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wendleness's reviews
324 reviews
Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
5.0
Having seen the film first (and several times) before reading the book, a lot of my opinion is based on its comparison to the film. Which might have been unfair to the book, if it weren’t for the fact all the comparisons and all my opinions are positive!
Immediately it’s clear to see the film captured the mood and vibe and essence of the book really well. It is light and whimsical and full of fun. Actually, the book is more of all of those things, because the film added a deeper layer to the coming-of-age aspect of the story. Which, of course, I love, but it was also nice just reading a truly happy story.
A longer review can be found on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Immediately it’s clear to see the film captured the mood and vibe and essence of the book really well. It is light and whimsical and full of fun. Actually, the book is more of all of those things, because the film added a deeper layer to the coming-of-age aspect of the story. Which, of course, I love, but it was also nice just reading a truly happy story.
A longer review can be found on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Black From the Future: A Collection of Black Speculative Writing by Stephanie Andrea Allen, Lauren Cherelle
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Speculative science fiction and fantasy short stories and poems written by black women—how could i not want to read this book? I’ve been picking it up and reading a story so sporadically since i started it that it’s taken me months so finish, but that’s the beauty of short stories!
A lot of the stories in the book are quite out there, and i love that. A woman and her time travelling bird wife trying to go and back change her relationship with her mother, a hairdresser with six hands who changes your life and eats your nightmares, a shop that sells nothing but salt and take hair as payment.
There are so many really great ideas, and that they are written by and about the experiences of black women is a very much at the forefront of most of them. It’s clear the writers are taking their own experiences and turning them into bold, passionate stories with wonderful well-rounded characters, and such a lot of heart.
A longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
A lot of the stories in the book are quite out there, and i love that. A woman and her time travelling bird wife trying to go and back change her relationship with her mother, a hairdresser with six hands who changes your life and eats your nightmares, a shop that sells nothing but salt and take hair as payment.
There are so many really great ideas, and that they are written by and about the experiences of black women is a very much at the forefront of most of them. It’s clear the writers are taking their own experiences and turning them into bold, passionate stories with wonderful well-rounded characters, and such a lot of heart.
A longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.25
Considering most of the story is spent on a spaceship, and a significant portion with Binti confined to one room of that ship, we get such a sense of several different worlds. Binti’s home world, Oomza University, as well space travel and how it works (living, breathing spaceships? I want to know more!). We also hear about multiple cultures and species, how war has spread between them, and how even through all their differences the motivations and emotions—the good and the bad—are so very recognisable and relatable.
It’s just a great story told beautifully and succinctly. I can’t wait to read the sequel and to see more about Binti and Okwu, their time at university, and the worlds only glimpsed so far.
A slightly longer review can be found at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
It’s just a great story told beautifully and succinctly. I can’t wait to read the sequel and to see more about Binti and Okwu, their time at university, and the worlds only glimpsed so far.
A slightly longer review can be found at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Disturbing the Beast by Aliya Whiteley, Sam Mills, Cheryl Powell, Carolyn Jess-Cooke, C.A. Steed, Kirsty Logan, Jane Alexander, Rosie Garland, Lorraine Wilson, Nici West
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I should have loved this book. And I did love some of the stories. Dolly, about a woman who was cloned to re-live the life of the girl she was cloned from, and Burning Girl, about a literal girl on fire, were stand-out stories for me. They both explored the characters’ lives, freedoms, and autonomy (or lack thereof). Their sense of self and of hiding part of themselves for the benefit of others.
The concepts of these two stories in particular spoke to me, but they also stood apart from the rest for another reason. The women in these stories and their plots weren’t defined by or dependent on the men in them.
Almost (almost) every other story in the book included women whose lives and choices were dependant on and affected by men. A woman who consumes men, a woman whose lineage descended from an act of sexual violence, women literally knitting themselves husbands, a woman whose touch becomes electric following the death of one man and returns to normal after she saves the life of another man.
These stories weren’t bad, but I am quite tired of women’s stories, women’s lives, and women’s purpose being defined by the men in them.
A slightly longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
The concepts of these two stories in particular spoke to me, but they also stood apart from the rest for another reason. The women in these stories and their plots weren’t defined by or dependent on the men in them.
Almost (almost) every other story in the book included women whose lives and choices were dependant on and affected by men. A woman who consumes men, a woman whose lineage descended from an act of sexual violence, women literally knitting themselves husbands, a woman whose touch becomes electric following the death of one man and returns to normal after she saves the life of another man.
