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waytoomanybooks's reviews
136 reviews
A Simple Heart by Gustave Flaubert
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Unrelated to the story itself: I really like these miniature Penguin Classic short stories and short story collections because I’m interested in reading more classic short stories, but I have no interest in printing out pdfs or downloading pdfs onto one of my devices. I can see myself collecting these as I stumble upon them.
Félicité and A Simple Heart are both aptly named! It’s such a sweet, sad story about love, grief, and loss. We watch Félicité struggle with losing important figures in her life, but she is determined to seek joy and love everywhere and in everything an everyone, and her persistence and strength are so beautifully and believably written.
I spent the whole time reading wishing I could give Félicité a hug. Her heart and her capacity to love is so damn big that it pulled on my heartstrings. Is it kind of cheesy, kind of sappy, kind of predictable? Sure. But sometimes it’s nice to read a story that is designed to make you feel something beautiful and wholesome.
Félicité and A Simple Heart are both aptly named! It’s such a sweet, sad story about love, grief, and loss. We watch Félicité struggle with losing important figures in her life, but she is determined to seek joy and love everywhere and in everything an everyone, and her persistence and strength are so beautifully and believably written.
I spent the whole time reading wishing I could give Félicité a hug. Her heart and her capacity to love is so damn big that it pulled on my heartstrings. Is it kind of cheesy, kind of sappy, kind of predictable? Sure. But sometimes it’s nice to read a story that is designed to make you feel something beautiful and wholesome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, and Classism
A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Unrelated to the stories themselves: I really like these miniature Penguin Classic short stories and short story collections because I’m interested in reading more classic short stories, but I have no interest in printing out pdfs or downloading pdfs onto one of my devices. I can see myself collecting these as I stumble upon them.
As for the stories themselves, they are all quintessential examples of Chopin's work: southern, French, feminist, and racist. Any sort of sympathy and recognition she may inspire in me with her female characters, she loses in me with her black and/or poor characters. It always baffles me that someone can be so progressive (for their time) in one domain and then be so hateful in another. The arrangement of these five short stories gave me whiplash.
Chopin does, however, give us a good impression of the mind of a white, middle class woman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and that insight, as abhorrent as it often is, is invaluable in understanding the culture, values, and social landscape of the period, which will never cease ro fascinate me and make me want to know and understand ever more and more about the period and its people.
As for the stories themselves, they are all quintessential examples of Chopin's work: southern, French, feminist, and racist. Any sort of sympathy and recognition she may inspire in me with her female characters, she loses in me with her black and/or poor characters. It always baffles me that someone can be so progressive (for their time) in one domain and then be so hateful in another. The arrangement of these five short stories gave me whiplash.
Chopin does, however, give us a good impression of the mind of a white, middle class woman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and that insight, as abhorrent as it often is, is invaluable in understanding the culture, values, and social landscape of the period, which will never cease ro fascinate me and make me want to know and understand ever more and more about the period and its people.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you like The Bear, you’ll like this book. I actually prefer the book to the show because the book feels even more realistic. Books can do what does cannot: look into the head of the protagonist.
That’s what I like most about Sweetbitter. We get to experience the highs (literally) and lows of the restaurant industry alongside Tess rather than as a viewer. We know exactly what she’s feeling and what she’s thinking about. It makes you love her, and it makes you hate her, but mostly if makes you want to sit her down with a cup of tea and ask her what she needs and how you can help her get back on her feet.
I like that the ultimate message of the novel is the importance of figuringout what’s good for you and who’s good for you when you’re still young enough to make mistakes and plans and choices. Danler wants us to reflect not only on what we want, but what we will or won’t do to get it. And if it will make you happy to get what you (think you) want.
That’s what I like most about Sweetbitter. We get to experience the highs (literally) and lows of the restaurant industry alongside Tess rather than as a viewer. We know exactly what she’s feeling and what she’s thinking about. It makes you love her, and it makes you hate her, but mostly if makes you want to sit her down with a cup of tea and ask her what she needs and how you can help her get back on her feet.
I like that the ultimate message of the novel is the importance of figuringout what’s good for you and who’s good for you when you’re still young enough to make mistakes and plans and choices. Danler wants us to reflect not only on what we want, but what we will or won’t do to get it. And if it will make you happy to get what you (think you) want.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
The Pleasing Hour by Lily King
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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>The Pleasing Hour</i> asks the question, “What do you do when you have so much love to give but don’t know how to give it?” I feel like I got to know each character personally because we get the story from Rosie's point of view, then from the point of view of each member of the Tivot family, as letters Rosie never sent to her sister , etc.
