Hanzy

4.5*s
I really enjoyed reading this YA Mystery Thriller. The pacing, the characters, and the log-entry writing style made for a great reading experience. I think I enjoyed it more so because I found it very familiar, with characters following a timeline or a time period akin to my own and the mystery style similar to the books I'd read growing up.

I wouldn't say there were mind-blowing plot twists or anything of the sort that I enjoy while reading thrillers... it's very YA, but I enjoyed it all the same.

An intriguing and short take on humans (a family) on their understanding of what presumably is the last night of the world. There's some haunting calmness that sort of made me wonder if this were the reality... what would we do?

Ray Bradbury has a way of creating an impact with his short stories. This one, in particular, uses sci-fi to show the stark contrast between a child's mind and an adult's—logic vs. imagination.

I absolutely loved reading this book. It's wholesome, happy, bright and cheery with lessons for people from all walks of life.

An interesting take on the throes of death faced by a condemned man with somewhat of a jumbled up narrative chronology that gives it a slow, trance like effect.

A beautifully written memoir. Although it tackles quite heavy topics like grief, loss of a loved one, identity etc., the writing flows smoothly, enabling an easy enough read. I find it brave of the writer to share incredibly raw and intimate details close to her heart, open to all sorts of criticism, yet she does it, pouring her soul out into this memoir. A word of advice - read this when you're not hungry.

An interesting mix of sci-fi with outer space explorations and somewhat of an introspective take on the human condition, and human emotions upon facing death.

I enjoyed the first half of the book; reading it felt like reading something from a fantasy world of my own, alone in the wild, away from humanity, only with the added starkness of reality that surrounds it. Kya's reality is heartbreakingly sad, facing conditions that no child must ever be made to face. The writing with all the descriptions made it very easy to teleport myself into Kya's world. I think I enjoyed it less only because I knew certain things that were to happen, and the controversies around the writer sort of put a damper on my mood. But all the same, it was an interesting read with many themes and lessons to be learnt.

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of this piece of work. The writing was interesting, and the plot was gripping enough, but I couldn't vibe with it.

I've been reading many books with cats in them this past month or so. When I started this one with a cat as the protagonist, I wasn't aware of how it would affect me. It sounded all fluffy and light to me.

This book is perfectly poignant and beautifully written. The bond between a pet and its owner is so wonderfully described. Arikawa captures the love of a feline for its owner so masterfully that you're left ‘awwing' at all the cuteness and bawling at all the sadnesses, all the while gaining a perspective that you might not have had otherwise.

I would recommend this book to animal lovers (specifically cat) as I'm unsure if others would enjoy it just as much as I did.

p.s. This book also helps restore some faith in humanity

Thanks to Youtube's algorithm, I stumbled across the audiobook narrated by Aldous Huxley himself. It's quite short yet mind-blowingly clairvoyant, representing a world devoid of all human-ness... a world that seems quite familiar while still being appallingly outrageous.

I've found the best way to watch something that is a film adaptation of a book is to space out enough time that you've forgotten almost everything there is to the plot. And it works vice versa as my experience goes reading this novella. This is my second book by Neil Gaiman, and I loved viewing the world through the lens of a child again. Gaiman's characters aren't foolhardy, bumbling about the world. They're relatable, which makes reading about them quite an experience.

I found this book to be an eye-opener. Enlightening as it is, it has information that I'd previously known but in far greater detail. It's scary how intricate and elaborative the workings of the devil are in deceiving us, humans. A reminder for all to strengthen ourselves in faith and a must-read for those seeking to avoid falling into the traps set by the devil.

This book felt very familiar as it has almost the same vibe as The Secret History and the setting of the ‘play' felt vaguely similar to Hogwarts. While I greatly enjoyed the premise, the setting, tolerable characters, and the dramatic structure, I can't say the same about the plot. The build-up was palpable leading to a fairly conclusive ending, but it wasn't quite comparable to what my expectations for it had been. The ending felt somewhat rushed to me as I felt the need for some closure, although it does end with a questionable silver lining. I still loved it, the vibes, the writing... it was intriguingly immersive, compelling me to walk in the shoes of the protagonist, experiencing the tale as I read on.

