araowl's reviews
54 reviews

The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World by Christine Rosen

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

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dark funny reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved this! This book is a fascinating journey through the mind of an extremely messed-up female protagonist. It's dark and unsettling in a hilarious way, like some sort of clown car crash you can't look away from - which made it utterly entertaining. The writing was sharp, strong, and compulsively readable. It's not the type of book to move you emotionally, inspire you, or make you feel like you went on an epic journey, so I can see why some would find it underwhelming. However, it's a great, witty, short snapshot of a short time in the life and mind of an extremely messed up character. This definitely isn't the type of book that would appeal to everyone, but if you like your fiction dark and weird and enjoy unlikeable protagonists, this book would be right up your alley.
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The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell

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funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan

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challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

What an emotional gut-punch! I am a total sucker for books about artificially intelligent characters and the discussion of their sentience of lack thereof, so this was right up my alley. I found the writing style to have a subdued, concise, yet beautiful and lyrical quality, which I enjoyed very much. The characters felt real; flawed, yet still likeable. I think the character of Adam will standout as one of the most memorable AI characters I have read. I thought the ending was wonderfully done - it was perfectly tragic, yet with a dash of hopefulness. The only criticism I would give is that the alternate history aspect of the book felt a bit odd and took me out of the flow of the story a few times, although I do think the political aspects of the book added to the level of social commentary given by the author. Those sections highlighted the feeling of unease when it comes to the way our world is changing, and the role artificial intelligence plays in that. In a way, I also see the alternate timeline as a way to show that this sort of political turmoil is intrinsic to humanity, so the details and facts almost don't matter, we would have this sort of chaos in human society regardless of what path history took due to our inability to think "symmetrically" and logically as AI do. In all, I think this book is a wonderful choice for anyone looking for a melancholic, haunting, thought-provoking literary novel. 
Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen

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dark funny reflective 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? Yes

4.0

I loved the humorous and satirical writing style in this book! The characters were also very richly developed and had a lot of charm. I wouldn't say this was a book that made me feel a lot of big emotions or had me on the edge of my seat, but it was very cleverly done and enjoyable to read. I especially loved the mother's adoration for her cow!
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

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mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Accordion Eulogies by Noé Álvarez

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Nothing against this book, I just think I'm more in the mood for a more atmospheric story right now than a memoir. The writing also didn't really draw me in, but that could just be my mood right now.
On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College, Career, and Life by Jonathan Brennan, Skip Downing

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5