Will the ending of this novel ever cease to get me?
I know there's the valid critique that everyone in this novel is a terrible entitled rich person aWill the ending of this novel ever cease to get me?
I know there's the valid critique that everyone in this novel is a terrible entitled rich person at heart, but damnit the writing gets me wistful and sighing. Plus I think it is worthy of analysis and can be used to examine so many things.
But yeah the antisemitism does need to be addressed when you have students read it because woof...more
This was a weird read, honestly. But I am a sucker for a book set a place I've lived and love so shout out to Milwaukee and all the rea3.5 rounded up.
This was a weird read, honestly. But I am a sucker for a book set a place I've lived and love so shout out to Milwaukee and all the real places used in here.
There's a LOT happening in here and I think the narrator is a very complex, at times unlikable, character who elicits a lot of complex feelings (and seeing other reviews it looks as if I'm not the only one).
The book does a lot- looks at queer relationships and race and economics and collective action and addiction and cultural/cross cultural dynamics and gender and family and trauma. And in some ways it felt like TOO MUCH to try to do in the length it was and the relationships built in it, but in other ways it felt reflective of the ways we go through life. However in some ways it felt like it reflected what a TV character would go through- most people's real lives while complex don't necessarily hit *so many* areas so extremely? I don't know. It felt like a lot.
But there were moments where the writing was really lovely and the ideas it got at felt massively important. The dynamics between characters were messy and complicated in a great, interesting way. But I couldn't keep every person straight at a certain point.
But the ending was abrupt as hell and aggravated me. Beautifully written, but what the hell, how was that the ending?!...more
Sure, it's the alien smut you'd expect from that cover, but I was also very compelled by the sort of survival story of it and the world building. WillSure, it's the alien smut you'd expect from that cover, but I was also very compelled by the sort of survival story of it and the world building. Will definitely read more books in the series...more
The structure of this book really does it a disservice and I think listening to it rather than reading a hard copy did too.
I would ha2.5 rounded up.
The structure of this book really does it a disservice and I think listening to it rather than reading a hard copy did too.
I would have much preferred a straight timeline as much as possible rather than a chapter about historical women and their place in brewing then a chapter about modern women in brewing. It became too hard to keep things straight and it threw off the narrative.
But each chapter individually was fine largely and I think the ones that weren't weren't because of the writer or writing but because of the lack of information to be had about that aspect of brewing history/records of women in brewing.
Overall, I wanted to really love this, but I was pretty much ready to be done listening about 70% of the way through. If you're interested, definitely pick up a hard copy... But also maybe prepare to think "...I maybe only care about how cool a brewery is and how the beer tastes and not all of this"...more
3.5 rounded up. This was fun and sexy, but the characterization in some ways felt inconsistent and the two leads fell for each other so fast (which is3.5 rounded up. This was fun and sexy, but the characterization in some ways felt inconsistent and the two leads fell for each other so fast (which isn't normally my thing).
Also an editor missed one of my pet peeves I correct my students on and I can't get over it lol (you have bias, you are biasED. Ok thank you)...more
I wanted to like this so much more because I adored One to Watch, but this just didn't work for me on a few levels.
1. The love story between the mmc I wanted to like this so much more because I adored One to Watch, but this just didn't work for me on a few levels.
1. The love story between the mmc and fmc happened too fast and I didn't buy their chemistry.
2. By being an homage to other vampire and supernatural media in some ways, this turned predictable in those elements. Like I just wasn't interested in this vampire world at all because it felt entirely too familiar
3. Rather than leaning into the zany hijinx finding out your favorite fandom characters are real could lead to and making that a bigger focus, we just get thrown into the aforementioned vampire world when I think I wanted there to be far more fandom aspects throughout.
4. I don't think I really liked either Tess or Callum much tbh. Or maybe they just felt inconsistent and like they changed too quickly for it to be believable..
I do really like that at its heart, Fang Fiction wants to be about how much power we can find in ourselves, particularly through our connections in life and to fiction. But I think I'll probably avoid anymore fantasy based books by this author....more
Reading this right after reading Gatsby again was a treat; I could recognize exact moments and dialogue from the original and see where things shiftedReading this right after reading Gatsby again was a treat; I could recognize exact moments and dialogue from the original and see where things shifted due to the things changed (or made explicit) in the characters.
The magical aspects pervade the novel but somehow don't alter much about the story of Gatsby. But in some ways I'm not sure they felt completely necessary? Like I don't know that they added to particular themes that were explored throughout and in some ways it feels like more interesting things could have been done if the perspective change and racial change were the focus.... But I then it would be a risky different novel so maybe that's a song dumb thing to put in a review.
The writing was lovely and I have a feeling I'll just have accepted certain things about Daisy's background in this novel as canon for Gatsby if I read it with students again....more
I remember LOVING this book and feeling moved by it when I read it in high school. But man it doesn't hold up.
Still some solid insightful ideas if yoI remember LOVING this book and feeling moved by it when I read it in high school. But man it doesn't hold up.
Still some solid insightful ideas if you are interested in mindfulness, but the writing isn't good (translation work? My Kindle copy also had a bunch of typos honestly...) and it's condescending as hell in places in an eye rolling way. I'm glad I revisited it even if it brought my fond memories of it to "meh"...more
This book felt so important but also kinda in love with itself and it's "cleverness" in a way. There were a lot of absolutely gorgeous3.75 rounded up
This book felt so important but also kinda in love with itself and it's "cleverness" in a way. There were a lot of absolutely gorgeous moments in the writing, but there were just as many moments of confusion and not a few moments of bloat (Honestly the entire Neelay storyline feels like it could have been cut to me and maybe so could the Brinkmans').
The structure mirroring the content was lovely in a lot of ways but because this book is so dense at 502 pages that it was easy to forget who everyone was when I got to the second section of the book. Overall I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the back half and for some reason the last 25 pages was just a slog. 502 is a lot of pages to read descriptions of trees (I'm oversimplifying of course).
Also, I don't love some of the implications of the Patricia storyline; does this book ultimately boil down to the best thing we could all do for the earth is die? Because that feels icky.
But the message that we should be still and listen to nature and that everything is connected and human greed cannot be the driver of our entire world even though it is? Necessary to remind ourselves of. all. the. time....more
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