bennysbooks's Reviews (668)

My 6-year old is obsessed with this series. Linda Trinh has managed to write compassionate, enlightening books for kids that are well-written enough for an adult to sit through, and I am beyond grateful. It's a pleasure for both of us to spend time with the Nguyen kids. 

For the first 60% of the book I was mesmerized. A lot of it went over my head (not knowing enough about the Chilean poetry/literary scene of the 70's), but I was engaged by the rambling, stream-of-consciousness writing style, and the fascinatingly suspicious narration. The narrator is highly unreliable - all of the information we get from him is either decades old reminiscences, the result of dubious research, or secondhand gossip (often from one, seemingly obsessive, old friend). And yet everything is presented in this detailed, omniscient way. It was entertaining, but at a certain point things just became repetitive (yet another digression about a new historical/literary figure with a barely discernible connection to Wieder), and bizarre in a boring way. I didn't hate the ending, but I also didn't feel much about it at all. It's a strange, sometimes funny, quite dark little book. Glad I read it, but not sure I would ever return to it. 

I've had a couple of Bolaño novels on my shelves for years now, but was too intimidated to pick them up. Very excited to continue reading his books. 

Read for the Storygraph Read the World challenge 2024. 

Found a used, 1967 edition. I think it's been well loved - the cover is worn and ripped, with a ring from a tea or coffee on it, and clippings of articles about Maurice Sendak carefully tucked between the pages. I've owned it for a few months, but kept putting off picking it up. I lost a beloved grandparent last year, and books about loss like this are hitting harder than usual. But something about it being my first book of 2024, the first year I will spend without my grandpa, felt right. 

I adored this book. Even without the added level of personal grief, it is a strange and delightful read. Nobody writes children's literature with the faith in children, and in stories, that Sendak did. 

This was unbelievably cozy, and I'm glad I read it leading up to the holidays. While a pretty straightforward retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, McKinley's sumptuous descriptions brought the atmosphere of the Beast's castle to life. But even before that, in the first half of the book, the sense of dedication built into the fabric of Beauty's family, and their willingness to work, trust one another, and build a new life together was so comforting. 

I wish I had read this as a pre-teen or teen; I think it would have been an instant favourite back then. As an adult I craved a little more internality, a little more tension. Nevertheless, it wasn't written for adults, so I can't fault the book for that, and I'm so happy to have finally encountered it. 

This was much more delightful than I was anticipating, but in the strangest way. I originally borrowed it from the library because my kid and I are very into Maurice Sendak's art right now, but I was surprised to find myself getting into the story as well (the 6-year old did not, he asked me to continue without him). If you like offbeat, kinda creepy children's classics, you might enjoy this. The ballet was based off of a different version by Dumas, which I guess was a bit of a sanitized/smoothed retelling. 

Charming as heck. I loved Toadling and her monstrous family. I always find my heart falls for these Kingfisher novellas, but my brain wishes for slightly more... bite? Especially in the endings. Nevertheless, they make me happy. 

Not sure how I would rate this. There were so many moments of brilliance, moments that made me gasp and want to read bits aloud to my partner. And then there were bits that I felt were overwritten and superfluous (mostly about the Old Sherpa's past). I believe this is a debut, and so my takeaway is that this author has an incredible talent which needs a little help (experience? guidance? editing?) 

It's not quite a favourite book, but one I want to keep around and return to nonetheless.

My local indie bookstore recently created a display of books that have been shadowbanned by our city's catholic school board. My partner took our son to pick one out, and he chose this book. We loved it! 

After reading, I'm guessing it's been banned because one character mentions a GSA, and because the main character is a kid who likes pink and dancing, and is looking for/finds acceptance from family and friends. Having grown up in catholic schools, it seems to me that this book warm-heartedly teaches children the very values catholic schools *claim* to hold dear. Yet because the kindness and acceptance being practiced is directed at a kid whose interests display a possible proximity to queerness, it is deemed inappropriate for children. Which is why these schools need to be defunded. As a nonbinary adult, I can say with confidence that if I'd had access to books as a child that even hinted that gender nonconformity existed in any meaningful way, I could have saved myself years of struggle. But the growing religious fanatics on the right would prefer that kids like me continue to struggle. Which is lovely. 

It is also a fantastic introduction to Vietnamese culture, as it highlights Vietnamese holidays, garments, art, language, and ancestor worship. My kid loved learning about the Vietnamese zodiac through the fan, and we watched some videos of fan dances after finishing the book. 

Anyway, definitely recommend this one. My kid gave it his 5 star approval, and has now asked if we can read every book in the series.