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_lia_reads_'s Reviews (757)
A funny, irreverent take on classic, popular movies. West is hilarious and I enjoyed the mix of rehashing of plots with her characteristic commentary. There were definitely essays I enjoyed more than others—usually, but not always, the ones about movies I’ve seen—but I think there is something for everyone here. The takedown of American Pie in particular makes me skin crawl, mainly because of how right she is is pointing out the cringe of the movie.
9/10 DVDs of The Fugitive (4 stars)
Thanks to the publisher and Libro.Fm for the ALC in exchange for an honest review
9/10 DVDs of The Fugitive (4 stars)
Thanks to the publisher and Libro.Fm for the ALC in exchange for an honest review
The New Wilderness was the September #BookeroftheMonth selection. We had the added pleasure of chatting with Diane Cook about the book, which increased my appreciation for the artistry of this novel!
From the premise, I thought I was in for a fully-dystopian novel with people struggling to survive in the last remaining wilderness. And while that was certainly one aspect of this story, even more important here is the depiction of motherhood and daughterhood, as well as the relationships between the characters more broadly.
Cook writes the characters and their interactions with one another very well. Even at the times when you’re frustrated by Bea or by her daughter Agnes, you can see why they make the choices that they do. The group dynamics are fascinating, particularly as they get further and further removed from life in the City. This book is an exploration of what it means to be a mother, a daughter, an individual, and a member of a community.
The writing is beautiful here, too, and Cook effortlessly jumps between eagle’s eye views of the wilderness to intimate looks at the members of the community. I do wish that there was a little more world-building of the world outside of the Wilderness, to better understand why things happened the way they did.
This isn’t going to be a book for everyone. It took me about 50% to be really invested in the story. Despite the epic scope of the Wilderness and some of the things that happen, this is a quieter story at heart that builds slowly. However, the parallels between it and recent events like the pandemic and issues surrounding immigration are clear and may make it easier to connect to for some readers.
TW: death of animals; death of a child; death of a parent; grief/loss
From the premise, I thought I was in for a fully-dystopian novel with people struggling to survive in the last remaining wilderness. And while that was certainly one aspect of this story, even more important here is the depiction of motherhood and daughterhood, as well as the relationships between the characters more broadly.
Cook writes the characters and their interactions with one another very well. Even at the times when you’re frustrated by Bea or by her daughter Agnes, you can see why they make the choices that they do. The group dynamics are fascinating, particularly as they get further and further removed from life in the City. This book is an exploration of what it means to be a mother, a daughter, an individual, and a member of a community.
The writing is beautiful here, too, and Cook effortlessly jumps between eagle’s eye views of the wilderness to intimate looks at the members of the community. I do wish that there was a little more world-building of the world outside of the Wilderness, to better understand why things happened the way they did.
This isn’t going to be a book for everyone. It took me about 50% to be really invested in the story. Despite the epic scope of the Wilderness and some of the things that happen, this is a quieter story at heart that builds slowly. However, the parallels between it and recent events like the pandemic and issues surrounding immigration are clear and may make it easier to connect to for some readers.
TW: death of animals; death of a child; death of a parent; grief/loss
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a heartbreaking story of a Syrian couple fleeing war to seek a better life in the United Kingdom. It presents a stark look at the reality of war in Syria and the horrible conditions faced by refugees as they attempt to escape.
Alternating between the past and present, you follow Nuri and his wife Afra through their refugee journey. Lefteri’s writing is rich, full of beautiful metaphors and yet achingly realistic. I was constantly struck by Nuri’s resilience, even as everything was falling apart around him.
This book will tear your heart apart. I had seen the news reports of refugees fleeing the terrible situations in their homes countries, but it is another thing all together to read about it from the point of view of a refugee. While Nuri and Afra are not real, Lefteri did her research to portray the situations they would face. I highly recommend prioritizing this one.
TW: death of a child; depictions of war; violent death; allusions to rape
Alternating between the past and present, you follow Nuri and his wife Afra through their refugee journey. Lefteri’s writing is rich, full of beautiful metaphors and yet achingly realistic. I was constantly struck by Nuri’s resilience, even as everything was falling apart around him.
