September Reading Wrap-Up
Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan
I’m not a huge fan of romance novels, but I decided to give this one a try. I don’t normally like to read about super rich people and their scanty problems, but I was in the middle of War and Peace and was down for some gossip! I knew it would be ridiculous and the lives of the characters are gaudy, but I accepted this and ended up enjoying it in the end. I can’t say I liked the characters very much, and I found the constant perspective changes dizzying, but the drama kept me reading. I felt Astrid’s story to be the most interesting; she is more of a complex character and is the embodiment of a woman trying to keep up appearances despite the breakdown of her marriage. I definitely wish the novel focused more on Astrid over Rachel, especially considering Rachel doesn’t change much throughout the story. She is pretty much the same character throughout; the only difference is that she has been exposed to the elaborate world that her boyfriend has kept hidden during their time together. Overall, it’s a fun read, and I recommend it if you’re into the romance genre.
Mickey7
by Edward Ashton
The story centers on an “expendable”, Mickey Barnes, who lives on a newly established colony called Niflheim. Mickey takes on dangerous missions that sometimes get him killed. As an expendable, his body and memories are regenerated, only to be sent back out on missions that no one else is able to do. After a mission goes wrong, Mickey8 hops into the scene while Mickey7 is still alive and a tiny bit of chaos ensues.
I was in need of a quick and entertaining sci-fi, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s not super action-packed, but there are some interesting themes involving identity and self-preservation. Ashton’s writing style is also direct with scientific musings thrown in. I don’t understand physics so I won’t even try to explain further, but the author has stated the story is inspired by the “teleportation paradox,” in case you’re interested. It was a fun and quick read!
War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy
I don’t even know where to start with War and Peace, but I will say that I loved it! It did take me over a year to complete because, let’s face it, it’s a 1300 page behemoth and there were a lot of boring passages. On the other hand, I found the boring chapters as interludes that bridged times of action, romance, or scandal, which is kind of representative of real life, isn’t it? Sometimes there’s a lot of waiting around with nothing to do, and other times we’re bombarded with everything all at once. Anyway, I accepted the less enjoyable moments as necessary parts of the book, beautiful in their own way. Of course, what I found to be boring may not be true for other people, but that is what’s so great about War and Peace. There are so many events and intimate reflections between characters, that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Despite having read the book in a period spanning a year, I do remember a lot of what happened. There are certain passages that stuck with me, and I recall them more as memories – disjointed moments of the story that I can’t always seem to put together with the larger parts of the story. For such a large novel, it’s almost impossible to remember every single detail (unless you have a photographic member, in which case, I’m jealous if you do), but it’s still a wonderful book to reflect on occasionally.
There is a lot more that can be said here, but a basic understanding of Tolstoy’s philosophy on history and freedom/free will is needed to better appreciate War and Peace and the experimental style in which it’s written. However, given the scope and detail covering the characters’ lives, it’s easy to enjoy whether or not you’re interested in his philosophy. If it’s been on your shelf, or you’ve been wanting to pick it up, here’s your sign to finally read it! I hope to write a series of short “essays” that cover certain topics within the book, so look out for those!
Call Me By Your Name
by André Aciman
I liked this one, but I didn’t love it. The tension between the two main characters is great, and we do get a good build-up of their interest in each other while the story moves along. Events within the novel are told from Elio’s perspective and there’s a lot of internal reflection, some of which is annoying and oftentimes disturbing; dare I reference the peach scene? If anything, the book is certainly about first loves, and how they can stick to a person’s memory throughout life. The last section is probably the best part of the book, and has a nostalgic feel as Elio comes back to the place where he first falls for Oliver. I would say it is another over-hyped book, and one where I wasn't entirely invested in the characters’ lives. It’s short enough that I recommend reading it if interested, especially considering how many people adore this book.
The Priory of the Orange Tree
by Samantha Shannon
I’ve been meaning to read more fantasy, and despite how massive this book is, I think it was a great introduction into the genre. It’s easy to read, and despite the multiple parts of the story that are only brought together by the end, the events that take place are easy to follow. I needed something with a combination of high-stakes action and romance; it did not disappoint; however, I do think that Priory was over-hyped. There are a lot of moments that I kept having to re-read because something happened but it wasn’t exactly shown clearly within the scene. I also found there to be so many unnecessary deaths throughout, and I felt the author mostly killed off characters because she didn’t know how else to use them. I would be reading and enjoying myself, and all of sudden someone just dies. There isn’t a whole lot of build-up in some cases, and I had to re-read passages to make sure that I was reading the scene correctly. On the other hand, the plot is very enjoyable, and I never found myself bored as events unfolded. Overall, The Priory of the Orange Tree has dragons, wyverns, knights, castles, pirates, and characters who wield magical powers, all wrapped in a sapphic romance; what’s not to love in a fantasy?