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thevampirelestat's reviews
84 reviews
Fantomina; or, Love in a Maze by Eliza Fowler Haywood
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Absolute diva this one
A Cage Went in Search of a Bird: Ten Kafkaesque Stories by Charlie Kaufman, Keith Ridgway, Elif Batuman, Leone Ross, Helen Oyeyemi, Naomi Alderman, Yiyun Li, Tommy Orange, Ali Smith, Joshua Cohen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
I am struck by how boring and poorly edited these stories are. Oh well. I will read Oyeyemi's contribution and then I am booting this into the sun forever (back to the library).
White Is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I examined the portraits nearest to me but couldn't get past the sensation that here was the same man over and over, crouched in old boxes, readying himself to spit on my plate.
This book fucking ruled. Stylistically tight, ambitious, delicious, Oyeyemi has to be one of my newest favorite writers. A postmodern and delightful subversion and confrontation of the Gothic genre. I loved this book and I am excited to read more from Oyeyemi. I am giving this a five-star rating despite the fact that at parts I think it lacks clarity and connective tissue because I just fucked with it so heavily. I can see how people might not have liked this, but it was a page-turner for me-- I honestly couldn't put it down.
This book fucking ruled. Stylistically tight, ambitious, delicious, Oyeyemi has to be one of my newest favorite writers. A postmodern and delightful subversion and confrontation of the Gothic genre. I loved this book and I am excited to read more from Oyeyemi. I am giving this a five-star rating despite the fact that at parts I think it lacks clarity and connective tissue because I just fucked with it so heavily. I can see how people might not have liked this, but it was a page-turner for me-- I honestly couldn't put it down.
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
I am so sick rn and you guys I actually don’t think I have the power to deal w this book rn. Almost threw up at work. So…. If that convinces anyone.
North Woods by Daniel Mason
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
For a moment, a stillness hangs over the rubble. And then, it all begins again.
I loved NORTH WOODS, and it was the perfect audiobook choice for my drive back out to Massachusetts for college (not Western Mass, mind - but relevant, right, since one of the book's many characters worked at Wellesley). Some segments worked less for me than others, and the chapters which tended to meander and ramble on were less favorable to me (I tend to dislike epistolaries, so that whole part with the letters was a miss) than segments like with the twins. NORTH WOODS moves like a babbling brook through a history which makes every moment meaningful, be it axe murder, beetle mating, or refuge in study. Overall, it's pretty damn good.
I loved NORTH WOODS, and it was the perfect audiobook choice for my drive back out to Massachusetts for college (not Western Mass, mind - but relevant, right, since one of the book's many characters worked at Wellesley). Some segments worked less for me than others, and the chapters which tended to meander and ramble on were less favorable to me (I tend to dislike epistolaries, so that whole part with the letters was a miss) than segments like with the twins. NORTH WOODS moves like a babbling brook through a history which makes every moment meaningful, be it axe murder, beetle mating, or refuge in study. Overall, it's pretty damn good.
Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Super fun and solid collection!
Cockfight by María Fernanda Ampuero
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"How much for this monster?"
I really loved Auction, Nam, Pups and Christ, but not all the stories in this collection worked for me like they did in Human Sacrifices. Still a great read though & I can't wait for more of this author's work; Riddle, too, does a phenomenal job translating.
I really loved Auction, Nam, Pups and Christ, but not all the stories in this collection worked for me like they did in Human Sacrifices. Still a great read though & I can't wait for more of this author's work; Riddle, too, does a phenomenal job translating.
Human Sacrifices by María Fernanda Ampuero
dark
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Once we were beautiful— now we’re soaked in blood.
This shit was so good it actually rocked me to my core. I am somebody who does not find themselves easily disturbed by literature that people brand as disturbing but this shit Disturbed Me it was so grotesque and gritty and brutal and absolutely unforgiving.
This shit was so good it actually rocked me to my core. I am somebody who does not find themselves easily disturbed by literature that people brand as disturbing but this shit Disturbed Me it was so grotesque and gritty and brutal and absolutely unforgiving.
True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between by Gretchen Whitmer
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
funny
slow-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? It's complicated
3.75
Literally an amazing audiobook, Moira Quirk KILLED it. I was truly so delighted. I have also never listened to like. A British narrator. Anyway I was just totally in love with this reading.
The content of the novel itself was a bit hit or miss for me, the middle act was definitely slow in a way that I didn't feel particularly justified; this is a world which appears to be rife with history but I didn't find it to be explored or extrapolated in a satisfying way. And this mf loves interesting magic systems and worldbuilding but it just felt sort of hollow at points. The last two hours (e.g.,the battle with Cytherea - I also was totally suspect of Dulcinea so I figured she was implicated in the killings.. but not LIKE THAT... ) were super fun, but some of the ambling around that happens in the middle chapters is very boring. Not too boring, though, since Muir's prose is satisfying to hear, so I can't hate too much. Hearing Gideon quip with prim and proper British swordsmen was delightful. Love and light
I was also expecting this to be way dykeyer than it ended up being, so if you're looking for a super forthrgiht lesbian romance, Gideon won't deliver on that. Still very delightful though. I love Gideon.I hope she does not stay dead. She delighted me endlessly. I was not gagged though b/c I was looking through some reviews a few days ago here and got spoilered for this happening.
The content of the novel itself was a bit hit or miss for me, the middle act was definitely slow in a way that I didn't feel particularly justified; this is a world which appears to be rife with history but I didn't find it to be explored or extrapolated in a satisfying way. And this mf loves interesting magic systems and worldbuilding but it just felt sort of hollow at points. The last two hours (e.g.,
I was also expecting this to be way dykeyer than it ended up being, so if you're looking for a super forthrgiht lesbian romance, Gideon won't deliver on that. Still very delightful though. I love Gideon.