These stories weren’t bad, but I am quite tired of women’s stories, women’s lives, and women’s purpose being defined by the men in them.
A slightly longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
dinosaur therapy by James Stewart
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love dinosaurs. Never did let go of that childhood joy they gave me. So of course i love the illustrations. They’re simple, but show so much with tiny details. The colours, the tilt of a mouth, the narrowing of eyes. My favourite has to be the rainbow dinosaur.
And the comics themselves… they each say so much with such few words. Every comic is relatable to a more or lesser extent. Some made me laugh with how a concept was summed up, some had me hissing out loud with just how accurate they were and how hard they hit.
A slightly longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
And the comics themselves… they each say so much with such few words. Every comic is relatable to a more or lesser extent. Some made me laugh with how a concept was summed up, some had me hissing out loud with just how accurate they were and how hard they hit.
A slightly longer review can be read on my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Wild Embers: Poems of Rebellion, Fire and Beauty by Nikita Gill
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
It is a well-established fact that i have a tumultuous relationship with poetry. Some collections have struck a chord with my so deeply I’ve wept, others have left me completely baffled and unmoved. This book? This book did both, and a little more.
While i loved the re-written fairy tales, recasting the damsels in distress as heroes who fight for themselves, i baulked with distaste at equating womanhood to being in possession of a womb and being able to create life. I am much more than my reproductive system, and my worth and meaning will not be reduced to that alone.
There were far more poems i loved than poems i didn’t in this book. If there had just been a selection that didn’t quite hit my own emotions, I’d have given this book four stars. However, the handful of poems that I actually found disagreeable and crass weigh heavier than the pages they are printed on, and I cannot overlook them.
A slightly longer review can be read at my blog: Marvel at Words.
While i loved the re-written fairy tales, recasting the damsels in distress as heroes who fight for themselves, i baulked with distaste at equating womanhood to being in possession of a womb and being able to create life. I am much more than my reproductive system, and my worth and meaning will not be reduced to that alone.
There were far more poems i loved than poems i didn’t in this book. If there had just been a selection that didn’t quite hit my own emotions, I’d have given this book four stars. However, the handful of poems that I actually found disagreeable and crass weigh heavier than the pages they are printed on, and I cannot overlook them.
A slightly longer review can be read at my blog: Marvel at Words.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within feels like it brings together elements from all three of the previous books. The adventures of space similar to Angry Planet, the limited number of main characters akin to Common Orbit, and the feeling of isolation from a Spaceborn Few. It takes those elements and makes something wholly new and wonderful.
With an unforeseen hiatus from their travels and stuck for several days on a pit-stop planet with nowhere to go, every single character goes on a journey regardless. They learn from each other, about each other, and give each other advice. There is a blast of action at the start of the book, and some tense action at the end. The middle is a quiet and meaningful meander from one to the other. The characters gradually give up more of themselves and their stories as they get to know one another, and on the whole it was just so peaceful.
Of course, there is the amazing world building that Chambers writes so well. Details and information dotted and sprinkled throughout, always adding depth and interest to the characters; the various species, cultures, and social norms; as well as to the story as a whole. The book touches on important topics as commonplace as dietary requirements, accessibility, and language, to equally important but more philosophical topics such as the concept of home, the merits of war, and the erasure of an entire species.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
With an unforeseen hiatus from their travels and stuck for several days on a pit-stop planet with nowhere to go, every single character goes on a journey regardless. They learn from each other, about each other, and give each other advice. There is a blast of action at the start of the book, and some tense action at the end. The middle is a quiet and meaningful meander from one to the other. The characters gradually give up more of themselves and their stories as they get to know one another, and on the whole it was just so peaceful.
Of course, there is the amazing world building that Chambers writes so well. Details and information dotted and sprinkled throughout, always adding depth and interest to the characters; the various species, cultures, and social norms; as well as to the story as a whole. The book touches on important topics as commonplace as dietary requirements, accessibility, and language, to equally important but more philosophical topics such as the concept of home, the merits of war, and the erasure of an entire species.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It has plenty of chuckle and snort out loud moments (nothing quite as strong as a laugh). The dialogue was perfection–so simple, with characters repeating themselves and stating the obvious and just… being real, i suppose. It was (pardon the pun) down to earth, relatable, and made for easy reading.
The characters are fun, and while the book as a whole is quite cheerful, it does touch on a couple more serious things. Namely Zaphod’s discovery that he has messed with his own brain and memories, and Marvin the robot’s depression. My favourite character by far is our main lead, Arthur Dent. He’s just… so… frank? Restrained? Unassertive? British? He somehow both doesn’t at all keep up with the new world around him, and also keeps up so well he gets ahead of it a time or two.
