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sandrinepal's reviews
1227 reviews
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Why do I do this to myself? I didn't even like Ace of Spades when I read it last year. It felt like it did not deliver on its ambitious promise. Well, this sophomore effort by Àbíké-Íyímídé doesn't promise all that much, and that's about what it delivers, too. The plot is slow to unfold and the denouement offers little satisfaction, especially in the deus ex machina that overturns the school's decision about Sade in the 11th hour. *eyeroll*
Other reviewers have mentioned or alluded to the derivativeness of the premise, from the school sorting students into houses to Sade's homeschool-to-plastics development. It did feel like a bit of hoodwinking. It's not like Harry Potter and Mean Girls are niche little works that wouldn't occur to people in connection with this, for goodness's sake. And neither of those frameworks really fit neatly into a thriller.
I don't doubt that Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé has important things to say, not least based on her personal experience, but I was looking forward to growth in this second book. The fact that she got a publishing deal for two books, presumably on the strength of Ace of Spades alone, goes some way towards explaining why that growth hasn't happened yet.
Other reviewers have mentioned or alluded to the derivativeness of the premise, from the school sorting students into houses to Sade's homeschool-to-plastics development. It did feel like a bit of hoodwinking. It's not like Harry Potter and Mean Girls are niche little works that wouldn't occur to people in connection with this, for goodness's sake. And neither of those frameworks really fit neatly into a thriller.
I don't doubt that Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé has important things to say, not least based on her personal experience, but I was looking forward to growth in this second book. The fact that she got a publishing deal for two books, presumably on the strength of Ace of Spades alone, goes some way towards explaining why that growth hasn't happened yet.
What Fresh Hell is This? Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You—a Guide by Heather Corinna
funny
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.0
I picked this up after finishing The Menopause Manifesto by Jen Gunter, partly because some reviews commented on the superiority of this book over hers. I beg to differ. I am sensitive to the fact that inclusiveness is a very legitimate concern, not least for African American women and non-binary and/or trans men and women. I'm not trying to minimize the importance of addressing the specific needs of populations that have been historically marginalized and victimized by western medicine. I get all of that. I'll just say that Heather Corinna's approach to that inclusiveness felt performative much of the time. Not trying to sound like a boomer, but I was bemused by the gamut of pronouns and all-lowercase names.
Aaaaanyway. As far as the menopause and perimenopause information goes, this book takes a very caring approach, with a heavy and welcome focus on self-care. I do not personally subscribe to the versions of medicine being advocated in parts of the book, including the use of traditional Chinese medicine and some sections of the mini-herbal. But I write from a place of privilege since I am white and middle-class, and I've mostly been spared by chronic conditions in my life so far. My biggest takeaway is "Ya Basics" (sleep, hydration, exercise, lower stress, and no smoking), but that could have fit into far fewer pages, as far as I'm concerned.
Aaaaanyway. As far as the menopause and perimenopause information goes, this book takes a very caring approach, with a heavy and welcome focus on self-care. I do not personally subscribe to the versions of medicine being advocated in parts of the book, including the use of traditional Chinese medicine and some sections of the mini-herbal. But I write from a place of privilege since I am white and middle-class, and I've mostly been spared by chronic conditions in my life so far. My biggest takeaway is "Ya Basics" (sleep, hydration, exercise, lower stress, and no smoking), but that could have fit into far fewer pages, as far as I'm concerned.
The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Yup, still love this series. Among other things, I love that the characters are growing to reflect the historical period through which they're living. The fact that Surendranath and Wyndham share the narration in this latest installment was balm for the soul.
Featuring Section H (the British army's intelligence branch) more prominently was also an overdue aspect of the franchise, though they do come across smelling a little too much of roses, imo.
One thing that did irk me a little was the presence of Ooravis Colah. Annie Grant can't be in two places at once, so she gets to delegate the token, Jessica-Rabbit-hot female lead to another token, Jessica-Rabbit-hot female? Honestly...
As for the ending, I will reserve judgment until the next book comes out. Here's hoping it won't take too long!
Featuring Section H (the British army's intelligence branch) more prominently was also an overdue aspect of the franchise, though they do come across smelling a little too much of roses, imo.
One thing that did irk me a little was the presence of Ooravis Colah. Annie Grant can't be in two places at once, so she gets to delegate the token, Jessica-Rabbit-hot female lead to another token, Jessica-Rabbit-hot female? Honestly...
As for the ending, I will reserve judgment until the next book comes out. Here's hoping it won't take too long!
This Country Is No Longer Yours by Avik Jain Chatlani
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was a demanding read. The shifting diegesis and the weaving of historical facts and fiction make for a disorienting experience, at times. I found the book especially gripping, since I have been studying the history of US-Latin American relations in the 20th century for an exam this year. It was refreshing to see some of the information with which I have been grappling presented in narrative form.
I would argue that gaining a basic understanding of the events and protagonists of 1990s and 2000s Peru will serve the reader well. The book doesn't do any of that legwork for you, and it pays to know, for instance, that El Doctor is Vladimiro Montesinos, head of SIN and shady CIA asset, while El Chino is President Fujimori. This is certainly not a historian's neutral account of the events: the SIN agent, the illegitimate daughter of Toledo, the ex-Senderistas, everyone has skin in the game here. Those voices are all the more haunting for it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I would argue that gaining a basic understanding of the events and protagonists of 1990s and 2000s Peru will serve the reader well. The book doesn't do any of that legwork for you, and it pays to know, for instance, that El Doctor is Vladimiro Montesinos, head of SIN and shady CIA asset, while El Chino is President Fujimori. This is certainly not a historian's neutral account of the events: the SIN agent, the illegitimate daughter of Toledo, the ex-Senderistas, everyone has skin in the game here. Those voices are all the more haunting for it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was just as delicious as "The Haunting of Hill House", with the added bonus that it has not been adapted into a weak Netflix series, so the magic in the pages remains intact. The best way I can think of describing the atmosphere of the book is that I spent about 80 pages trying to decide if the narrator, Merricat, was alive or dead. Shelving this as horror is probably misleading, too, though the hostility of the townsfolk and the denouement feel very in keeping with that genre. This concludes my 2-book introduction to Shirley Jackson. I am afraid to read any of her other books, in case they are not as good as these two. Change my mind.
