Search
Search results
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Homegoing in Books
Jul 24, 2017
Extraordinary novel spanning seas and generations
A rather melancholic and at times bitterweet read, describing the journey of one family split into two lineages as a result of colonialism and slavery. It is rather horrific read to tales of rape and torture, but there is no way of skirting around the issue. What is more telling is the effects that eight generations of brutality has on a modern generation and how easy it is to dismiss today's problems without looking at the context.
Yaa Gyasi has really excelled in bringing the narratives together coherently. An important piece of literature worth putting as part of the school curriculum.
Yaa Gyasi has really excelled in bringing the narratives together coherently. An important piece of literature worth putting as part of the school curriculum.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Swing Time in Books
Jul 24, 2017
Soul-moving realism
This is probably my favourite Zadie Smith novel, deeply touching with characters bursting to life out of the pages. Hitting on themes of racial identity and pop culture, it is a brilliant contemporary take on what young adults are currently experiencing. From cultural appropriation to the effects of globalisation all summed up in the relationship of one young woman and her peers.
Her relationship with her mother is one of generational divide while with her friend Tracy is one of class divide. The protagonist's character is the epitome of confusion and attempting to find a place in the world. Well worth the praise.
Her relationship with her mother is one of generational divide while with her friend Tracy is one of class divide. The protagonist's character is the epitome of confusion and attempting to find a place in the world. Well worth the praise.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Once Upon an Ever After (Once Upon a Road Trip, #2) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
The amazing adventure of Angeli continues. After her road trip to explore half of America and meet some people from online face to face she returned to Minnesota with a new sense of self, a stronger sense of faith, and a new long distance boyfriend. In [Once Upon an Ever After] [Angela N. Blount] shows that nothing worth having is easy but it doesn't have to be hard as long as you stand by what you know and believe. This is an incredibly well written and well told coming of age novel for today. I highly recommend everyone read [Once Upon A Road Trip] and [Once Upon an Ever After].
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Wildfire in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[Wildfire] is a story of a young woman trying to escape her past and what is expected of her and finding where she belongs. It is a true coming of age novel of love, loss and discovery. [Mary Pauline Lowry] catches the true feeling of rebellion of the main character Julie as she tries to overcome the pain of her past with the Pikers, a hot shot crew, forest fire fighters who often hike or fly into the heart of fires all through fire season. This book kept me reading and was finished off in a day. It was a very well told story.
King at his finest
Epic, multi character novels are what Stephen King does best and It is a fantastic example. The characters are all well written, well developed, flawed but all loveable in their own ways. The plot itself is a mix between a coming of age and a horror story, and keeps you reading throughout this 900 page + novel. The finale does get a bit too bonkers in parts and there are a few aspects of the story that are a little unnecessary, but it's a sign of a great book when you get to the end and feel so sad that it's over.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Ghostbusters (2016) in Movies
Aug 13, 2017
Cameo appearances were awesome (1 more)
Acting from the leading ladies
Shouldn't be compared to the original (2 more)
Even this film was OTT
What was the point of Chris Hemsworth?
Nostalgic at the same time completely novel
It's like Bridesmaids mixed together with the original Ghostbusters. The wit and humour was completely innovative, not even comparable to the original which was excellent, however, the fact that the original four were super clumsy with their weapons was part of the charm - totally missed in this where they seem to be martial art masters after several attempts. The cameos were brilliant, only missing Harold Ramis. Enjoyable but not on the same level by far.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated 1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four in Books
Aug 15, 2017
One of the most life-changing books I've read
George Orwell's terrifying dystopian novel is one of those books that has gone down as the all-time top 100 books to read. It explores the idea of "double-think" not too dissimilar to what we currently call the "Post-Truth" era. Written in 1948, Orwell envisioned a world ruled by the Soviet Union in which all information was distorted and monitored to the point that thoughts were also exposed. It is terrifying beyond belief, as the main character Winston Smith attempts to explore his own mind not before facing the infamous Room 101. A really important read for our time.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross, #2) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
This wasn't Patterson's best novel.
it was obvious to me from the beginning that the killers were hiding underground. i knew Samson was going to get hurt, but honestly i think the blood-lust would have been better if he died. (even though Samson is one of my favorite characters.) some of the scenes were just a bit too... descriptive... for me. both in the murder details and that of the rapes. i skipped a few pages. and he was incredibly repeditive with Nana-- she always had to have the last word. (dude. you said it five times. we've got it.)
i'm hoping the next one is better.
it was obvious to me from the beginning that the killers were hiding underground. i knew Samson was going to get hurt, but honestly i think the blood-lust would have been better if he died. (even though Samson is one of my favorite characters.) some of the scenes were just a bit too... descriptive... for me. both in the murder details and that of the rapes. i skipped a few pages. and he was incredibly repeditive with Nana-- she always had to have the last word. (dude. you said it five times. we've got it.)
i'm hoping the next one is better.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated An Uncommon Education in Books
Apr 27, 2018
This novel sounded really good, and as an English major I thought I would like it. It started off really well; but after chapter 3 it sort of died. I felt like she was explaining her past too much, and I just wanted to move forward with the story and learn about her past little by little. I figured I'd set it down and come back to it in a few weeks with fresh eyes, but when I did I got the same feeling. I don't have the time to spend reading books I don't get hooked on. So if you don't have the patience, this one isn't for you.
Ruth Frampton (577 KP) rated Clara in Books
Apr 10, 2018
A translated French graphic novel, Clara is a little girl whose life is turned upside down. Told from her point of view, the sense of confusion is real with the reader having to work out what has happened to the little girl's life along with her and that journey tugs on the heart-strings of even the most callous reader. The gift of the doll starts off this confusion, the reader will understand the significance of the gift from an adults perspective but be wrenched by Clara's reaction to it. A good read, a good thought provoking narrative, a story that is likely to stay with you for many years.