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nhborg's reviews
378 reviews
The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin
3.0
3.75
Very much enjoyed my time listening to this, especially immersing myself in the Japanese atmosphere and feeling the nostalgia brimming. It also made me want to check out some of the other books in this series to get to know other countries and cultures, e.g. Croatia and Ireland.
Very much enjoyed my time listening to this, especially immersing myself in the Japanese atmosphere and feeling the nostalgia brimming. It also made me want to check out some of the other books in this series to get to know other countries and cultures, e.g. Croatia and Ireland.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
DNF at 44%
Oh boy.. I’m so sad I didn’t like this. I don’t know what to say other than that this writing style really wasn’t for me. Personally I found it wayy too dry and descriptive, and my brain just shuts down when the paragraphs are peppered full of strange names of people, places, alien concepts. I felt like I was reading page after page and getting nothing out of it. It didn’t help that the audiobook narrator had the most lifeless, staggering, tedious reading voice I’ve ever heard (my apologies to the man behind it). Once in a while I arrived at a quirky formulation or a short presentation of an interesting concept, but it didn’t feel worth it to continue reading based on the low enjoyment:disinterest ratio. Is it wrong to say that I got a lot more out of the author’s introduction than the actual novel?
Oh boy.. I’m so sad I didn’t like this. I don’t know what to say other than that this writing style really wasn’t for me. Personally I found it wayy too dry and descriptive, and my brain just shuts down when the paragraphs are peppered full of strange names of people, places, alien concepts. I felt like I was reading page after page and getting nothing out of it. It didn’t help that the audiobook narrator had the most lifeless, staggering, tedious reading voice I’ve ever heard (my apologies to the man behind it). Once in a while I arrived at a quirky formulation or a short presentation of an interesting concept, but it didn’t feel worth it to continue reading based on the low enjoyment:disinterest ratio. Is it wrong to say that I got a lot more out of the author’s introduction than the actual novel?
The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill
4.0
So cute and comforting!! I really like the art style and the peaceful vibe, and I definitely wouldn’t mind having my own tea dragon companion
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
4.0
Wow! This was so eerie and unique. I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews about the vagueness of this book; IMO that was exactly what made it work so well by building up an increasing sense of confusion and helpnessness. I think I missed out some of the many subtleties by listening to the audiobook, so I’d love to reread it physically someday soon to explore it in detail.
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver
4.0
I’m not an avid reader of poetry, but how could I not be swayed by Mary Oliver’s gorgeous love declaration for nature? A couple hundred poems was an overwhelming read in a short time span, but I realized that
a) reading out loud to myself, and/or
b) listening to some calm, dark piano music in the background
greatly enhanced my reading experience by letting me physically feel the beautiful lyricism. It was also interesting to see how Oliver’s style and themes changed as the poems were read in reverse chronological order.
——
«Listen, says ambition, nervously shifting her weight from one boot to another - why don’t you get going?
For there I am, in the most shadows, under the trees.
And to tell the truth I don’t want to let go of the wrists
of idleness, I don’t want to sell my life for money,
I don’t even want to come in out of the rain.»
a) reading out loud to myself, and/or
b) listening to some calm, dark piano music in the background
greatly enhanced my reading experience by letting me physically feel the beautiful lyricism. It was also interesting to see how Oliver’s style and themes changed as the poems were read in reverse chronological order.
——
«Listen, says ambition, nervously shifting her weight from one boot to another - why don’t you get going?
For there I am, in the most shadows, under the trees.
And to tell the truth I don’t want to let go of the wrists
of idleness, I don’t want to sell my life for money,
I don’t even want to come in out of the rain.»
The Secret Cove in Croatia by Julie Caplin
3.0
If I were to rate this based on my expectation of insight into Croatian culture, I’d give it a solid 1/5. All of it was spent on a luxurious yacht for rich tourists, and the only culture action we got to witness was one small cooking session. HOWEVER, I did find myself becoming invested in the plot and characters, more than when I read the Tokyo book in this series. The dynamics between the two MCs gave me similar vibes as «Get a life, Chloe Brown». I’m generally not a fan of romance storylines because they all have the same buildup and you always know how the conflict and aftermath are going to play out, so I know by now that it’s just not the genre for me. Still, I found it to be pretty good. Just beware of having to endure a lot of screentime with horribly obnoxious and toxic side-characters.