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essjay's reviews
566 reviews
The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
4.75
I guess this is the year for melancholy time fuckery? Here for it.
I Made It Out of Clay by Beth Kander
A lot less romcom-y than I was expecting, given the title and cover, BUT I still had a good time with it. Looking forward to an eventual adaptation.
3.75
"Just a story," she repeated, shaking her head. She was looking past me, the flickering lights of the candles snapping fire in her dark eyes. "As if stories are not the most powerful things we have."
A lot less romcom-y than I was expecting, given the title and cover, BUT I still had a good time with it. Looking forward to an eventual adaptation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Death of parent
Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
5.0
Don't get me wrong, I love TEA, but this is where all of my favourite pieces start coming together.
Golemcrafters by Emi Watanabe Cohen
4.75
Genuinely didn't think one of my top new releases of 2024 would be a middle grade novel I read aloud to my 14y/o.
We laughed. We cried. The kid kept saying "meeeeeee" in a little croak while I read (it's December, most of the family is sick rn). Faye is definitely one of my favourite child protagonists in a LONG time. Cannot recommend this highly enough. It does get dark, but never too dark, I don't think.
We laughed. We cried. The kid kept saying "meeeeeee" in a little croak while I read (it's December, most of the family is sick rn). Faye is definitely one of my favourite child protagonists in a LONG time. Cannot recommend this highly enough. It does get dark, but never too dark, I don't think.
Beta Vulgaris by Margie Sarsfield
Woooooow. Adding to the pile of messy as fuck queer women I will never stop thinking about.
4.75
she couldn't figure out why, because she wasn't an expert in snaps. Elise was only an expert in egomaniacal self- hatred, the dark art of inventing new and spectacular ways to feel bad.
Woooooow. Adding to the pile of messy as fuck queer women I will never stop thinking about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Vomit
On the Calculation of Volume II by Solvej Balle
5.0
I WILL be reading this again, and I don't know that I can wait for next November.
When I wasn't reading this, I was talking about it. When I wasn't talking about it, I was thinking about it.
I am desperate for the rest to be released and translated.
It can't be that hard to learn Danish well enough to read, can it?
When I wasn't reading this, I was talking about it. When I wasn't talking about it, I was thinking about it.
I am desperate for the rest to be released and translated.
It can't be that hard to learn Danish well enough to read, can it?
I think of December. I think of heute and morgen and übermorgen. I think of gestern and vorgestern.
And now I am also thinking of Frühstück.
There are containers in the world. Of course there are. That's not what scares me. I have fallen into one, into time's container.
I mean, did the Romans really come to a halt because rye gave Pliny the Elder a stomachache?
On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle
4.75
Quietly terrifying and oh so lonely. Can see myself re-reading every November 18.
Love/Aggression by June Martin
4.75
Now whenever someone asks that stupid question about which fantasy world you'd like to live in, I can say Pittsburgh with all sincerity.
This was fantastic. I wish I could start reading it again for the first time tomorrow.
This was fantastic. I wish I could start reading it again for the first time tomorrow.
Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh
3.25
The colours were stunning. For the most part, I enjoyed the art. Character design was great. Story is really what is keeping me from rating this higher. Not disappointed I read it, but will probably mostly forget about it in a few months.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
I have tried, like, six times to read this fuckin book bc it seems like EVERYONE loves it. I am officially giving up for good. Can't even bring myself to get past the halfway point so I can use it for Bingo.