I cried my eyes out once and got choked up more than once. Their stories are all sensitively told and even when I hated the characters for their choices, I still loved them and wanted everything to turn out okay for them. This was a good book to end 2024 with.
I cried my eyes out once and got choked up more than once. Their stories are all sensitively told and even when I hated the characters for their choices, I still loved them and wanted everything to turn out okay for them. This was a good book to end 2024 with.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories by Sandra Cisneros
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you’re looking for a collection of short, depressing stories about sad and abused women, then this is the book for you! Cisneros writes beautifully and has a strong, clear voice, but her style is not my taste. And while I could appreciate—to a certain extent—what she is (possibly) trying to say and achieve with her stories, none of them resonated with me.
If you’re wondering why I read the whole collection, it was because I read a few of her short stories during college and wanted to see what the rest were like in the hopes of getting a better understanding of her work. Unfortunately, I understood little more today than I did then and had to look up the meanings and messages of her works on a few literature websites in an effort to better understand her points.
If you’re wondering why I read the whole collection, it was because I read a few of her short stories during college and wanted to see what the rest were like in the hopes of getting a better understanding of her work. Unfortunately, I understood little more today than I did then and had to look up the meanings and messages of her works on a few literature websites in an effort to better understand her points.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Candida by George Bernard Shaw
emotional
reflective
fast-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
3.5
What an odd, yet compelling, play! I enjoyed the weirdness of both the plot and the main characters of this “bottle episode” drama that centers on Marchbanks being absolutely convinced that his boss’ (Morell) wife (Candida) is secretly in love with him.
So, let’s meet our main castmembers:
Morell is delightful. I’d love to have him as a friend. He’s sweet, patient, and has a great sense of humor and ease about hin. Even when he is made to feel anxious, he handles everything well. Everyone is making his day so fucking weird, and he’s just doing his best to take it all in stride.
Marchbanks is an 1894 incel, and he sucks so bad. He can’t stop fucking up. He’s an absolute trainwreck. He’s so stupid and annoying.
Burgess (Candida’ father) sucks but in a way that isn’t interesting. He’s such a British stereotype. I kept picturing him in jodhpurs and a pith helmet or in a top hat, tails, and a monocle. Like a villain from a Joseph Conrad novel.
Candida is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She has so many conflicting societal expectations thrown on her by Marchbanks and her father, but not, surprisingly, by her husband. She’s clearly in love with her husband, and she has a good deal of agency, too! She also seems to take things in great stride, though in a way completely different from her husband. She’s kind of aloof and mocking, which I like, but her attitude doesn’t quite seem to gel with Morell in this play. But they seems to love each other regardless, and I find that very sweet!
They’re all great characters!
The line that hit me like a sharp slap to the face was:“To find [Morell] beginning to fear [Marchbanks] whom he does not respect afflicts him bitterly” (39) . God, I wanted to punch Marchbanks in the mouth!
The twist, however, being thateveryone is apparently in love with our leading couple is kind of absurd? But in a weird and fun way? This was a fun read.
So, let’s meet our main castmembers:
Morell is delightful. I’d love to have him as a friend. He’s sweet, patient, and has a great sense of humor and ease about hin. Even when he is made to feel anxious, he handles everything well. Everyone is making his day so fucking weird, and he’s just doing his best to take it all in stride.
Marchbanks is an 1894 incel, and he sucks so bad. He can’t stop fucking up. He’s an absolute trainwreck. He’s so stupid and annoying.
Burgess (Candida’ father) sucks but in a way that isn’t interesting. He’s such a British stereotype. I kept picturing him in jodhpurs and a pith helmet or in a top hat, tails, and a monocle. Like a villain from a Joseph Conrad novel.
Candida is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She has so many conflicting societal expectations thrown on her by Marchbanks and her father, but not, surprisingly, by her husband. She’s clearly in love with her husband, and she has a good deal of agency, too! She also seems to take things in great stride, though in a way completely different from her husband. She’s kind of aloof and mocking, which I like, but her attitude doesn’t quite seem to gel with Morell in this play. But they seems to love each other regardless, and I find that very sweet!
They’re all great characters!
The line that hit me like a sharp slap to the face was:
The twist, however, being that
The Girls by Emma Cline
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you know anything about the “Manson Family,” then you’ll know the beats and settings of this novel all too well: A ranch of runaways (of mostly women and girls); a stand-in for Dennis Wilson; “Russel” as the failed musician turned cult leader; the random, vicious, senseless murders, etc. It reads like a memoir by someone from the “inside,” even though it is all fictionalized.
