roselaina
Listen. The tone of this book is clever, quirky, aware, timely, and honestly an absolute blast. I loved Nina. I loved all the trivia. I loved the pop culture references. I loved the supporting characters. It made me want to work in a bookstore again so badly I was close to running down to my local indie and begging them to hire me on part-time.
It could have been a solid 4 star book. Instead, it BARELY made 3-stars, because HOO BOY, do I have a bone to pick with it.Did Nina need to learn how to roll with the punches and adapt a little and be a less of a book snob? Yes.Did Nina need to learn she would have to make room in her life for a partner if she so chose? Yes.There were many things Nina did throughout the story that could have been criticized. But for some reason, the author chose to write the Dramatic Twist in a way that seemed to penalize Nina for having anxiety.The background: Tom and Nina have been on approximately three (3) dates. In the previous scene, Nina passed out from an anxiety attack after finding out some devastating news, on top of the stressful life-changing factors she already had floating around. Nina is fine now, and she asks to be left alone (in her own home) to process everything.A basic summary of the scene: Nina communicates what she needs. Tom ignores her. Nina tries again. Tom is Offended and still ignores her. Nina breaks up with him just to get him to stop following her around the house and breathing down her neck. Tom leaves (finally).The rest of the book is mystifyingly and infuriatingly dedicated to convincing the reader - through the narrative, the other characters, and Nina's own thoughts - that Nina was in the wrong and that Tom is Totally Justified in being an immature asshole who refuses to speak to her until she makes a Big Public Gesture and apologizes.I can't actually tell you the last time I was rooting against the main couple getting together, but congratulations, Bookish Life of Nina Hill, you made it. P.S. Nina deserves better, and I have a great suggestion on what Tom can do with his bookshelves. :)
Let me start by saying that there were things this book did extremely well. The way it addressed the sexism, racism, and homophobia of the time period was excellent, and Waite is a talented author with a gift for uniquely lovely turns of phrase.
For all of these, I gave it an extra star.
Unfortunately, the romance itself was terrible. In short, it was poorly paced, poorly executed, and quite frankly boring as hell. I didn't even get a chance to enjoy the lack of a Big Misunderstanding, because a seemingly neverending series of Small Unnecessary Dramas took its place.
With that said, I quite liked both Lucy and Catherine as characters! I loved the general story and message very much, and the secondary characters were all terrific. They were well developed, and I am looking forward to seeing more of one in particular.
In conclusion, I think I would have enjoyed this book MUCH more, had the author not tried to force it to be a romance novel. The romance was not the driving force of the story, and to spend so many unnecessary words on it made the story drag on interminably. If the romance had been a subplot, allowing Lucy and Catherine's passions for their respective projects to shine and breathe life into the story, it would have been much stronger.
I do have high hopes for the next book in the series, though, and I will be giving it a shot! Fingers crossed for better relationship development and significantly less (metaphorical) U-hauling.
*4.5 stars!
Everything you could possibly want in a book? Weak Heart has it.
Magic? Check.
Mystery? Check.
Romance? DOUBLE CHECK.
Representation? SO MANY CHECKS.
Meet Thomas. He's had strange visions for years, but they've gotten worse recently, bleeding into reality until he doesn't know which is which, paralyzing him with the accompanying migraines. Having tried solutions from therapy to exorcism, all to no avail, Thomas is on the brink of leaving for America to search out a cure when a stranger bangs on his apartment door and launches herself into his life.
Isla is a selkie who has only recently taken human form. She's cold, hungry, miserable...and dead set on discovering what has happened to her best friend. She knows that Thomas could help solve the mystery, if only she could convince him to join her. Unfortunately, Thomas has absolutely no intention of doing so...until she tells him that the person she's seeking might have a cure for his visions.
The problem? The person she's seeking is Kit.
Isla's best friend.
The boy Thomas once loved.
The boy from so many of his visions.
The boy holding the knife.
When Thomas reluctantly agrees and the two set off to the Scottish Isle of Mab, the questions only multiply. What happened to Kit? Why does no one remember Thomas's other childhood friend, Owen? What's going on with the bees? How does Tanis have such amazing arms? (Okay, that one isn't on the Official Mystery List, but it is on Isla's List of Things She Thinks About A Lot)
One by one, they will find the answers and track down Kit...or they'll die trying.
While the mystery and setting of Weak Heart lend themselves to the creepily atmospheric mood, the author manages to seamlessly weave in the perfect amount of humor, romance, and found family. The characters are fully developed and colorful, and I missed each and every one of them the second I was finished. It all pulls together to form a wonderful read that's nearly impossible to put down.
Can be read anywhere, but best enjoyed with a cozy blanket, a hot cup of tea, and - most importantly - some cheesy pasta nearby, because I can guarantee you're going to want some cheesy pasta.
As always, Siken has a remarkable ability to craft the most brilliant and beautiful turns of phrase.
Unfortunately, the poems he fashioned out of them...I hadn't a blasted clue what they were supposed to mean 80% of the time. If I hadn't been reading this for a challenge - and felt like I owed it to Siken to keep trudging through after how long I've adored Crush - I would have put it down after a couple pages.
Still, there were a couple good poems in there and several great quotes. I mean:
“Everyone needs a place. It shouldn't be inside of someone else.”
He definitely still has a way with words.
But overall, the poems were aimless, and the few themes that made any sense were strange and disturbing.
