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reader_in_the_meadow's reviews
172 reviews
King Lear by William Shakespeare
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
4.0
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Stranger by Albert Camus
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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 book gripped me from page 1.
It wss so beautiful I had a really hard time putting it down, and actually finishing it because I didn't want it to end really.
Of course, everything must come to an end, a thing made all so clear in this novel. Questioning humanity, our place in the world and how we are limited by what society makes us, this absolutely destroyed me emotionally!
I will definitely recommend this!
It wss so beautiful I had a really hard time putting it down, and actually finishing it because I didn't want it to end really.
Of course, everything must come to an end, a thing made all so clear in this novel. Questioning humanity, our place in the world and how we are limited by what society makes us, this absolutely destroyed me emotionally!
I will definitely recommend this!
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I am at a lods for words. This book was so so thrilling from beginning to end!
If you'd ask me to describe it I'd say it's some sort of combination of Gossip Girl and Get Out. It was a fucked up story, but one that is all too real.
The author has an amazing voice and I loved her storytelling and prose. I am very excited to see what she'll be bringing us in the future!
If you'd ask me to describe it I'd say it's some sort of combination of Gossip Girl and Get Out. It was a fucked up story, but one that is all too real.
The author has an amazing voice and I loved her storytelling and prose. I am very excited to see what she'll be bringing us in the future!
Nevada by Imogen Binnie
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
3.75
This book was somhow totally what I expected and somehow the complete opposite of it, and I am teally confused but also fascinated by that.
Maria's character is very intriguing especially once she starts to grow more into herself within the story.
The same goes for James, who I think should've had more "screentime" (idk how to better describe what I mean).
Now the ending, that was something interesting. When the ending came I was like "What? That's it?". But once I read why the ending plays out like it does in the Afterword it made a lot more sense, and I don't think another ending would have actually worked, so that was really great.
Imogen Binnie is a very interesting voice in modern queer and trans literature.
Maria's character is very intriguing especially once she starts to grow more into herself within the story.
The same goes for James, who I think should've had more "screentime" (idk how to better describe what I mean).
Now the ending, that was something interesting. When the ending came I was like "What? That's it?". But once I read why the ending plays out like it does in the Afterword it made a lot more sense, and I don't think another ending would have actually worked, so that was really great.
Imogen Binnie is a very interesting voice in modern queer and trans literature.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thid book took me more than 2 months at I got to be honest, at some points I thought about simply not finishing it.
But I am so glad I took these 2+ months to gi ish it, because it was such an amazing novel!
I can't even really put all my feelings into words, just know that I think everyone should read this at least once. Dostoyevsky is a mastermind of russian literature!
But I am so glad I took these 2+ months to gi ish it, because it was such an amazing novel!
I can't even really put all my feelings into words, just know that I think everyone should read this at least once. Dostoyevsky is a mastermind of russian literature!
Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
While this is a good book on its own, I think it shadows as a follow up to it's ptior two sinling books.
I found this heavily repetitive if the things we already saw in Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Tales from the Cafe, which kind of bugged me. I also found the location change kind if weird and not really necessary.
But I still enjoyed the characters and their stories however reoetitive the, may have seen.
I found this heavily repetitive if the things we already saw in Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Tales from the Cafe, which kind of bugged me. I also found the location change kind if weird and not really necessary.
But I still enjoyed the characters and their stories however reoetitive the, may have seen.
Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
4.5
When I read Before the Coffee Gets Cold last year, I absolutely loved it and so I decided to finally get the follow-up novels.
Tales from the Cafe did not disappoint at all. Taking place seven years after the first novel it perfectly builds on everything that was established in it. Starring returnibg as well as new characters, who were each very unique and lovable.
Kawaguchi's characters and their stories always bring me so much emotions and I was very close to crying at the end of this novel which is always a thing to show me just how good a book truly is.
I can't wait to continue this series with Before your Memory Fades
Tales from the Cafe did not disappoint at all. Taking place seven years after the first novel it perfectly builds on everything that was established in it. Starring returnibg as well as new characters, who were each very unique and lovable.
Kawaguchi's characters and their stories always bring me so much emotions and I was very close to crying at the end of this novel which is always a thing to show me just how good a book truly is.
I can't wait to continue this series with Before your Memory Fades
Vladimir by Julia May Jonas
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
Vladimir is a very interesting novel I think.
I picked this up after seeing it in a video recommending new contemporary novels. I however didn't read it until now, letzing it sit on my shelf, unread for I think a year.
I am very happy I didn't read it earlier though, because I think had I read it a year ago I wouldn't have really understood it the way I do now.
This novel is a very interesting insight-look and deconstruction of what we as a western society have come to see and view as the "normal" marriage and just how performative marriages now-adays can seem.
Even more than that it is a novel about having to correlate ones own views about martiage and afulthood with the ever changing sociocultural landscape of the modern age.
The characters in this book are very intriguing, and even tjough the book is rather short, I felt like that was a perfect way to make the reader like and dislike them in the little time we spend with them. Their all very much multifaceted and need to be looked at very scrutiningly to really get a good understanding of them and their actions.
In conclusion I liked this book but have to admit that due to the topics it deals with and the way it does I wouldn't particularly recommend it to just anyone, which is however not to say that I would not recommend it at all. Because, as I said, this is a very multifaceted book with very intereszing character design, which I think we'll get to learn a lot from in the future.
I picked this up after seeing it in a video recommending new contemporary novels. I however didn't read it until now, letzing it sit on my shelf, unread for I think a year.
I am very happy I didn't read it earlier though, because I think had I read it a year ago I wouldn't have really understood it the way I do now.
This novel is a very interesting insight-look and deconstruction of what we as a western society have come to see and view as the "normal" marriage and just how performative marriages now-adays can seem.
Even more than that it is a novel about having to correlate ones own views about martiage and afulthood with the ever changing sociocultural landscape of the modern age.
The characters in this book are very intriguing, and even tjough the book is rather short, I felt like that was a perfect way to make the reader like and dislike them in the little time we spend with them. Their all very much multifaceted and need to be looked at very scrutiningly to really get a good understanding of them and their actions.
In conclusion I liked this book but have to admit that due to the topics it deals with and the way it does I wouldn't particularly recommend it to just anyone, which is however not to say that I would not recommend it at all. Because, as I said, this is a very multifaceted book with very intereszing character design, which I think we'll get to learn a lot from in the future.