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renreads2much's reviews
55 reviews
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
God. This book is A LOT. Honestly, Frank and Mamah are really pieces of work. I think the book did a really good job of showing them as people, I loved how the author was able to show both of their flaws and how they were as people. Im not gonna say much more because I spent like the whole school term analyzing this book even though I could say much more. I just don’t care or want to tbh.
The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book took me a long time to get through due to my busy schedule. I mostly read this during my "empty time pockets" when I had the chance. And this was a really interesting way to spend that time.
- A lot of feminine grief and rage. Also connected to a small theme of disappointment when relying on men.
- Women being unapolegetically vulgar and gross. Lack of shame.
- What its like to be a single mother and falling under all the new tasks and responsabilities
- Really depressing. At times uncomfortable to read. Discovering who you are without your signigigant other and learning how to go through the daily motions without them. Then also having to relearn how to be at peace with them when the time is right.
- DISGUSTING DESCRIPTIONS OF SEX. ITS NOT HOT. (ITS NOT MEANT TO BE, AND LETS JUST SAY ELENA DID A GREAT JOB AT MAKING ME DISGUSTED)
- Big theme of destruction to not only others, but also to yourself. Connected to another theme of self punnishment.
- Some aspects of Illaria's and Olga's relationship remind me of my mom and I's relationship when I was younger.
- Randomly poetic at times. there are some pretty quotes in here.
- I'm gonna emphasize on the random. Because there is also some heavy Bojack Horseman level amount of spiraling and monologuing. So sometimes it comes in when you least expect it. But that's kind of the fun part if you ask me.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
dark
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Damn I kinda hate that I feel connected to this tbh. About the culture, identidy, and relationships with family (mother) aspect. (Class of 2013 core)
- Heavy themes on food and culture along with how they intertwine with our relationships and can bring feelings of comfort. (The descriptions of food is MOUTHWATERING)
- Such beautiful and heart breaking descriptions on grief and loss.
- Talks a lot about family and close bonds with friends but the main focus is defenitly on Mother and Daughter relationships. While also showing the barriers that people have with family relatives that arent immediate family. Especially when having a language barrier.
- Identidy related to ethnicity is mentioned a lot and I relate a lot to what Michelle said about her experience being biracial
- This book makes me appreciate my Mother more and makes me afraid for her to die. I have a feeling that when I lose my Mom I'm gonna have a lot of similar emotions and experiences to Michelle since the dynamics that she has with her Mother that were showed remind me a lot of myself currently.
- I painfully feel connected to this. and that scares me. This book makes (forces) me to reflect on my relationship with family (especially Mom) and makes me think deeper about my Filipino side.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson
Now that I think of it, I feel like this book was a commentary about toxic industry's and how they can shape people completely different from who they originally are. And it was done in a really realistic way. Like we don't really notice when we are changing and growing. Only until later when we have grown from something we look back and say "WOAH, well that changed. I'm different now!" And that kind of how I felt seeing the main character/storyteller through this book.
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Honestly, really good. It took me a bit to get into it, and I was losing hopes for this book on more than one ocassion, but it did prove to be excellent in the long run.
- The story telling feels similar to The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo
- Sometimes the pacing feels un-proportionate and doesnt really make sense or correlate with whats going on. I know that it's most likely an artistic choice and I can understand why its written that way but yeah.. I have mixed feelings about it.
- The writing style feels commonly unique. As in there are some really cool individual components that really separate this book from the rest. But over all, the writing style is kind of "normal" and holds more common aspects
- I like the symbolism and metaphors, they're kind of easy to understand but I really enjoy them and find them unique. Like they take common metaphors and put they're own twist which gives it its own meaning. Which is so different, I've never seen that before. Or if I had, it wasn't done in a good enough way to be noticeable
- I really love how it shows the dynamics and hierarchies in the workplace and families. Along with displaying how sometimes those lines can blur and become messy.
- The parts where the art industry is mentioned and the practice of collecting art was so interesting and intriguing.
- Interesting portrayal of power and the harm it can do to your relationships, perception, and morals.
- I kinda notice a bit of saviour complex stuff and self centeredness.. Interesting to see
Now that I think of it, I feel like this book was a commentary about toxic industry's and how they can shape people completely different from who they originally are. And it was done in a really realistic way. Like we don't really notice when we are changing and growing. Only until later when we have grown from something we look back and say "WOAH, well that changed. I'm different now!" And that kind of how I felt seeing the main character/storyteller through this book.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
I will defenitly pick this back up, but for now this is too confusing for me and just not enjoyable. So I'm gonna read some other books first and then try again because I do really want to read this :))
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Weird, and strangely speaks to me. Well written and honestly unforgettable.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Although my criteria for five star books is kinda strict, I genuinely do believe that this book is five stars from my perspective. (And you can always check my journal entries even though there arent that many because I was too busy reading the book instead of also writing about it LOL). Anyways, here were the notes I took while reading:
- For the most part Eileen is literally me. I dont know how to feel about that...