This book will tear your heart apart. I had seen the news reports of refugees fleeing the terrible situations in their homes countries, but it is another thing all together to read about it from the point of view of a refugee. While Nuri and Afra are not real, Lefteri did her research to portray the situations they would face. I highly recommend prioritizing this one.
TW: death of a child; depictions of war; violent death; allusions to rape
I’m not sure how I missed this one when it came out earlier this year but when it was long listed for the Women’s Prize, I put it on hold at the library. I am very glad I did! Djinn Patrol is told from the POV of Jai, a young Indian boy living in a slum. When other children begin to disappear from the slum, Jai takes it upon himself to investigate, inspired by his favorite detective shows. His friend Faiz is convinced that Djinn (supernatural creatures) are kidnapping the children, while other member of the slum community blame the Muslim minority, including Faiz’s family. What starts out as almost a game for Jai turns more serious as more and more children disappear.
The author, Deepa Annapara, worked as a journalist in India prior to writing this novel and she based the story on real disappearances from a slum. I couldn’t help but be reminded of A Burning while reading this book. Similarly, Djinn Patrol deal with themes of caste division and their consequences in criminal situations, and does so in a way that feels more successful than A Burning. Since we see most of the events through Jai's eyes, there is a little reading between the lines that needs to happen to understand the full extent of the story.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this story and Annapara’s writing. Reading the story through Jai’s POV taught me a lot about it the slums of India and the tensions between religions and classes. I highly recommend it!
TW: disappearance of a child; death of a child; religious discrimination; physical violence; death of an animal
The author, Deepa Annapara, worked as a journalist in India prior to writing this novel and she based the story on real disappearances from a slum. I couldn’t help but be reminded of A Burning while reading this book. Similarly, Djinn Patrol deal with themes of caste division and their consequences in criminal situations, and does so in a way that feels more successful than A Burning. Since we see most of the events through Jai's eyes, there is a little reading between the lines that needs to happen to understand the full extent of the story.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this story and Annapara’s writing. Reading the story through Jai’s POV taught me a lot about it the slums of India and the tensions between religions and classes. I highly recommend it!
TW: disappearance of a child; death of a child; religious discrimination; physical violence; death of an animal
Transcendent Kingdom was one of my most anticipated 2020 books, and it certainly did not disappoint!! Yaa Gyasi knows how to write complex characters full of emotions. Gifty is a young PhD candidate in neuroscience, studying addiction and reward. She struggles with imposter syndrome (which many of us know well) and the still-present grief of her past. She is forced to confront this grief head-on when her mother comes to stay with her in the midst of a depressive episode.
Transcendent Kingdom tackles grief, faith, addiction, loss, and finding yourself masterfully with beautiful prose. Alternating between present and past, you see Gifty working through her grief of losing a member of her family and handling the grief of who remains. This is by no means a light story but does have moments of hope throughout.
TW: addiction; overdose; depictions of depression; animal experimentation
Transcendent Kingdom tackles grief, faith, addiction, loss, and finding yourself masterfully with beautiful prose. Alternating between present and past, you see Gifty working through her grief of losing a member of her family and handling the grief of who remains. This is by no means a light story but does have moments of hope throughout.
TW: addiction; overdose; depictions of depression; animal experimentation
Lot is a series of short stories, set in Houston. Each story takes its name from a different neighborhood of the city, and looks at different aspects of coming to age as a mixed-race boy. The structure of the collection is interesting, alternating between the story of one family and other, unconnected vignettes. I found myself ultimately drawn to the connected narrative but enjoyed the other short stories too (except the baseball one, not a fan). “Lot”, “Bayou” and “Waugh” were perhaps my favorites out of the collection.
In all these stories, Washington takes on heavy themes—homophobia, racism, drugs, adultery—but he does so with clear language and at times humor. At times it feels like someone is telling you the story, with more informal language and structure. Few of the stories are happy, and even those that veer more in that direction have layers of sadness to them. But you all probably know by now that I love a good sad book, especially when it is beautifully written like this one is.
Washington has a new novel coming out next month, Memorial, and I can’t wait to pick it up.
TW: language; homophobia; racism; adultery; death; drug use
In all these stories, Washington takes on heavy themes—homophobia, racism, drugs, adultery—but he does so with clear language and at times humor. At times it feels like someone is telling you the story, with more informal language and structure. Few of the stories are happy, and even those that veer more in that direction have layers of sadness to them. But you all probably know by now that I love a good sad book, especially when it is beautifully written like this one is.
