Such a fun addition to the series. While not required reading, it adds a bit of background on a character and continues to flesh out the world of the Such a fun addition to the series. While not required reading, it adds a bit of background on a character and continues to flesh out the world of the Stormlight Archive in a fun and exciting way. I listened to the audiobook which was only 6.5 hours and excellently narrated by Kate Reading!
Note: only read this if you've read the first 2 Stormlight novels. ...more
I’m not even gonna properly review this because it’s book 2 in an epic series and enough has already been written about it. I really liked this one, mI’m not even gonna properly review this because it’s book 2 in an epic series and enough has already been written about it. I really liked this one, more than book 1, BUT I still have issues with the length and pacing of these books.
The first 50-60% (of a book that’s over 1000 pages!!) really dragged for me. I mean I was never tempted to stop but it’s all just so much setup that does pay off in the end but feels really slow when you’re reading it. And the last 20-30% fly by and are so gripping but it feels weightless compared to the beginning and then you’re left wanting more.
Idk if that’s a success or failure tbh haha. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever love one of these books though I can see myself appreciating and enjoying the series as a whole.
And for anyone who doesn’t like Shallan, what’s wrong with you!?...more
A chorus of strong voices exploring the trials and tribulations of womanhood in Mexico, especially in regards to violence, trauma, and veng[3.5 stars]
A chorus of strong voices exploring the trials and tribulations of womanhood in Mexico, especially in regards to violence, trauma, and vengeance. Each story takes on a new lens of what it means to be a woman and navigate such a tumultuous environment. These many 'I's blend together to create a powerful narrative, considering their varied backgrounds and experiences.
While I did find some of the stories to blend together so much that they started to be a bit too similar, each was incredibly readable, with a clear tone of voice and moments of humor and horror. The first story was a gut punch and the last story in particular was a beautiful and harrowing denouement....more
I wanted to give this a fair shot so I read the first ~60 pages or so and can tell it’s just not for me. The writing style and structure wereDNF @ 20%
I wanted to give this a fair shot so I read the first ~60 pages or so and can tell it’s just not for me. The writing style and structure were way too chaotic, I just had no idea what was happening. It did make me do a Google deep dive on Suriname though which I didn’t know much about before this book, so that was interesting. ...more
I didn't quite get on with the loose structure of this. It made it hard to feel grounded in any sort of narrative, and perhaps that's the [3.5 stars]
I didn't quite get on with the loose structure of this. It made it hard to feel grounded in any sort of narrative, and perhaps that's the point. But I found aspects of this incredibly moving and tender. There's so much compassion for the characters, especially Fanny, which makes sense in light of the author's own experience with losing her little sister and writing this book to contend with those circumstances.
The idea of the other main character being called The Narrator but not being the actual narrator made more sense as the story went on, but I don't think it quite worked for me fully. Perhaps if I re-read this now in light of the last 2 chapters, I would appreciate it even more. I think she's a skilled writer and the translation is flawless, but for me there wasn't quite *enough* to this book to blow me away. Still, there were quite a few very beautiful moments sprinkled throughout and it does an excellent job giving you perspectives of both parties: the one struggling with mental illness and the ones who carry the weight of caretaking.
"It's not that he's spineless, he's simply made in such a way that his life began with a question, and along the way all the things he has seen, read, heard and experienced have given him part of the answer, but over the years, of course, these answers have grown more and more meager, warped, swollen, and grayed, and he's so enamored of this perpetual back and forth between edification and composition that he keeps on toiling away."...more
Hands-down, this is one of my new favorite collections of interconnected short stories. It feels like every year I find a new one that really jumps ouHands-down, this is one of my new favorite collections of interconnected short stories. It feels like every year I find a new one that really jumps out and surprises me, this one, especially because I have read two other books by this author before and didn’t particularly love them.
This felt so different! And I’m not sure if it’s because of a different translator or because it’s an entirely different type of book than the other two I read. I’m so glad I gave this a shot and that the International Booker prize put it on the long list so that it was brought to my attention.
If you like speculative, sci-fi short stories, I think you’ll really like this one. You definitely have to just trust the process because at the beginning they feel very disconnected and disorienting. But as the book goes on, you will begin to see how it all connects and it is so satisfying.
Kawakami explore some really interesting ideas about humanity, about love and hate, about creation and destruction, the cycles of life, technology versus nature, and so much more in these 14 very distinct but connected tales.
Even as satisfying as the end was, do I fully understand everything I read? No. But it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the experience, especially because I know this is a book I will revisit in the future. Reading it a second time, I can only imagine, will reveal things I did not understand at first.
If you like Sequoia Nagamatsu’s How High We Go in the Dark or Simon Jimenez’s The Vanished Birds, I think you will really enjoy this collection....more
[3.5 stars] Very cool concept. Wonderfully written and excellently translated. I just think it being the start of a series made me feel like, by the e[3.5 stars] Very cool concept. Wonderfully written and excellently translated. I just think it being the start of a series made me feel like, by the end, I wanted more (a good thing! I will continue) but that this one didn't satisfy as much as a 1st book in a series should, in my opinion. It's making me question whether this whole concept needs to be broken out into more volumes or could be instead one large volume or maybe 2-3 bigger ones. We shall see! Maybe I'll eat my words and see, in hindsight, why she ended this one where she did. But for now I liked, didn't love, and hope subsequent volumes provide a bit more meat....more
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