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imogenrose97's reviews
491 reviews
Falling Awake by Alice Oswald
3.75
I had high hopes for this collection and unfortunately it ended up falling a little short. Which I think actually may be more because I didn't read it allowed, as soon as I started reading the final poem the rhythm flowed so perfectly and each line of each stanza sung so beautifully. I will be rereading aloud hopefully soon.
The Bridegroom Was a Dog by Yōko Tawada
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Back into the genre of odd Japanese tales, The Bridegroom Was a Dog had a similar feeling to People From My Neighbourhood and Earthlings, both in the unusual exploration of more taboo subjects and the blase way of discussing them. I don't so much enjoy the taboo, but the writing style that has come with these themes across the Japanese literature I have read, reads lightly, like you might be skipping through the pages, like you are experiencing the book as a heady summer afternoon where you are full of wine and cheese and the knowledge that there is nothing left to do today.
A Trans Man Walks Into a Gay Bar by Harry Nicholas
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.0
After reading Elliot Page's own memoir he had posted an image of this book on Instagram and I knew that it would be the perfect pick for Inqueering Minds, the queer bookclub I host. A deeply introspective book about the intricacies of identity as a trans gay man, each chapter was beautifully put together in a way that was accessible for anyone to read. I found the language was open and accepting and would allow anyone curious to learn about trans identity, to listen to a human experience and better inform themselves, to step into the heart and mind of someone who just wants to know who they are and is kind enough to pave a new pathway for people to grow and learn. I found it inspiring that because he lacked a guidebook on how to be Nicholas stepped into the role of teacher to provide a piece of work useful to anyone feeling similarly alone.
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Checking off an LBGTQI+ must read. I enjoyed the writing and the story, though, I have to say that religious stories are not really my favourite to read. Most of what I want from reading is either new perspectives or kinship within the story. Coming of age and growing up in a heavily religious household is not something I'm too interested in reading.
Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us by Rachel Aviv
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Rachel Aviv paints a well rounded picture of mental illness. Both in the personal stories as well as detailing the myriad of ways society has let down those who are suffering from mental illness.
I really admired and appreciated the range of stories told, with kindness and understanding of how circumstance shape the experience of mental illness. How who you are can make all the difference to how you are treated and whether you come out whole at the end. Specifically I found it important that she was depicting experiences that weren't just white rich people. Discussing how the range of treatments at either end of whatever scale you are on doesn't guarantee healing.
Through it all is the sense that humans as a whole don't have a very good understanding of what mental health issues are caused by, fixed by or even really why medication works. A terrifying prospect.
I really admired and appreciated the range of stories told, with kindness and understanding of how circumstance shape the experience of mental illness. How who you are can make all the difference to how you are treated and whether you come out whole at the end. Specifically I found it important that she was depicting experiences that weren't just white rich people. Discussing how the range of treatments at either end of whatever scale you are on doesn't guarantee healing.
Through it all is the sense that humans as a whole don't have a very good understanding of what mental health issues are caused by, fixed by or even really why medication works. A terrifying prospect.
Pet by Catherine Chidgey
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Kind Mirrors, Ugly Ghosts by Claire Donato
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Though this was a short story collection most stories felt like a muddy continuation of the next, dropping dirt crumbles into the next story, leeching themes and a sense of pressure akin to sleeping under a weighted blanket. Though I just read the book I am unable to remember the first half as I grew tired of the sameness, the writing was strong but seemed to be repetitive to me. I do think that this was intentional, it just did not work for me.
I was about to DNF when a new portion began. The second half included a collection from one perspective and writing that took a new form. The descriptions of cooking, particularly the bracketed descriptions of colour or type or even just the feeling that the ingredient gave our narrator. This portion saved the book for me and allowed me to get through to the end.
I was about to DNF when a new portion began. The second half included a collection from one perspective and writing that took a new form. The descriptions of cooking, particularly the bracketed descriptions of colour or type or even just the feeling that the ingredient gave our narrator. This portion saved the book for me and allowed me to get through to the end.
Where Reasons End by Yiyun Li
This is my second Yiyun Li of 2024 and absolutely my favourite. Exploring loss through language, dissecting suicide of a loved one from the perspective of someone who's felt the same. I couldn't get over how kind the protagonist was to her son through their written dialogue after he took his life at 16, I expected more pushing for responsibility to be taken, more animosity or asking for answers from a son that was no longer there. Instead I was meet with kindness and understanding about making a choice that she didn't even argue against. There was no resistance to why. This book touched so many sore spots and left me devastated but in awe. The empathy between mother and son cradled my heart, I'm not even sure how to explain the feeling. It's so rare to find discussions of mental health that are so objectively written, especially from a mother's perspective. Without blame. So often mental illness feels like something you're carrying around as a huge burden to those around you, like you've done something wrong. It felt gratifying to have someone so close to her son be so forgiving of his choice. To understand that the pain of living was too much and to give voice to the complex intricacies between living a good life, full of joy and good hobbies and strong community around you and the cold empty pain of depression. It's hard for even his mother to fault his choice.
The use of language, words and their origins, was beautiful and a perfect addition to the book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The use of language, words and their origins, was beautiful and a perfect addition to the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide
The Third Love by Hiromi Kawakami
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Hiromi Kawakami is one of my must read authors, her style and focus change dramatically between books and I'm always surprised by her dexterity to do so. Third Love examined the veils that love throws up over first love, how difficult it is to learn who you yourself are inside and outside of an all consuming love, and how love changes over the course of the lives of those involved. This was done in a highly unusual way, through time travelling dreams. This was both very interesting and sometimes a little boring for me. It's probably not my favourite story telling device but I enjoyed how it impacted the characters, how getting to experience more changes the way you love. At the heart of this is the lesson that while you are young you might not understand so deeply the intricacies of relationships. That as time moves forward you learn and reflect on how you have loved and how others need different versions of love to thrive in a relationship.
Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
I've challenged myself to read a book of poetry a month and it has so far been so fullfilling. It's so interesting to explore poetry in different styles and actually try to find pieces I enjoy. Mary Oliver has stolen my whole heart, as I'm sure she has many others. I had to start reading a second book so that I would slow down and get to savour each poem as they deserved.
I'm struck by how gleefully Oliver writes the world around her, I've never felt so much joy come through nature writing as so often it's tied to climate change, which whole pressing is not always hopeful. I've already bought myself another collection of hers to read this year and I'm so excited to delve in.
I'm struck by how gleefully Oliver writes the world around her, I've never felt so much joy come through nature writing as so often it's tied to climate change, which whole pressing is not always hopeful. I've already bought myself another collection of hers to read this year and I'm so excited to delve in.