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kimschouwenaar's reviews
340 reviews
Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
incoherent and felt aimless, like the main character. I am very picky about dnf'ing books, but I simply could not muster up the courage to finish this.
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lacks some much needed coherence, but damn it's a good read. vuong reinvents the terms language and memory based on the narrators's experiences and weaves a poetic history of life tainted by war, drugs, and racism. he tells of mothers and monsters and sons and daughters and how they're much more similar in nature than one might expect. admittedly, it reads more like poetry than a novel, and readers should look past some of the confusing syntax rather than try to understand every single word. still, highly recommend!
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Dracula (Wordsworth Collector's Editions) by Bram Stoker
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
only took me about two years to find the will to finish this. highly confusing syntax aside, I think this is, unfortunately, one of the slowest and most anticlimactic reads in my career as a reader. it's mysterious, it's uncanny, it's vampires, but I would have loved if mr stoker had just made his point in about 200 pages less. admittedly, the sole surviving female character is actually a real badass and is, surprisingly, not suppressed in her skills by the men. mina needs to have her own spinoff series, pls.
read at your own risk <3
read at your own risk <3
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
relatively enjoyable, but too many plot lines, too many random sentences that don't add to the plot whatsoever, and too much, and I cannot stress this enough, matthew. I can see where stephanie meyer found her inspiration for twilight tough.
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
oh my god, y'all are sleeping on a.j. hackwith. the library of the unwritten is easily one of the most creative (re)imaginations of hell's creatures. characters that seem flat and static at first end up being some of the most well-developed characters I have read in a long time. admittedly, the first 200 pages is extremely slow, but by the conclusion, this random band of souls, demons, and books had captured their place in my heart.
most definitely will be continuing the series.
most definitely will be continuing the series.
De Genocidefax by Roxane van Iperen
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
tijdloos en confronterend. van iperen blikt terug op de genocide in rwanda, die voorkomen had kunnen worden, en hoe de VN pas achteraf zei: we hadden iets moeten doen, hadden we het maar geweten. iets wat we over een tijdje zullen horen als het gaat om de situatie in bijvoorbeeld palestina en soedan.
van iperen begrijpt het huidig belang en concludeert met de vraag: "wat doe je nu?" wat gebeurt is, is gebeurt. de genocide en ons koloniaal verleden is iets waar we met een slok schaamte op moeten terugblikken. maar tegelijkertijd mogen we niet vergeten dat de geschiedenis in verschillende delen van de wereld zich nog voortzet. door uit volle borst te schreeuwen "dit nooit meer" terwijl we rustig langs de actieve massamoorden scrollen zijn we een enorm hypocriet volk geworden.
zeggen dat je er niets van wist is puur een resultaat van selectief wegkijken en vergeten en selectief nieuws kijken. er zijn tegenwoordig zoveel bronnen en op alleen nos kunnen we niet meer vertrouwen.
van iperen begrijpt het huidig belang en concludeert met de vraag: "wat doe je nu?" wat gebeurt is, is gebeurt. de genocide en ons koloniaal verleden is iets waar we met een slok schaamte op moeten terugblikken. maar tegelijkertijd mogen we niet vergeten dat de geschiedenis in verschillende delen van de wereld zich nog voortzet. door uit volle borst te schreeuwen "dit nooit meer" terwijl we rustig langs de actieve massamoorden scrollen zijn we een enorm hypocriet volk geworden.
zeggen dat je er niets van wist is puur een resultaat van selectief wegkijken en vergeten en selectief nieuws kijken. er zijn tegenwoordig zoveel bronnen en op alleen nos kunnen we niet meer vertrouwen.
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
10/10 for the historical snippets, whether they were entirely accurate or not, diana, gallowglass, annie and jack, the magic, and a ton of other characters
4/10 for matthew and kit
I could not stand matthew this book, and I do not care that he is a wearh and supposedly very protective and possessive. he could barely let diana speak for herself, was a hypocrite when it came to having secrets and leaving the house, and had a self-consciousness you'd expect of an adolescent boy, not a centuries-old vampire.
that being said, it was a absolute joy to spend time in elizabethan england, experience philippe as a father, and get a glimpse of sixteenth-century prague. you can clearly see Dr Harkness's experience as a historian and it has me aching to be back at university discussing literary analyses with other students.
generally, I adored the story, so will be continuing the trilogy.
4/10 for matthew and kit
I could not stand matthew this book, and I do not care that he is a wearh and supposedly very protective and possessive. he could barely let diana speak for herself, was a hypocrite when it came to having secrets and leaving the house, and had a self-consciousness you'd expect of an adolescent boy, not a centuries-old vampire.
that being said, it was a absolute joy to spend time in elizabethan england, experience philippe as a father, and get a glimpse of sixteenth-century prague. you can clearly see Dr Harkness's experience as a historian and it has me aching to be back at university discussing literary analyses with other students.
generally, I adored the story, so will be continuing the trilogy.
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0