In this book translated from Korean, we follow Hornclaw - an elderly lady who is coming up to the twilight years of her career as an assassin. As HornIn this book translated from Korean, we follow Hornclaw - an elderly lady who is coming up to the twilight years of her career as an assassin. As Hornclaw thinks back on her life and the decisions that she made to lead her up to now, someone close to her begins a revenge plan to bring her down.
I didn’t know what I was going to think of this book going into it but I found it very paced, fun and I really loved getting to know Hornclaw’s background. She was a fascinating character with a personality of steel but also someone you would want to have on your side. I enjoyed seeing the moments when a peek of humanity would come through such as her thoughts about the young doctor, his daughter and also her past relationship with her mentor. Not to mention her relationship with her dog who she comes home to every night but also makes sure to leave a window open for in case she never comes home.
This book also highlights quite well some of the feelings and experiences of being an aging person in a world and society that overlook the old in favor of the young. We see Hornclaw traded roughly and rudely by her younger counterparts and even going around on her day to day business she is almost invisible (which of course can come in handy in her line of work).
I enjoyed this a lot - there is some violence in it as can be expected but I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Hornclaw during this book....more
Hector is a psychiatrist and feels happy with his life until one day he’s starts pondering the meaning of happiness. Feeling like he can’t help his paHector is a psychiatrist and feels happy with his life until one day he’s starts pondering the meaning of happiness. Feeling like he can’t help his patients without answering this question for himself, he embarks on a world tour to discover what happiness means in different places.
This book is very cutesy and Hector appears to be a slightly bumbling yet charming person who manages to make friends wherever he goes. The writing and the story is slightly simplistic and there’s nothing Hector discovers about happiness and what it is that’s mind-blowing or would be new to any reader. Unfortunately Hector is also a womanizer in a way that’s worse than actively doing it because he seems to just fall into bed with random women accidentally and then loves a woman for who he thinks she is rather than who she actually is.
This was fine but I won’t be reading any of the sequels with Hector....more
I'm not exactly sure what I just read, and what actually happened in this book but I liked it, and I want to know what happens next.
Giving this a 3-stI'm not exactly sure what I just read, and what actually happened in this book but I liked it, and I want to know what happens next.
Giving this a 3-star out of pure confusion of what is going on in this story but I have a feeling this book/story will stay in my head for a long time, and I will think about it so much it may be bumped up to a 4-star....more
A story about a rather evil genetic engineer, a very cute pink elephant and the people determined to save her from being used and abused for the purpoA story about a rather evil genetic engineer, a very cute pink elephant and the people determined to save her from being used and abused for the purpose of science.
I enjoyed listening to this story where we see a man suffering from homelessness and alcoholism change his life when he accidentally ends up in charge of a miniature elephant who needs his help - there are lots of heartwarming moment in this that an animal lover will appreciate, and while some bits are hard to read (baby elephants being killed at the start of the book, and general cruelty/handling of circus elephants), the overall message of the book is well received - animals should be allowed to be animals, and humans are gross.
I received this book from Book Break UK in exchange for an honest review.
Kayleigh is finally telling her story about her dark time working 3-3.5 stars
I received this book from Book Break UK in exchange for an honest review.
Kayleigh is finally telling her story about her dark time working as a content moderator for a giant unnamed tech corporation, and it's her job to watch any flagged videos and deem if they are worth staying on the platform or be taken down. During her job, under stressful conditions and not enough breaks, Kayleigh and her colleagues witness horrific acts and have to play 'gods' in a way when it comes to leaving these videos up or not - and if they make the wrong decision, their corporate bosses breathe down their neck. Kayleigh's work and personal life entangle as she starts dating her colleague Sigrid but soon what everyone is absorbing every day turn things ugly.
This book is really interesting on so many levels. The mental health and toil of real life content moderators were the inspiration behind this book, as the author writes within her acknowledgements and as someone who, while not a content moderator, has worked a job which meant I was often privy to some really horrific and disturbing online content, I definitely was able to relate to some of what Kayleigh and her colleagues were going through here. What's going on in this story definitely feels like a very much exaggerated form of the life of content moderations, I definitely don't think it's that far from the truth unfortunately. It's easy to see how the work and content being absorbed directly resulted in people drinking and smoking more heavily, and finding solace in each other. The mental health of content moderators, as well as that of online journalists, who are sitting at a desk in a safe part of the world but still bearing witness to terrible moments of war, cruelty or human depravity is one that we still have a lot to learn about and I think this is reflected within this book.
