Ariana > Recent Status Updates

!!!!!!!!!

While I can appreciate the stylistic choices of this book, it’s hell on my ADHD

I'm sorry, how on earth does a compass break????

I love that all it took was 'raven on the cover' and 'two magicians in England' for me to guess that the book in question is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

I must say, for a fantasy story I was expecting a little more creativity when it comes to fictional races and religions. For them to be all but exact analogues their real counterparts feels a little lazy. Was Saft really unable to come up with anything a little more original?

There is no way this man was even the slightest bit neurotypical, and the world is all the better for it.

A Beatrix Potter reference? In my Fall of the House of Usher retelling? It's more likely than you might think.

If the goal was to remind me I'm reading a piece of modern fiction (as if I needed the reminder), it was a resounding success.

Ironic that Margaret Atwood's endorsement quotes reads, "It's not possible for Powers to write an uninteresting book," considering that the best word I have to describe this book thus far is "uninteresting".

Anyone: *breathes*
Siyon: wow I hate azatani

The problem with picking up a book because your neighbour told you it was written by an old university friend of hers is that when you realise the Jennifer in the acknowledgements is not in fact your neighbour Jennifer, the book suddenly becomes much less exciting.
... oh well. I still told her I'd read it.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I think I might DNF this one.
*cue shocked gasps*
I'm not sure what happened with the writing here but it's... odd. It lacks all the charm and delicacy and nuance of the first book, and frankly it's put me off it.

Page 1 and already my worst fears since the first book have been confirmed... Fredrik Backman sure doesn't pull his punches.

*sobs in the background*

I'm not sure I want to continue with this... I came here for a comforting fairytale-esque fantasy, not arguments and angst.

"If one listened, one could hear it in their voices.
One can tell a lot, even in such a state, by the way someone speaks another's name."
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

High fantasy and I do not often get along that well, so I very much doubt I would have picked this up by the blurb alone, but after The Vanished Birds how could I not? Hell, I don't think I even read the blurb before requesting it from the library. Let's goooo

Whether or not I enjoy the actual contents, Becky Chambers' writing style is always so incredibly warm and cozy.

I'm sorry but the world building in this book is just not good. It often contradicts itself and it's lazy.

While I appreciate the themes of racism, colonialism, and sexism, especially in the realm of dark academia where it is much needed yet often overlooked, I feel like I'm being spoon-fed here. I'm not stupid; I don't need everything spelled out.

I liked Part 2 a great deal more, but it was still blah. The first half felt like a waste of time. The second half was far more interesting and poignant, although I still struggled to trace/understand the 'why' behind it all, and it still felt rather shallow - a lot of interesting themes, not much seemingly said or explored. But the twist at the end was phenomenal.

Tell me this wasn't written by a straight woman without telling me this was written by a straight woman. Fucking yikes.
Part 1 was choice that Hanya Yanagihara really need not have made. Hanya, if you're going to write almost exclusively gay men then I'm begging you to talk to a real one. Maybe two, even. Just — please.

This book is very weird and very distressing.

Also, there's a surprising lack of... solitude.

Dear lord this book feels so long

While I do prefer more straightforward writing styles, I do feel this veers a little too hard in that direction. I also can't help but feel that it could benefit from a bit more direction, a slightly stronger narrative backbone. But it might still be too early to judge.

From what Aiya said, I have a feeling that no one's getting eliminated at the end. Which, considering that that's the only mystery in this book so far that's in any way compelling, would be a rather predictable and somewhat insulting resolution.
Also, this Society has existed for hundreds of years and yet Nico and Libby are single-handedly accomplishing what no one has before? I call bullshit.

This book feels like it's trying really hard to be Ninth House