
There is an occasional overly lofty metaphor here and there, and the extracts about the rise and fall of her marriage felt somewhat sweeping for me personally.
-
Overall, I loved having a deeper insight into this Real Housewife and the strength of her voice does come through in the telling of a story that unpacks the divine and complicated forces of control that come from external pressures, be it from the Church or societal attitudes, and what is to be gained in daring to stand up against them.
She may be a Bad Mormon, but I had a good time!
A Helping Hand by Celia Dale
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ice cold and eery, the way the prose makes you feel like the walls are truly closing in and suffocating Mrs Fingal is palpable throughout the novel. The cruelly calculated tactics of Maisie, combined with the lecherousness of Josh was a horrific yin-yang of a dastardly central duo. I felt a genuine sense of injustice for Mrs Fingal, and the plights of Graziella and her pleading for Mrs Fingal's welfare.
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The ending and final twist is something, however, I'd change entirely. Perhaps concluding with the position of Maisie suffering in bed would've delivered more of a punch. For such strength of character, I feel like Maisie is owed a more explosive or revelatory end. There also isn't enough fleshing out of Lena for me personally to subsantiate the shock of her revealing as the real Mrs Evans. Josh's creepy scrapbook of the Italian girls was also a plotline that was picked up and discarded, and could've been utilised stronger.
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My dissatisfaction with the ending does not take the wind out of my sails entirely! A Helping Hand remains a good exploration into elderly abuse, the complex mechanisms of gaslighting, and the horrors that lay behind the frayed edges of embroided middle-class respectability. Just with an ending that is, for lack of a better phrase, a bit of a fart in the bath.
-
The ending and final twist is something, however, I'd change entirely. Perhaps concluding with the position of Maisie suffering in bed would've delivered more of a punch. For such strength of character, I feel like Maisie is owed a more explosive or revelatory end. There also isn't enough fleshing out of Lena for me personally to subsantiate the shock of her revealing as the real Mrs Evans. Josh's creepy scrapbook of the Italian girls was also a plotline that was picked up and discarded, and could've been utilised stronger.
-
My dissatisfaction with the ending does not take the wind out of my sails entirely! A Helping Hand remains a good exploration into elderly abuse, the complex mechanisms of gaslighting, and the horrors that lay behind the frayed edges of embroided middle-class respectability. Just with an ending that is, for lack of a better phrase, a bit of a fart in the bath.
Mood Indigo by Boris Vian
Did not finish book. Stopped at 73%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 73%.
I read this as part of my book club, and it was a mission and a half to get it and came fairly close to our meeting, so that's partially why I DNF'd.
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What I enjoyed about the book was the romanticism in the world-building and the fantasticality (the rooms reshaping from music, magical cocktail machines ). The characters and plot however? No ma'am! I held no personal investment in them (asides from Isis and her Paris Hilton-esque energy throwing elaborate birthday parties for her dogs).
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Colin and Chloe's romance didn't seem to hold much substance, and felt saccharine in parts. Nicholas as well I loathed, his performative third-person dialect as well as the fact that he was such a filthy perv! (his interaction with Alyssum especially). As such, it was not my cup of Darjeeling!
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What I enjoyed about the book was the romanticism in the world-building and the fantasticality (the rooms reshaping from music, magical cocktail machines ). The characters and plot however? No ma'am! I held no personal investment in them (asides from Isis and her Paris Hilton-esque energy throwing elaborate birthday parties for her dogs).
-
Colin and Chloe's romance didn't seem to hold much substance, and felt saccharine in parts. Nicholas as well I loathed, his performative third-person dialect as well as the fact that he was such a filthy perv! (his interaction with Alyssum especially). As such, it was not my cup of Darjeeling!
Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism by K.A. Yoshida, David Mitchell, Naoki Higashida
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.75
Naoki Higashida has crystal clear communication in his writing, and presents a range of ideas and experiences with precision and deftness. His emphasis on the importance of hope, compassion and the richness of autistic people's interior worlds rings sonorously throughout the book.
