jedore's reviews
499 reviews

In general, I'm not a huge fan of Greek mythology...mostly because of the rampant misogyny and bad behavior of men and their Gods—which is why Ariadne sat on my shelf unread until several days ago. I really, really liked it!  

Written from the perspective of two strong, but very different, sisters—Ariadne and Phaedra, daughters of King Minos of Crete and sisters of the half-man/half-bull Minotaur whose diet was comprised of human sacrifices—this book kept me turning the pages quickly from start to finish. Although it was still filled with the tragic behavior of men and gods, the women were the focal point. 

Although I admired and loved both of them, I related more to fiery Phaedra who went after what she wanted with passion...often without the benefit of adequate life experience or deep thought...and was justifiably pissed off at the men. Been there. 

I love learning history through books like this. Whether you're a fan of Greek mythology or not, it's a worthy read. 

What a quirky charming book! It felt like a cross between Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and John Steinbeck’s “Tortilla Flat.,” but more wholesome.

Originally published in 1925, this is not a book to read if you’re woke AND uptight. It’s a story that many modern-minded folks would like to see die a quiet literary death. (Conservative Christians will adore it.)

I’m pretty surprised I enjoyed it based on the harsh judgement of women that is central to the story and the presence of “God” throughout the story. But, I truly did. The main characters were so sweet and I absolutely loved the author’s stance on Western medicine/healing and her deep appreciation of nature. Most of the “God” references could be replaced by “Higher Power” so I could deal with it…but, a few places started to cross into icky dogmatic territory. I am able to appreciate vintage books from bygone eras when values were very different than they are today as long as they weren’t written by someone despicable (although I’m pretty sure I’d still learn something of value even if they were). I think I would have liked Ms. Stratton…I have an inkling she was a tiny bit of a renegade for her time. 

Although the writing was not exceptional, the story was engaging and the character development was outstanding…especially Scout, the youngest character who was wise beyond her years and absolutely hysterical. I’ve had many laughs over the last several days thanks to her. 

This story left me wishing our current world was a combination of the more wholesome parts of then and the more socially evolved parts of now. I do believe the world would be a better place if that were the case!

This book was NOT what I expected…which, in this case, was a pleasant surprise. It’s like the lite version of A Little Life. Despite the fact that I’ve never been into video games whatsoever, it kept me surprisingly engaged. It was a quick read, but the last fifth of it dragged a bit.

The story is totally character driven; most of the characters are really well-developed and very human (meaning not always likable). Like A Little Life, it’s primarily about inner strife and intimate friendships and romantic relationships. 

Although I predicted part of what happened, it mostly kept me guessing…NOT an easy feat these days.

I did get mildly annoyed by the author’s “woke” references throughout…definitely a sign of the times. I don’t have an issue with being woke, it just wasn’t organic or subtle.

If you’re into emotional fiction about relationships, this is a very well-written book to add to your list! 

Midnight’s Children is the life story of a man born at midnight on the day India gained independence from Britain. 

First, I would like to give my respect to anyone else who made it through this book. This is NOT an easy read! 

Here’s what made it extremely challenging for me:

1) Not knowing enough about India’s history to understand much of what I was reading. As it’s written in an allegorical style without clear explanations, in my opinion, this book is best read with solid knowledge in place. 

2) The storytelling is a bit manic and tough to follow. 

3) Salman isn’t a fan of commas.

4) It’s not a book that creates any sort of emotional attachment with any of the characters. 

While I understand it’s inclusion in 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die as it is quite brilliant, I’m not so sure about Modern Library’s choice to include it their top 100 books. The inclusion in the former is why I pushed myself through to the end. I feel like I should get some sort of achievement ribbon or something 😁 

Despite the unusual writing style, I am smarter now than I was when I started and I might be able to have a 10 minute conversation about India, which I wouldn’t have been able to do before!