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watermelleon's reviews
248 reviews
Grit by Emily Oldfield
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Margins and Murmurations by Otter Lieffe
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
I gave this the one hour rule - despite being a wonderfully diverse book, the writing style was not for me and perhaps needs some maturing in writing style- it feels like some editing may be needed. I tend to enjoy books more that show rather than tell, and at times it felt a little bit too much pushing of good political ideas (that I do agree with) instead of subtly integrating them for maximum impact.
In Place of Fear by Aneurin Bevan
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Everyone should read this book. And there is not a better time to do it.
The scariest book i have ever read.
The scariest book i have ever read.
The Circling Song by Nawal El Saadawi
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was a completely blind read, and am I shocked to see the rating on this so low!!
"A Circling Song" found me, when I was in a public library craving a short novella to demolish! This book looked so tiny and unassuming on the shelf, and hadn't been checked out since 2012. I know now that this fact is an absolute disgrace.
The description of this book as a "kaleidoscope" was so perfect. The story comes across as a feeling and an idea, a string of consciousness contemplating the reality of gender and politics in Egypt. Narratives weave and blend and interconnect. Somehow, a world so culturally different from mine is explained in a way that I have never heard yet fully understood.
The feminist potential of the Arabic language was the most beautiful discourse I have ever heard. With so many languages discussing gramatical gender the fact that a simple dash is the sole difference between the masculine and feminine is something fascinating to reflect on.
Cried a lot, reflected a lot. Learned a lot. Love!!!
"A Circling Song" found me, when I was in a public library craving a short novella to demolish! This book looked so tiny and unassuming on the shelf, and hadn't been checked out since 2012. I know now that this fact is an absolute disgrace.
The description of this book as a "kaleidoscope" was so perfect. The story comes across as a feeling and an idea, a string of consciousness contemplating the reality of gender and politics in Egypt. Narratives weave and blend and interconnect. Somehow, a world so culturally different from mine is explained in a way that I have never heard yet fully understood.
The feminist potential of the Arabic language was the most beautiful discourse I have ever heard. With so many languages discussing gramatical gender the fact that a simple dash is the sole difference between the masculine and feminine is something fascinating to reflect on.
Cried a lot, reflected a lot. Learned a lot. Love!!!
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Yellowface [Abridged] by R.F. Kuang
The questionable bits:
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*Review based on the abridged audiobook from radio 4 *
Good bits:
Good bits:
- An excellent deconstruction of key systemic issues within the publishing industry!
- A very bold choice was made to use an unreliable and unlikeable narrator. I absolutely hated the protagonist and it was used sucessfully as a vehicle for suspense and the thriller elements of the book. Seen other opinions on this, but it worked for me!
- A great summary of the alt right pipeline, how it works, and examples of the tiny grains (and buckets) of enabling sand that eventually pool into a beach of ideology.
- Easily the scariest book i have read in a while for mirroring reality so well - the protagonist reminded me of multiple key figures that opperate in a similar way in the news currently.
The questionable bits:
- The book began to feel a bit long and samey in parts, and I wonder if in the full version there may be some reading fatigue as a result?
- While some excellent ideas are discussed, im not fully convinced that yellowface gives the reader enough to learn and change their own perspectives. I worry that only those with understanding of the key issues will get everything going on in a "yes, this reflects real life as i understand it" way, over a "now i understand issues such as cultural appropriation and how i am a part of the problem a bit easier" way. While books dont always need to be an education, i fear that those who need it most will miss the important nuances without this context, or fail to finish it completely.
- Not sure where im sat on
the character of candice and where she ends up. What started as a promising character possibly falls a bit flat in the name of vengeance. This is okay in some instances, but i personally initally read candice as a non-white character which created a bitter taste in it falling the way it did. - Sometimes i felt the author's opinion voice teetering the line of being too strong, putting it in danger of becoming a brash ideology piece(thinking about pullman as a good example of this). Which is a shame, because the points are overall good, but fell on the page too strongly at times which ,ay be offputting to some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Blindness by José Saramago
the challenges;
I went into this book wondering if it would be a bit too close to the bone to those who in some way have lost their vision, but have left wondering perhaps the opposite. with something this descriptive and visual I feel like it could be an absolutely incredible audiobook journey!
I would recommend this book on everyone's bucket list, providing the topics covered aren't too difficult for you!
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
it is so hard to write a review for this one!!
the good bits:
the good bits:
- the writing style is completely unique. I have read nothing like this ever, and it has been a fully original experience.
- The characters were incredibly complex, despite not knowing their names or what they look like past a quirky defining feature used to establish who is in the room or speaking.
- In a book where almost no-one can see, this book has some of the most vivid and detailed descriptions I have ever read. I could map out a floor plan of a whole building, which absolutely added to the impact of what was happening within the novel.
- so many well thought out moments and quotes, the messaging behind this book was incredible. it feels like a very good time to be reading a book like this, as many instances early on felt very reminiscent of the current situation in Palestine (and other political situations), something saramago has spoken out about for many years.
