Court reviewed Diary of a Void by David Boyd
A single lie with so many layers
5 stars
Cutting and delightful--simultaneously sad and challenging
User Profile
he/him
This link opens in a pop-up window
User Activity
Court reviewed House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
The sequel to Howl's Moving CastleWhen Charmain Baker agreed to look after her great-uncle's house, …
4 Stars
4 stars
Court reviewed Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
The Nebula Award–winning author of Kindred presents a “gripping” dystopian novel about a woman fleeing …
Hard read
3 stars
Riveting and challenging. Possibly informative, but I didn't get the "aha" moments I was looking for. It was terribly sad and sometimes disgusting. I understand what she's going for, but the ending didn't work for me to make it worth it. I didn't enjoy it enough to go on to the sequel.
Court reviewed Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
As the oldest daughter, willful, outspoken Sophie knew that her life could lead to nothing …
I loved this
5 stars
Beautifully written, with adventure and love
Court reviewed Be Gay, Do Comics by Matt Bors
The dream of a queer separatist town. The life of a gay Jewish Nazi fighter. …
Nice variety, enjoyable
4 stars
Court reviewed Crows over the Wheatfield by Adam Braver
Driving home at dusk, Claire Andrews, an art history professor at a prestigious New England …
an interesting journey wonderfully written
5 stars
Really enjoyed this. Some parts I would like less on, some more, but overall an interesting journey wonderfully written
Court reviewed The Box Man by Kobo Abe
Not sure
2 stars
I read weird stuff from time to time but this was weird. I am not sure I really understood everything--i need to go read some reviews, and may update my rating. But the themes of seeing vs being seen were really interesting
Court reviewed Sphinx by Anne Garréta
Deep and beautifully written and translated
5 stars
Court reviewed The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth L. Ozeki
Literary Award: Women's Prize for Fiction (2022)
A brilliantly inventive new novel about loss, growing …
Unsatisfying
3 stars
Content warning Spoilers for the ending
- Too long, a good number of pages could be cut to its benefit. It takes a while for things to get going. The sections on the Marie Kondo equivalent didn't add anything.
- While the descriptions of mental illness feel believable and interesting, at the end things are wrapped up in an unsatisfying and inauthentic way. Annabelle did not really have an "aha" moment, I don't think she even got real therapy, and Benny didn't have a breakthrough with medication or treatment. I don't feel that either are truly on a path towards healing.
- Some distasteful language around Benny's new friends, many of who are experiencing homelessness. These secondary characters felt like cliches as well.
I enjoyed the premise and I felt like Benny's and Annabelle's struggles were well documented, though could have been a little tighter. Ultimately I'm not sure what this book was trying to tell me.
Court reviewed The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis (German: Die Verwandlung) is a novella written by Franz Kafka which was first …
Enjoyable, interesting, curious
4 stars
I'm not sure what to make of this other than perhaps the futility of life. Will need to let it marinade.
Court reviewed Meet Me at the Bridge by Izzy Rodriguez
In a state full of history stands a newly build structure that has quickly become …