this was definitely different than i thought it would be, but i let go of what i “thought it was going to be like� and was able to appreciate it for wthis was definitely different than i thought it would be, but i let go of what i “thought it was going to be like� and was able to appreciate it for what it was.
it reads more like a memoir, rather than a story of grief, loss, friendship, etc. with a plot like i went into it thinking it would be.
i truly don’t think i’ll think about this one much after setting it down, BUT (!!) i really enjoyed nunez’s writing. this was my first novel of hers and now i want to continue!! she’s very talented and i am very interested in her others!
if you’re a writer or in the writing world, this could be one you might potentially really enjoy!
this was unlike anything i’ve ever read before and would definitely recommend if you like lit fic exploring complicated family relationships, particulthis was unlike anything i’ve ever read before and would definitely recommend if you like lit fic exploring complicated family relationships, particularly between fathers and daughters.
this deals with some heavy subject matter (mental health, miscarriage, etc.), so definitely read the triggers warnings prior to.
there was a lot of hopping around from past to present and from our main character, mona, to other characters, but i think claudia dey did such a great job with this. i had no issues following along, but if you don’t usually like that style of writing � that’s just a heads up and something to be aware of as i saw a few other reviewers mentioning the same thing (some enjoyed it, others didn’t)
yay for a new to me canadian author! i will definitely read whatever she releases next!!...more
this was� so gross and so disturbing. i saw someone describe this as a gag fest and i couldn’t find better words to describe this horrifying novella. this was� so gross and so disturbing. i saw someone describe this as a gag fest and i couldn’t find better words to describe this horrifying novella. but i laughed out loud multiple times out of pure discomfort. ...more
my husband and i recently watched saltburn and i immediately went looking for books that had a similar vibe. paradise rot was recommended over and ovemy husband and i recently watched saltburn and i immediately went looking for books that had a similar vibe. paradise rot was recommended over and over, so i quickly requested it from my local library. i went into it knowing nothing other than: similar vibes to saltburn. i don’t think i needed to know anything more than that (and i recommend you do the same if you choose to pick this one up)
jenny hval is a new favourite author of mine and marjam idriss did a phenomenal job with the translation.
i don’t really know what else to say other than, this is why i read. there’s just some books that pull you in within the first few sentences. this book was that for me, like i was right there with jo and carral in this mold infested, urine smelling, renovated brewery, surrounded by rotting apples, dampness, and mushrooms growing where they shouldn’t be.
i cannot wait for some of my friends to read this, so i can talk about it with them. it most definitely won’t be my last time reading it, either.
i do agree that this would be a great recommendation for anyone craving something with similar vibes to saltburn, but i also think that if you liked bunny by mona awad, this would be a solid recommendation, too. or honestly if you just like books that leave you staring at a wall, tbh. ...more
this is a perfect example of not judging a book by its goodreads rating. i’ve never read anything under a 3.0 rating before and wouldn’t have read thithis is a perfect example of not judging a book by its goodreads rating. i’ve never read anything under a 3.0 rating before and wouldn’t have read this had i not seen one of my favourite booktokers recommend it.
we had to remove this post is a disturbing little novella. i see a lot of people complaining about its length � wishing it would have been longer to be fully explored, but honestly? i thought it was great. although, i definitely would have enjoyed to keep reading!!
i’m a fan of bervoets� writing. she did such a great job with the delivery � our narrator kayleigh basically explains what happened at her job in a letter to a man who is filing a lawsuit on behalf of her former colleagues regarding the working conditions and their mental health issues as a result of working at hexa, which is a company that provides moderating services for a an unnamed social media company.
i’ve read novels before where it’s delivered in a letter form, but none have quite grabbed me like this one did and i think that speaks to bervoets� writing and how well emma rault did with the translation from dutch.
i highly recommend this if you’re into weird, disturbing, and unsettling novellas. i still don’t understand the low rating, though it’s definitely not going to be for everyone. maybe more of the right people just need to find this little gem! ...more
this is a quiet little book. meaning, while i was reading it, i wasn’t necessarily thinking “OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH�, but i was often thinking athis is a quiet little book. meaning, while i was reading it, i wasn’t necessarily thinking “OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH�, but i was often thinking about it while i wasn’t reading it�
in 250 pages, it goes deep and explores several different topics and themes. i think this book would make a great book club read as there’s so much to discuss!
to be honest, i was flip flopping between a 3 star and a 4 star rating for this one, but for the amount of times i caught myself thinking about it and for how it has me thinking now that i’ve finished it� i’m happy with a 4 star rating. it would actually be a book i’d like to read again. i don’t reread my 3 star rated books.
as someone who works with clients on emotions and emotional health, i think this touched me in a way it may have not touched others who didn’t really connect with this story about two boys � one who cannot feel and one who feels deeply.
if you do read this, i highly recommend reading the authors note, as well, which will give you even more to think about�...more
i read the first paragraph and thought this was going to be my next 5 star read, but, as i continued to read, i just didn’t connect with the writing. i read the first paragraph and thought this was going to be my next 5 star read, but, as i continued to read, i just didn’t connect with the writing. i wish i did, though. i definitely feel like i’m missing something here ...more
four words to describe this book: slow, balmy, melancholic, and nostalgic.
if none of the above appeals to you, i would say pass on this one. however,four words to describe this book: slow, balmy, melancholic, and nostalgic.
