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judyylino's reviews
81 reviews
Sula by Toni Morrison
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
"I had room enough in my heart, but not in my womb, not no more. I birthed him once. I couldn’t do it again. He was growed, a big old thing. Godhavemercy, I couldn’t birth him twice."
This novel is a masterpiece from beginning to end. I simply couldn't put it down, for the anxiety and curiosity took space in my mind all day. Sula and Nel, Nel and sula, two women who have been once inseparable like "two throats and one eye" who understood each other and completed one another. If one was stuck, the other one would pull her out, and together, they survived. And that was up until Nel married, and the problem occurred. I feel like what pull them apart isn't the possessiveness of Nel, or nonchalant, noncommittal personality of Sula's but rather of how both of them wanted to believe that the decision she took were right If either one of them realized that she was wrong, they would fall into despair.
I also could not get enough of each and every women’s story, which helped you understand her, even if it's just a little bit better. I was amazed at how real and raw they were. Toni Morrison, you are a legend
I also could not get enough of each and every women’s story, which helped you understand her, even if it's just a little bit better. I was amazed at how real and raw they were. Toni Morrison, you are a legend
Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder by Asako Yuzuki
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
"Cooking is enjoyable, but the moment it becomes a duty, it grows boring. The same is true of sex, and fashion, and beauty. When you’re forced to do something, it becomes a chore, and the pleasure disappears.’"
Food is one of the most powerful things that exists, obviously it's how we get our necessary amount of nutrients to stay alive. However, thanks to Asako Yuzuki, I realized that it also shapes your relationship with your body, your romantic partners, your friends and even your coworkers none who should be able to dictate what's the right amount of calories you should be consuming. Unfortunately the Beauty standards on women gets higher and higher everyday around the globe, in some cultures you get heavily scrutinized if you're "too skinny" and it can be a sign of poor health and low income in some cultures like mine, while some cultures like Japan, I learned that it's a sign of laziness and lack of effort, that a person isn't trying hard enough and "letting go of yourself". Whatever we do as women, we're going to get judged for it because the index finger is always pointed at us no matter what happens. Couple can't have a child? It must be the wife. A couple didn't work out? It must be the female partner who didn't take care of him. A kid died going to the convenience store to get something to eat? It's his working mother's fault for not cooking a warm homecooked meal.
Food also is a tool, to show your love and appreciation for someone, an opportunity for you and your loved ones to gather once in a while.
This novel follows our journalist Rika who got interested in Manako Kajii's case who's a serial killer, and in an attempt to know her better, she ended up falling under her spell and tasting delicious food in order to understand her before she got arrested.
I truly loved the depth of the characters and their development throughout the entire book, and I was left with still wanting to learn more things about them
Food also is a tool, to show your love and appreciation for someone, an opportunity for you and your loved ones to gather once in a while.
This novel follows our journalist Rika who got interested in Manako Kajii's case who's a serial killer, and in an attempt to know her better, she ended up falling under her spell and tasting delicious food in order to understand her before she got arrested.
I truly loved the depth of the characters and their development throughout the entire book, and I was left with still wanting to learn more things about them
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Containing two stories, kitchen and Moonlight Shadow, Banana Yoshimoto explored the themes of grief, love and self-discovery in such a beautiful and serene way, that brought me such comfort despite the ugliness of death, that takes away our loved ones.
Kitchen is a story told through the the eyes of mekage, a young woman who lost her grandmother the only person left that she was tied to by blood, and whom she loved so greatly and was taken in by Eriko and her son Yuichi. The characters felt so genuine and real I wanted to give them a warm hug, I especially love their emotional maturity, where they want to confort each other while also respecting each other spaces to process that complexities of life.
Kitchen is a story told through the the eyes of mekage, a young woman who lost her grandmother the only person left that she was tied to by blood, and whom she loved so greatly and was taken in by Eriko and her son Yuichi. The characters felt so genuine and real I wanted to give them a warm hug, I especially love their emotional maturity, where they want to confort each other while also respecting each other spaces to process that complexities of life.
Nails and Eyes by Kaori Fujino
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Everything happens so fast and the stories are very gripping I could barely put them down for a whole 10 minutes.
The first story stood out to me the most, it's about an 3 year-old girl and her father's mistress who soon became her mother-figure after her mom died. It had a very eerie vibe from the beginning and the description of body was very crisp, it put me in a state of unease. The story is written in 2nd person, where the child is recounting the story while also addressing her father's girlfriend, with a great deal of detail that no person, let alone a child should be aware of.
