Category: Reviews

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

It’s been a really long time – almost a decade – since I’ve tried to decipher the hidden meanings behind a play. But I’m going to try! I’m pretty sure that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is about … death. I suppose that shouldn’t be a revelation, since it’s in the title, but man I struggled with this one? Honestly, this play just made me feel stupid. I feel like there must have been some exciting and deep conversation to be had about this play. Maybe it’s the sort of thing that’s a bit lost in translation? Maybe it’s better with group […]

Posted August 18, 2019 in Reviews // 2 Comments //

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett

There’s a lot of revelling and a lot of chaos going on in Lords and Ladies. The fourteenth book in the Discworld series and the fourth in the Witches storyline. I’l pass on the warning that Terry Pratchett left on the first pages of this book – while most of the Discworld novels can be read independently, it’s highly recommended to read Witches Abroad before reading Lords and Ladies. I will say that the only witches book I’ve read is Carpe Jugulum, and I never felt lost reading this one? But the author recommends maybe not picking this up independently so I thought I’d pass […]

Posted August 17, 2019 in Reviews // 0 Comments //

Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge

I wanted so so much to like Bright Smoke, Cold Fire with the same fiery passion as I liked Crimson Bound. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out for me. Bright Smoke, Cold Fire has the feeling of a book that wants to do too many things. There are two POVs in this one – Runajo and Paris, and both are trying to accomplish the same thing – save the city. In one POV, we learn about the inside of the religious order of the city – in the other, the reader experiences the correct underground. Either view could have been interesting enough in […]

Posted August 15, 2019 in Reviews // 2 Comments //

Tandem by Anna Jarzab

I always get sucked in by books promising a fabulous multi-verse. It’s a really complicated theory for a book, where there’s a limited amount of space and a lot of explaining to do. I feel pretty confident in saying that from the scientific, worldbuilding POV, Tandem is the best YA multi-verse I’ve ever read. It’s such a complicated subject to get across and explanations need to justify suspension of disbelief, not just ask for it. I think Anna Jarzab did a really good job in that respect. Unfortunately, because of the immensity of worldbuilding required – not just one, but two, and […]

Posted August 14, 2019 in Reviews // 4 Comments //

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Okay okay. To dispel the elephant in the room first thing – I don’t necessarily agree with everything Caitlin Moran says. Also, I think that labeling this as a “feminist manifesto” does both a great disservice to the book as a memoir, and to feminism. Caitlin Moran is a feminist. But this is a memoir filled with personal opinions and anecdotes. It’s not her telling people how to be a feminist, at least not in my opinion. It’s more like… her outlining her life using feminist themes to organize her life stories and personal opinions. While I’m not sure if Caitlin Moran […]

Posted August 11, 2019 in Reviews // 0 Comments //

Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

I added Nerve to my TBR when I first heard about the movie. A YA Thriller? These are pretty rare, especially when they’re done well, so count me in. While I am the actual worst about seeing movies and haven’t seen the adaptation yet, everything I’ve read says that the book and film are two very different animals. Having seen the trailer and now read the book, that seems very accurate. It gives me hope for the movie. There were some definite issues with Nerve. One of the things I’m trying to do in judging main characters is to step back and remind myself: just […]

Posted August 10, 2019 in Reviews // 3 Comments //