- I really enjoyed reading this on holiday in portugal! although purposefully not set in a specific country or town, I felt very connected to the work this way - I also caught a glimpse at the saramago foundation community space in obidos :)
the challenges;
- the book is incredibly dark, and a difficult read. by far this book has some of the most uncomfortable scenes I have ever come across, with a lot of potentially triggering detail. However, it doesn't feel gratuitous, or there for the sake of it being there. It has a purpose, and I think any other author (my mind gravitates to stephen king) would have done a terrible job. What was unique for me was that saramago managed to centre these events through the eyes of the victims and not the perpetrators, something I have very rarely (if ever) seen in any other book.
- The writing style I imagine is not for everyone. It does take some getting used to, and I think this plus the traumatic contents do slow down the reading experience. I would not change this though!
- I wish I could have read this in portuguese. I think the translator did an excellent job, however it does (as it always will) feel like it is likely that the original flowery prose is lost to me!
- having known people on a personal basis that have lost their vision overnight, it was a concern to me going in how this concept would come across, and whether it would be too abelist for my tastes. I felt personally that this was avoided, however cannot speak on this opinion from the perspective of a visually impaired person. What made this book feel okay to myself personally was that: it was made very clear that it was a "medically impossible" blindness and not a known medical condition, as well as the one character that could see showing her own type of blindness, assuming that her blind friends needed her help when they were sufficient. what is referred to as "blindness" in this novel is perhaps more a state of mind, over level of vision.
I went into this book wondering if it would be a bit too close to the bone to those who in some way have lost their vision, but have left wondering perhaps the opposite. with something this descriptive and visual I feel like it could be an absolutely incredible audiobook journey!
I would recommend this book on everyone's bucket list, providing the topics covered aren't too difficult for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Car accident
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
4.0
What a journey!!
I think your experience of this book will greatly vary on either your experience with other David Mitchell books, or interest in the historical topics covered. I absolutely love how different this was to other Mitchell books, but the topic was not one I'd usually reach for which at times made it very difficult to follow!
The nest of different stories within was so interesting and kept the story flowing nicely if one part wasn't as interesting to me.
Overall, an incredible journey where I learned so much about Dutch-Japanese trading and the history of such a specific time!
Mitchell's books are a giant cobweb of a world, with one in particular (struggling to spoiler tag on my phone!) having a strong link to this one. This has lead me to wonder if I would have enjoyed this more or less if I had read that specific book after this one! I think for me personally, it was great to see where the story ended and then go back to its beginning (similar to how I felt reading the bone clocks and then utopia avenue) - filling in the additional context I knew made some parts, characters, far more interesting (and some parts incredibly darker). But, I can't imagine what it would have been like to read this book when it came out and learn further context years down the line!
The Thing I was not expecting was the grey morality of Jacobs character - I was rather expecting him to be quite the hero, but this is at its heart a story about capitalism. Mitchell does not shy away from this and he does not expect you to fully respect his actions. The gritty side of this time and place are not fantasised, and there are no illusions - Marinus being strategically placed as a representative of a more ethical way of living was a very intelligent choice, and one that the book hugely benefitted from.
I think your experience of this book will greatly vary on either your experience with other David Mitchell books, or interest in the historical topics covered. I absolutely love how different this was to other Mitchell books, but the topic was not one I'd usually reach for which at times made it very difficult to follow!
The nest of different stories within was so interesting and kept the story flowing nicely if one part wasn't as interesting to me.
Overall, an incredible journey where I learned so much about Dutch-Japanese trading and the history of such a specific time!
Mitchell's books are a giant cobweb of a world, with one in particular (struggling to spoiler tag on my phone!) having a strong link to this one. This has lead me to wonder if I would have enjoyed this more or less if I had read that specific book after this one! I think for me personally, it was great to see where the story ended and then go back to its beginning (similar to how I felt reading the bone clocks and then utopia avenue) - filling in the additional context I knew made some parts, characters, far more interesting (and some parts incredibly darker). But, I can't imagine what it would have been like to read this book when it came out and learn further context years down the line!
The Thing I was not expecting was the grey morality of Jacobs character - I was rather expecting him to be quite the hero, but this is at its heart a story about capitalism. Mitchell does not shy away from this and he does not expect you to fully respect his actions. The gritty side of this time and place are not fantasised, and there are no illusions - Marinus being strategically placed as a representative of a more ethical way of living was a very intelligent choice, and one that the book hugely benefitted from.
Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence by Kristen R. Ghodsee
informative
medium-paced
4.0
There is some really interesting content here that I absolutely loved!! Lots to keep reading around the subject and keep me thinking after the book. The last chapter is absolutely wonderful and definitely what I needed to stop feeling so helpless in the world.
It feels acessible, and doesn't go too deep into some topics. But a good starting point!
I'm not fully convinced everything is perfect and I'm not 100% sold on all of the authors views (some about sex work as an honorable mention 😬)
Passes the trans inclusivity test ✨✨
It feels acessible, and doesn't go too deep into some topics. But a good starting point!
I'm not fully convinced everything is perfect and I'm not 100% sold on all of the authors views (some about sex work as an honorable mention 😬)
Passes the trans inclusivity test ✨✨
Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
I was really enjoying this!! Will come back to it when I have a paper copy.