My main issue with the book is how hard it’s trying. To be silly, to include random facts, and to elbow in little stories. I enjoy silly random facts and stories as much as anyone who picks up this book knowing what they’re getting into. But. But i like them to be relevant to the story, not just a random aside. This links in strongly with my dislike of footnotes; I just think if it’s important enough to mention–put it in the main body of the bloody story. This book bypasses that issue by putting random snippets not at all important in the main body of the story. It did feel like being forced to read footnotes and i kind of hated it.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
The characters are fun, and while the book as a whole is quite cheerful, it does touch on a couple more serious things. Namely Zaphod’s discovery that he has messed with his own brain and memories, and Marvin the robot’s depression. My favourite character by far is our main lead, Arthur Dent. He’s just… so… frank? Restrained? Unassertive? British? He somehow both doesn’t at all keep up with the new world around him, and also keeps up so well he gets ahead of it a time or two.
My main issue with the book is how hard it’s trying. To be silly, to include random facts, and to elbow in little stories. I enjoy silly random facts and stories as much as anyone who picks up this book knowing what they’re getting into. But. But i like them to be relevant to the story, not just a random aside. This links in strongly with my dislike of footnotes; I just think if it’s important enough to mention–put it in the main body of the bloody story. This book bypasses that issue by putting random snippets not at all important in the main body of the story. It did feel like being forced to read footnotes and i kind of hated it.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The book was actually quite dark, which I enjoyed. There were a few moments where I winced, thinking of younger readers experiencing the clear violence and trauma. But I do think it’s important that the book doesn’t shy away from it, either. It’s exploring the importance and anguish of the fantasy concept of having a daemon, and allows the reader to understand and connect with that deeply.
For me the characters were mostly very clear cut good or bad. Which is fine, though I prefer the morally grey. I loved Lyra, our lead character. She has such passion and intelligence and determination. I loved Roger, her best friend and side kick, and how they would obviously do anything for each other. I loved Iorek Byrnison, the armoured bear, with his wisdom and kindness and strength. I hated Lord Asriel and the size of his ego–he might have been intelligent, but he was cruel. I hated Mrs Coulter and her false affection and manipulation. I didn’t hate, but found myself disliking Lee Scoresby and his brash American-ness. Though I am hoping some characters will become more complex and interesting over the course of the sequels.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
Weird Lies by Cherry Potts, Katy Darby
4.0
I love short stories, i love science fiction, fantasy and weird stuff. So when i saw this book in a goodreads giveaway, of course i entered it. I was more than pleased when i got the email telling me i’d won a copy. I was super happy when it came through my letter box about a week later, and started reading it as soon as i finished my previous book.
The first thing i loved about this book is that the stories are short enough that i could read one in its entirety on the bus to work. It was the perfect book to carry around with me to read at random opportunities. It has 24 stories over 160 pages, so lots to read in a small enough book that fitted easily into my bag.
With titles like, ‘Haiku Short, Parakeet Prawns, Konnichiwa Peter’ and ‘What Does H₂O Feel Like to the Tadpoles?’ i was more than eager to get reading and see what these stories held. I liked them all–there wasn’t one i didn’t enjoy.
I’m just flicking through the book now, and i can’t decide which stories to mention and praise, because there really was something great about each of them. Some of them were meaningful and poignant, some of them were comical and strange, and some of them were all of those things.
All of them. All of these stories made me smile, laugh, roll my eyes, ponder and help me escape on my dull journey to work. I will definitely be looking into more books from the Liars’ League.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.
The first thing i loved about this book is that the stories are short enough that i could read one in its entirety on the bus to work. It was the perfect book to carry around with me to read at random opportunities. It has 24 stories over 160 pages, so lots to read in a small enough book that fitted easily into my bag.
With titles like, ‘Haiku Short, Parakeet Prawns, Konnichiwa Peter’ and ‘What Does H₂O Feel Like to the Tadpoles?’ i was more than eager to get reading and see what these stories held. I liked them all–there wasn’t one i didn’t enjoy.
I’m just flicking through the book now, and i can’t decide which stories to mention and praise, because there really was something great about each of them. Some of them were meaningful and poignant, some of them were comical and strange, and some of them were all of those things.
All of them. All of these stories made me smile, laugh, roll my eyes, ponder and help me escape on my dull journey to work. I will definitely be looking into more books from the Liars’ League.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel at Words.