Washington has a new novel coming out next month, Memorial, and I can’t wait to pick it up.
TW: language; homophobia; racism; adultery; death; drug use
Billed as a modern ghost story, this short and beautiful book definitely has a spooky vibe! Mila has aged out of the foster system and applies for a job working at The Farm, a remote family/commune that takes in orphans and cares for them. The one catch? The farm is haunted by some nice ghosts. While on the farm, Mila has to grapple with her past as she struggles to fit in.
Though it sounds a bit contrived (and a little creepy), the beautiful writing makes it an enjoyable experience of a novella. Other reviews have mentioned that Lacour is a master of writing loneliness, and that is certainly the case here. Mila’s pain and desire to fit in are palpable throughout her narration. I enjoyed discovering the mystery of the farm through her eyes.
My one complaint: there are A LOT of very interchangeable characters here. Beyond Mila and Lee, I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. For someone who loves a character-driven novel, this was definitely hard for me. But the mystery and writing kept me going. This would be a great, quick read for spooky season, especially if you like a Gothic novel!
TW: Death; ghosts; emotional abuse
Though it sounds a bit contrived (and a little creepy), the beautiful writing makes it an enjoyable experience of a novella. Other reviews have mentioned that Lacour is a master of writing loneliness, and that is certainly the case here. Mila’s pain and desire to fit in are palpable throughout her narration. I enjoyed discovering the mystery of the farm through her eyes.
My one complaint: there are A LOT of very interchangeable characters here. Beyond Mila and Lee, I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. For someone who loves a character-driven novel, this was definitely hard for me. But the mystery and writing kept me going. This would be a great, quick read for spooky season, especially if you like a Gothic novel!
TW: Death; ghosts; emotional abuse
I grabbed this book on a whim, not knowing much about it I’m so glad I did. The Moor’s Account is based on the true story of the Narváez expedition, a group of Spaniards that landed in Florida on behalf of the Crown, seeking “new” lands. Through a series of disasters and diseases, the group is whittled down to four survivors: 3 Spaniards and a Moroccan slave, Estebanico. A real 16th century account of this expedition from one of the survivors mentions this slave only in passing. Lalami seeks to fill in the gaps, presenting his account of the events.
It was interesting to read about the journey of these conquistadors through the eyes of an outsider, especially when it came to their interactions with the native tribes. The historical account minimizes the role of these tribes in the survival of the Spanish, but Lalami recognizes (and rightly so) that the Spanish needed to rely on the Native Americans as their mission switched from conquest to survival. Estebanico provides us with a critical lens through which to view the Spaniard’s treatment of the Native American tribes. You see his unease as the Spaniards walk into occupied lands and claim them as their own. The story flashes back to his time in Morocco before his enslavement, drawing parallels to the Portuguese occupation of Morocco.
Lalami’s writing is beautiful. While the story moves slowly at times, her descriptions and the voice that she uses for Estebanico will keep you pulled into the book. If you like books that include epic journeys across the America (This Tender Land comes to mind, for example), you will enjoy this one!
It was interesting to read about the journey of these conquistadors through the eyes of an outsider, especially when it came to their interactions with the native tribes. The historical account minimizes the role of these tribes in the survival of the Spanish, but Lalami recognizes (and rightly so) that the Spanish needed to rely on the Native Americans as their mission switched from conquest to survival. Estebanico provides us with a critical lens through which to view the Spaniard’s treatment of the Native American tribes. You see his unease as the Spaniards walk into occupied lands and claim them as their own. The story flashes back to his time in Morocco before his enslavement, drawing parallels to the Portuguese occupation of Morocco.
Lalami’s writing is beautiful. While the story moves slowly at times, her descriptions and the voice that she uses for Estebanico will keep you pulled into the book. If you like books that include epic journeys across the America (This Tender Land comes to mind, for example), you will enjoy this one!
Memorial is Bryan Washington’s follow-up to Lot and his is first novel. Like Lot, Memorial is set in part in Houston, though a portion of the story takes place in Japan as well. Switching between Benson and Mike as narrators, the novel traces the seeming unraveling of their relationship as well as their own journeys of self-discovery.
