Jesse
Quick read. Read it in 2 days. It was cute, but it's not as polished or likeable as Legends and Lattes, which the book subtlety references. The character development was decent, but the dialogue was rough.
I didn't really like this. I found it slow, boring and uninspired despite the occasional dose of absurdism. Given the comparisons to other media I enjoy, I expected to devour it. Instead, it felt laborious. Perhaps my expectations were part of the downfall. A few reviews of those who also didn't like it had responses encouraging them to continue exploring Discworld; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I doubt I'll be visiting Discworld again soon to pick up these pieces.
An interesting story, plenty of fascinating anecdotes, but ultimately a rough read to get through. I've always found the idea of a “mind palace” to improve memorization to be outlandish (and frankly still do), yet it is apparently used by all the top “mental athletes”.
Similar to the first, these books really seem to lack a solid story. I enjoyed this better than Descender, but I couldn't really tell you why. However, it did feel pretty unnecessary and half baked. Images are still beautiful though.
Another one I read in one sitting. While I identified with some of the books many themes, I couldn't help but feel there were some gaps or missing threads. It was cool to see all the Southern Ontario references, but I would definitely recommend some of the author's other works (like Sweet Tooth) before this.
I absolutely adored this. The characters were incredibly compelling and the story had me guessing throughout.
Do you enjoy reading about Anglo-Saxon Britain? Futuristic weaponry vs the classics of old? Deadbeat criminals? Quantum mechanics? Then you should read this.
I will recommend this to everyone. Such an honest, intriguing story, which, despite its horror, is assiduously written using the perfect amount of levity.
I read this in one day (nearly one sitting!). It's a horrific telling of the author's time in the oil sands, while also noting the shades of grey humanity often flits between depending on their environment. I'm still uncertain if it was almost too kind in its revelations, but that may have been the point. Highly recommend.
I enjoyed this, the story had some good twists, and sets it up well for a sequel. However, I found most of the characters difficult to care about, with the main character filling the Gary Stu trope.
A 4.5 for sure, would have been a 4 but the ending was insane. Still loving this series.
While the writing itself could be improved, this was a pretty fresh take on the zombie trope, and a good analysis of allyship, friendship, and the lack thereof. Definitely worth it for the short read!
4.5! The gory silliness continues, and it's almost as entertaining as the first. I keep telling myself I'll start another book inbetween these, but I probably won't.
This is a story about personal growth, the sacrifices you make for family and the struggle to prioritize yourself. I appreciate it being framed in a setting that many idolize. But this story really lacked the charm and novelty I felt when reading Evelyn Hugo.
Cute. But not really for me. I found the premise intriguing but the story and writing were pretty weak. It felt very YA despite not being marketed as such. Did I cry? Sure. But that's not a great measure of success.
“Gender isn't a game of hopscotch, it's a fucking house of mirrors”. This book wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be, but I enjoyed it. It covers many themes, including gender dysphoria, gender norms and societal pressure, the limitations of language in describing gender and identity, the complexity and evolution of human relationships, and more. The book does an excellent job of exploring and contrasting these themes between cis and trans individuals while telling its story and ultimately notes that regardless of how you identify and no matter what societal box you may be forced into, you can feel, or be made to feel, like an outsider (while also noting the obvious disadvantages that certain groups face).
It feels rare for a book to so perfectly capture the uncertainties, the missteps, the constant questioning and the code switching the queer community often deals with. I devoured this in one sitting.
Definitely a favourite. Bold storytelling and beautifully written. Sad there won't be any sequels.