I thought it so interesting how we see Kyo and Sigrid begin to fall prey to some conspiracy beliefs from idea that the earth is flat, to Holocaust denial and this in a way reflects what one sees on all sorts of forums from Facebook to 4chan and how if people are absorbing enough information and opinions/ideas even if unintentional it may actually start shaping the way they are thinking.
I definitely think this book could have done with another chapter at least and while the ending was there for shock value, it did feel that little bit too abrupt for me and I felt unsatisfied....more
A new craze is sweeping the worlf. Forget Tamagotchis, and Furbys - this time, it's all about the Kentuki; a small robot-like animal with a c3.5 stars
A new craze is sweeping the worlf. Forget Tamagotchis, and Furbys - this time, it's all about the Kentuki; a small robot-like animal with a camera. People can choose to be a keeper or a dweller - those who buy a kentuki and let it live inside their home, and those who buy access to the control of one, and from the comfort of their own home, and watch and experience someone else's.
In Little Eyes, we follow a group of different people, young and old, and their experiences with kentukis and in turn, their experience and feelings about technology, human connection and loneliness. We see how kentukis an technology can be used for good in so many ways, helping people who feel lonely connect with someone in an intense way, and how others can use the kentuki for bad things - and how some even let the kentukis get inside their head.
I enjoyed this short novel and I think it delved into what it means to find a connection with something or someone. I liked the overall message about life and technology, and what today's technology can do or mean for people. The translation was good in this, and I would recommend it!...more
Translated from French, Small Country is narrated by a man called Gabriel or 'Gaby' who is looking back on his idyllic childhood in Burundi, until theTranslated from French, Small Country is narrated by a man called Gabriel or 'Gaby' who is looking back on his idyllic childhood in Burundi, until the Rwandan War and genocide spilled over to its neighbour and caused over 15 years of strife, and caused thousands of people to be displaced from their homes.
This is a beautifully told story about Gaby's childhood in Burundi, his family including his French father and his own complicated relationship with France and Burundi, and then his group of friends who all stay boys together until the different points that they decide/are forced to become men which eventually fractures their little group.
While Gaby fortunately never has to witness the violence of the Rwandan Genocide, he is touched by it in different ways from his family members being killed, his Rwandan mother traumatised by the things she saw when she travelled to find her family, and what happens in Burundi as the Tutsi community takes revenge on the Hutus.
I think this book served as a great piece of informative storytelling about the effects of the Rwandan War outside of Rwanda itself, and if you know nothing about the Rwandan genocide it might be a good stepping stone in literature before reading more about it.
I did find myself wishing we had more time with an adult Gaby on his return to Burundi, and I think that the same story told in flashbacks as Gaby reacquainted himself to Burundi would have been great....more
Crimson is a short novel following the lives of 5 different people living in Nuuk, Greenland, and all of them are exploring their queer identity in soCrimson is a short novel following the lives of 5 different people living in Nuuk, Greenland, and all of them are exploring their queer identity in some way.
The chapters are very slice of life, and while the stream of consciousness might not work for everyone and in other books, I haven't always liked this style, I really enjoyed the writing style in Crimson. I found the book so easy to read, and I really flew through everyone's chapters, and I did feel like I got a brief glimpse of who each character was and what drove them. I do think one of my favourite chapters was the first chapter with Fia, and her realisation of her queer identity which she had never truly acknowledged before. The joy within Fia when everything clicked into place was lovely to read.
I wish we had more time with Ivik, especially after he accepts his trans identity (though it is strange that Ivik had to be 'told' about his identity rather than coming to it himself. And was then dumped because of it. Maybe all slightly problematic). I think we really only got the tip of the iceberg with Ivik and there was so much more to uncover.
I really enjoyed this. The writing flowed really well, and the translation was good. The language was on the crasser side of things so maybe not one for someone who prefers to read 'clean' books. I'm definitely interested in reading more from the author when her work is further translated into English....more
I received this book from Book Break UK in exchange for an honest review.
30-something year old Fuyuko Irie is used to being alone, never having a closI received this book from Book Break UK in exchange for an honest review.
