Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mariball's reviews
65 reviews
The Last Sane Woman by Hannah Regel
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
All Fours by Miranda July
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
What I enjoyed most of this book is the writing- Miranda’s words are engaging, filled with interesting and heartbreaking observations about aging, femininity, desire, and motherhood.
However I had issues with this book too- mainly with how limited in scope this narrator’s experience is. With a vague, artsy career that never gets fully explained, she leads a privileged life- her husband is a music producer, a company pays her $20,000 to use her work for their product, and their home is valued at $1.8 million, casually dropped like it’s no big deal. I’m not against reading about rich women (in fact it’s one of my guilty pleasures, I love it!) but I bristle at the thought of this being touted as THE “universal” experience critics exclaim when reviewing this book. There’s no direct confrontation, consideration, or critique about her very weathly lifestyle that affords her to engage in her emotionally charged affair. Hardly anyone can drop $20,000 in remodeling a motel room just because she can. It almost veers into ridiculous territory at points and it doesn’t help that the narrator is too selfish and egotistical to see it. In fact, the only characters I wholeheartedly enjoyed were her child, Sam (precious!), and her best friend Jordi (give her a gold medal for putting up with the narrator’s disastrous midlife crisis).
However I had issues with this book too- mainly with how limited in scope this narrator’s experience is. With a vague, artsy career that never gets fully explained, she leads a privileged life- her husband is a music producer, a company pays her $20,000 to use her work for their product, and their home is valued at $1.8 million, casually dropped like it’s no big deal. I’m not against reading about rich women (in fact it’s one of my guilty pleasures, I love it!) but I bristle at the thought of this being touted as THE “universal” experience critics exclaim when reviewing this book. There’s no direct confrontation, consideration, or critique about her very weathly lifestyle that affords her to engage in her emotionally charged affair. Hardly anyone can drop $20,000 in remodeling a motel room just because she can. It almost veers into ridiculous territory at points and it doesn’t help that the narrator is too selfish and egotistical to see it. In fact, the only characters I wholeheartedly enjoyed were her child, Sam (precious!), and her best friend Jordi (give her a gold medal for putting up with the narrator’s disastrous midlife crisis).
Prairie, Dresses, Art, Other by Danielle Dutton
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gorgeous artistry, and a surprisingly emotional story that is full of tenderness and imagination.
Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe by Julia Fox, John Guy
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
4.25
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book and its tender portrayal of an alien, Adina, who is sent to Earth to document it and its inhabitants. It’s not a sci-fi story but rather a bildungsroman, documenting the major moments of her life with wry humor and deadpan observances of human nature- love, hate, fear, ego, and hope. Who hasn’t felt like an alien, continuously confounded with the world around them?
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
Lost interest in it. Very repetitive with hardly any depth to the characters. The book has the “this is written in the hopes it will be adapted for film or TV” feel- entertaining enough but doesn’t really challenge or explore deeply the themes the book presents.
Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author and it was such a funny, insightful, and smart collection of stories. I definitely recommend the audiobook, Geraldine adds so much character and pizzazz!