Washington’s style of short phrases and paragraphs that alternate between deeply profound and sometimes comical translates well to this story. You can really feel Ben and Mike’s emotions, especially their frustrations with and worries about each other and their families. I loved how the story begins with Ben’s POV and then switches to Mike, filling in the gaps left by Ben’s perspective.
Despite the deep emotions within the story, I sometimes felt at arm’s length from the characters, something I felt with Lot as well. In particular, I never quite understood Ben and Mike’s relationship and how we were supposed to feel about them. Are we meant to root for them? Or just watch things slowly crash and burn? Maybe this ambiguity is part of Washington’s goal here.
Overall, this book will tear your heart apart and leave you to pick up the piece. But Washington’s prose will make you enjoy having your heart ripped to shreds
Washington’s style of short phrases and paragraphs that alternate between deeply profound and sometimes comical translates well to this story. You can really feel Ben and Mike’s emotions, especially their frustrations with and worries about each other and their families. I loved how the story begins with Ben’s POV and then switches to Mike, filling in the gaps left by Ben’s perspective.
Despite the deep emotions within the story, I sometimes felt at arm’s length from the characters, something I felt with Lot as well. In particular, I never quite understood Ben and Mike’s relationship and how we were supposed to feel about them. Are we meant to root for them? Or just watch things slowly crash and burn? Maybe this ambiguity is part of Washington’s goal here.
Overall, this book will tear your heart apart and leave you to pick up the piece. But Washington’s prose will make you enjoy having your heart ripped to shreds
I am a big fan of Naomi Novik’s other books, especially Spinning Silver and Uprooted, so of course I pre-ordered A Deadly Education and read it immediately. The marketing of this book as a dark, feminist Harry Potter does it a disservice. Instead, it is a more introspective story of one girl’s struggle with her darker inclinations and her striving to survive in a school that doesn’t protect its students.
I’ve seen a lot of critiques of this book, saying that nothing really happens until the last 75% of the story. And it’s true, if you expect a “typical” action-packed story, you’ll be disappointed. The book is narrated by Galadriel (yes, like that Galadriel), who in her third year at the Scholomance has resigned herself to be a loner. She’s prickly, but for a good reason; everyone in her past has been afraid of her. As her senior year, and eventual graduation approaches, she is trying to figure out how to survive both the day to day and the graduation trial. Much of the book is El’s strategizing and setting the scene for us. It feels very info-dumpy but in a compelling way.
What I love about this book is the unique world that you get thrown into. Novik has created a terrifying, almost sentient school full of monsters. It’s a very intriguing world. I also loved the diversity of the characters: El is half-Welsh, half-Indian and her classmates are from all over the world. El herself is kind of infuriating at first, but as you start to understand why she acts the way she does, you will start to empathize with her.
I think this book struggles the most in its length. If it had just been a bit longer, I think the story would feel more satisfying. That said, it was an enjoyable read, with a fascinating world and a cliffhanger that made me eager for the next book.
TW: death of children; scary monsters/situations
I’ve seen a lot of critiques of this book, saying that nothing really happens until the last 75% of the story. And it’s true, if you expect a “typical” action-packed story, you’ll be disappointed. The book is narrated by Galadriel (yes, like that Galadriel), who in her third year at the Scholomance has resigned herself to be a loner. She’s prickly, but for a good reason; everyone in her past has been afraid of her. As her senior year, and eventual graduation approaches, she is trying to figure out how to survive both the day to day and the graduation trial. Much of the book is El’s strategizing and setting the scene for us. It feels very info-dumpy but in a compelling way.
What I love about this book is the unique world that you get thrown into. Novik has created a terrifying, almost sentient school full of monsters. It’s a very intriguing world. I also loved the diversity of the characters: El is half-Welsh, half-Indian and her classmates are from all over the world. El herself is kind of infuriating at first, but as you start to understand why she acts the way she does, you will start to empathize with her.
I think this book struggles the most in its length. If it had just been a bit longer, I think the story would feel more satisfying. That said, it was an enjoyable read, with a fascinating world and a cliffhanger that made me eager for the next book.
TW: death of children; scary monsters/situations