30-something year old Fuyuko Irie is used to being alone, never having a close friend in school or in young adulthood. She thinks she's content with her freelance, work from home life, never speaking to many people and occupying herself with her job plus a walk every year on her birthday to see all the Christmas lights out at night time. But one day Fuyuko decides she wants to do more and meets a man called Mitsutsuka, who along with her colleague Hijiri may coax her out of her shell.
This book is very much 'sad girl' vibes - Fuyuko lives an extremely isolated life and while at first, it seems this is what she wants and craves, as we learn more about her there is definitely a sense of loneliness and the feeling of something missing which is when she turns to drinking.
I found the chapters where Fuyuko was drinking quite hard to read, and seeing her treat herself in such a way and putting herself in embarrassing situations. It also felt like there was no real 'reason' behind her drinking other than something to do with her time, and the serious, methodical way she approached it felt quite odd and disconcerting at first. Obviously, we learn about a trauma in Fuyuko's past and that explains why she has retreated from society, and this was also a very hard chapter to read.
I always find Mieko Kawakami's books a beautiful, engrossing read as she writes about stories that in the heart are so simple but she brings out the extraordinary moments in them, and all those special moments within people and between people. I loved the examination on friendship, in all its forms and glory, as well as that of potential romantic relationships and the tenderness, fear and exhilaration - as well as bravery - that is involved in entering one.
I recently read a book called Violets by Kyung-Sook Shin, which is a Korean book about another woman who has been lonely and isolated her whole life. All the Lovers in the Night gave me the save vibes and melancholy feeling as Violets (though All the Lovers feels a bit more hopeful) so if you like this, I'd recommend the other!...more
Breasts and Eggs is a Tokyo-based story set in two different parts. The first section (Breasts) follows the narrator Natsuko as she is visited by her Breasts and Eggs is a Tokyo-based story set in two different parts. The first section (Breasts) follows the narrator Natsuko as she is visited by her older sister Makiko and her teenage niece Midoriko. Makiko has come to Tokyo to look into breast augmentation surgery, and Midoriko is having a hard time with this, alongside all the other horrors of being a young teenage girl on the verge of a whole load of body/hormonal changes. The second part of the book (Eggs) follows Natsuko on her own, around 10 years later, as she continues to pursue her career of being an author and looks into finally having her own child via IVF which is complicated in itself as a single woman.
This story was just so interesting and well-written with a character who I felt was peeled back and revealed to us layer by layer as she continue to dive into the core of her being, and examining her wishes and desires. First off, the translation of this book is really excellent. I'm no expert by any means but I found it just so easy to read, the language and writing flowed really, really well. Absolutely seamless.
I thought the exploration of Natsuko in this book was so thought-provoking and hard-hitting as well as just all kinds of raw. The book very much explores what it means to be a woman, particularly in Japanese society, and everything that comes with that mark of being a woman - being young and beautiful, and if not young, making yourself look as perfect as you can through beauty treatments and invasive surgery. The fears of growing older but also just growing up - how terrifying it can be to be on the periphery of girl to woman, and knowing all the different things your body will go through for years and years, and feeling disconnected from that body somehow because of the horror of it all. And then making decisions about motherhood, how womanhood and being a mother are linked in different ways whether you have a child, or remain childless. How it can define you even if you don't want it to.
One of the things I found very interesting was the discussions around IVF/sperm donation and women choosing to have children without a partner. I didn't know there was so much red tape for single women who wanted to have a child and the sometimes dangerous ways women would have to choose to have a child via sperm donation if they want one. Loads of big questions here too around the population of the world and if it's ethical to have any children at all seeing as no-one asks to be born. You can take a lot from that, and everyone will probably have a different opinion.
Natsuko goes through a lot in this book, and I feel like we just see her on the edge of a lot of things all the time. I just wanted her to keep going, and trying and believing in herself. I always felt like she could give a little bit more to everything.
I did think for a while this would be a 5-star read for me but it did lose me near the end, as I felt just a little bit fatigued by the story I think. I also did miss the inclusion of Makiko and Midoriko in the later story as I felt like they were so interesting in the first half and they both had great but different dynamics with Natsuko.
