mayphoenix7992's reviews
685 reviews

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read this book at the wrong time, while travelling so I kept being interrupted or dozing off, which made it difficult to get into. The writing was beautiful though! So I'll probably reread it once rested and with lots of time. I'll try to read it all in a day, to fit with the story.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Such a good and spooky book. It was chilling at times. I really like it and I read it almost in one sitting, I couldn't drop it!
Iceland's 1100 Years: The History of a Marginal Society by Gunnar Karlsson

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informative fast-paced

4.5

Thorough and well written book about the full history of Iceland, from the first settlement, to the early 21st century. Writing a full history of a country is always a monumental task but Gunnar Karlsson accomplished it brilliantly. I didn't read everythjng because some periods and social aspects interested me more than others, but I still enjoyed this book. The short chapters made it easy to keep up as well.
Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali

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emotional medium-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

5.0

I've picked it up because of Jack Edwards and I'm so glad. It might be one of my favourite books of the year!

The prose was wonderful, and so was that story within a story. We got to know Raif through his falling in love with Maria. It was as heartwarming as it was heartwrenching. It's one of the best stories I've read where the yearning is palpable through the pages. Even knowing that some inevitable fate awaits them, I couldn't help but hope they'll come together again...
Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico by T.R. Fehrenbach

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informative slow-paced

4.0

I havent read everything, only the periods I was interested in, but it was a very thorough and well written book. Perhaps so thorough it became overwhelming but I learned a lot about the history of Mexico.
More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

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emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I read this one immediately after the first, so it felt like a normal continuation. This second book wraps nicely on some of the plot points left unanswered in the first book, like the relationship between Momo and Takano, or Momoko's illness.

Her passing wasn't unexpected, as it built up towards it, but it was still sad to see the impact it had on the characters. In a way, this second book went full circle, with Takako and the Morisaki Bookshop helping her uncle out of his grief the way he had helped her in the first book.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

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hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

"After I finished the book, my heart fell silent."

It was a bookclub read but I loved this gentle, heartwarming book about reading and getting to know one's family again, about losing and finding new connections.

Japanese books never cease to make me appreciate the beauty of simple things in life.
The Ghost Cat: 12 Decades, 9 Lives, 1 Cat by Alex Howard

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adventurous emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Grimalkin is my new favourite fictional cat. So Victorian, so dramatic, so cute!
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was one of the loveliest I've ever read, it filles me up with joy and warmth ❤️
What Does Israel Fear from Palestine? by Raja Shehadeh

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informative fast-paced

4.5

An essential read for anyone who has yet to understand the Palestinian cause. It's a good overview of what happened to Palestinians since 1948, perhaps a little too short.