songmingi's Reviews (199)

Days at the morisaki bookshop is a book written for lovers of books and bookshops. It captures the magic and healing powers books and reading can have, and also speaks about growth and self-discovery. It is easy and quick to read and i loved all the references to Japanese literature. I especially appreciated the translators note which sign posted which of the mentioned books have been translated for further discovery.
The only reason I rate it 5 stars is I didn't particularly care for part two of the book at first, I preferred the focus on the main character more but that may be the my personal taste. 

Otherwise I think this is a perfect comfort read and I will treasure it at such. I think I will enjoy it even more in the future once I read the materials referenced in it. 

Wow, what an ending.

I think this was my favourite instalment in the series, once I started it I could barely put it down. I would recommend someone start the AGGGTM series so that they can read this book. 

In terms of the plot I loved how everything connected together, right from the beginning, we were building up to the climax of this book. The same characters we see throughout the series transformed, their bonds strengthened, and the stakes higher than they have ever been. I honestly could not predict what was going to happen at any point it was so thrilling. 

It is just so wild to see where Pip is at here as compared to where she was when this series began. I adored Pip as a main character and felt sorrowful for her throughout the book as grappled with PTSD and differentiating between good and bad. Her relationship with Ravi was so sweet and a small glimpse of light in a very dark book. 

I honestly feel like the hype is so well deserved after reading this instalment, it was the perfect ending to an excellent series. 

really excellent!  I adored Pip's character growth so much in this book. I found the mystery in this one more engaging than that of the first book also
 

There was a lot of hype around this book across social media and while I was sceptical at first I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. Since it's intended for a YA audience I didn't enjoy the humour and character descriptions all the time but regardless the mystery of this book was invigorating. I even found myself shocked at some of the plot twists. Overall, it was a really enjoyable and worthwhile read.

I avoided reading this book for so long because I wanted to savour it. In a way, it felt like a book written specifically for me. A fantasy book full of history and knowledge on languages and the British Empire written by one of my favourite authors. I can understand how some readers may find all the historical and technical information about languages included tiring but that is exactly where my heart lies. I LOVED IT. Kuang's writing was as I expected a pleasure to read, easy to comprehend yet impactful. 

There are so many important discussions in this book about colonialism and violence, about how colonialism devasted many nations and bonded its victims together in a sorrowful link. How Britain's own citizens ultimately did not benefit from its empire if they were not part of the elite or wealthy. These concepts are all discussed through a cohort you grow to love and root for. The writing was so soft and vivid, it felt like I spent days with them at Oxford.  Robin, Ramy and Victoire are my darlings. I connected with them in their pursuit of following their passions in a world that values only their skills but not them as individuals. As a South Asian person, I saw so much of myself in Ramy, even his Muslim faith was so beautifully represented. 

In terms of the fantasy I loved the silver bar system, it was interesting and unique. However, I think for other fantasy readers the amount of fantasy throughout the book itself may be disappointing as I think the story is more about Robin and the cohort navigating their identity and position in the empire rather than being about pure magic. 

Nonetheless I just really enjoyed my time reading this book, it was well worth the wait.

Now That I've Found You was a quick lighthearted read. While it was easy to read I found it quite simplistic in both theme and execution. Despite being marketed as a romance, there was only a suggestion of it occurring within the book. The story instead follows the character growth of Evie who I honestly did not like very much at all. The characterisation of most of the people made me feel like I was watching a Disney show or reading a Wattpad story. However, since the book is aimed for a younger audience I can overlook this aspect. The plot was a bit unexpected and it held my interest well but the ending was unsatisfying. Overall this book was a little meh, not terrible but not noteworthy either. 

Never will I think about an apple pealer the same way again 

My first Mieko Kawakami book and I don't think it'll be my last. The book talks very earnestly about bullying and the impact it has. The way some people who choose to bully others think and how those who are victims of bullying continue to persevere. It highlights the importance of human connection and how one good friend can be enough to protect against an army of enemies. 

Heaven was a quick read but still an impactful one. Despite him never being named I was able to connect with the main character and I grew interested in Kojima too. It was interesting to read how they both navigated bullying while going through it in the very same classroom how they reacted and processed it differently. It was wonderful seeing how much hope Kojima had and her hope that there is some meaning in her struggles. 

I think perhaps the book could have benefited from being a tad bit longer it felt like everything abruptly came to an end, as if the author couldn'r bear to write it anymore leaving me a little bit unsatisfied. I wish Kojima and main character could have had more time together towards the end to balance things out between them. 

 Regardless of this I still think Heaven is worth the read.

I really enjoyed the writing style and range of themes covered in the short stories of this book. The way it spoke so eloquently about the pain and misfortune that can exist in various relationships was admirable. However I found the short stories very hit or miss while some I connected to deeply leaving me to reflect others felt like a waste of time. The inconsistency leaves me to rate this book a little low. 

The title of the virgin suicides made me curious hence I decided to read it. 

While I enjoyed various aspects of the book such as the portrayal of the male gaze through the boys that narrate the story or the impact of growing up in a religious house as a young girl, I ultimately did not enjoy reading this book. 

The writing was slow paced, it felt like nothing at all was happening, even events which should have an impact just felt flat to me. The book constantly goes on tangents speaking about random things in unessacary detail. 

Also while I understand this book came out in the nineties the ableism and racism in this book is so off putting. The description of a character named Joe in chapter one was so horrid I nearly stopped reading then. I only continued because online readers insisted it was just one weird passage. 


In summary the virgin suicides reads like your weird cousin telling you a story from years ago.