The Little Girl on the Ice Floe is an extremely raw aCW: Sexual assault, child abuse, mental illness, depression, suicidal thoughts, disordered eating
The Little Girl on the Ice Floe is an extremely raw and visceral memoir written by Adelaide Bon and detailing the moment in her young life when a man sexually assaulted and raped her. From that moment on, a darkness creeps into Adelaide's life and she has to learn how to tackle her anxiety, depression and PTSD from the day for the rest of her life.
This book is so beautifully written, and I so deeply appreciate every word Adelaide shared about her traumatic, horrible experience that no-one should ever have to go through but also all the pain, the suffering and the dark thoughts she had (for herself and for others). This book is one you can't really say you enjoyed because the content matter is so troubling and sad. All I can really say is how in awe I am of Adelaide and all the other women out there who are brave enough to tackle their own thoughts and share their stories.
There are some parts in this that are so, so hard to read - moments where Adelaide is hating herself, when she is thinking about the things that were done to her and describing them in detail and then, what I found particularly hard, was when Adelaide has her son and has a lot of complicated thoughts about this little male in her life as well as the fears she has about what her childhood trauma may have done to her to spoil her child's life.
This isn't a book I would recommend to anyone really because I don't know if everyone would be able to read it or not be triggered or affected in anyway by the content of Adelaide's story. But if you feel in a strong headspace to read a survivor story, this one is just stunning and gut-wrencing. ...more
I received this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, this book is just a big emotional sucker punch to thI received this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, this book is just a big emotional sucker punch to the gut and I'm still reeling.
TW: Sexual assault + PTSD, homophobia, gay slurs (multiple uses of the f-word).
Beartown is still struggling to deal with the fallout of the town's rising hockey star being accused of sexual assault by the daughter of the club's general manager. Now Kevin has left town for good, but for Maya she is still struggling to survive in a town that's been torn apart from either believing her, or accusing her of lying. Peter Anderson doesn't know how to stop his family from falling apart while at the same time, his club is also crumbling to dust - and Benji, the town's delinquent son/purest heart is helping others while keeping the biggest secret in his life close to his chest. By the end of the hockey season, someone will be dead and the sporting violence between Beartown and neighbouring Hed will have come to a terrible conclusion.
I love Fredrik Backman's writing - his characters are so full of life in a way I find it hard to see other authors really achieving, and he has a truly unique style to his writing that comes across perfectly even when translated which I think is a feat in itself. Like all his stories, Us Against You is full of self-deprecating humour and wonderful moments between people, while also highlighting the true ugliness in the world against the moments of beauty and hope. While Beartown deals with a heavy topic, I actually as a reader found Us Against You a heavier, harder book to read. I'm not sure I 100% enjoyed myself while reading this and I wonder if "enjoyed" is even the right word for the consumption of a book like this.
In a way I almost felt emotionally manipulated in this book as my feelings were on strings about to snap at any moment throughout the novel. I was so scared for every character even though for some we knew what lay ahead but with others we weren't so sure. I never knew if Leo, Benji or Ana was about to be hurt or something terrible happen. I was afraid for Sune and Peter and even Teemu (who if you're not picturing as Wentworth Miller, what's wrong with you?). The book is written really cleverly because you know enough to be really invested but never enough to feel like you won't be surprised by the next chapter. We might know that a character achieves his dream of becoming an NHL professional, but that doesn't mean we know the struggles of how he got there and the bumps in the road that made him stronger.
Once again, Fredrik Backman proves he can play my emotional strings like an expert fiddler and I'm happy to hand my reader's heart over to him any time!
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is aI received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a sweet, short novel about a very special cafe in Tokyo that allows people to go back to their past. There are, however, three rules - you can only go back in the past to meet someone who has visited the cafe, you must sit in a particular seat in the cafe while doing so and you must drink your coffee during your time travel window before it gets cold.
This was a very sweet novel that's very much about the different characters who frequent the cafe almost every day, as well as the reasons why some people we meet decide to go back to the past. Family, love, and different types of loss are the main reasons behind people's decisions to time travel and we see them explored in different ways and a huge array of emotions felt by all of our characters during them.
There's definitely some bittersweet lessons in this story about not being able to change the true outcomes of our actions, and therefore perhaps living each moment as we would always want to and appreciating those who show us kindness and bring something special to our lives.
A very nice read for a rainy day, and perhaps the perfect book to read while drinking a hot beverage ;)...more
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