steepingnarratives's reviews
68 reviews

Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

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challenging dark funny medium-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

4.0

I loved how Poor Things ended with Bella’s letter. That was what really did it for me as this book felt mostly sexist but then feminist with that letter. Disturbing and weird, I could not put it down. I also love that the film adaptation didn’t necessarily follow the book letting me enjoy both pieces. 
Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Although a fairly short read, it did take a while to get through as it definitely took time to understand. Often had to stop and really think about what I had just read to out the pieces together. I can see how and why Pedro Páramo is such an important piece of literature. If you have the patience, definitely recommend to read at least once. 
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

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dark emotional sad tense 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

4.25

Although there are a number of characters in this story, not one did I ever feel overwhelmed. McBride carefully crafted each character making them part of the bigger puzzle that ultimately comes together in the end.

 Thought provoking, full of rich characters ,and storytelling that allows you to picture the town and people in your mind as you read. Truly a historical fiction gem. 
Wake, Siren: Ovid Resung by Nina MacLaughlin

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

Wake, Siren is trigger warnings galore. The first half was a real gut punch with some stories hard to get through. As you move on from story to story though it feels like at one point the voices kind of blend together and you don’t really get the feeling of every story having an individual voice. 

Also the flowing between these tragic lyrical stories to more modern day telling was a bit jarring and don’t think the modern day worked for some stories. Overall it was a powerful read though. 
Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal by J.K. Rowling

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-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? No

4.0

Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

Zastrozzi and St. Irvyne by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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

2.0

My Last Sigh by Luis Buñuel

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adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Luis Buñuel has a way with words. One of my abortive thins about My Last Sigh is the way it’s broken up into pivotal moments of his life. You really take a deep dive and not only get background if his life but historical context of the times he was living in. Extremely well written, easy to read, and just flows so well through time it’s like he’s narrating the film of his life you can play through your mind as you read the words. 
Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter

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

2.0

I found Ugly Girls to be pretty anti climactic. Felt like it didn’t really have an end or a point except to make the reader really uncomfortable. The characters are also pretty hard to like. Overall it’s an okay read. 
Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight by M.E. Thomas

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informative slow-paced

2.0

It took me a while to get into this. While it is informative, it was not engaging at all for me and I wanted to DNF a few times, but ultimately stuck with it, which is why it took me a while to get through. The content isn’t really heavy or hard to read, it just wasn’t interesting at all.