Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Emily Henry is now at that level that if I want to read one of her new books, I know I better read it when it comes out, or I will get somewhat spoilered about it and endlessly curious from any opinion, negative or positive, I encounter and I will encounter many (and here am I, adding to it).

But so far, oh it is fun and fast. It is totally the Hearst family right? Via Citizen Kane?

It's like it's inspired or targeted at people who loved Voyage of the Damned, but it is really low energy somehow. Also supposedly a romance, but the love interest is totally blank and the main character not too compelling. I should have waited for reviews, I should have...

A treat! We finally get more Maia, more of a follow through on the Goblin Emperor, but it would still be very nice even without that.

But I must complain yet again about the names and titles and all. As usual, she makes it all fussier, harder than it needed to be.

So far flimsy excuse to (japanese) food porn and create wanderlust about Kyoto. And YES, I am the target for this book, more food, more Kyoto, please...

So, where's the plot?

I could not resist it. The writing is as lovely as expected, but it's really really not a novel, and where is the plot?

Reading it and thinking well, this definitely has a Murder in the Orient Express vibe... Because that will not be surprising to me...

And then Higashino goes and name checks the book explicitly and gratuitously, ah, I guess there will be something different, or at least done with self awareness...

The writing is great, the setting is absolutely fantastic and interesting to me.

But this feels strange, like it is supposed to provide context to things important for later books, and Jacob keeps making enemies needlessly and crassly... I also do not get the why of the immediate crush, but whatever.
Slow going,..

It's very much a Grady Hendrix book, and that should be a good thing,his skills and voice is all over the place.

But it is feeling predictable, mechanical almost, and slow, like it is taking ages for us to get anywhere we see loud and clear will be the destination.

What is that saying, "grant me the confidence of a mediocre white man ..."? Yeah, that.

The main character is always very confident and the author is certainly ambitious in what he chooses to write about.

Incidentally the most Mary Sue (Marty Sue?) of Mary Sues, at least in 21st century fiction (that I have read...)

Be careful what you wish for: like modern science focused science fiction. But it's so bad at science, it is all geez-whizz big number calculated fast but no deep concern about the hard laws like energy conservation or c=constant.

And everybody is forgetting the sun is dying? 12 light years exploration trip at slower than FTL trip is not going to save earth...

my second attempt at it, with a better frame of mind and I have thoughts.

And this is a remarkably naive book, particularly about science (what is a proof, how scientists relate to each other, proving a negative, correlation and causation) but also the sense of humor, the politics...

Well this was grim.

If anybody tells you this is very funny or raucously whatever, take note, and do not go to any dark place alone with that person without telling others ....

A treat I was saving up, and it is a treat...

For all the references and musings about Jane Eyre and Mrs Dalloway, what this reminds me of is a Jane Austen novel. For me, that is even better. But the sense of humor, consciousness of social morality and yeah, marriage plot propelling it...

Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ choice awards, ok, you redeemed yourself a bit.

Hey look, a 2006 set historical romance! Historical fiction at least.

Honestly I liked that part. And it is a way for an older author to write a 30 year old FMC and getting the generational references just right (Ali Hazelwood, take note...). Though Shiloh also felt a lot older than 30...

It says "slow" right there on the title. It's a recent Rowell book about a theater manager in Omaha. Audiobook with a rather low energy narrator (even sped a bit).

I knew that, I knew it from the start, and I am still annoyed at it all.

Yesterday I was complaining about a (very long) recently published fantasy novel having no subtlety in the writing and how subtle writing is getting rarer.

This was kind of an intentional palate cleanser for that, and in a book for teens about teens, so much subtlety and not-too-much writing.

I need a sure-thing good read. I was saving this for you know emergencies and it is hitting the spot just right.

Stead is so good at showing children being children, and with such few words and sentences and drama. She is such a minimalist, it's like every line or every short scene is character defining.

This is a book of two halves (or several parts, into two groups the before and the part 9years after).

The first is slow but good and sensible and details rich. Though so slow.

The second part, starting at 60% is full of action and plot armor and people running around and scholars asking questions and understanding things they could have asked long ago and just stupid.

I will finish it, but I am discouraged...

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is next year to have better taste (or luck, or blurb decryption skills) to pick good books. I really need it, pleaeaasseee...

This is so bad at all kinds of levels. But not cheesy, campy level which is fun even when other things fail...

The names are getting on my nerves. Poe for a french (rich) teen. Franz-Luc for the german guy. Everleigh the icelandic teen. Mouse Bonetti the teen boy from Nigeria. WHAT?

And some descriptions "cologne that smells like a forgotten closet in Versailles" what does that even mean? And is it supposed to be an attractive smell for a sexy teen boy? (A 17 year old with tattoos no less. WHAT?)

It is possible, maybe, that I am not totally over the dark academia thing after all? Maybe... But I am not sure yet.

But so far it seems a cut above, in writing and characterization of the usual teen-girl with dark academia aesthetics and a competition between teens..

Seriously a book from a PoV so critical about phony-ness (hypocrisy, or doing things for show and standing I guess) is unexpectedly super relevant to Christmas 2024. I keep thinking of present day versions of some of the things spotted.

I am accidentally reading it in the perfect time of the year for it...

In that shelf-category “yes, I never actually read it�

Though I got an old 50 cent paperback years ago. And a book I actually did not like that much made me want to go dig it up and actually read it.

It is so voice-y. In a good way

And “illiterate� problem teens in the 40s were certainly different than in 2024.

I had never thought this before, ever, but I am currently considering hitting every review of mine on goodreads to tick off "Notify me when people comment" and after 50 books I quit and am now thinking it is possible I read too many books. Maybe.

I guess I will keep not getting any notifications, sorry to anybody not seen. (dear goodreads staff who made this decision, I hope karma gives you what you deserve!)

"Kate thought it was a pity he couldn’t just marry Pyotr himself"

What year is this supposed to be? It is the USA 21st century, mobile phones and references to 9/11 in the past. Maryland. Book published in 2016.

This feels old fashioned far beyond its publication date and the MC feels like an older lady rather than a 20-something at any time in the 21st century.

I am hating this book. Hating.

Somebody has a mad schoolboy crush on Susan Sontag...(seriously, too much).

It is a fantastic theme. Even if there are bits which IMO are flaws, there is still a lot of information which is important and well presented...

Finished and it is well, fantastic as hoped for. This universe, these characters, the writing, everything...

But help! It is a netgalley book, I got to write something halfway seriously as the only condition and with really good books I can never think what to say besides "it is really good, read it". I just wanna squeal and discuss theories...

Still no notifications, but goodreads sure is able to send e-mails about the goodreads awards or their ad-filled newsletters...

It is very "just one more chapter". And it is, so far, as good as hoped for, rich dense and the writing is so good, the pace, the characterization, the information being given.

From afterword (I cheat and peek at those in the beginning) - "The more I think of it, the more I feel there is perhaps no other genre of fiction more enamored of autocracies than fantasy."