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capy's reviews
308 reviews
The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain
at one point, a writer in the book admits to checking his own books' reviews and feeling insulted when a reader expresses his book didn't leave an impression them... i'm afraid i'm recreating that moment
this was a fast, super readable book that is probably considered a "cozy read". decided to pick it up because i was in the mood for a mystery but found it ultimately underwhelming (and not that sweet or romantic)
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
That was exactly what Tabucchi was suggesting with his title ("La Nostalgie du Possible") — that we can pass right by something very important: love, a job, moving to another city or another country. Or another life. 'Pass by' and at the same time be 'so close' that sometimes, while in that state of melancholy that is akin to hypnosis, we can, in spite of everything, manage to grab little fragments of what might have been. Like catching snatches of a far-off radio frequency.
at one point, a writer in the book admits to checking his own books' reviews and feeling insulted when a reader expresses his book didn't leave an impression them... i'm afraid i'm recreating that moment
this was a fast, super readable book that is probably considered a "cozy read". decided to pick it up because i was in the mood for a mystery but found it ultimately underwhelming (and not that sweet or romantic)
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
this paragraph was the highlight of this memo soup, along with learning about karl heinrich ulrichs and about how plato was a wrestler. it's a book best digested when someone feels they need it, otherwise it won't really land as comforting but as fluff
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
2.75
truly a collection of Stuff. the book seems randomly organized in parts, the writing is of course reassuring but bubbly, repetitive and elementary, which can be a pro or a con. thankfully, we're moving into a world of significantly more emotional intelligent discussions so, to me, the fact that i didn't get as much as i wanted out of this book might be a good thing?
the notes i did connect with (and apply to my life) include the importance of staying authentic, separating yourself from your thoughts, engaging in good self-talk, changing your perspective when you feel trapped, knowing you have to take the good with the bad, expanding your views by consuming art in all its forms, having an active community of support, being present in nature and lastly, the cosmically lucky chance we have as people to keep going — to stick around long enough to figure ourselves out
the notes i did connect with (and apply to my life) include the importance of staying authentic, separating yourself from your thoughts, engaging in good self-talk, changing your perspective when you feel trapped, knowing you have to take the good with the bad, expanding your views by consuming art in all its forms, having an active community of support, being present in nature and lastly, the cosmically lucky chance we have as people to keep going — to stick around long enough to figure ourselves out
Rest is an essential part of survival. An essential part of us. An essential part of being the animals we are. When a dog lies in the sun I imagine it does it without guilt, because as far as I can tell dogs seem more in tune with their own needs. As I grow older, I think that resting might actually be the main point of life. To sit down passively, inside or outside, and merely absorb things—the tick of a clock, a cloud passing by, the distant hum of traffic, a bird singing—can feel like an end in itself. It can actually feel and be more meaningful than a lot of the stuff we are conditioned to see as productive. Just as we need pauses between notes for music to sound good, and just as we need punctuation in a sentence for it to be coherent, we should see rest and reflection and passivity— and even sitting on the sofa—as an intrinsic and essential part of life that is needed for the whole to make sense.
this paragraph was the highlight of this memo soup, along with learning about karl heinrich ulrichs and about how plato was a wrestler. it's a book best digested when someone feels they need it, otherwise it won't really land as comforting but as fluff
Henceforward... by Alan Ayckbourn
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
how can a play be this slow, trying to be ahead of its time by grappling with multiple interesting concepts yet not land a single one and ultimately going nowhere... a reviewer said "once you get it, there's nothing else to get" and that pretty much sums it up for me too
go watch blade runner instead of this artistically self-serving ego fest
go watch blade runner instead of this artistically self-serving ego fest
Guesswork: Essays on forgetting and remembering who we are by Marion Winik
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
what a lovely collection of essays, can't think of another word to describe winik's writing besides clean
enjoyed her take on reading for the company of people in books, who can feel so instantly intimate through the thoughts and feelings they openly share — something we typically wouldn't do ourselves in real life settings
enjoyed her take on reading for the company of people in books, who can feel so instantly intimate through the thoughts and feelings they openly share — something we typically wouldn't do ourselves in real life settings
Wish You Were Here by Sanaz Toossi
i appreciate how this play focused particularly on female friendships and the subtle dynamics between women, not just the circumstances they're under. it did get unnecessarily graphic at times for me but otherwise, the author did a great job at including the audience/reader in the characters' close circle as they navigate what life is like in the middle of the iranian revolution
in terms of production, the voice acting and sound design were one of the best i've experienced
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
She will never know how fast this earth can spin underneath you.
