readingpicnic's Reviews (500)

Very sad and eye-opening book about complicated family dynamics, aging, and grief. I think working in a senior home made me recognize a lot of Tasha’s thoughts on assisted living in the seniors that I’ve met. I think that the author’s goal of genuinely portraying his mother as she was while also not holding back on the ways he feels he failed her was achieved, and his guilt at not doing more for her before it was too late was devastating to read, especially in his final monologue where he tries to embody her voice and thoughts. However, Tasha’s journal entries were the most devastating part of the book to me for similar reasons as they were to the author: her desires expressed to be closer with her children, to clean up her house, to get out of bed in the mornings, but feeling unable to share these things with anyone but herself. I appreciated that the author highlighted how important activism was to her and highlights how she made real changes in her community because you could tell how proud he was of her for doing so.

The book equivalent of eating a really nice meal. It’s so full of so many concepts, characters, and interlocking stories, but the author brings everything together so well. The formatting is also so unique with it being in a lined notebook, and the artwork was truly incredible. The queer main character drawing herself as a wearwolf was also an excellent nod to how wearwolves are often a metaphor for queerness. Some parts were pretty heavy, and I cried A LOT, but it’s worth it. 

Walden if it was written by a mom of five in the 50s. This woman deserved so many more vacations and alone time. It was a lot more philosophical than I was expecting, which made me bored and zone out a lot, but I appreciated her perspectives.

I received an online ARC of this book from the publisher. Emily Austin is proving to be one of my favorite authors of whom I will read anything they write. I adored this book and its neurodivergence. I found myself relating to so many passages as an autistic person, and although everyone's autism presents differently, I think this book will be incredibly relatable to neurodivergent readers, especially those who question their own "goodness" often like Enid. The story almost felt like it was filled with autistic easter eggs, and every time I felt seen by an autistic trait that I share with Enid, I got a little excited. I appreciated that although Enid has a special interest in true crime that she is also self-critical of this and acknowledges the issues with the consumption and popularization of true crime that has affected real people's lives, while also highlighting that neurodivergent people often do not have a choice in their special interests, which doesn't make them bad people. I found myself laughing out loud so often while reading this, and one of my favorite scenes was the inner monologue as Enid prepared a "transphobic" gender reveal cake for her half-sister's baby shower.
In terms of critiques, I found some of Polly's dialogue to sound a little unnatural. I also wished Polly had taken more accountability for outing Enid to her step-mom, but her not properly apologizing in that situation that could just be a part of her character. Enid was a bit too forgiving of some of Polly and Vin's actions in the story to the point that it felt like they were not properly held accountable. I felt that a lot of the dates that Enid went on were not necessary to the story or moving along the plot, so I feel that some of those scenes could have been left out without compromising the book.

I received an online ARC of this book from the publisher. This is one of the most atmospheric books I’ve ever read. I’m personally usually bored by setting/nature descriptions in books, but they were so vivid and purposeful here since the whole story depended on and centered around this remote island setting. Whale Fall offered interesting commentary on the practice of privileged outsiders from “modern society” traveling into a space that they deem “backwards” and “too traditional” and exploiting it, exoticizing it, overly romanticizing it in a way that’s baffling and offensive to the locals. Joan and Edward are two English people who travel to the island to write a book on its people, but they often fabricate details of these people’s lives to make them seem more appealing and exotic to the English audience of their book, using and manipulating the main character Manod along the way. At first she is dazzled by their opulence, the tales they tell her of life on the Mainland and the freedoms women have there, but she begins to feel protective and guarded of her people once Joan and Edward start romanticizing their way of life to the point that it’s more fiction than fact, taking advantage of Monad and the other locals physically, sexually, etc., while also exposing them to and recruiting them for “the Great War.” I found it very interesting to know that this story is based on real events with people fabricating the way of life of people in the British Isles, but I’m also not surprised. It was very frustrating to read Joan and Edward taking advantage of these people, but it did a good job  pointing to the power and privilege that they held and their colonizing, imperialist attitudes; just leave these people alone!! I loved the scenery descriptions in this book, especially with the whale slowly rotting on the beach for the entirety of the story, which felt so reminiscent of Joan and Edward’s presence tainting the island. The interactions between Manod and her sister were also so caring and lovely, and I appreciate that Manod wasn’t hard on her for being a bone collecting, superstitious kid that does weird things sometimes. I was also a fan of the folktales interspersed throughout the story, and I almost would have liked more of them. I think that the explorations of Manod’s budding sexuality are intriguing, especially with her masturbating to the thought of Joan in one scene, but I almost would have liked a little more, especially if this is meant to suggest repressed queerness. It doesn’t seem that Manod particularly enjoyed having sex with men so much as she enjoyed having their attention, which she says herself at one point, suggesting comphet, but I think the story didn’t quite get that far, not that it has to. I also would have liked to understand Manod’s relationship with her father a little better because he didn’t have much of a character other than his occupation defining him. Overall, this was a very quick and enjoyable read that has such beautifully vivid descriptions that drip from the pages.

Felt like Fleabag was talking to me sometimes /pos

Very unique and quick read. I knew it would be good with blurbs from Catherine Lacey and Melissa Broder. I am also in love with a mountain Lion, Melissa.

I didn’t particularly enjoy the writing, but this is my first Didion book, so maybe I should have started with a different one. I think this put me in a depressive reading slump.