The only thing this collection succeeded in doing is making me want to re-read Crush. I didn't want Crush all over again, but I expected something with the similar depth and feeling. And I most definitely did not get it.
3 stars. Barely.
4.5 starsOne of the best romances I've read in a while! An absolute delight that actually touches on lots of issues rarely addressed in romance novels, while still delivering on swoons galore. *heart eyes emoji
However, I can't write a review without mentioning that the audiobook quality was ridiculously subpar. The narrator was great and handled multiple accents with ease. But the editing was atrocious. There were quite a few long, awkward gaps of time where there shouldn't have been. Once the quality of the narrator's voice VERY clearly changed mid-paragraph like they had switched microphones or picked up the next day with different audio settings. And worst of all, once, the narrator pronounced a word incorrectly, corrected herself on the pronunciation (not in-dialogue, and clearly not an on-purpose thing), and then went on. Obviously not judging the narrator - this is bound to happen! But not something I should hear in the final product.
Dreamscape needs to step up their game. Alyssa Cole deserves better.
Hmm.
Good slow burn, and I continue to enjoy the heck out of Thorne's writing style.
But honestly...three stars was a stretch. By the time it ended, I didn't really care. Possibly because I was so confused by the events before the ending that I had to read the same several pages three times over. And I'm STILL not 100% sure on the details. And if things did go down the way I think they did, then those things made absolutely no sense in the context of the story and the characters, and I'm quite baffled.
I tried to keep my expectations normal, because I connected with The Hating Game in a rare and special way, and I knew that it was unlikely that the next book would hit me at the same level. So while I'm sure it wound up influencing my expectations a little, objectively, this book was a bit of a mess. The pacing, the characters, the story...It had potential and a lot of good elements. I even enjoyed a lot of it. But it just didn't come together as a cohesive whole.
That said, though, I will still absolutely pick up anything Thorne writes in the future! Second books are a tricky business (especially when your first one was such a big hit), and I still think she's super talented.
And now for a few words about the Extra Content because...that Hating Game epilogue, though. I could not. stop. smiling. (except for that one line about hate-love between [redacted] and [redacted] because what the ACTUAL heck - has it been so long since Thorne wrote THG that she forgot how much of a disgusting pig ** is? But I digress). But overall, though, IT WAS SO CUTE I COULD DIE. It was everything I wanted.
Is it too soon to reread THG again?
EDIT 2/2:
Okay, after thinking and discussion (and cooling down from the THG epilogue which left me too giddy to be 100% objective in rating this book alone), I have decided to drop the third star. While there were the bones of a good book under here, it read very much like a first draft to me. The pacing was a wreck, the characters were inconsistent, and the romance not compelling at all once it didn't have UST to drive it.
Another round or two of edits/rewriting would have made a world of difference, I feel. But as it stands, I was definitely disappointed. Not only because I know the author is capable of more but because this book itself could have been more, but it ultimately wasn't.
I will keep my fingers crossed for another by Thorne, though. It would take worse than this to take her off my autobuy list.
I'm a little conflicted because on one hand, when I finished this book, I was angry. Like, ranting-to-my-poor-roommate-for-ten-minutes kind of angry.
But then I couldn't stop thinking about it. And then I stayed up until 1 AM binge-watching the entire Amazon miniseries. (So now it will be difficult to separate my thoughts and feelings on the two, but I'll do my best.)
While it isn't my usual cup of tea, if a piece of art impacts you enough to keep you thinking well into the next day, that has to count for something. And I loved the writing! I can't say much else without being spoilery.
So if I had rated this directly after finishing, it definitely would have been two stars (1 for story, 1 for the writing style). But after mulling it over, I have come to terms with the fact that while it wasn't what I expected, it was certainly unique, enjoyable, and well-executed. 4 stars.
A bit conflicted about this one. On one hand, I think she has solid advice and that the actions she advises are - for the most part - excellent. I can see why the method is so effective, and I have already started to implement it.
However, there was most definitely way too much personification of inanimate objects. How am I supposed to take you seriously if you're telling me my shirts will, quite literally, be happier in one configuration over another? Will I be happier? Absolutely. Will my shirts? ...
Also, it felt a bit out of touch with reality. For one, because some items are essential to life, but they're not going to “spark joy.” For another, because it definitely felt geared toward people with some extra money to toss around. “Never worry about throwing out too much - you can always buy more!! Buying in bulk may be cheaper, but it's never worth the clutter!!”
(Also, you can't call yourself a “book lover” and then a couple paragraphs later, say that you habitually RIPPED THE PAGES OUT OF BOOKS because writing down the quotes you liked took too long. You just can't. Take a picture. I guarantee that how offended she was by balled up socks, you could multiply it by fifty and reach the level of indignation I felt at this. Plus her entire attitude toward books simply didn't jive with me at all.)
All that said, though, I really do think she has some excellent ideas! I like the logic behind each step (minus the bit where you talk to your possessions. I like that this made me more aware of my things, but I certainly won't be striking up a conversation with my handbag anytime soon). If you took all the advice in this book and married it with a healthy dose of practicality, I feel like you would have an absolutely perfect, definitive guide to tidying.
*4.5 stars.
Needed a better copy editor, but the content is excellent. Exactly what I needed to hear (which was part of why I kept putting it off for so long after I started it — I knew it would hit me where it hurt, and I was right. But it was a necessary hurt, and one that will be helpful in the long run). Highly recommend!