Amy > Recent Status Updates

Things have picked up! It’s been a slow burn, but the emotional stakes have kicked in, and… wow, it’s good. Resisting the urge to binge-read. Must… resist…

Short book — a novella, really! Reading slowly to savor it.

Not sure this is my kind of thing. I’ll listen to a few more chapters (audiobook) and hope for the best.

Slow start. Hopefully the pace and/or tension pick up soon.

Wish I could read in Japanese! So many books I’d love to read that aren’t yet translated. Soji Shimada, Yoko Agawa, Uketsu, Seishi Yokomizo… Alas, I’m too lazy to learn a new language.

Penny dropped. This is genius.

Confounding. This may be the most complicated and emotional Kindaichi novel yet. I’m strongly invested in the story.

Listening to the audiobook.

Good book. Too many coincidences. Enjoyed reading, though.

Don’t know whether it’s the translation or the original text, but man, this is difficult to read. The MC is a horrible person. Dismissive of others, verbally abusive, assesses women in terms of how f@#%-able they look, bigoted toward his clearly intelligent and capable assistant…

The “victim” is portrayed in a more interesting light.

Anyway. Fingers crossed that Carl (MC) evolves personally.

Starting this one today. Reviews aren’t amazing, so… fingers crossed it’s not as disappointing as it looks.

More procedural than previous books in the series, not in the usual way. Long scenes where Clare and Chris are discussing routes, and some with Clare on speakerphone, narrating where her team is during a search. Without a sense of the roads (or a map for reference), it gets old quickly.

Still, I’m reading. The author is always good at ratcheting up the tension. I’m looking forward to some action and suspense!

Woot! Some good storytelling in the last couple of chapters. Yoon is finally setting us up for something, and I’m excited. Jasmyn actually behaves like a human being with natural responses and compassion (and parenting!). Also good: a newly-introduced character, Charles, asks a very sensible question. They’re interrupted before Jasmyn can answer.

WTH. What are we going for here? Confused, but not in a good way.

Is Jasmyn intended as a Black everywoman? I hope not. Not everyone is involved in constant activism, and most activists don’t judge them—life is nuanced and rational people understand that.

Jasmyn is resentful and judgmental of everyone. She doesn’t even trust King. Why trust Jasmyn?

Just starting the book. Commenting here so I hopefully remember to come back and check the spoilers. “One of Our Kind” was recommended to me by another white person during a conversation about new books by Black authors, and I downloaded without checking the GR reviews by Black reviewers.

Probably should have checked the reviews.

Here we go…

Difficult going here. Narrative style is a lot of “tell,” not much “show.” I’ve put it down several times since release day, but I want to finish it. Apparently there are two twists. Let’s give it a shot…

I like the story. Tired of hearing repeatedly that Rory’s autism prevents her from dealing with other people when clearly everyone in her life likes, understands, and accommodates her. I don’t doubt that her neurodiversity is misunderstood, “othered,” or discriminated against. It’s just clumsily written (from my autistic perspective). Angela’s experience seems much more real.

Tedious. At last, it’s revealed that there really was a crime and what the crime was. The author immediately goes on to squash any any shred of sympathy or interest in the death.

I’ll be quite surprised if I manage to finish this one.

Is there supposed to be a point here? Nearly a quarter of the way through this fairly short novel, and I have yet to find a likable, let alone relatable, character. Is there a plot? The main character has a question, and it doesn’t seem compelling.

Maybe that’s the point? All I can say is that so far, it’s very put-downable and I’m firmly in my seat.

14%: Granted, I’m not that far into the book, but so far, the author is telling me everything about the protagonist and the other main characters, rather than letting their personalities and the story develop organically. It’s a pet peeve and I’m not loving it. Stay tuned.

Oh my goodness. I sense a stinker.

Didn’t realize this was a YA before buying… not my favorite type of book, but it’s Wendy Heard, so I’ll give it a go!

Wow, this is slow. Reads as though the characters are all adolescent, but they’re adults. (Except the daughter, who’s age-appropriate.)

These thrillers and novels by authors from abroad are sweet, sweet nectar:

“Convenience Store Woman” - Sayaka Murata
“The Maid” - Nita Prose
“The Old Woman with the Knife” - Gu Byeong-mo
“Anxious People” - Fredrik Backman
“My Sister, the Serial Killer” - Oyinkan Braithwaite

Wow. Normally, I dislike it when the first chapter of a sequel recaps all the events of the previous book without any context, but this one is exasperating. Considering the weirdness of “Pieces of Her,” the author’s choice to detail bits of character history all at once at a contrived event is baffling, at best. Just let the backstory emerge organically, okay? Let relevant bits come out when it’s relevant.

Slow going. So far, having difficulty empathizing with any of the characters. Doesn’t seem like a thriller just yet.