I think the book leans <i>too</i> heavily on the history of the “Manson Family” though. My familiarity with the details and its reliance on those details means that it cannot stand on its own for me. I don’t usually go for true crime stories (real or fake), but the podcast <i>You Must Remember This</i> did a miniseries about them, and the host lays out all of these details quite starkly.
Additionally, the pacing feels off at points. Cline will go on and on about with details describing scenes of no actual importance but then will skimp on details on scenes that needed to be more fully brought to life and explored. As for details about Evie...
I was disappointed that adult Evie doesn’t seem to have matured very much from her teen self, who is the primary storyteller of this novel. But perhaps that is the point: Evie will never be free from the worst summer of her early adolescence. I wish we had gotten to know Evie a little better. What are her hopes and dreams, as a child and now as an adult? What did she learn? What would she say to her younger self? What would she do differently? How is she feeling?
<b>Spoiler within:</b> I kept expecting adult Evie to impart wisdom onto us, the readers or onto Sasha, who closely mirrors her younger self, but she never does, even when she witnesses the toxicity of Sasha’s relationship first-hand .
So what <i>did</i> I like?
I really like Cline’s writing style, and I like the way she brings us into Evie’s point of view: her thought processes, her rationalizations, her desire to escape, etc. It’s also a quick read. I’m a slow reader, but I was able to get through it in just a few sittings. I would generally recommend this book to those who are looking for something creepy, quick, and immersive, but aren’t looking for something with any deep substance or message.
I think the book leans <i>too</i> heavily on the history of the “Manson Family” though. My familiarity with the details and its reliance on those details means that it cannot stand on its own for me. I don’t usually go for true crime stories (real or fake), but the podcast <i>You Must Remember This</i> did a miniseries about them, and the host lays out all of these details quite starkly.
Additionally, the pacing feels off at points. Cline will go on and on about with details describing scenes of no actual importance but then will skimp on details on scenes that needed to be more fully brought to life and explored. As for details about Evie...
I was disappointed that adult Evie doesn’t seem to have matured very much from her teen self, who is the primary storyteller of this novel. But perhaps that is the point: Evie will never be free from the worst summer of her early adolescence. I wish we had gotten to know Evie a little better. What are her hopes and dreams, as a child and now as an adult? What did she learn? What would she say to her younger self? What would she do differently? How is she feeling?
<b>Spoiler within:</b>
So what <i>did</i> I like?
I really like Cline’s writing style, and I like the way she brings us into Evie’s point of view: her thought processes, her rationalizations, her desire to escape, etc. It’s also a quick read. I’m a slow reader, but I was able to get through it in just a few sittings. I would generally recommend this book to those who are looking for something creepy, quick, and immersive, but aren’t looking for something with any deep substance or message.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a gripping tale! I can see why this is Christie’s best-loved work. I couldn’t put it down! I don’t often go for mysteries, but this one is excellent. The tension is palpable, and the conceit of following the “Ten Little Soldiers” nursery rhyme was inspired. I loved that each and every character was especially awful in such unique ways. And I absolutely did not see the twist at the end in which we find out the identity of the killer. I also love that this novel involves neither Poirot nor Marple. I strongly dislike mysteries, thrillers, and detective novels that have a lead detective because what’s the fun if a character has a 100% success rate? So that fact alone got it a lot of points from me!
The only reason this is a 4.5 star book and not a 5 star book is that one killer killing off ten people—directly and indirectly—without detection and without suspicion was a bit too farfetched to me. And the way in which the killer obtained his victims was also a bit too far passed my suspension of disbelief. I mean, it just seems a bit too tidy that the killer came by the victims’ profiles so easily and arranged their deaths so quickly and was successful with each murder .
But still, I enjoyed this novel immensely, and I highly recommend it!
The only reason this is a 4.5 star book and not a 5 star book is that
But still, I enjoyed this novel immensely, and I highly recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use
The Lais of Marie de France by Marie de France
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While there isn’t much substance to the character in the lais, there is a lot to learn from the tropes and themes within the lais themselves. From this collection, you get a small look into the values, morals, and interests of the medieval French folk who were reading or listening to the lais being read/performed. But really, the beautiful thing about these lais is how special it is to read stories that people were reading ~800 years ago. I am injecting with this book in a way that would be unimaginable to the original audience, and yet here I am/here we are, talking about them and these stories. It’s moments like these that make me happy I became an English major. It provides me wonderful moments such as these!
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw by George Bernard Shaw
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I hate to say it—because Joan of Arc is near and dear to me—but this play is quite silly, bordering on cringey. And for a play titled Saint Joan, we never get to see her in action. All she and everyone else in the play do is talk, which is a shame because Joan known for being a young woman of action. On top of this, the writing leaves a lot to be desired. I expected much more than I got.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury