Oof. This has a very good set up, and Henry clearly loves horror movies, but it’s an absolute mess. After a promising first third that ends in a big aOof. This has a very good set up, and Henry clearly loves horror movies, but it’s an absolute mess. After a promising first third that ends in a big action, the second third just meanders and does nothing with the momentum that this action could’ve propelled. The ending is a big ole mess of come on. After two one stars, I think I can say I’ve given Christina Henry a chance and I will skip them going forward. No matter how good the covers and titles are. ...more
Very well written and comprehensive, if light on conclusions. Best chapter by far was the Red Scare/McCarthyism look in to the blackballed artists likVery well written and comprehensive, if light on conclusions. Best chapter by far was the Red Scare/McCarthyism look in to the blackballed artists like Dalton Trumbo. Also really enjoyed the chapter about the showdown between Saving Private Ryan and Shakespeare In Love after reading Ed Zwick’s account in his recent book and the look into the “worst Oscars ever” which someone had recently shown me clips of, was interesting to get the backstory of how that came to pass (look up Snow White Oscars if you’re curious)....more
This was fine! I think I had really high hopes and it's not entirely fair to go in like that, setting up myself for disappointment, bu2.5 Rounding Up.
This was fine! I think I had really high hopes and it's not entirely fair to go in like that, setting up myself for disappointment, but I think I was looking for like, the intrigue of Agatha Christie and the wry humor/comedy of manners of Austen, and it left me wanting on both fronts.
The murder-mystery was kind of convoluted and not really all that intriguing? I think maybe this is a me problem: I genuinely didn't care who killed Wickham, I also wanted him dead lol so if you're going to make a mystery out of it, at least make it more compelling! Maybe trying to stay too close to the histories of the characters made it tough to build something more interesting?
The comedy of manners part also was distracted by the mystery, which also led to characters doing things that were absolutely NOT ok by in the Regency (like young women and men being alone a LOT, talking about chamber pots, etc.) that were like...ok she had to try to work this out but if she's going to take so much time to stay true to the histories of the characters, maybe there was another way to do some of these things that felt so absolutely contrived. I wondered if there wasn't another way to do them, but she also used them as a way to meta-discuss the manners of the day as if the reader doesn't know, so maybe she wanted to do those?
Gray clearly loves Jane Austen and spends a lot of time putting characters who we all know together in an interesting way and paying true homage to their histories. This was tough for me because I kind of hated seeing some of my favorite characters not getting along (trying to skirt spoilers here) though I think she wraps things very nicely. The few points where she actually got some of the humor nailed (like Mrs. Elton!) were quite charming. I genuinely wished I had enjoyed this more, and I honestly wonder if I would've liked it more in print v. audio. The audiobook narrator was fine, no complaints about her but honestly? I kind of fuzzed out a lot and had to go back and relisten to a lot of things because I wasn't drawn in enough to focus on it....more
There's a lot to like about this, not the least of which is that Smith definitely has a way with words, as evidenced by the poem after which this collThere's a lot to like about this, not the least of which is that Smith definitely has a way with words, as evidenced by the poem after which this collection of essays is titled. However...
It repeats itself sooo oooo oooo much. It loops back on itself and not in the fun way that reveals something new with each passing, but like she forgot she told us this thing already and has to keep saying it, and then you're like, Mom, you told me this already, let's move on. It's tough to rate this fairly because after reading Leslie Jamison's recent book about her divorce, I'm finding this one so lacking in self-awareness and growth by comparison. I was gobsmacked at the end to find that this is not her first but her SECOND book about her divorce, and I stopped reading it as an artifact and wanted to reach out to her and see if I could help her move on.*
*To be extremely fair - her ex-husband does sound like a total knob and like she's definitely better off without him. Which is why I want her to get over it so badly so she can go make some other kind of art rather than dedicating so much print to being mad at this absolute DB. WE WANT BETTER FOR YOU, GIRL! THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE YOUR BRAIN!...more
ETA: Coming back to rate this 3.5 rounding up because I did genuinely enjoy it, even if it didn't really scare me,Man. I don’t know what to rate this!
ETA: Coming back to rate this 3.5 rounding up because I did genuinely enjoy it, even if it didn't really scare me, and because it is more creative and interesting than some of the other film/found footage/ horror movie books that are dropping into the market like every five minutes it seems. Not a rave review, I know, but I would recommend it, which is more than I can say for some others out there (**coughSILVERNITRATEcough**)
Even though the audiobook production was excellent and I really liked the full cast, I honestly think I would've enjoyed this a lot more in print, late at night. ...more
Not rating because DNF. Just wasn’t holding my interest at all. Very on the nose and overly telegraphing what I’m guessing is coming next. Not investeNot rating because DNF. Just wasn’t holding my interest at all. Very on the nose and overly telegraphing what I’m guessing is coming next. Not invested enough to see if my guess is right. Would watch a TV show of it though. ...more
I have had this on my most anticipated releases list almost all year long, so I'm bummed to say that it didn't live up to my expectations. It wants toI have had this on my most anticipated releases list almost all year long, so I'm bummed to say that it didn't live up to my expectations. It wants to be literary fiction, but the writing is pretty pedestrian and doesn't trust its readers to interpret or understand anything so like nothing is left implied. Everything is fully, thoroughly explained, which leaves no room for mystery or hidden agendas or surprises and also is just annoying, please trust us to get what you are saying.
Additionally, I don't think it's saying anything new about wealth or privilege or the people who want those things, so it's not even an interesting addition to that canon.
To make matters worse, it becomes at 60% through a kind of thriller that honestly doesn't make sense and makes the story even less interesting. I was baffled by this turn.
Add to this that the female characters are cardboard cutouts with no real inner depth and the changes to the main character don't feel like the motivation is very thoroughly built up such that his actions in the third act feel very shallow. If you want something half baked but dishy that skewers the rich and social climbers alike, I'd suggest watching Saltburn rather than reading this.
Rating for the audiobook narrator: 3 stars. Workmanlike. ...more
So. Much. Good. Gossip. Also kind of glowing about Woody Allen, so ymmv. I think this is really a 3.5 but for the most part, Zwick names names and I fSo. Much. Good. Gossip. Also kind of glowing about Woody Allen, so ymmv. I think this is really a 3.5 but for the most part, Zwick names names and I found it juicy so...rounding up....more
So, so smutty and so, so sweet. Pure unrealistic escapist fantasy, but who doesn’t need that every once in a while? (And honestly, far better from a cSo, so smutty and so, so sweet. Pure unrealistic escapist fantasy, but who doesn’t need that every once in a while? (And honestly, far better from a character development and emotional intelligence standpoint than most of its peers!)...more
I read everything that Ruth Ware writes but I always end up giving the books like 3 stars? This book does some things very differently than her other I read everything that Ruth Ware writes but I always end up giving the books like 3 stars? This book does some things very differently than her other mysteries which I both enjoyed and was unprepared for so I am willing to admit that I was judging it harshly at first due to like, being frustrated with it for being a different book than the one I expected from her. Shame on me, good on Ware for trying something new! I do, though, really wish that just once we could spend some time in the mind of someone confident. All of her MCs are mincing, nervous, insecure, and they never stand up for themselves or say what they want or are trying to make someone happy or placate them and then they end up in perfectly ridiculous situations. Couldn't the next one be someone overly confident and clueless or something? It gets exhausting being in the head of someone who always second guesses themselves. The plusses besides the newness of the plot are that stuff always happens in Ware's books, there's never a lack of action, and I do think the endings are most of the time genuinely interesting, even when they don't stick the landing, and this one is no exception. I do wish that, as always, the editing was tighter. We got a lot of detail on things that didn't advance the plot or heighten the tension, it just drew things out. So...maybe now I understand how I always get to 3 stars lol...more
4.5 rounding up. Most of this is excellent and should be required reading, a couple of arguments felt not as clear as they could be but otherwise very4.5 rounding up. Most of this is excellent and should be required reading, a couple of arguments felt not as clear as they could be but otherwise very compelling. I kind of want everyone with kids to read this. ...more
4.5 stars. I think this very slim book is doing a lot of very important things very quickly. It definitely left me wanting more about certain topics h4.5 stars. I think this very slim book is doing a lot of very important things very quickly. It definitely left me wanting more about certain topics he touches on (religion, the role of art, Americanness, violence) but he does say A LOT very succinctly. I was less interested in the section where he imagines a conversation with his attacker but I understand why he needed to do that for himself. ...more
I always enjoy St. James’s books; she builds worlds where the supernatural makes sense and she always has interesting characters. Not the best stuff II always enjoy St. James’s books; she builds worlds where the supernatural makes sense and she always has interesting characters. Not the best stuff I’ve ever read but always a good, dependable spooky-adjacent mystery and this one is no exception!...more
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