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astridandlouise's Reviews (665)
There were A LOT of traits Nina possessed that I identified with which made reading this a very enjoyable and lighthearted read. There were a few characters that seemed to be convenient when the narrative called for and not entirely well-formed, but this is a minor criticism for quiet a charming book.
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to HarperCollins Australia via NetGalley
The Motion of the Body Through Space is the story of Serenata and Remington Alabaster as they navigate ageing and retirement together. Serenata is dealing with the deterioration of her knees after a lifelong love affair with running. Her husband Remington makes her transition to a slower life more challenging when he decides to train and enter a marathon to fill his time since forced-retirement.
Shriver is a writer that always produces books of varying story and scope. She can be divisive, however she doesn’t pigeonhole herself and this is part of the reason I continually return to her work and love to read her books. I am always hooked by her writing. It always makes me feel something. Whether it’s passion, rage or empathy, I always come away from a Shriver book with very strong opinions (usually fractured) about the story and the characters. I never find her characters highly likeable, but I always love reading their witty and intellectual conversations. There’s always something about her characters I will relate to but there will also be something that frustrates me. For some strange reason I really love this aspect of Shriver’s writing. That she can divide me yet still impress me.
This book was no different. I didn’t especially love the ending. It felt a little rushed finishing the story with an afterword. But that would be my only slight criticism. Overall it gave me what I crave for with a Shriver book. Divisive social commentary, frustrating characters and quick-witted conversation.
The Motion of the Body Through Space is the story of Serenata and Remington Alabaster as they navigate ageing and retirement together. Serenata is dealing with the deterioration of her knees after a lifelong love affair with running. Her husband Remington makes her transition to a slower life more challenging when he decides to train and enter a marathon to fill his time since forced-retirement.
Shriver is a writer that always produces books of varying story and scope. She can be divisive, however she doesn’t pigeonhole herself and this is part of the reason I continually return to her work and love to read her books. I am always hooked by her writing. It always makes me feel something. Whether it’s passion, rage or empathy, I always come away from a Shriver book with very strong opinions (usually fractured) about the story and the characters. I never find her characters highly likeable, but I always love reading their witty and intellectual conversations. There’s always something about her characters I will relate to but there will also be something that frustrates me. For some strange reason I really love this aspect of Shriver’s writing. That she can divide me yet still impress me.
This book was no different. I didn’t especially love the ending. It felt a little rushed finishing the story with an afterword. But that would be my only slight criticism. Overall it gave me what I crave for with a Shriver book. Divisive social commentary, frustrating characters and quick-witted conversation.
Wow. This was stunning. So much more than I could have anticipated.
I had to adapt to the irregular grammar and structure through the first chapter or two and I did lose track of character names here and there. But once I found my groove and became accustomed to Evaristo's writing style I was in hook, line and sinker. The character development was flawless. I was consumed by these people and their stories. I wanted nothing more than to be absorbed into the pages and live in the warmth of Evaristo's descriptive world.
I had to adapt to the irregular grammar and structure through the first chapter or two and I did lose track of character names here and there. But once I found my groove and became accustomed to Evaristo's writing style I was in hook, line and sinker. The character development was flawless. I was consumed by these people and their stories. I wanted nothing more than to be absorbed into the pages and live in the warmth of Evaristo's descriptive world.
Adelaide Inner South Book Club - July Selection
This was a nice easy read. Nothing groundbreaking, but I did really enjoy how the story came together at the end. Will be interesting to see how it translates on screen. (Once I find somewhere I can stream the film.)
This was a nice easy read. Nothing groundbreaking, but I did really enjoy how the story came together at the end. Will be interesting to see how it translates on screen. (Once I find somewhere I can stream the film.)
This book didn't grab me from the onset, but once I was further in and had an inkling of where Winch was guiding her story, I was consumed. The chapters narrated by Poppy (or his Wiradjuri language dictionary) were most definitely my favourite element of the book. The narrative of August tied together with the repossession of her childhood home were incredibly compelling as well as remarkably informative. Winch has woven together a remarkable series of tales that all Australians in particular should read, about the importance of land rights and loss and preservation of First Nations language/s.
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley.
The story of three lives (Jivan, PT Sir, and Lovely), centered around a life-altering lie and the surge of change they each encounter caused mostly by chance.
A Burning is about the morals we're willing to uphold or shed when faced with decisions that can alter the course of our lives - for better or worse. It is a glimpse into the decisions one makes to better their circumstances, the consequences it has on the people surrounding them, the role that fate plays in life and how the absence of justice can alter everything.
I did struggle with the first 20% of this book. The style of writing took me time to relax into and understand, however the intention to write in such a style was important as it transported me directly into the story and environment. Occasionally I found my emotional response to the characters lacking. Not through lack of desire but absence of pull from the writing.
Susan Choi wrote a great article about A Burning in the NY Times and this quote epitomises the book for me, "...depicting the workings of power on the powerless..." A really wonderful debut.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
The story of three lives (Jivan, PT Sir, and Lovely), centered around a life-altering lie and the surge of change they each encounter caused mostly by chance.
A Burning is about the morals we're willing to uphold or shed when faced with decisions that can alter the course of our lives - for better or worse. It is a glimpse into the decisions one makes to better their circumstances, the consequences it has on the people surrounding them, the role that fate plays in life and how the absence of justice can alter everything.