-
As an autistic person myself, I felt moved particularly by passages on family, relationships as well ad his own short story.
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It's hard, for all the sentiments above, to critique the book. For my own reading preferences, I'd maybe expand upon certain extracts as there were moments where sections felt like quick snapshots where I would've benefitted from exploring more of the author's insight.
-
Overall, Nigashida is a supremely talented voice, and proves that sharing human experience is a rich tool in advocating for autistic personhood in people's minds and the wider public domain.
-
As an autistic person myself, I felt moved particularly by passages on family, relationships as well ad his own short story.
-
It's hard, for all the sentiments above, to critique the book. For my own reading preferences, I'd maybe expand upon certain extracts as there were moments where sections felt like quick snapshots where I would've benefitted from exploring more of the author's insight.
-
Overall, Nigashida is a supremely talented voice, and proves that sharing human experience is a rich tool in advocating for autistic personhood in people's minds and the wider public domain.
Nevada by Imogen Binnie
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Nevada drips with sarcasm, and incisive humour all the while not shying away from the complexities of queer life, in a way that did not stray into the tragic, instead creating a world that felt richly real.
-
Maria as a protagonist was someone I really grew to love. Her impulsiveness, her intelligence, her punk spirit and her faults. I also did not respond negatively to the ending and understood that as people, we should not self-gratify in thinking we can solve or illuminate someone else's issues or identities. It also affirms that there is never a unilateral queer experience.
-
Special shoutout goes to the quote "You'll be like, Oh, Judith Butler's written a new book, and he'll be like I threw her over a table and fucked her at brunch once." which actually made me witch cackle. Imogen Binnie's wit kept my interest sparked throughout, and the Afterword (which provides insight into her life and inspirations) affirms my fondness for Nevada.
-
Maria as a protagonist was someone I really grew to love. Her impulsiveness, her intelligence, her punk spirit and her faults. I also did not respond negatively to the ending and understood that as people, we should not self-gratify in thinking we can solve or illuminate someone else's issues or identities. It also affirms that there is never a unilateral queer experience.
-
Special shoutout goes to the quote "You'll be like, Oh, Judith Butler's written a new book, and he'll be like I threw her over a table and fucked her at brunch once." which actually made me witch cackle. Imogen Binnie's wit kept my interest sparked throughout, and the Afterword (which provides insight into her life and inspirations) affirms my fondness for Nevada.
The Girls by Emma Cline
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Tonally, Emma Cline has flair in capturing the insecurity and bitter power politics shared between teenagers. Contempt, awe and sadness are captured really well in Evie's character. The capacity for cruelty exhibited by many characters also comes through sharply, and I felt genuinely for the plight for even the most periphery of characters, like Evie's mother.
-
The mytisfying, sinister power of Suzanne was interesting to explore. The narrative of how Evie could be recruited into the cult by having an individual fixation on one of its senior female members was investing.
-
A criticism I'd have was that perhaps the book was a little too simile-heavily and formulaic, sometimes taking me out the moment. There were occasions as well where the parts of the novel that flash into modern day in the mid-section that didn't pique my interest.
-
Those shortcomings for me however do not detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel. I was stimulated by its incense-scented darkness.
-
The mytisfying, sinister power of Suzanne was interesting to explore. The narrative of how Evie could be recruited into the cult by having an individual fixation on one of its senior female members was investing.
-
A criticism I'd have was that perhaps the book was a little too simile-heavily and formulaic, sometimes taking me out the moment. There were occasions as well where the parts of the novel that flash into modern day in the mid-section that didn't pique my interest.
-
Those shortcomings for me however do not detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel. I was stimulated by its incense-scented darkness.
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name: A Biomythography by Audre Lorde
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
So applaudable. The granular detail in which she recounts rich stories, the love she expresses and the pulsing sensuality used in her remembrance of lovers. Amazing book, and invigorates her political writing with a holistic lifeblood.