i appreciate how this play focused particularly on female friendships and the subtle dynamics between women, not just the circumstances they're under. it did get unnecessarily graphic at times for me but otherwise, the author did a great job at including the audience/reader in the characters' close circle as they navigate what life is like in the middle of the iranian revolution
in terms of production, the voice acting and sound design were one of the best i've experienced
My Husband by Maud Ventura
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i felt compelled to buy this because of the 'lover girl' blurb but this queen is off the RAILS. i've not read gone girl but this has to be gone girl's goofy obsessive one-track mind cousin. so much passive aggressiveness, resentment, overthinking, ruminating... and honestly, it did hold up a mirror to my own habits and thought processes at times. i understand the choice to make the writing repetitive but it only dulled what would otherwise be a solid fun read
spoilery p.s: this is a work of fiction but it further supports my old theory thatboth halves of a couple have to be the same level of freaky to work together
spoilery p.s: this is a work of fiction but it further supports my old theory that
The Garden of Time by J.G. Ballard
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
has the essential elements of a satisfying short story for me: captivating (albeit sometimes convoluted) writing, speaks volumes in a short space and may leave me wanting more. found it particularly important to question why the mob of people is seen as villainous and what perspective we choose to filter the author's words through
as for this story's ironic connection with the met gala, i don't see a moment in time where choosing a theme of "dystopian-but-real class disparity" wouldn't be a questionable decision on the organizers' behalf — but 2024 was absolutely the wrong year for it
as for this story's ironic connection with the met gala, i don't see a moment in time where choosing a theme of "dystopian-but-real class disparity" wouldn't be a questionable decision on the organizers' behalf — but 2024 was absolutely the wrong year for it
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
ahh, works like this are so IMPORTANT
this collection obviously felt introductory to all these complex women's lives, it is up to the reader to go further with their research... which i did. and with my own little investigation, i found that the author might've embellished some details for the sake of the book, which does makes me wonder about story authenticity in general. this is a common skepticism i personally have with real histories that include imagined dialogues & personality traits — if you don't care about that, then this will be a homerun for you
otherwise, the art style is beautiful and so are women!!!
this collection obviously felt introductory to all these complex women's lives, it is up to the reader to go further with their research... which i did. and with my own little investigation, i found that the author might've embellished some details for the sake of the book, which does makes me wonder about story authenticity in general. this is a common skepticism i personally have with real histories that include imagined dialogues & personality traits — if you don't care about that, then this will be a homerun for you
otherwise, the art style is beautiful and so are women!!!
Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight by Peter Ackerman
fast-paced
0.25
this was so fucking bad, like 90s sitcom shock value "comedy" bad
and i can't stand the calm grounded man/crazy ignorant woman trope, what an absolute miss
and i can't stand the calm grounded man/crazy ignorant woman trope, what an absolute miss
Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver
mary oliver, you are so talented. truly a poet that just IS, never tries and always delivers for me. this book put me in a calm headspace whenever i reached for it (especially during flights), her relationship with creativity and nature is so pure. for some reason, i really loved 'who cometh here?' — happy to imagine a bear being a regular citizen of the world one day — as well as the shoutout to portuguese towns and fishermen, the consistent callbacks that interconnect certain essays and obviously her impressive vocabulary throughout. it did, at times, get a little too academic: i didn't feel fully immersed in the section about authors, their small biographies and how their lives shaped their work but, even then, i was still down (and i'm happy to now know mr. whitman was queer!)
p.s: i have chosen to ignore the dreaded cat paragraph, i don't know her like that
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.25
So, it comes first: the world. Then, literature. And then. What one pencil moving over a thousand miles of paper can (perhaps, sometimes) do.
mary oliver, you are so talented. truly a poet that just IS, never tries and always delivers for me. this book put me in a calm headspace whenever i reached for it (especially during flights), her relationship with creativity and nature is so pure. for some reason, i really loved 'who cometh here?' — happy to imagine a bear being a regular citizen of the world one day — as well as the shoutout to portuguese towns and fishermen, the consistent callbacks that interconnect certain essays and obviously her impressive vocabulary throughout. it did, at times, get a little too academic: i didn't feel fully immersed in the section about authors, their small biographies and how their lives shaped their work but, even then, i was still down (and i'm happy to now know mr. whitman was queer!)
p.s: i have chosen to ignore the dreaded cat paragraph, i don't know her like that