miajakobsen's Reviews (152)

Fowles has concocted an extremely compelling book that, despite the repetitive middle section, is beautifully written and executed. I am still grappling with the book because it has such a fascinating psychological and almost peculiar premise, but wow. Nicholas Urfe’s journey and spiral on the mysterious Greek island of Phraxos is exciting and keeps you on your toes.

This book is a love story about two deeply flawed individuals (Regan and Aldo) who meet and start a passionate and obsessive relationship. However, the novel doesn’t feel like a romance because Blake focuses on the vulnerability and complexities of people in love. The dual narrative (with the occasional interjection from third-party narrators) serves this well, as we get insight into both the main characters. I love character-driven work and complicated grey characters so this book was right up my alley. I think I need to read it again to fully grasp the text, but it is an interesting book that deserves your full attention.

Home of Her Heart is an extremely captivating and heartfelt novel that will take you on an emotional journey. Luisa's journey of self-discovery is relatable and emotionally resonant, and Nana Lottie's letters are powerful. The novel is elevated by the depth and thoughtfulness of Tara Goldstein's research - weaving Luisa and Nana Lottie's respective experiences together proves to be an astute method of exploring intergenerational storytelling and connection. The novel carefully tackles the nuances of one’s identities and the challenges that come along with belonging to multiple cultures and communities. It is unafraid to directly confront the bad whilst still approaching intense subjects like state violence and transnational adoption with compassion. I think it’d be a great introduction to these topics for preteens! The resilience of each character is highlighted: ensuring they are not passive and that it does not read like so-called ‘trauma porn.’ Home of Her Heart is a must read!

I have a deep love and admiration for Elliot Page. This was a fantastic memoir.

I love the fast pace of this novel; very different from R.F. Kuang's other work. I really enjoyed this book! I love when characters are terrible people, and I love the way she satirizes the publishing industry. Her commentary on race and yellowface are also quite interesting (in a good way!), especially coming from June's POV. The ending falls a bit flat because it spirals, but I do think this was also somewhat of an intentional character choice from Kuang - that June panics about her past choices and spirals in an attempt to justify her actions. But overall, a fun and engaging read that I would recommend!

A fascinating introduction to Indigenous ways of thinking and living. Reading this book is a terrific starting point to learn about Indigenous epistemology and unlearn dominant Western, capitalistic worldviews. It is an easy and engaging read.