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booksellersdiary's Reviews (246)
This book was hugely hyped on Bookstagram, but I’ve been burned with hype before (Vox) so I was cautious.
I was right to be cautious. Maybe romance just isn’t for me as a genre, but I have read and enjoyed some romance before. I was expecting some steamy scenes, but this was just one long sexual scene. It never seemed to stop. To me, that’s not romance. I want flirting and back and forth and innuendo and a bit of will they won’t they.
I did have hope that being written by an author of Asian descent and who also identifies as being on the autism spectrum this would be a really intersectional read. I was disappointed. There were some hugely racist comments, male characters were wildly misogynistic and the younger characters were completely ageist.
Notes for audiobook lovers, I did this by audible and the narration is irritating. Every male character has the same intonation of voice, and every older female also sounds the same. The narration needs to be more defined between characters.
Ultimately this is a short fun but flawed read.
I was right to be cautious. Maybe romance just isn’t for me as a genre, but I have read and enjoyed some romance before. I was expecting some steamy scenes, but this was just one long sexual scene. It never seemed to stop. To me, that’s not romance. I want flirting and back and forth and innuendo and a bit of will they won’t they.
I did have hope that being written by an author of Asian descent and who also identifies as being on the autism spectrum this would be a really intersectional read. I was disappointed. There were some hugely racist comments, male characters were wildly misogynistic and the younger characters were completely ageist.
Notes for audiobook lovers, I did this by audible and the narration is irritating. Every male character has the same intonation of voice, and every older female also sounds the same. The narration needs to be more defined between characters.
Ultimately this is a short fun but flawed read.
I first read Shrill a few years ago, and with Lindy set to come to Australia for the recent All About Women festival, I could think of no better time to pick it up again.
This work is still so relevant, so honest and so essential. For me, for every fat person who has ever struggled to fit in an airline seat, for every human who has ever rolled their eyes at having to sit next to the fat person on the plane, for every human. Lindy shows us that empathy, kindness and humour win, every time.
This work is still so relevant, so honest and so essential. For me, for every fat person who has ever struggled to fit in an airline seat, for every human who has ever rolled their eyes at having to sit next to the fat person on the plane, for every human. Lindy shows us that empathy, kindness and humour win, every time.
JVN isn't a writer. But having done this one by audio, I've given him the best possible chance to win me. I would have had an entirely different experience with this had I read the text.
This memoir is real though. Sharing stories of bullying, sexual abuse, addiction, and the journey to the Queer Eye reboot, JVN is honest, emotional and generous with himself. Hearing his bubbly voice coming through with lessons of self-love, staying grounded in yourself and in your work and how to stay kind the face of adversity has been a joy during these weird and isolating times we are currently living in.
3.5/5 stars. He gets half a star just for being fabulous.
This memoir is real though. Sharing stories of bullying, sexual abuse, addiction, and the journey to the Queer Eye reboot, JVN is honest, emotional and generous with himself. Hearing his bubbly voice coming through with lessons of self-love, staying grounded in yourself and in your work and how to stay kind the face of adversity has been a joy during these weird and isolating times we are currently living in.
3.5/5 stars. He gets half a star just for being fabulous.
Either McKay was ahead of the zeitgeist when she wrote this, or we just live in the dystopia now. The premise: a pandemic sweeps the nation from the south giving those effected the ability to communicate with animals.
As a protagonist, Jean is unfailingly human. She is deeply flawed, an alcoholic, chain-smoking, tattooed Granny who has a habit of sleeping with some very wrong men. She just barely holds it together for her granddaughter, Kimberly. When the pandemic reaches their remote animal sanctuary in what I imagined to be Far North Queensland, Jean has some very tough decisions to make.
This one is a wild and bonkers ride, with disjointed snatches of animal chat breaking the prose. The narrative is bizarre and thought-provoking. Perfectly marketed as literary speculative fiction, this is an intelligent, entertaining (and somewhat horrifying) read for fans of Charlotte Wood and Claire G Coleman.
Thanks to Scribe for an advance copy in exchange for review.
As a protagonist, Jean is unfailingly human. She is deeply flawed, an alcoholic, chain-smoking, tattooed Granny who has a habit of sleeping with some very wrong men. She just barely holds it together for her granddaughter, Kimberly. When the pandemic reaches their remote animal sanctuary in what I imagined to be Far North Queensland, Jean has some very tough decisions to make.
This one is a wild and bonkers ride, with disjointed snatches of animal chat breaking the prose. The narrative is bizarre and thought-provoking. Perfectly marketed as literary speculative fiction, this is an intelligent, entertaining (and somewhat horrifying) read for fans of Charlotte Wood and Claire G Coleman.
Thanks to Scribe for an advance copy in exchange for review.
Pet is a refreshing #OwnVoices read with a diverse cast of characters and a wild premise.
Smartly written and with punchy dialogue (which cannot be easy to do wth a protagonist who is selectively mute) Pet takes the reader on a wild ride as Jam goes on a monster hunt with her best friend Redemption and new friend and title character, Pet.
The language in this one is simple, but the narrative is not simplistic. Ideal for older MG readers looking to read ahead and for YA readers of all ages. This is magical realism at its best, and full of diverse characters without the feeling that the diversity is a token gesture. Jam is a trans girl, who's pronouns are she/her. Redemption has three parents, who share one room. His third parent is Whisper, who identifies as non-binary and pronouns are they/them. Set in a fictional utopia, the language and accents in the speech of the speaking characters suggests that all characters are people of colour, but this could be a wild assumption on my part.
For such a slim volume, Emezi packs a huge punch. I spent about ten minutes at the end of this sobbing my heart out. While the story is wonderful, and this was an excellent read, on reflection I think what I like the most is that the story isn't about Jam's coming out as trans. It is mentioned, briefly, and then the narrative moves on. Her gender identity is just a small part of who Jam is, which is of course the way it should be in life. She has parents who love her, she likes to read, she is well mannered and her actions are considered. Jam is an excellent human, and I hope she makes another appearance in future work from Emezi.
Smartly written and with punchy dialogue (which cannot be easy to do wth a protagonist who is selectively mute) Pet takes the reader on a wild ride as Jam goes on a monster hunt with her best friend Redemption and new friend and title character, Pet.
The language in this one is simple, but the narrative is not simplistic. Ideal for older MG readers looking to read ahead and for YA readers of all ages. This is magical realism at its best, and full of diverse characters without the feeling that the diversity is a token gesture. Jam is a trans girl, who's pronouns are she/her. Redemption has three parents, who share one room. His third parent is Whisper, who identifies as non-binary and pronouns are they/them. Set in a fictional utopia, the language and accents in the speech of the speaking characters suggests that all characters are people of colour, but this could be a wild assumption on my part.
For such a slim volume, Emezi packs a huge punch. I spent about ten minutes at the end of this sobbing my heart out. While the story is wonderful, and this was an excellent read, on reflection I think what I like the most is that the story isn't about Jam's coming out as trans. It is mentioned, briefly, and then the narrative moves on. Her gender identity is just a small part of who Jam is, which is of course the way it should be in life. She has parents who love her, she likes to read, she is well mannered and her actions are considered. Jam is an excellent human, and I hope she makes another appearance in future work from Emezi.
Beautifully written, powerful and compelling. This is a short read, but gives a powerful insight to the life of a literary character mentioned in passing and was promptly forgotten in W. Somerset Maugham's The Four Dutchman. In this brilliant work, Riwoe has given the "Malay trollope" a voice, a personality and a life.
I fell into this story completely and without reserve, and knowing nothing about The Four Dutchman, I was caught completely off-guard with the tragic and chilling ending. This is a read that will stay with me for some time.
I fell into this story completely and without reserve, and knowing nothing about The Four Dutchman, I was caught completely off-guard with the tragic and chilling ending. This is a read that will stay with me for some time.