The story wasn't very plausible at times but I wasn't too bothered by it and overall I enjoyed the story. I planned on giving it 4 stars unti3.5 stars
The story wasn't very plausible at times but I wasn't too bothered by it and overall I enjoyed the story. I planned on giving it 4 stars until I got to the end, which I didn't care for at all....more
I can't get over how brilliantly Backman writes, how he makes his characters so real, how he is so good at observing and putting things into 4.5 stars
I can't get over how brilliantly Backman writes, how he makes his characters so real, how he is so good at observing and putting things into words.
This had all the great things the other books have and it tore my heart out, but I also felt at times it dragged a bit and was repetitive, and could easily have been 200 pages shorter....more
Taylor Jenkins Reid has a way to make you feel like you're reading a true story, or perhaps even actually being there to witness it. This book transpoTaylor Jenkins Reid has a way to make you feel like you're reading a true story, or perhaps even actually being there to witness it. This book transported me to another world and I completely forgot about the real one, and that hasn't happened to me often lately. I found it very hard to put down and cared a lot for all the characters. ...more
This was an average book for me. I never really connected to the characters or the story, and I think because of that everything that happened didn't This was an average book for me. I never really connected to the characters or the story, and I think because of that everything that happened didn't touch me as much as it normally would. It got a bit better from chapter 3 1/2, but this book didn't affect me like it does many other readers....more
There are so many things I feel about this book and that I would love to write about in a raving review, but I just don't know how to properly put it There are so many things I feel about this book and that I would love to write about in a raving review, but I just don't know how to properly put it into words without falling short. Fredrik Backman has not only a gift for observing the world and the people in it, but also a gift for putting his observations into words. If I had highlighted every sentence I was impressed/awed/touched by, I would have had a very colourful book. ...more
I seem to be the odd one out. I absolutely loved The Rosie Project. Then there was The Rosie Effect. I was in doubt whether to read it, becau2.5 stars
I seem to be the odd one out. I absolutely loved The Rosie Project. Then there was The Rosie Effect. I was in doubt whether to read it, because wasn't just the first book enough? How could it ever live up to that one? Would it ruin everything? Turns out I loved that one too. So I wasn't hesitant at all to read The Rosie Result. I hate to say it, but this was quite a disappointment to me. I did not feel the connection to the characters as I did in the previous books, and honestly, much of the time I found the book even boring. It's 2.5 stars but I'll round up because I enjoyed the rest of the series so much....more
I loved the idea of this story! The title was also what caught my eye, as I had never heard of it before but based on the title decided that 3.5 stars
I loved the idea of this story! The title was also what caught my eye, as I had never heard of it before but based on the title decided that I needed to read it. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, and it picked up again at the end, but at some point it got a little slow for me (which may also be due to a small reading slump I'm in though). ...more
I had very high expectations for this book. They didn't quite come true, but I still enjoyed it. I had some issues with the writing. It wasn't bad, noI had very high expectations for this book. They didn't quite come true, but I still enjoyed it. I had some issues with the writing. It wasn't bad, not at all, but there were so many metaphores that it was distracting at times and kept me from really getting into the story. In the first half of the book I also didn't feel a need to get back to it, but at some point that changed and suddenly I found it much harder to put down. Also, and I loved learning about Al-Idrisi, who actually was a real map maker back in the 1100s. ...more
Sad and funny, heartbreaking and uplifting, it shows the meanest and kindest of people, it makes you laugh and makes you cry. Wonderful, just wonderfuSad and funny, heartbreaking and uplifting, it shows the meanest and kindest of people, it makes you laugh and makes you cry. Wonderful, just wonderful....more
I feel so conflicted over this book. I don't even know if I should rate it. In general, I really enjoyed it. Slavery is a topic that interests me, andI feel so conflicted over this book. I don't even know if I should rate it. In general, I really enjoyed it. Slavery is a topic that interests me, and I liked how the story was built up, with the alternating chapters covering Cora's escape and perspectives of other characters. The writing was sometimes a little unnecessarily complicated and preachery, some scenes regarding treatment of slaves a bit too graphic and intended to shock the reader, but still, it would have been a 4-star read for me.
However, there are two major issues I have with this book (or so I thought): 1) Slavery was a horrific period in time, and the most awful things occured. It's very important that this is written about, people learn about it, and it is never forgotten. There was also enough going on to fill tons of books with, so I just don't understand why in this book events from other time periods (view spoiler)[ (skyscrapers, syphillis experiments, female sterilization to name a few) (hide spoiler)] and simply made-up stuff (view spoiler)[ (for example the railroad being an actual railroad, the 'freedom trail' in the completely white state of North-Carolina) (hide spoiler)] needed to be in there. 2) Related to the above, I think an author writing historical fiction has a certain responsibility to his/her readers, by staying as true to the facts as possible. I always very much appreciate an afterword in which is explained what is based on fact and what was fiction because no facts were available. This is lacking in the current book, which I think is bad. Very bad. I've been reading reviews of people who were not so familiar with slavery before, and who now believe that the underground railroad was an actual railroad with underground trains, and that all the other stuff in the spoilers above was real too. So these people are greatly miseducated about the truth of slavery. Perhaps not an issue in the US where people learn about all this in school, but in other places (Europe for example) US history is not covered in detail, and as the book reads like historical fiction, many people will easily take all this for the truth. It would have been so easy (and I think necessary) to include a note at the end explaining what was truth and what was fiction.
But then I started thinking... what if this book was never intended as historical fiction? It surely is shelved that way by many, and hearing that it's about slavery it's easy to assume so, but I checked the book and it's actually not mentioned there at all. And of course, every writer is free to write a book as they please, writing about an important time in history, but with changing facts or making up events. So perhaps the two issues I raised above are not so bad at all, and it's my fault to assume that I would be reading historical fiction, while it was never intended that way.
In any case, given those reviews by people who now think they learned a lot but actually believe all the wrong things, I still think that no matter how the book was intended, there should be an explanatory note at the end. And for that, I'll give it 3 stars instead of 4.
Thanks for reading my rant, glad I got this off my chest!...more
I really liked the premise of this book, but it did not live up to my expectations. It was soon clear to me that I didn't really connect to the characI really liked the premise of this book, but it did not live up to my expectations. It was soon clear to me that I didn't really connect to the characters and the story itself, but also the writing itself was a bit mediocre and some of the things happening were just unrealistic or served no function. At some point it went only downhill, when (view spoiler)[ there was a ghost in the house, and Sunshine knew all about the objects by just touching them. I don't mind a bit of magical realism in a book, but it just felt weird here. (hide spoiler)]...more
Liane Moriarty is one of those authors of whom I've had several books on my tbr for ages, but which I somehow never seem to pick up. Until no3.5 stars
Liane Moriarty is one of those authors of whom I've had several books on my tbr for ages, but which I somehow never seem to pick up. Until now! This is not the type of book I usually read, but I quite enjoyed it. It was a fast read that kept me interested. There were also some things that annoyed me though. I'll try some of her others too....more