- I can relate/understand seeing life from such a nihlistic point of view and having a really negative relationship with family.
- ALSO I dont necessarily RELATE to her, (past me would be able to though TBH). But I now more so UNDERSTAND her, I dont necessarily agree with everything she says or does. (Because omg, she is a bit fucked up.)
- Ottessa's writing is so atmospheric and really paints a picture in your mind about the environment. Great world building/descriptions
- In normal Ottessa fashion there is some off-putting, disturbing, disgusting, weird shit in here. Which can be uncomfortable to read. But I love it
- I love how some aspects feel anonymous, like Eileen is keeping secrets from the reader. It really keeps us on our toes
- Woman manipulator, gaslight, gatekeep, girl boss
- She's also a little bit of mansplain, manipulate, and masturbate <3
- Some parts are kind of gay... Eileen at points kind of reminds me of Hachi from Nana by Ai Yazawa with how she describes her admiration for Rebecca
- I love the use of symbolism and how odd it is (Whether it's being used oddly, or the object/thing thats a symbol is weird)
- For the first half of the book it isnt really plot driven, it's more so just seeing what Eileen's mind and life is like. But towards the middle is where plot comes in
Weird, and strangely speaks to me. Well written and honestly unforgettable.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Genuinely never read a book that is anything like this. This was not what I expected when I picked this book up, but I'm not mad.
- Shows kind of a depressing and disgusting version of girlhood. Not because them themselves are disgusting, but because their situation and surroundings are and they aren't being taken care of properly and are neglected.
- There are some interesting parts and themes on sister-hood but we dont get to see too much of it since we as the reader are on the outside looking in. But I would've loved to see more of it.
- I like how each of the girls are so different from one another and have a sense of individuality despite all being related and looking incredibly similar.
- I like how we as the reader feel like were on the outside peering in trying to understand the girls. Just like the boys
- Honestly, the cast of main boys, is kind of confusing to keep track of, and we never really learn about them as people. (Especially considering the fact that the main protagonist/narrator doesnt even have a name).
- This really does feel like its being told by a teenage boy (To be exact, the men are grown up and are looking back on the events and remembering them from when they were young.)
- I find the relationship they have with the Lisbon girls SO INTERESTING. Like, they're so close, but so far. (More so kept at arms length). But, its kinda cool how observational the boys are of them and sweet, sad, and kinda creepy. Also kind of feel like the relationship is one-sided/unrequited love.
- Feels like a documentary about what happened
- The pacing is slow, which I dont mind, but at some points I kinda hated. But looking back, I understand why the pace was the way it was.
- The writing style feels abstract, experimental, and oddly real. I like it a lot, I find it capticating and unique.
- Beautifully sad, ultimately tragic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
- This book kinda makes me feel seen. Not in a super deep way, but more so feels like an acknowledgement from your mother.
- Reading this feels like being a child and starting to understand things as you grow up, everything starts to slowly make sense.
- The authors way of writing is humourous, poetic, and powerful. Sometimes I feel like I'm being scolded or like my favorite teacher is talking to me in a harsh tone.
- I relate to a lot of things in here that I didn't expect to, the book kind of made me look at myself and family relationships from an outside perspective.
- A lot of feminist themes and talks a lot about women hood. Especially about what its like to be specifically a woman of color and life experiences.
- The book kind of feels like I'm talking to an older women and asking her for advice. Except she also doesnt have her life together, but she does know things that I don't.
Outraged: Why Everyone Is Shouting and No One Is Talking by Ashley 'Dotty' Charles
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
I honestly dont really know, the prolouge was so interesting, but I kept on falling asleep while reading it and I was kind of bored while reading it. Maybe I'll pick this back up another time, but yeah.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Hard to put down once you start, although the story itself feels kinda slow, its not because you're literally speeding through it that's how good this book is. Finished it in pretty much one day.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Such a beautiful book. It really touched me and changed the way I looked at certain things.
- Feels like a philosphy book with a really good story on top
- I love how the dialouge is formatted along with how it is just written/spoken by the characters
- I notice a lot of aspects from DBT/CBT therapy in here which I think is really interesting and cool. I like that those aspects are included because it helps make those ideas more digestable and accessible to understand.
- God its so depressing in the beginning, but honestly, Morrie as a character and how he paints life, makes it NOT depressing. He just shares how life is, and how to accept death. His messages are extremely powerful.
- Just so many important lessons and such good quotes that I'm gonna be carrying with me for the rest of my life. I really think that everyone can get one important takeaway from this book.
Hard to put down once you start, although the story itself feels kinda slow, its not because you're literally speeding through it that's how good this book is. Finished it in pretty much one day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent