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Not a fruitful weekend

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

October 18, 2021 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

Just 2/2 this past weekend with books with characters that irritated me–characters that act in ways that seem contradictory to their stated goals, for the purposes of creating tension. Which is funny because in this book we have a fish out of water teenager who learns that she is actually a member of the Japanese royal family! There is already many opportunities for drama! It would also be fair to admit that I was, at almost all points, comparing this novel to the Undisputed Queen […]

I really, really don’t like giving books bad reviews

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

October 18, 2021 by wicherwill 3 Comments

Sigh I really don’t like giving books negative reviews but I found myself endlessly infuriated by the decisions that characters made in this novel, in a way that I think is not because of ‘unlikability’ or anything but more to do with confusing writing and pacing (and generating drama through plot holes as opposed to plot). There’s also a bit of awkwardness with how Meltzer introduces characters and their key backstories. Rachel’s chronic disease–there are some great ways that similar character traits have been presented […]

Whitehead goes for a totally different vibe here–and it works very well

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

October 16, 2021 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

Free: got this new book from my library, which purchased it on my recommendation (and, as always, gets a chunk of change from me at year end as a blanket thank you! libraries are great!) This book started off somewhat slowly for me, which I found surprising since clarity of vision and scene has always stood out to me as one of Whitehead’s strengths. In both The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, the setting is almost as important (more important?) than the characters who move about it. […]

This one didn’t even blurb The Secret History but I was all in

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

October 16, 2021 by wicherwill 1 Comment

I mean, I frequently want novels I like to last longer, but in particular I wanted this novel to last longer at the outset, when I wasn’t even super invested in the various characters! The payoff would have been…immense. As it were, there are very, very strong The Secret History vibes in this book except that the twist/answer is not given away at the start but revealed, slowly, over time. There’s been a murder, this much we know for certain. Oliver served time for the crime, but […]

I know she’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I really like Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

October 16, 2021 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

I very much liked this novel! Reid has this knack for creating interesting scenarios that don’t involve thrillers or fantasy or anything much beyond the ordinary, and for me she does a great job doing so. This book is written entirely in the form of interviews–sometimes by the author, sometimes in the form of faux clippings from other magazines (or TV shows?) but always engaging. Someone called it out as “all tell, no show” but I disagree. The in-depth interview is a time honored tradition […]

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