I did struggle with the first 20% of this book. The style of writing took me time to relax into and understand, however the intention to write in such a style was important as it transported me directly into the story and environment. Occasionally I found my emotional response to the characters lacking. Not through lack of desire but absence of pull from the writing.
Susan Choi wrote a great article about A Burning in the NY Times and this quote epitomises the book for me, "...depicting the workings of power on the powerless..." A really wonderful debut.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
"'Not his-tory,' I say. 'My own will be called her-story. Adunni's story.'"
This book is truly something special. While my brain seemed to struggle at the beginning with the use of broken English, I soon adapted and was consumed by both the character Adunni and her story. A remarkable girl. I found it refreshing to read a story set in Nigeria, it put me out of my comfort zone and offered me new perspectives and knowledge. Highly recommend.
This book is truly something special. While my brain seemed to struggle at the beginning with the use of broken English, I soon adapted and was consumed by both the character Adunni and her story. A remarkable girl. I found it refreshing to read a story set in Nigeria, it put me out of my comfort zone and offered me new perspectives and knowledge. Highly recommend.
I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Quercus Books via NetGalley.
This book is not at all what I was expecting to read when I originally requested this arc, but boy I could not stop reading. True Story is centered around the alleged sexual assault of Alice when she was in high school told from the perspective of both Alice and Nick spanning in time from 1999 through to 2015. It also highlights the various ways this incident has had an impact on both of their lives.
There were three prevalent thoughts and stand out elements I experienced as I was reading this book.
1. I was confused at the beginning as to why we were experiencing the alleged assault through Nick's PoV as he is a mutual friend of the two men accused. This isn't necessarily the expected way in which a narrative like this one is told, however as I delved deeper it made such sense and was constructed by Petty remarkably well.
2. There's a specific plot line of Alice and her then boyfriend Quinn which occurs in 2011 which I found to be absorbing. Definitely my favourite aspect of the book and written especially well.
3. The reintroduction of Richard (one of the accused) into the narrative was one that I did not expect, nor was the way in which he approached Alice a method that I would have ever expected or contemplated.
I don't necessarily understand the need for four different covers but I do appreciate that the publishers are attempting to convey that this is a book that could easily cover 4 genres: campus novel, psychological thriller, horror story and crime noir. I've read quite a few books that have been based around sexual assault, but I haven't ever read one that has been constructed in the way in which this one has. I really enjoyed this; thoroughly engaging and distinctive.
This book is not at all what I was expecting to read when I originally requested this arc, but boy I could not stop reading. True Story is centered around the alleged sexual assault of Alice when she was in high school told from the perspective of both Alice and Nick spanning in time from 1999 through to 2015. It also highlights the various ways this incident has had an impact on both of their lives.
There were three prevalent thoughts and stand out elements I experienced as I was reading this book.
1. I was confused at the beginning as to why we were experiencing the alleged assault through Nick's PoV as he is a mutual friend of the two men accused. This isn't necessarily the expected way in which a narrative like this one is told, however as I delved deeper it made such sense and was constructed by Petty remarkably well.
2. There's a specific plot line of Alice and her then boyfriend Quinn which occurs in 2011 which I found to be absorbing. Definitely my favourite aspect of the book and written especially well.
3. The reintroduction of Richard (one of the accused) into the narrative was one that I did not expect, nor was the way in which he approached Alice a method that I would have ever expected or contemplated.
I don't necessarily understand the need for four different covers but I do appreciate that the publishers are attempting to convey that this is a book that could easily cover 4 genres: campus novel, psychological thriller, horror story and crime noir. I've read quite a few books that have been based around sexual assault, but I haven't ever read one that has been constructed in the way in which this one has. I really enjoyed this; thoroughly engaging and distinctive.
There’s just something about Australian YA lit that is just so good. Real, raw, relatable. It’s books exactly like these that help kids not only navigate the roller coaster of puberty, they also portray various instances of strained relationships, personal insecurities and the quiet solitude of being misunderstood. Stories such as Invisible Boys, that are set in local and rural communities provide relatability and reliability which is so important. Not only do they help teenagers on their own journeys, they also help adults, parents, guardians, teachers to communicate and understand the challenges our youths face everyday.
We need more stories like these. They’re important for all of us to read. For the youth to know they’re not alone and for the adults to look back and recall that it wasn’t as easy as our memories make us believe.
We need more stories like these. They’re important for all of us to read. For the youth to know they’re not alone and for the adults to look back and recall that it wasn’t as easy as our memories make us believe.
Adelaide Inner South Book Club - August Selection
This book was something else. A dystopian adventure like nothing I’ve read before. Definitely not the genre I usually find myself reading, but it was nice to expand my horizons.
I did find it quite difficult to get into. The first 100p seemed to really drag, the last 60p were fantastic and the middle pages enough to keep me intrigued. There were moments where I was quite emotional, moments I definitely didn’t see coming and outcomes I certainly didn’t predict.
If this is a book you’ve been thinking of reading or have been intrigued by, I definitely suggest picking it up.
3.5 stars.
This book was something else. A dystopian adventure like nothing I’ve read before. Definitely not the genre I usually find myself reading, but it was nice to expand my horizons.
I did find it quite difficult to get into. The first 100p seemed to really drag, the last 60p were fantastic and the middle pages enough to keep me intrigued. There were moments where I was quite emotional, moments I definitely didn’t see coming and outcomes I certainly didn’t predict.
If this is a book you’ve been thinking of reading or have been intrigued by, I definitely suggest picking it up.
3.5 stars.