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mkw1lson's reviews
144 reviews
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
This book is a fundamental read. It is foundational for so much literature to follow, playing with the themes of obsession and hedonism, what do we sacrifice to prioritize pleasure? It's a really interesting delve into the decent and psyche of Dorian as he becomes more and more vain and hedonistic - "corrupted". It's cool to see how many books have foundations in this book and although the plot wasn't difficult to put together, the journey was so beautifully constructed.
Wilde has a way with words that I adore, there's something to his description and style that I can't get enough of. There are so many quotes in this novel that I adore.
My one complaint is how often women are belittled and mistreated in the novel, which is not unexpected for the time, but it still means I'm going to have a hard time giving it a higher rating. However much you think there is, there is more. This is partially because Henry is awful and Dorian is too, but it's still a lot.
Wilde has a way with words that I adore, there's something to his description and style that I can't get enough of. There are so many quotes in this novel that I adore.
My one complaint is how often women are belittled and mistreated in the novel, which is not unexpected for the time, but it still means I'm going to have a hard time giving it a higher rating. However much you think there is, there is more. This is partially because Henry is awful and Dorian is too, but it's still a lot.
The Story of Art without Men by Katy Hessel
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
3.5
I enjoyed this book, there was a lot of fascinating information about the history of art and women's (often overlooked) contributions. Hessel also delved into intersectionality and how women of colour are often dismissed or overlooked in the world of art, and their contributions stolen and celebrated even into modern times. It's a comprehensive and compelling examination of the art and feminism.
I have one complaint, which is that I listened to the audiobook and while Hessel is a great narrator with a lot of passion and emotion to draw the listener in, this is a book about art, and being unable to see the art or examples of the types of art is detrimental to the experience. I am not an artist nor do I know much about Art History, so the lack of an example to quickly look to was hard for me, and I did do quite a bit of googling, but ideally, you shouldn't need to be doing that with an audiobook.
Overall, I still think this was a good book, but I would hesitate to recommend the audiobook alone.
I have one complaint, which is that I listened to the audiobook and while Hessel is a great narrator with a lot of passion and emotion to draw the listener in, this is a book about art, and being unable to see the art or examples of the types of art is detrimental to the experience. I am not an artist nor do I know much about Art History, so the lack of an example to quickly look to was hard for me, and I did do quite a bit of googling, but ideally, you shouldn't need to be doing that with an audiobook.
Overall, I still think this was a good book, but I would hesitate to recommend the audiobook alone.
Januaries: Stories of Love, Magic & Betrayal by Olivie Blake
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I want to say I loved this book because I do love Olivie Blake's writing (I adored the Atlas trilogy and Masters of Death), but this didn't completely work for me. I quite enjoyed a few stories, but the majority were misses for me. I've always struggled with short stories, so that was already going to make this anthology a bit tricky for me, but I had hope! Overall, I think it's still good and worth the read, especially if you enjoy Blake's quirky sense of humour and subversion of expectations, but it is far from the first work of hers that I would recommend.
Best Stories:
Best Stories:
- The Wish Bridge (Very sweet, reminded me a bit of Addie LaRue)
- The Audit (The quarter-life crisis vibes - I get it!)
- Fates and Consequences (Not unpredictable but still a bit of a subversion, lots of fun comedy and Masters of Death-vibes.... which is my #1 Olive Blake novel)
- Chaos Theory (An other Atlas Trilogy fans pointing and going "hmm" about this? I know it's not related, but fun to see more of an exploration of the Multiple Worlds Theory)
- A Year in January (It's sweet and a lovely take on depressive cycles that is kind of... inspiring)
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Oh my God. I don't know how I'm feeling yet. I knew the last 100 pages would pack a punch, but oof.
The book is definitely much more plot-heavy than the last two and like Iron Flame, there are a few background characters we get to know much better (Ridoc, in particular) which I loved. I love that we're discovering more of this world and how Yarros is almost leaning more into the intricating fantasy world-building than you'd expect from a romantasy series. A lot of my complaints about Iron Flame are corrected in this book, Xaden and Violet are a team as much as they can be and that is SO refreshing. This book also deviates a bit from the war school and war plot to have an adventure/quest storyline which is a lot of fun. I love getting to know more of the world and seeing Violet interact with characters that we don't normally see her with, and I love her coming into her own and recognizing that she has to be a leader because Tairn is a leader.
I also love how Yarros subverts expectations of Violet being the most special snowflake, for lack of a better term, that so often happens in romantasy books. Or even just fantasy books in general! Violet is not a God reborn, she doesn't have a special lineage, she is just Violet who had the determination and compassion to have endeared Andarna, and that's it! She's special because a very special dragon looked at her and said: I choose you. I love that. I love it when characters are special because of who they are, not some pre-destined/biological thing.
Per usual, the ending has my brain spinning with new questions and old theories that haven't been proven or disproven. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book and am so excited to see what is in store for us next.
As I stated of the previous books: It's not a masterpiece, but it's so much fun and what is reading about if not having fun?