The other two stories are way shorter but they still deliver the same creepy atmosphere
The first story stood out to me the most, it's about an 3 year-old girl and her father's mistress who soon became her mother-figure after her mom died. It had a very eerie vibe from the beginning and the description of body was very crisp, it put me in a state of unease. The story is written in 2nd person, where the child is recounting the story while also addressing her father's girlfriend, with a great deal of detail that no person, let alone a child should be aware of.
The other two stories are way shorter but they still deliver the same creepy atmosphere
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The book is very easy to read and follow. Four stories about interconnected characters, each one of them traveled because of regrets they have despite the fact that it won't change anything but it changed their hearts.
The first story didn't really impress me that much to be honest and the character felt a bit picture perfect falling in love with someone who's a "loser"and she wants to wait for him, even though she was described as thing career driven and highly intelligent woman, not saying that smart women can't fall in love but the way the character was portayed felt shallow
While I understood the moral of each story, I felt as if things weren't in their right place or weren't executed as they should've
Still enjoyable book that could be read in one sitting and if you're just getting into the habit of reading
The first story didn't really impress me that much to be honest and the character felt a bit picture perfect falling in love with someone who's a "loser"
While I understood the moral of each story, I felt as if things weren't in their right place or weren't executed as they should've
Still enjoyable book that could be read in one sitting and if you're just getting into the habit of reading
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
When I first read the description of the book I was really curious about how is she gonna keep up with the lie and if she will be found out. Shibata, our main character, is fed up with her male coworkers and with the constant overtime she does at her job. But when she lied about being pregnant, her life got easier in many ways. She now can go home on time, watch movies she missed out on, try aerobics, go on walks and hang out with her friends. Still, men don't become angels when you're pregnant because you might get constantly bombarded with questions that is none of their business, could sometimes even become inappropriate and with the husbands who barely do anything to raise the child and when they do they think they deserve praise.
I was actually mostly amazed about how she kept up the lie and she went all the way with it, they were times when I even doubted and believed that maybe she really is pregnant, she truly planted the seed of doubt in my mind and it kept growing with every chapter I read. She's a girlboss actually
I was actually mostly amazed about how she kept up the lie and she went all the way with it, they were times when I even doubted and believed that maybe she really is pregnant, she truly planted the seed of doubt in my mind and it kept growing with every chapter I read. She's a girlboss actually
Gaza Writes Back by Refaat Alareer
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Learning about Palestinians in Gaza who have their dreams, hopes, ambition, homes, and everything that shapes their identity taken away will never not be painful. This collection of short stories edited my Refaat Alareer, which gives us even more perspective on how strong and resilient Palestinians are and of the injustice they go through. To be honest, I feel inadequate to express all the emotion this book brought out of me. Free palestine
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"We were born in order to see and listen to the world."
Sweet Bean Paste is a book that found me at the right time, in the right season. An elderly woman Tokue working for an ex-con,Sentaro, in a confectionery shop. the struggle of just trying to make it everyday all while judgemental looks and being treated harshly being on past things that you had or had no controle over. I love how simple yet gutwrenching this was especially at the end and for saying that every life has a meaning regardless of the purpose I serve to society (or not)
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
First time reading mieko kawakami and it's safe to say that reading her work has been such a roller-coaster.
Breasts and eggs explored so many themes of womanhood of our main character Natsuko and the woman surrounding her. whether their relationship tied by blood or a professional setting. In all different phases of life, starting from childhood to adolescence and then adulthood. I got to meet so many interesting woman who go through whatever life throws at them. Ranging from an awful husband/relatives, misogynistic colleges at work, toxic beauty standards, love life and simply all the expectations that comes with being born a woman. Personally I think kawakami did such a great job at exploring Natsuko's life who's not following the unwritten rules that women have been forced to follow and expectations to conform in order to fit in as a woman.
Breasts and eggs explored so many themes of womanhood of our main character Natsuko and the woman surrounding her. whether their relationship tied by blood or a professional setting. In all different phases of life, starting from childhood to adolescence and then adulthood. I got to meet so many interesting woman who go through whatever life throws at them. Ranging from an awful husband/relatives, misogynistic colleges at work, toxic beauty standards, love life and simply all the expectations that comes with being born a woman. Personally I think kawakami did such a great job at exploring Natsuko's life who's not following the unwritten rules that women have been forced to follow and expectations to conform in order to fit in as a woman.
The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A man's madness and alcoholism that led him to be irritated with a cat who's only crime was being loving and clingy to it's owner. I'm glad the cat haunted him