The Fraud by Zadie Smith
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is easily the most historical of any Zadie Smith I've ever read and I was intrigued to see her delve into that genre after I so loved all her contemporary fiction. The character she builds around the semi-anonymous Mrs. Touchet for whom Dickens signed a book is layered and fascinating. There's proto-feminism, there's the seeds of white guilt, there's an (inner) embracing of her sexuality. She's both subservient to Ainsworth and his dominatrix; being down-on-her-luck and female seals her fate, but she clearly sees the foibles of the coterie of literary men Ainsworth associates with. As for the titular fraud, ostensibly Sir Roger Tichborne, his trial really brings to light a kind of popular discontent that rings all too familiar to 2024 ears. Here is a man who purports to be an aristocrat, and yet the masses close ranks around him in the face of rejection by the real nobility. They even (whoa) raise funds, sometimes through dubious schemes (whoa × 2) to pay for his legal expenses. I mean...
All in all, grade-A Zadie Smith, right here. I love her. The end.
All in all, grade-A Zadie Smith, right here. I love her. The end.
How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi: Collected Quirks of Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math from Nerd Nite by Chris Balakrishnan, Matt Wasowski
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.5
The concept of Nerd Nites is very attractive (science! laughs! beer!—for some people) and sadly, I have never attended one, nor is there one near me. However, since my day job involves a lot of nerdiness, I can embrace the concept vicariously through this book. And it is a good one, but alack, the collection format makes for fairly uneven quality. I get it, not every expert/scientist can be a consummate stand-up comedian. It's just that the juxtaposition of the ultra-funny and the plain earnest doesn't do the latter any favors.
Faves include: Cephalopods: The Impossibly Awesome Invertebrates, Finding Nemo(’s Sex): Sex Change and Gender Roles in Anemonefishes, The Mathematics of Gossip, Getting to Know Infinity, and Math for a Better City. Honorable mention to the dating apps essay.
Faves include: Cephalopods: The Impossibly Awesome Invertebrates, Finding Nemo(’s Sex): Sex Change and Gender Roles in Anemonefishes, The Mathematics of Gossip, Getting to Know Infinity, and Math for a Better City. Honorable mention to the dating apps essay.
Our Hemisphere?: The United States in Latin America, from 1776 to the Twenty-First Century by Russell C. Crandall, Britta H. Crandall
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.0
What? It only took me four months to finish this book. And in the meantime, I also read over forty other books, so maybe that speaks to this tome's motivational abilities?
In all seriousness, I read this book in preparation for an exam. The scope of the exam is limited to the period from the inauguration of FDR to the end of Obama's second term (1933-2017). That means that there were quite a few chapters in "Our Hemisphere?" that I ended up reading purely for context (fun?). At first, the vignette format was very appealing to me, but in the long run, I found that it rather detracted from a kind of bird's eye view of US foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. The similarities and differences in treatment of various coups and regime changes were inevitably harder to put together in the shuffle between countries. One notable exception were the three chapters about the US's "Supply Side" strategy in the War on Drugs in Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, respectively. The juxtaposition of the three different efforts and the fact that they happened within 10-15 years of each other made comparisons and parallels easier to draw.
In all seriousness, I read this book in preparation for an exam. The scope of the exam is limited to the period from the inauguration of FDR to the end of Obama's second term (1933-2017). That means that there were quite a few chapters in "Our Hemisphere?" that I ended up reading purely for context (fun?). At first, the vignette format was very appealing to me, but in the long run, I found that it rather detracted from a kind of bird's eye view of US foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. The similarities and differences in treatment of various coups and regime changes were inevitably harder to put together in the shuffle between countries. One notable exception were the three chapters about the US's "Supply Side" strategy in the War on Drugs in Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, respectively. The juxtaposition of the three different efforts and the fact that they happened within 10-15 years of each other made comparisons and parallels easier to draw.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
adventurous
dark
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
One word: delightful. This Old House meets Martha Stewart, raised on a healthy diet of Edgar Allan Poe and Henry James. I was so pleasantly surprised by this book after slogging through the 10-episode Netflix series (which, by the way, has precious little to do with Jackson's book: do NOT waste your time). This book is Goldilocks-right in length and tone. If you are attempting to lose sleep and/or check manically under your bed or behind the door every few minutes, this may not be the book. The eeriness level is genteel, just like an after-dinner parlor with a game of chess and a glass of brandy. But the characters have a sharp wit and their development is not formulaic. And don't even get me started on Mrs. Montague: how did *she* get there? The Laura Miller introduction in this edition (which I recommend saving for the end, if you want to avoid spoilers) mentions an excellent 1960s adaptation, and I do believe that's next on my to-watch list.
Erasure by Percival Everett
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was hardcore. The book-within-a-book, the dead artist interludes, the post-structuralist tangents (that are not really tangents), the fishing and woodworking... all of this begs to be read, as in read for a course. Or footnoted. Or CliffsNoted, I don't know. In short, I am not smart enough for this book, you guys. And I think it's a testament to Percival Everett's talent that I loved a book that I knew was at least in part flying over my head. I can see myself re-reading this and getting more out of it than I did this time. There are precious few books that leave me welcoming that particular impression.