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katiedreads's reviews
515 reviews
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I think this book is very much a book to read for reading sake. It’s a long winding narrative that explores the life, thoughts, feelings and motives of the main character. This is a literary mystery with a pretty obvious ending with an unreliable and oddball narrator. The mystery is a delivery device for the development and character exploration. But there is also plot development in a lyrical, thoughtful and atmospheric way. With very strong descriptions of nature and animals. The William Blake references and the authors own writing style adds an interesting Grimm fairytail tone to the book.
Foster by Claire Keegan
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is my second Claire Keegan book, just as elegantly simple as it is poignant. It’s a reflective book that focuses on a summer a Irish child is minded by some relatives. It’s nothing overly unique in its plot or characters. But its melancholy tone, and descriptions of the building of the child’s growth and trust in these strangers is impactful and haunting.
A Tomb With a View: The Stories & Glories of Graveyards by Peter Ross
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
This book reminds me a lot of Daniel Defoe's A Diary of the Plague Year. Based on fact with actual documentation and research but written with a combination of stories, myths and legends. This gives it a very readable and atmospheric tone, this works really well as I can image this could have turned out dry and factual similar to Daniel Defoe's The Storm. Instead of a learning experience where you can remember facts and figures you experience the author and subjects deep historical connection to grave yards, the respect and reverence for them and our dead. Beautifully written and captivating.
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A fascinating and engaging read. It was quick and elegantly translated. It offered a unique POV from Yunjoe allowing the reader to experience his condition and limited emotions and it allowed reflection to understand our own emotions in relation to Yunjoe. It is ultimately a 'not like other people' YA to high school story. But written so well with such beautiful language and a different POV it offered a 5* reading experience "a bookstore is a place densely populated with tens of thousands of authors, dead of living, residing side by side".
I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain by Anita Sethi
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
I very rarely give autobiographical books less than 4/5 stars. As the passion, pain and history of the person writing it often overshadows any less than perfect structure. However here I felt like the book didn’t know what it wanted to be it was past biography, part nature writing, part nature manifesto, as such this split focus meant that I felt disjointed reading it. As a the reader I never felt like the writing explored any area deeply enough, giving the feeling of superficiality. The author told me her thoughts/emotions and experience she didn’t show me and make me feel it. Overall the reading of another persons experience is always interesting and makes me more understanding however I think the editor really did a disservice to the author and this should have been better edited and structured to be less confusing, less repetitive and less telling instead of showing.
Bargain Bin Rom-Com by Leena Norms
medium-paced
3.0
I’m not a huge poetry reader, nor do I have much experience and what counts as good poetry I just know if I enjoy something or not. Overall this was fun to read, with some really very good and interesting standouts for me these were Rear-view Romance, The Divorce and Some Days. Others I think had a lot of potential that wasn’t realised such as Rachel. But it certainly felt like Leena with a very strong voice and pov, I just think it lack polish and at t8mes seemed repetitive in word/theme choice.
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is completely ridiculous and over the top but in a really fun way. I loved it, it was funny and tense at the same time. It felt like a more wholesome version of Good Girls, not in plot or characters but in the feel of it. Suburban housewife attempts to be a criminal and all the ways it goes hilariously wrong. Considering how cheesy (in a fun way) this is I’m surprised at the depth of character development and the self awareness of the book. It completely acknowledges that Finlay’s life is nothing more than luck and coincidences but goes with it and it works. It’s action packed, really quick to read and has great supporting characters. Ps I’m routing for Nick.
Affairs by The School of Life
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
A very short book about a very interesting topic, how the writer managed to make it seem long and boring I have no idea. I personally think the biggest issue for me was expectation, I thought it may have included some first hand accounts of both sides of an affair. Unfortunately it’s quite a dry summary of all the possible reasons the writer thinks a person may have an affair (not taking into account any innately malicious reason) and why it’s always both parties fault. Ultimately I think this lacked interest, real examples and emotional nuance.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Kingfisher has written an weird gothic speculative horror. It’s a great tribute to Edgar Allan Poe. It’s creepy body horror narrative and atmospheric haunted house feeling is a amazing mix. Kingfisher has created an entire world that is believable, dark and spooky. With characters that are well developed show real torment and desperation. Great writing for such a small novel.
Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was great to get the story of Illium and Aodhan, to explore their background and friendship, if you are here for the romance you may be disappointed 90% of this is about their friendship, past and future, but overall I think the story was touching and interesting. It was also great to see some diversity in the sexuality representation of this series, but note the smut/passion seen in other books is not here with this couple, whether that was a decision by a straight woman not wanting to write outside her experience or whether it was to represent the transition of a hundred year old friendship into a relationship as more of a slow build instead of passion I don’t know, but this did make the book more wholesome than some of the others but it also lacked the commitment in the characters relationship, it was a bit close to tokenism for me. But overall It was sweet and I loved all the characters, and you get to see baby angels which is also nice. Overall it’s a slower book that gives you some relief from huge action scenes and other couples and characters. This is a 4 star as I think such as slow book missed the opportunity to further world build and add depth the history of the world, it light touched Illium and Aodhan but not in depth as I wanted.