issyd23's reviews
141 reviews

Down the Drain by Julia Fox

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

She’s so Julia omg 4🍏 story more tragic than expected: I lost count of the number of times she overdosed and her friends died overdosing 🥺

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Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Insane last chapter: Gray deconstructs & satirises not just the novel but class, love & objectivity in storytelling/history. Keen to see how the film compares! 3🧠 

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Good Material by Dolly Alderton

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Really Good, Actually is the better breakup book. Wish we got more of Jen’s perspective Andy was intolerable and not as funny as Maggie from Really Good 3🎭

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I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom

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4.0

Fuck me Rachel Bloom! I want to be exactly where she is 4🎤

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Prima Facie by Suzie Miller

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

A gut wrenching but important read: although we know the story & where it‘s headed it doesn’t make it any easier 3👩‍⚖️

Wished this story was set in Australia like the original play - annoys me that Aussie material is always adapted for US/UK audiences. Susie Miller literally practiced law in Sydney!

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American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin

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4.0

Worth the effort! 4🤠 

“Modern Prometheans have raided Mount Olympus again & have brought back for man the very thunderbolts of Zeus.” Scientific Monthly

Imagine having one of the greatest minds of the 20th century & the first 4 chapters of your biography is about how much of a loser you were at school/uni, how little you had sex & how you had 0 friends & low key tried to kill yourself & your professor.

Thankfully Oppie’s neuroses ‘subsided during middle age’ & he went on to have many affairs, friends & lead the Manhattan project & other groundbreaking discoveries. 

Jokes aside this biography is incredible: the best I’ve read & well worth the slog if you’re a fan of the film! 

It was so great reading the backstories of Jean Tatlock, Kitty, Isi Rabi & other fascinating people (I now finally understand what happened with Haakon Chevalier).

My eBook was so filled with highlights it started lagging. 

Bird & Sherwin’s attention to detail & research is considerable. Take a bow! 

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Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

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5.0

Carrie Fisher is a riot! Reads like stand up comedy/1 woman show - wish I saw this performed live & wish Paul Simon would write a song about me 5🥃

“But the main thing I’ve learned, I learned all by myself, no help needed. I learned not to get my tongue pierced. Because if you’re getting it pierced for the reason why I think you’re getting it pierced and you’re not good at that thing to begin with, no little piece of jewelry is going to save the day.”

God she’s brilliant - there’s way too many funny lines to include! Can’t wait to read her other books 😆

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Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N' Roll by Priscilla Presley

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Dying to see the Coppola biopic! The story of her relationship with Elvis is that of a dark fairytale. I am now repulsed by him. Also Elvis high key stole music from black artists 4👧🏻

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Heartburn by Nora Ephron

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Nora Ephron is a genius! Although I’m probably too gentile to fully appreciate her wit 5🥗

Not only was she married to Carl Bernstein (1/2 of Woodward/Bernstein who broke THE Watergate scandal) but she figured out the identity of Deep Throat and would casually name drop ‘Mark Felt’ at dinner parties. A true legend gone way too soon!!

‘I want him back’
‘What do you want him back for? You just said he was a schmuck’
‘I want him back so I can yell at him and tell him his a schmuck, anyway he’s my schmuck and I want him to stop seeing her and I want him to say that he never really loved her and he must have been crazy and I want him to die and her to die to’
‘I thought you said you want him back’
‘I do but I want him back dead’

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Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

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dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

You know you love me xoxo 4💋 such a nostalgic throwback! Makes me want to rewatch/finally finish the series.

Some noticeable difference from the show/things I found funny:
  • all the characters smoke
  • Dan is even more of a softboi!! 
  • Vanessa is white, bald, has a heavy Brooklyn accent in the audiobook & is such a pick me girl it’s iconic 👩🏻‍🦲
  • Everyone sees chuck for the literal sex pest he is and he has 0 friends 

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