danielleboldry's reviews
56 reviews

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

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challenging funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.75

feminist writing owes so much to virginia woolf. this exploration of the patriarchy and the position of gender in writing throughout history is fascinating, profound and highly poignant, even by today’s standards. 
So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan

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lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

there is just something about the beautiful mundane details in claire keegan’s writing. this was such an interesting perspective on learnt misogyny and inherited behaviours.  i just love being able to read a story in one sitting. 
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

coco mellors you have done it again!!
 
i love this author’s writing so much and it was such a privilege to hear her talk about the book in person beforehand on her tour. you can just tell how much of a labour of love this story is - it explores some of my favourites themes; familial responsibility, sibling dynamics and so many different types of love. 

i truly loved the blue sisters on every single page and the epilogue had me weeping. i fear i will be sat in waiting for another book to touch me like this until mellor’s next novel. 
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The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

meticulously crafted characters and an interwoven story based on different ideas of the human condition, laced with political examination.

kundera’s use of seemingly random anecdotes help you to understand our characters’ psyches on such a deep level, and give light to a range of fascinating philosophies of life. 

the writing is sickeningly poetic - i was underlining on almost every page. using karenin as a thread throughout the book, and to end the story with a section dedicated to him really tugged on my heartstrings. safe to say i ADORE this book. 
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By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.75

i had high expectations for this one, although it is beautifully written and certain paragraphs gave me literal goosebumps, i just couldn’t get into it on the whole :(

i love the idea of a love so strong it can turn your whole world into gold, and then into grey once it’s gone. i think my issue was just that there wasn’t much of a story - almost too poetic for a novel. if it had been condensed into a collection of poems maybe i’d have enjoyed it more. 
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

wowwwwww. incredible. i only WISH i’d have read the book before seeing the movie because the twists and turns are genuinely so gripping. such a fascinating pair of perspectives to read from - amy is 100000x more crazy but i’m still somehow rooting for her HA
salt slow by Julia Armfield

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dark mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

i love julia armfield’s writing so much. she has a way of blending the most disturbing and the most mundane parts of life, where they become almost indistinguishable. which in a way is the most harrowing way to tell a scary story. 

this was my first short story collection! a couple of the stories fell flat for me but throughly enjoyed the majority of them:


  • the collectibles - a girlie girls frankenstein 
  • stop your women’s ears with wax - the inhumane, catastrophic cult of modern day fandoms spurred by the all consuming demonic infatuation with artists/music — something i deeply relate to but also detest  
  • granite (possibly my favourite) - gorgeously written - a glimpse into a seemingly perfect relationship with a dark undertone - granite takes on the character of the boyfriend, symbolising the pressure from outside forces to not be alone
  • smack - the long-lasting effects of people coming in and out of your life, shedding their skin and leaving it by your feet on their way out. the use of the word smack has an abundance of layers: a smack of jellyfish washing up on the shore as something left behind and the sharp sting of this sudden violent act. 
  • cassandra after - beautifully disturbing depiction of grief, a casual ghost story - “i was sweeping the bones of the girl i loved off the kitchen floor.”
  • salt slow - wow. just stunning. you can really see the similarities between this and our wives — the deep fascination with the ocean and what lives within it. a really raw depiction of miscarriage - “the sky is gory with stars, like the insides of a gutted night.”
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 oh to be lucy honeychurch soul searching in italy and being kissed on mountaintops!

a gorgeously sun-drenched tale of romance and Edwardian life. it took me a while to get into and to remember who all the different characters were but it is written beautifully. 
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

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dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

a brutal and devastating tale of addiction, abuse, poverty and familial responsibility. every character is so well written and fleshed out entirely. my heart aches for the children at the heart of this story. 
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Orlando by Virginia Woolf

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challenging funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

such a fascinating read. an exploration into gender fluidity and sexuality with an air of wittiness that is way ahead of it’s time. feels like a fever dream where orlando’s identity outlives time and space. this did make the story difficult to follow at times but the writing is so beautifully poetic that it made it all so worth it.