I desperately want to live in a Wes Anderson film, but unfortunately books like this are the closest I'll ever get :(
I didn't like this as much as theI desperately want to live in a Wes Anderson film, but unfortunately books like this are the closest I'll ever get :(
I didn't like this as much as the previous volume since some of the pictures seemed more pastel-aesthetic than Wes-Anderson-aesthetic, but the pictures were all beautiful. I hope the authors come out with another volume!...more
This was a lot of fun, but not my favorite volume. There were a lot of action scenes which are my least favorite parts of the series, but I really enjThis was a lot of fun, but not my favorite volume. There were a lot of action scenes which are my least favorite parts of the series, but I really enjoyed the more slice-of-life chapters. My favorite was the one about the tea cakes!...more
I really, really hated the last story (it was about one of my least favorite tropes) so the emotional part of me wants to give this 1 star, but I feelI really, really hated the last story (it was about one of my least favorite tropes) so the emotional part of me wants to give this 1 star, but I feel like it's probably more of a 2.5. I found this really cozy and easy to read, but a bit repetitive and predictable. I can see why it's so popular, but it unfortunately didn't live up to the hype for me.
I'm looking forward to hearing what the rest of bookclub thinks about it!...more
Ok, this is obviously a case of it's-not-you-it's-me. Because this book is considered a modern classic and is critically acclaimed! But omg dDNF @ 50%
Ok, this is obviously a case of it's-not-you-it's-me. Because this book is considered a modern classic and is critically acclaimed! But omg did I not enjoy myself. The entire time I was reading (well, listening to) this, I was incredibly bored. I kept checking how much I had left because I was desperate for it to be over.
There's something about Toni Morrison's writing that I didn't connect with. While everything that was happening in the book was horrific, I didn't feel any more emotionally connected or affected than when I read about similar things occurring in the news or a textbook. I've read in other reviews that this book really exposes the brutality of slavery in the US, but maybe I wasn't as impacted because I knew about that? Don't get me wrong, everything that takes place in this book is horrific, but I can't say I was surprised by anything (plus I already knew the ending of the book prior to starting, and I'm sure that also impacted my reading experience).
I think that Toni Morrison just isn't for me, unfortunately. I'm glad that I tried to read this book, but I don't think I'll be picking up anything else by her.
(Also, the 1-star rating isn't because of the quality of the book which obviously has gotten a lot of acclaim. It's just a reflection of my personal enjoyment + how effective the book was for me.)...more
This book could have been so good. The mystery was really interesting, there are a lot of likable side characters, and the atmosphere was really well This book could have been so good. The mystery was really interesting, there are a lot of likable side characters, and the atmosphere was really well done. Unfortunately, there was a lot that I hated about this:
1) This series is called the Tate AND Bell mysteries, but Gemma (Tate) is barely even a character in this. There was really no reason for her to be in this book. She didn't do much and didn't even appear in the story until almost a quarter into the book. I can suspend disbelief for having women intricately involved in solving crimes (something that definitely didn't happen very often in Victorian England), so the author should have come up with a better way to have Gemma involved in the story.
2) The romance in this SUCKED. I already barely cared about Gemma and Bell, so I definitely didn't care about their romantic relationship. I feel zero chemistry between them. I thought maybe it was gonna be a super slow-burn relationship, but they're basically together by the end of this book (and I feel like that came out of nowhere since they barely interacted in this book! I swear, they're only into each other because they both have baby fever.)
3) While most of the mystery was great, I hated the ending. I don't dislike the concept, but the execution felt extremely insensitive. While this is historical fiction and conservative views are period-accurate, this is a modern book written by a modern author for modern audiences. I was extremely disappointed with how the author treated the subject and it left a sour taste in my mouth.
4) Lowkey this book dragged. There were parts I really liked, but if the audiobook narrator hadn't been amazing this would have been a DNF. There's a lot of fluff that should have been cut.
I don't think I'm going to continue with this series. Never say never, but there are too many good historical mystery series to waste my time on meh ones....more
This was soooo needed. I am having such a hard time waiting for book 4 in this series, so I was sooooo happy when I found out about this novella! It wThis was soooo needed. I am having such a hard time waiting for book 4 in this series, so I was sooooo happy when I found out about this novella! It was fluffy and short, but I really enjoyed it. The mystery was a lot of fun and, while the ending wasn't the most surprising, it was satisfying.
The reason why I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is that, much like the other books in the series, the social commentary feels blocky and out of place. I don't have an issue with the the actual arguments the author is making, but it's never woven throughout the story and instead there are just random paragraphs here and there that seemed kind of soapbox-y. Also, I'm not even sure if it's accurate? There's a throwaway line about a character being gender-fluid, but it seems to me that this character is actually female but sometimes presents as male because of the freedom that gives her. Maybe she is intended to be gender fluid, but if so, the author has done a really bad job at it.
Also, historical stories that involve sexual (especially casual) relationships are never my thing because I find that I just get worried about the characters becoming pregnant or catching an STD (both of which would be horrible in the Victorian era) and that tends to take me out of the story. Like, I just feel like it's likely that That's a very niche pet peeve though, so I don't think that would bother too many people.
Despite all that, I had a great time reading this. It was nice to read about these characters again and I'm soooo excited to see them in the next full-length novel. I love the characters and the world so much that the series would really have to go downhill for me to start disliking it....more
Considering how boring I find economics, I'm surprised by how much I loved this book! I had a blast reading this. There was enough explanation about sConsidering how boring I find economics, I'm surprised by how much I loved this book! I had a blast reading this. There was enough explanation about stocks, shorting, and the economy so that I could follow the story, but there wasn't so much that this read like a textbook. We got a lot of background on the main 'characters' of the story which made me care a lot more about how their bets were going. Even though I knew the eventual outcome, by the end of the book I was anxious for them!
I definitely recommend this, especially if you enjoyed the film. (And if you're not interested in this book, watch the movie. It's really good.)
Note: I don't rate non-fiction. But this is probably in the 5-star range for me personally....more
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