if none of the above appeals to you, i would say pass on this one. however, for those of you who can appreciate a slow paced, melancholic novel about love, i highly recommend this one.
lucas� writing is lovely and very descriptive. i don’t think i’ve actually ever read a book set in australia before??
throughout the novel, we get to know the unnamed narrator while she reflects back on a love she had while in her 20s as a 30 something year old. i think anyone who tends to reflect back on past relationships will resonate and be able to connect with this main character.
this story just felt so real to me. this is my kind of “romance� novel.
here are a few quotes i pulled as i read:
“Always the beggar for his love. I was like the desperate ocean, wearing away at him. The ceaseless questioning of the tide to the shore that I heard from our bedroom window all winter long. Asking, Do you love me? Do you love me? And his answer, which never quite satisfied: If I didn't, would I still be here in bed with you?�
“There is no end to grief, because there is no end to love�
“There must be people out there who are not drawn to the shadow of what could have been, who feel no pull toward the other lives they could be living, but I certainly have never been one of them.�
(^^ i think if you resonate with this last quote, this book is very much for you!! ☺️)...more
after reading still born, which was also shortlisted for the 2023 international booker prize, i was curious about the others on the list.
boulder is fafter reading still born, which was also shortlisted for the 2023 international booker prize, i was curious about the others on the list.
boulder is for anyone who loves poetic prose. i saw someone refer to it as one long, tragic poem and i agree.
the writing is absolutely stunning and had me pausing to savour sentences and descriptions that were so beautifully written.
although boulder is roughly only about 100 pages, this isn’t a quick read. if you want to fly through this and read it quick, you’ll be missing so much. the writing truly does ask you to move slower, to appreciate it.
here are some of my favourite quotes:
“No sky, no vegetation, no ocean. Only the wind, the hand that grabs at everything.�
“the sea, the enormous mouth that never tires of swallowing,�
“My gaze is a rope that catches her and draws her in.�
“I come up with arguments and lay them on the table. A royal flush.�
“If every now and then she'd hug me the way she hugs those cushions, it might just melt the cold, rigid thing I carry inside and that bucks against me because it couldn't care less about what I say or the promises I make.�
“Danger sticks out its tongue and coats everything in a layer of gluey, lethal drool.�
“I was ready to cry. Instead, the pain is doglike. It sits in a corner, licking my wound. Making sure it stays open and tender.�...more
i came across this book as a recommendation on tiktok from one of my favourite booktokers. she somewhat described it as being the perfect book for anyi came across this book as a recommendation on tiktok from one of my favourite booktokers. she somewhat described it as being the perfect book for anyone who is at the time in their life where all of their friends are having babies or wanting to start families, while you’re not sure if you want to or not.
i didn’t need to hear anything more. i was sold.
little did i know when i began reading, i was reading one of my favourite books of all time.
i devoured it in 2 days and no review i could write would ever do it justice.
i’m very much in my literary fiction era right now and this was so satisfying. one of those books that makes me think “this is why i read� ...more
two days into the year and we have my first dnf of 2024!
thought i was going to love this, but i really just cannot with books that are all over the ptwo days into the year and we have my first dnf of 2024!
thought i was going to love this, but i really just cannot with books that are all over the place. i gave it 50 pages and am choosing to dnf� something i want to be better at doing this year, rather than feeling like i “have� to read it just because i want to like it. ...more
the only thing i knew about medusa prior to this was that she was the one with snakes for hair. now i understai really enjoyed this medusa retelling!
the only thing i knew about medusa prior to this was that she was the one with snakes for hair. now i understand that this retelling is a different take on her whole story� giving us another perspective, that she’s not this villain she’s been made out to be.
definitely recommend if you’re into greek mythology! ...more
for me, this was one of those books that i couldn’t put down and when i wasn’t reading it, i was thinking about it� wanting to pick it up again and refor me, this was one of those books that i couldn’t put down and when i wasn’t reading it, i was thinking about it� wanting to pick it up again and read *just* one more chapter, but then when i finished i wondered� why did i read that so fast?
essentially, i just wanted to constantly be soaking up fischer’s beautiful writing and now i regret reading it so fast because nothing will be the same ...more
all i needed to know about this book before needing to pick it up was that it’s about a mom who lost her child, saves a piece of his lung, and starts all i needed to know about this book before needing to pick it up was that it’s about a mom who lost her child, saves a piece of his lung, and starts to feed it�
tell me no more. i’m sold.
this is a grief, horror, lit fic, but so so much more�
monstrilio is narrated by four different characters � the mother, the best friend, lena, the father, and monstrilio/m. i thought the multiple povs were perfect for the story and so well done.
i see so many people talking about the grief theme of this book, but there’s also being in a world where you don’t fit in and everyone around you is trying to “help� you fit in even though that’s not what you want for yourself.
this book is deep and i think it would make a great buddy read as there’s a lot i would love to discuss with a friend.
will definitely read whatever this author writes next :) ...more
what a brilliant debut and a great first book to kick off 2024 with!
although vladimir was nothing what i thought it would be going into it, i am in lwhat a brilliant debut and a great first book to kick off 2024 with!
although vladimir was nothing what i thought it would be going into it, i am in love with julia may jonas� writing. i felt like it was almost stream of consciousness writing and we were living in our unnamed narrators� mind. i loved it.
the pace is a bit slow, which i personally don’t mind at all, but i know that isn’t for everyone.
i do know this book will stick with me forever. so happy i finally read it. it’s been on my tbr for a while! ...more
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