“Well, you know what they say. The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings,” she said.“The mockingjay?” He laughed. “Really, I think you’re just ma
“Well, you know what they say. The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings,” she said.“The mockingjay?” He laughed. “Really, I think you’re just making these things up.”“Not that one. A mockingjay’s a bona fide bird,” she assured him.“And it sings in your show?” he asked.“Not my show, sweetheart. Yours. The Capitol’s anyway.” pg. 168
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was an absolute masterpiece! I think this might even be my favourite book in the series. I read The Hunger Games trilogy for the first time when I was 12, and as I get older the books (and movies) only get better as I understand them at a deeper level and see the resemblances to our world today. The amount of thought and detail that was put into Panem is astonishing, every detail is so well thought through, Suzanne Collins' mind is truly incredible. It was so interesting to read this from Snow's perspective, I loved how it gave so much context to his actions in the original trilogy, especially his hate for mockingjays, which the movie omits. His inner monologue as he descends into madness is gripping. Collins does a brilliant job of making Snow fluctuate between good and bad choices, which at times can make you question whether or not you are rooting for him. Tigris was by far my favourite character, and Hunter Schafer did a stunning job as her in the film. I really enjoyed all of the subtle callbacks to the original trilogy, like the relatives of different characters, The Hob and The Seam, and the hidden meaning behind it being "a little too early for katniss". The thought of Snow hearing Katniss sing 'Deep in the Meadow' for Rue in the 74th Hunger Games and 'The Hanging Tree' as the song of the rebellion in Mockingjay, had me cackling after learning the background of the songs. He seriously deserves to rot in hell. I highly recommend picking this up if you're a Hunger Games fan, it will not disappoint!
“Lucy Gray’s fate was a mystery, then, just like the little girl who shared her name in that maddening song. Was she alive, dead, a ghost who haunted the wilderness? Perhaps no one would ever really know.” pg. 514
one of the most heartwarming romances i've ever read. if you take anything from my goodreads its that you need to read this book - review to come! one of the most heartwarming romances i've ever read. if you take anything from my goodreads its that you need to read this book - review to come! ...more
"God help you, child," she whispers. "If you were mine, I'd never leave you in a house with strangers." pg. 18
Foster by Claire Keegan is a beautiful s
"God help you, child," she whispers. "If you were mine, I'd never leave you in a house with strangers." pg. 18
Foster by Claire Keegan is a beautiful short story that evokes big emotions in such little pages. It takes place in rural Ireland, following a young child who is taken to live with distant relatives, not knowing if or when she will return home. She soon learns that there is a huge juxtaposition between her original home, where she and her many siblings starve due to an alcoholic father who leaves barely enough money to feed the family, and her new home, which is full of warmth and love.
"Ah, the women are nearly always rightm all the same," he says. "Do you know what the women have a gift for?" "What?" "Eventualies. A good woman can look far down the line and smell what is coming before a man even gets a sniff of it." pg. 38
The writing and prose in this story is stunning. I was raw and emotional, without being aggressive and overbearing. The Irish countryside setting, with a hint of The Troubles, really served well to mirror the contrasting worlds the young girl was experiencing, one of conflict and one of closeness Foster really reminded me why literary fiction is my favorite genre, I really have not read enough of it this year!...more
this was incredible and perspective changing. it will undoubtably become life changing as i apply what i learned. i need to get myself a copy to rereathis was incredible and perspective changing. it will undoubtably become life changing as i apply what i learned. i need to get myself a copy to reread and highlighy because i highlighted 38 quotes, lines and paragraphs. this should also be required reading for sure. it was an amazing introduction to bell hooks, can't wait to read more of their work!...more
this was incredible! it was my first introduction to miriam toews, and i actually won a paperback copy in a goodreads giveaway, so thank you goodreadsthis was incredible! it was my first introduction to miriam toews, and i actually won a paperback copy in a goodreads giveaway, so thank you goodreads:)
fight night takes place in toronto, following (and narrated by) 9 year old Swiv, who lives with her mom (who is pregnant with gord) and grandma, who she helps take care of since being kicked out of school. it was incredibly witty, but also depicted living in a small house/apartment with a multigenerational family and childhood trauma as a whole, from the perspective of grandma, mom, and swiv.
the narration by and characterization of swiv was so good and effective. i felt like i was in her head, truly viewing her world from her perspective and she was so so funny. i love when characters feel real and she felt so real. especially when swiv was using words and phrases clearly learned from her grandma, i was laughing because she incorporated them into regular 9 year old language. i also annotated my book with pencil and was underlining so many of swiv's thoughts and adding LOL beside so many paragraphs.