The book is definitely much more plot-heavy than the last two and like Iron Flame, there are a few background characters we get to know much better (Ridoc, in particular) which I loved. I love that we're discovering more of this world and how Yarros is almost leaning more into the intricating fantasy world-building than you'd expect from a romantasy series. A lot of my complaints about Iron Flame are corrected in this book, Xaden and Violet are a team as much as they can be and that is SO refreshing. This book also deviates a bit from the war school and war plot to have an adventure/quest storyline which is a lot of fun. I love getting to know more of the world and seeing Violet interact with characters that we don't normally see her with, and I love her coming into her own and recognizing that she has to be a leader because Tairn is a leader.
Per usual, the ending has my brain spinning with new questions and old theories that haven't been proven or disproven. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book and am so excited to see what is in store for us next.
As I stated of the previous books: It's not a masterpiece, but it's so much fun and what is reading about if not having fun?
One Day by David Nicholls
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I adore the TV show based on this book, so I knew right away that I should read this book. I appreciated throughout the book how faithful the TV show I love is to the book, but at the same time, it did make so much of the book feel a bit repetitive.
Apparently I need to start reading the book first if we're doing faithful adaptions now.
That said, I did read the whole book and I did enjoy it quite a bit. The big moments didn't hit quite as hard because I knew they were coming, and admittedly I think some moments were more impactful in the TV show.
Emma's death was much more impactful in the book, knowing her final moments and final thoughts, which we do not see in the show. The aftermath of Emma's death and Dexter's healing, I believe was more impactful in the show, but that didn't make it less heartbreaking in the book.
This is a beautiful story and it's crafted so perfectly. I love this long love storyand even the bittersweet ending. I think if you haven't watched the show, definitely read the book first. If you have watched the show and love it, this will only enhance your love for it.
Apparently I need to start reading the book first if we're doing faithful adaptions now.
That said, I did read the whole book and I did enjoy it quite a bit. The big moments didn't hit quite as hard because I knew they were coming, and admittedly I think some moments were more impactful in the TV show.
This is a beautiful story and it's crafted so perfectly. I love this long love story
Artemis by Andy Weir
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book was a disappointment after reading Project Hail Mary.
That's not to say the book didn't have its moments, but overall I found it much harder to get into. Jazz is a flawed character, but she doesn't have enough redeeming qualities for me to really root for her. The other characters were okay, but in the same way, it was hard to find anyone that I was rooting for. Jazz's father, maybe?
Jazz is a little oversexualized, it's not quite as bad as some of the comments here have made it out to be, but it is very true. I think it wouldn't bother me as much to have a female MC who likes sex a bit freely and has fun with it if she wasn't the only one of Weir's MCs to act like this (and the only female MC he's written...). It just feels a little odd.
That's not to say the book didn't have its moments, but overall I found it much harder to get into. Jazz is a flawed character, but she doesn't have enough redeeming qualities for me to really root for her. The other characters were okay, but in the same way, it was hard to find anyone that I was rooting for. Jazz's father, maybe?
Jazz is a little oversexualized, it's not quite as bad as some of the comments here have made it out to be, but it is very true. I think it wouldn't bother me as much to have a female MC who likes sex a bit freely and has fun with it if she wasn't the only one of Weir's MCs to act like this (and the only female MC he's written...). It just feels a little odd.
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It is very infrequent that I will thoroughly enjoy a novella, so keep that in mind with the rating. It was an interesting plot and the characters felt very natural and well-developed, despite the short time to tell the story, but the story also felt very unfinished. I don't mind unfinished stories as long as it feels like the purpose of the story is to be a glimpse of life, or that the point is there is no ending and life in ongoing.
This story felt like... here is the start of something, something will happen from this and you know what it is going to be (or could be), but then it ends. It was a bit unsatisfactory.
Otherwise, good and I have no regrets reading it!
This story felt like... here is the start of something, something will happen from this and you know what it is going to be (or could be), but then it ends. It was a bit unsatisfactory.
Otherwise, good and I have no regrets reading it!
Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
If you've read the full series (which I assume you have if you're looking at this book), there will be a lot of repetition in this book. It is definitely a book for the fans because it's a lot of extra content that can already be read at the end of the books in the series, however, it's great to have all the short stories in one place! And, if you're like me, your copies of the series don't all have the extra content, so it's great to have a place to access those stories. Whalen also includes some recipes and history about how she wrote the series and what inspired her.
There are a couple of new stories as well, but I wouldn't recommend buying the book just to read them. This is a great book to have and a fun read, but it's definitely more like a companion guide than a book in its own right.
However, this is one of my favourite series, so I'm pretty thrilled with whatever little morsels I can get to add to my Queen's Thief series.
There are a couple of new stories as well, but I wouldn't recommend buying the book just to read them. This is a great book to have and a fun read, but it's definitely more like a companion guide than a book in its own right.
However, this is one of my favourite series, so I'm pretty thrilled with whatever little morsels I can get to add to my Queen's Thief series.
Favorite African Folktales by Nelson Mandela
dark
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I love Aesop's Fables, Grimm Fairytales, and even nursery rhymes, so this collection was naturally going to be something I had a lot of fun with. Some of the stories were a bit slow and I was as interested, but most of them were short and compelling with lessons that ranged from good to kind of messed up, but that's how these stories always go. It was fun getting a glimpse at these folktales/fables that I didn't grow up with but that someone across the world from me did.
I had a lot of fun with this book, and I definitely recommend it as something to pick up and read one or two stories when you have a few minutes here and there.
I had a lot of fun with this book, and I definitely recommend it as something to pick up and read one or two stories when you have a few minutes here and there.