I don't know if I can consider this to be readable by children or whether I'm just an overly sensitive, overly protective adult. Roald Dahl's writing is as magical as ever, easing me into the mind of a younger me, enabling me to enjoy the tale as I would have as a child.

I think I liked it better reading the second time. I remember having difficulty keeping the Ghibli film off my mind when I read it the first time and Howl seemed so much of a disappointment. This time around though, I found that there's more character to Howl than I'd presumed before... Sophie as well is quite interesting and I enjoyed the banter between them. I still think the ending was a bit rushed after the whole build up which is why I wouldn't rate this book a 5 but loved it just the same.

This was a highly fascinating and brilliantly composed novel. I'm a little baffled at how I can feel sorry for a character so abhorrent and detestable, someone so misaligned with my moral compass. I LOVED the writing and descriptions and thoroughly enjoyed it despite the grotesque elements that were a significant part of the plot. The ending was quite shocking, but I should have expected it.

I'd give this book a 3.5
The inconsistent and slightly incoherent prose seemed difficult to follow initially but turned out to be the very core of the charm of this book. Through a somewhat child-like perspective, we see the flawed society at its very heart, a view of the society through the eyes of immigrants, or maybe a third-culture kid...it was interesting, frustrating, sad, and hopeful.

You cannot read this short story once and expect to understand it. My first read left me confused, and only upon reading it a second time did I make sense of it.

As short as it may be, it delves deep into metaphysics and philosophy by drawing up parables quite intelligently composed. The prose immerses you in completely.

I found this book to be strangely deep yet easy to read. It makes a reader ponder over social construct and moral identity through a story that seems simple enough but isn't quite. I could see myself as the narrator and empathise with him, yet concurrently, I could also uncover certain inhibitions that I hadn't questioned before.

This book made me want to read more of Camus' works and explore the concepts of Nihilism and Existentialism.

I really enjoyed reading this intricately woven tale set in mid-20th century Spain. I loved the first half... I found the narrator quite relatable and the writing - impeccable. But somewhere down the middle of the book, I felt a little drained out by the tales woven within and it's the only reason why I couldn't rate this book a 5.

The ending was nice and satisfactory.

It's been a long while since I've read a book like this one. Growing up watching Ghibli films, Kiki's Delivery Service has always been a favorite and I was thrilled to find out it was based on a book.

If you ever wish to read something wholesome, something to uplift your mood, something cheery, this is a definite recommendation. Although its targeted audiences are pre-teens and teens, this book gives reminders of important messages to adults as well. It teaches lessons through Kiki's many experiences and her dealings. I'd love to read the others in the series but sadly, they haven't been translated yet (I'm hoping they do or I may just have to learn Japanese). I loved every bit of it and while the film has a special place in my heart, the book created another spot for itself right next to it.

p.s. I wish I could have my very own Jiji.

I'd once picked this book up at a random library, in a random country and I remember reading the prologue, and wanting to read more. But I was a traveler and had to leave the book behind.
Reading it almost felt like being tricked into something I hadn't expected, an adult being tricked into becoming a child again. I got transported back to my childhood which enabled me to experience the innocence, the childish wonders, and the many forgotten feelings I've had as a child. It's nostalgic, haunting, and weirdly sweet. The protagonist was highly relatable and made it easier for me to just get lost in the world that was created.
This was my first by Neil Gaiman and I'm hooked on his writing, wanting to read more of his works.

I loved reading this book a lot more than my expectations for it had been. There were some things I hadn't really accounted for (I should read book blurbs better), but all in all, I found it to be a lovely comfort read, a feel-good novel. Klune explores the concept of grief and death in quite an interesting and positive light throughout the book with lovable, fluffball characters. It felt almost like those fairytales from my childhood and a mix of A Man Called Ove and The Midnight Library. It also relays messages that grownups need reminders of.

I wouldn't be recommending this book to all, just to some that I personally know.

An interesting read, a simple suspense novel. I may have enjoyed it better as a teen than I did as of now. Perhaps I've read way too many murder mysteries for the twists weren't as shocking or mind-blowing. I found the prose to be a bit off-putting although I did enjoy the french influence and tidbits of the language used.