i am very excited to read more miriam toews, especially women talking! this will also probably end up in my top books of 2023 which i love<3...more
This was such a beautiful story of friendship, love, and empathy <3 I can't wait to talk to my book club friends about it this weekend! I am a huge faThis was such a beautiful story of friendship, love, and empathy <3 I can't wait to talk to my book club friends about it this weekend! I am a huge fan of translated fiction, and Almond was such a good second book of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if it makes my top books of 2023 list in December....more
Beautifully written and heartbreaking, Crying in H Mart is one of my favourite books of 2023 so far. The real and raw emotions surrounding family, carBeautifully written and heartbreaking, Crying in H Mart is one of my favourite books of 2023 so far. The real and raw emotions surrounding family, career paths, growing up, and grief are balanced out by descriptions of food that leave your stomach grumbling and mouth-watering. It is a unique and powerful memoir that, in my opinion, is a must read.
Written by Michelle Zauner, who is the lead singer of the pop band Japanese Breakfast, Crying in H Mart takes the reader through Michelle's upbringing, into adulthood where her mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and then through the grief of that experience, before her band took off internationally. While reading, I was constantly underlining quotes, and it's safe to say that they speak for themselves.
Here are some of my favourite quotes:
"My grief comes in waves and is usually triggered by something arbitrary." pg. 5
"We caught up with each other's postgraduate lives. He had just finished a cover story on Lana Del Rey and when I pressed him for details on the interview, he told me she chain-smoked through its entirety and recorded the whole thing on her iPhone to guard against misquotes, which endeared me to her." pg. 42 I love Lana ...more
"What is worse: being locked outside of your own mind, or being locked inside of it?" pg. 215
Her Body and Other Parties is a collection of queer, femi
"What is worse: being locked outside of your own mind, or being locked inside of it?" pg. 215
Her Body and Other Parties is a collection of queer, feminist, horror short stories, that explore a number of common struggles and themes that plague our everyday lives as women. Using a variety of classic horror stories, urban legends, and contemporary shows, mixed with magical realism, fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopia, Machado writes of motherhood, femininity, societal expectations, and violence against both women's bodies and minds. It was strange, mesmerizing, haunting, and emotional, with riveting yet elegant prose.
"A wife,” he says, “should have no secrets from her husband.” “I don’t have any secrets,” I tell him. “The ribbon.” “The ribbon is not a secret; it’s just mine.” “A wife should have no secrets.” My nose grows hot. I do not want to cry. “Why do you want to hide it from me?” “I’m not hiding it. It just isn’t yours.” pg. 24
My favourite story in this collection was 'The Husband Stitch' which is a modern retelling of the classic children's scary story, 'The Green Ribbon', featured in Alvin Schwartz's collection In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories. In this story, Machado explores the themes of autonomy, gender roles, motherhood, and the patriarchy, through a woman chronicling her life and marriage from aged 17 onward in first-person narration. One thing that really elevated this story was the references to other classic scary stories from Alvin Schwartz's collection Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, which she used to emphasize her main themes. These included the stories, Just Delicious, The Girl Who Stood on a Grave, The Big Toe, The Wolf Girl, and The Hook, and I remember my classmates and I read all of these scary stories to one another out loud at around age 10, which added an element of nostalgia for me. Additionally, I loved the instructions included in parenthesis throughout the story for what to do if you were reading this story out loud.
“I drank water and set up my tent and began to make lists. Every teacher beginning with preschool. Every job I’ve ever had. Every home I’ve ever lived in. Every person I’ve ever loved. Every person who has probably loved me. Next week, I will be thirty. The sand is blowing into my mouth, my hair, the center crevice of my notebook, and the sea is choppy and gray. Beyond it, I can see the cottage, a speck on the far shore. I keep thinking I can see the virus blooming on the horizon like a sunrise. I realize the world will continue to turn, even with no people on it. Maybe it will go a little faster.” pg. 48
Although this collection is not for everyone, I think it is a really exceptional piece of work, especially for a debut. Some of my other favourites in the collection include 'Real Women Have Bodies', 'Eight Bites', and 'The Resident'. Although there is a large focus on the abuse endured by women's bodies, there was the celebration of our bodies as well. Machado's ability to trap you inside the mind of a character is really rare, I adore her writing so much and look forward to reading the next thing she writes! This is my book club's October book club pick, read along with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejgbookclub/ !
this was an incredibly heartbreaking story, i had to keep myself from crying at work. my heart was aching for them all, anyone who struggles with addithis was an incredibly heartbreaking story, i had to keep myself from crying at work. my heart was aching for them all, anyone who struggles with addiction, and all the people addiction impacts. it was so so well written, and i am definitely going to read nic's memoir! ...more
Emma Griffioen
>
Books:
2023favourites
(9)
Loading...
