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turrean's reviews
2298 reviews
Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A delight. The heist details are occasionally silly (keys and bottle caps?) but then heist plots are meant to be audacious. The story cleverly lures the reader in with the promise of a comeuppance for the dreadful future in-laws, and then delivers a nuanced tale of evolving friendships and relationships. The expectations Chinese society piles on these women are just wild.
I want there to be a movie. Or better yet, a miniseries, so all the details of the secondary characters aren’t edited out in the service of a 90 minute run time.
I want there to be a movie. Or better yet, a miniseries, so all the details of the secondary characters aren’t edited out in the service of a 90 minute run time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Classism
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
Opaque to me.
The design of the book is lovely, especially the cover. There’s a pretty font, though every word with the letter combination “ct” catches the eye with a hook from the t’s bar to the top of the c. “Ct” is apparently a consonant blend, specifically a t-blend that ends a word. (Look, I have insomnia, and I just spent thirty minutes figuring out if this was a phoneme or a digraph or a platypus or whatever. I write this with great relief as I can now forget it.)
The illustrations are quite formal & stylized; most look like church windows.
The author’s note at the end conveyed more information about the story than the story did. The tale seems so fragmentary and unfinished. I am left bereft of the heft of meaning.
The design of the book is lovely, especially the cover. There’s a pretty font, though every word with the letter combination “ct” catches the eye with a hook from the t’s bar to the top of the c. “Ct” is apparently a consonant blend, specifically a t-blend that ends a word. (Look, I have insomnia, and I just spent thirty minutes figuring out if this was a phoneme or a digraph or a platypus or whatever. I write this with great relief as I can now forget it.)
The illustrations are quite formal & stylized; most look like church windows.
The author’s note at the end conveyed more information about the story than the story did. The tale seems so fragmentary and unfinished. I am left bereft of the heft of meaning.
The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I love the novellas the author has written to expand the world of his novels. This one was delightful, kind of Aaronovitch channeling PG Wodehouse, if Bertie and Jeeves ever had some madcap jazz-age adventures. The audiobooks for the series are spectacular!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, and Outing
the witch doesn't burn in this one by Amanda Lovelace
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
This was written in 2016, and had lots to say about events of the time. It’s depressingly relevant to 2025. The anger feels familiar.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia
A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson
adventurous
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
3.5
The dragon culture is fascinating, and so are the details of their language. The author gives readers some thoughtful moments on privilege and the realities of the class system. The main character was hard to like, an interesting choice in a YA book. Her eventual righteousness is never really in doubt, though, and in fact other characters don’t doubt it either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and War
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
funny
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.25
So cleverly written, using TV stereotypes and typecasting to illuminate the way Americans of Asian descent are viewed, particularly by the legal system and the entertainment industry.
The audiobook was a delight, with distinct voices even when the scene was just alternating lines of dialogue between two people.
I watched the TV show based on the book, and enjoyed that too, though was not a lot of overlap. Different narrative, similar message.
The audiobook was a delight, with distinct voices even when the scene was just alternating lines of dialogue between two people.
I watched the TV show based on the book, and enjoyed that too, though was not a lot of overlap. Different narrative, similar message.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
A romance / fantasy / murder mystery / family drama novel, with some sweet family interactions, but there is a lot of info dumping needed to give the newcomer protagonist, Alex, and thus the reader, the background needed to make soap, identify all the scents in a perfume, worry about the barista’s love life, make progress in the murder investigation focused on her aunt, match wits with the handsome detective who invited her to dinner just before accusing her aunt of murder, and follow up on the nosy local reporter’s weird obsession with the possible witch / mermaid ancestry of the main character’s family.
Gave up when I reached the point where Alex is described as having grown to like the barista at her coffee shop after a week in town. Alex knows the barista’s educational background, romantic history, and personality traits. Those must have been really in-depth coffee orders.
Gave up when I reached the point where Alex is described as having grown to like the barista at her coffee shop after a week in town. Alex knows the barista’s educational background, romantic history, and personality traits. Those must have been really in-depth coffee orders.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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? No
3.75
I’ve read some of Poston’s YA-ish novels, and enjoyed them very much.
This one was sweet, reflective, and quite slow; this would be the kind of movie where you’re shouting at the screen, “Get ON with it, already!” and “Just SAY something, for heaven’s sake!” Florence’s family was a chaotic delight, full of warmth and welcome. The townsfolk were pure unadulterated Hallmark, right down to the mayor and the (slightly redeemed) high school bully. It was hard to reconcile their generous embrace of a grieving family with the people who drove Florence away to NY with their suspicion and gossip. The conclusion was painfully protracted, but it was pretty clear the author enjoyed frustrating the readers with the subversion of any number of romantic tropes.No bedside confessions of love and falling into one another’s arms at the first moment here.
This one was sweet, reflective, and quite slow; this would be the kind of movie where you’re shouting at the screen, “Get ON with it, already!” and “Just SAY something, for heaven’s sake!” Florence’s family was a chaotic delight, full of warmth and welcome. The townsfolk were pure unadulterated Hallmark, right down to the mayor and the (slightly redeemed) high school bully. It was hard to reconcile their generous embrace of a grieving family with the people who drove Florence away to NY with their suspicion and gossip. The conclusion was painfully protracted, but it was pretty clear the author enjoyed frustrating the readers with the subversion of any number of romantic tropes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
funny
hopeful
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
3.75
Humorous but clear-eyed look at the reality of family dynamics, and how people can thrive because of them, and also despite them. Kind of a fantasy / sf look at the way society deals with kids with differences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Death of parent
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
Stellar: a story within a story within a story. Zelu’s turbulent life and the way she was derided and even punished for skewering the expectations laid upon her was at times excruciating to read. Her family could be so damnably obtuse. The growing web of connections between the two main stories was an absolute delight, as was the final series of revelations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, and War