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oversherin's reviews
67 reviews
No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies: A Lyric Essay by Julian Aguon
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
This book had some really beautiful moments especially the poems, but I just wanted so much more! I went into the book knowing very little about the history of Guam and its culture. It sparked my interest in Guam and I am finishing the book with a long list of further reading from other authors. However I wish the collected essays had a little more through line and I just wish there was more!
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
I loved this book. Barbara Kingsolver's always feels very real to me and I love the worlds she paints. It was interesting reading this book in 2024 and revisiting the conversations we were having about climate change in 2012. Her discussions about how we talk about climate change, science, and religion across different groups of people still rings true. While climate was a huge focus of the book, I think it really shines in the relationship between Delarobia and her mother in law. The conversations about gender dynamics and marriage were complex and profound. My only complaint is this book is quite long and I think it could have packed a stronger punch if it was a little more concise. But I loved living in the world!
Side note: I listened to the Recorded Books audio book and the narrator was lovely for most characters but Dr. Byron's accent really threw me off. But overall, it was well read.
Side note: I listened to the Recorded Books audio book and the narrator was lovely for most characters but Dr. Byron's accent really threw me off. But overall, it was well read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
Better by Far by Hazel Hayes
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book surprised me and moved me deeply. I was a huge fan of Hayes' first book and excited to read this one. To be honest, I was a little anxious because the premise of the book didn't hook me, but the arch was really beautiful and surpising. I also appreciated Hayes' discussion of authors and public figures and art imitating life. It was cheeky and profound.
I love Hayes' prose. To me it feels deeply familiar and readable but still very profound in moments. The pacing is just right for me and you find out more about the main character and her history in surprising ways. The dreamlike descriptions sneak up on you, first obvious dreams, then slowly morphing more with plot and memory. The ending was beautiful and closed the book in tragedy and hope. I do think a few of the side characters were somewhat flat, I especially wanted more from Finn. That being said, other characters like Jenna and her Dad added a lot of depth to the story.
Overall, love love love this book.
I love Hayes' prose. To me it feels deeply familiar and readable but still very profound in moments. The pacing is just right for me and you find out more about the main character and her history in surprising ways. The dreamlike descriptions sneak up on you, first obvious dreams, then slowly morphing more with plot and memory. The ending was beautiful and closed the book in tragedy and hope. I do think a few of the side characters were somewhat flat, I especially wanted more from Finn. That being said, other characters like Jenna and her Dad added a lot of depth to the story.
Overall, love love love this book.
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Not rating this book because it is not my taste - but I respect the hell out of it.
This book is incredibly violent and dark. You get right into the mind of the characters who are deeply troubled and hateful people who are wrecked by their environment. Chapters are long dark spirals into the depths of these characters and their darkest thoughts imaginable. Despite this, Melchor is very skilled in giving them just enough humanity that I empathized with them and wanted to stick it out to the end. As other reviewers have said, this book is deeply, disturbingly, honest in a way I have never read before. To me, the hardest part of this book is that most of the characters are children who are wrapped up in the worst of the world. The run-on prose took adjustment, but I found it very natural by middle.
Overall, I thought the story was compelling and timeless. I gritted my teeth through the whole book and had to scan some chapters because I just couldn't stomach it. However, I respect this book and the stories it's telling. There is more truth to this book than I'd like to face. It definitely affected me in an artful way.
This book is incredibly violent and dark. You get right into the mind of the characters who are deeply troubled and hateful people who are wrecked by their environment. Chapters are long dark spirals into the depths of these characters and their darkest thoughts imaginable. Despite this, Melchor is very skilled in giving them just enough humanity that I empathized with them and wanted to stick it out to the end. As other reviewers have said, this book is deeply, disturbingly, honest in a way I have never read before. To me, the hardest part of this book is that most of the characters are children who are wrapped up in the worst of the world. The run-on prose took adjustment, but I found it very natural by middle.
Overall, I thought the story was compelling and timeless. I gritted my teeth through the whole book and had to scan some chapters because I just couldn't stomach it. However, I respect this book and the stories it's telling. There is more truth to this book than I'd like to face. It definitely affected me in an artful way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Murder, and Pregnancy
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Really lovely personal essays spun with interesting informative essays about sea creatures I have never heard of! I loved that the author spent a lot of time on uncharismatic sea creatures. I enjoyed the ending with personal narratives of the "multiple lives" from several queer people, but I did wish there was a final note from the author tying things together. Ultimately, some sections were incredibly moving and insightful and will stick with me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
4.5
I really loved the world of this book. From the first chapter, I was charmed by the characters. I did sometimes get a little confused about who was who, but I embraced that as a reader and it all sort of fell in place by the end. There is a balance in the book of how to portray the "Cause Homes" which objectively are filled with challenging poverty and violence but also complex and loveable characters. I think the book leans into portraying them as zany, loveable oddballs, but there is still a very real undercurrent of the mental illness, generational trauma, and poverty these characters face. Ultimately, I found the characters complex and beautiful. The book has a strong narrative plot, but it's also a series of strung together vignettes of different characters and how they mix in this neighborhood. Overall, I found it a little confusing in some spots but really really loved this book.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a great telling of what feels like a classic tale of wealth and poverty (although I'd never heard the story before.) It's succinct and effective. I read this while traveling in Baja and I loved all the descriptors of the landscape. Steinbeck didn't over describe but it painted a full picture of the scene for me. The last 1/3 was a lot of action scenes that didn't feel 100% necessary, but it kept it moving. Overall, a great novella.
The Only Kayak: A Journey into the Heart of Alaska by Kim Heacox
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I enjoyed the prose of this memoir/collection of essays. It is addition into the history of nature writers like John Muir and Aldo Leopold, both of which are mentioned frequently. I thought the concept of "geotheomorphology" was especially resonant and interesting. Some of the chapters about tourists on cruise ships felt a little dated and out of touch with my wilderness ethic, but I had to remind myself this book was published in 2005. It did feel like a good representation of the environmental climate of the 2000s and was striking how some of his predictions of dewilding are coming true.
Although some of his ideals prickled with mine (I work in a field dedicated to outdoor access and Heacox is often arguing for less access to wild places), it was a good challenge and reminder of the power of wilderness.
Although some of his ideals prickled with mine (I work in a field dedicated to outdoor access and Heacox is often arguing for less access to wild places), it was a good challenge and reminder of the power of wilderness.
The Fake by Zoe Whittall
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I read this book quickly and found the writing style engaging but overall I felt the story arc could have been better. Stories like this will always be appealing because it seems like everyone knows somebody who behaves like Camilla - lying, manipulating, but so charming and captivating. I saw a lot of familiar little moments in the book, so that part was well done.
But I was disappointed by how much was revealed. Camilla basically admits all of her lies in the first chapter and I felt there was literally no mystery to the book. I think it would have been much more interesting if I as a reader was trying to figure out the lies like the main characters.
But I was disappointed by how much was revealed. Camilla basically admits all of her lies in the first chapter and I felt there was literally no mystery to the book. I think it would have been much more interesting if I as a reader was trying to figure out the lies like the main characters.