nadia's Reviews (587)

Wow. I am seriously stunned. I cannot believe I read a 950-page book and wasn't bored once.

If the thought of an epic multi-generational family saga spanning a century, meshed in with a history of Georgia and the Soviet Union, with airs of mystery, sadness, and darkness sound compelling, then definitely pick this one up.

I was wholly immersed in the story, captivated by the narration and writing,  and was also surprised, given the breadth of the book in both timespan and cast size, that I didn't get confused between who was who once. The characters and their relation to one another were always so clear in my mind. Wild!

It's such a big book, with so much time for things to go wrong, and...they just didn't!

A magical story and a new all-time favourite!

A quick, compelling read, picked up for TSG’s very own translation challenge (it was translated from
Kannada).

I was intrigued the whole way, though left a little bit wanting. 

Looking for a “read in one sitting over the weekend” sorta book? I recommend this one!

This is one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read! Rich detail combined with page-turning action. Another one of those books where if it were fiction you'd say the plot was unbelievable. Ben Macintyre is a great writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.

I didn't know much about the spy world, though I've always been intrigued, and this book makes me want to read more books on the subject, both nonfiction and fiction.

If you know nothing about Oleg Gordievsky but you're curious about this world and want to read this book, don't read the blurb or Google him, and if your edition has photo sections, leave them until the end. 

Just go straight in and — after getting through a slightly slow, dense beginning — prepare to be captivated!

This isn't one to read if you're not feeling alert or switched on though — there are a lot of characters, organisations, codenames, etc., to keep track of, but Macintyre does a decent job of periodically reminding you who's who and what's what.

Was hovering between a 3.75 and 4 for this one, but 4 just got it for the way that Sally Rooney manages to make mundane, everyday, "seen it all before" stories and scenarios so compelling to read about, even when I don't particularly care for the characters!

How does she do it?

Definitely preferred Normal People.

The main subject matter of this one further conflicts my feelings, but ultimately I was intrigued.

Such a brutal, powerful read focusing on the experiences of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation, told in a unique fashion — both in the narrative style and the choice of perspectives. I went into it not knowing what to expect and I was intrigued from the beginning. 

Given the themes and content warnings, this is not easy reading at all, but it's incredible how Shibli's almost unassuming writing made even the most supposedly mundane details fascinating.

This is a short book but there's lots packed in here to think about.

I thought the variety of concepts in this collection was awesome. However, there were one too many times where I was left a little confused, or had to reread passages (and still was left uncertain), or was left feeling like: "wait, is that it?". Still, I'm very glad I picked this up and the essays at the end were great for providing more history and context for Chinese Science Fiction!

My favourite of this collection so far! Extra points for the writing quality!

The plot of this play ended up being a lot sillier than I thought it would be, but I enjoyed the experience, especially as I read it via listening to the live reading done by the Partially Examined Life podcast.

It was so fun hearing their natural reactions as the cast read through the play unrehearsed. I also enjoyed the 2 hour companion episode which delved into the philosophical themes of the play (though I skipped forward whenever they mentioned Game of Thrones — I hate when books, movies, or podcasts use other media to make a point!!).

An extra half a star for the thoroughly enjoyable way in which I experienced Life Is a Dream.

I thought the mix between poetry, short prose, and photography in this short collection was really cool. And, given my own background, I really appreciated the running theme of being first- and second-generation immigrants, and the struggle, trauma, and hustle that goes into surviving.

This was a really lovely book! It didn't move me as much as I was expecting, based on what people had told me, and the emotional impact that the Beartown books had on me, but it still tugged at my heartstrings at times and it definitely drew out of me a handful of sighs, gasps, "awww"s and chuckles.

Perfect if you love a character-driven novel with a grumpy main character who has a lot more hiding beneath the surface!