🦁 january wrapup | circe, handmaid's tale, educated, & more 🎓 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Reviews of books including Cersei, Ruin and Rising, The Calculating Stars, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Happiness Project.

Key Insights

• 🎟️ Cersei missed opportunities for a better feminist story and featured distracting cameos.
• 😮 Ruin and Rising had bland characters but a surprisingly satisfying ending.
• 😮 The Calculating Stars impressed with research and representation, despite awkwardly written scenes.
• ❤️‍🩹 The Handmaid's Tale had an immersive writing style but lacked complete world-building and had an ambiguous ending.
• 🤳 Educated was an engaging memoir with themes of self-invention, although some details may be embellished.

Transcript

the sex scenes were written so awkwardly where the characters were literally using space terminology as they were doing it they were saying [ __ ] like this rocket ship is about to blast up and I'm like can I abort mission it's only the first month of 2019 and I've already had a mental breakdown but you know what's a good remedy when you're going t... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did the reviewer rate Cersei by Madeline Miller three stars?

The reviewer felt that there were missed opportunities for a better feminist story and found the unnecessary cameos of mortals and gods distracting, which detracted from Cersei's character development.

Q: What surprised the reviewer about Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo?

The reviewer was surprised to find that they actually liked the ending, despite disliking the series overall. They felt content with the outcomes for the characters.

Q: What did the reviewer appreciate about The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal?

The reviewer appreciated the extensive research and attention to detail in aerospace and historical aspects. They also admired the representation of various characters and their struggles.

Q: What were the reviewer's mixed feelings about The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood?

The reviewer enjoyed the immersive writing style and engaging story but felt unsatisfied with the incomplete world-building and ambiguous ending, questioning the believability of the dramatic cultural change.

Q: How did the reviewer rate Educated by Tara Westover?

The reviewer rated Educated five stars, appreciating its engaging and well-written story, personal relevance, and themes of self-invention.

Q: Why did the reviewer give The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin a low rating?

The reviewer found the book unrelatable and lacking new or inspiring insights, questioning its value for a wider demographic beyond wealthy white women.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The first book, Cersei by Madeline Miller, is a retelling of a Greek mythological villain, but the reviewer found it underwhelming and missed opportunities for a better feminist story.

• Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, the final book in the Grisha trilogy, received a low rating due to bland characters and a one-dimensional villain, although the ending was a pleasant surprise.

• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal impressed the reviewer with its research and representation, although the writing style was basic, and some scenes were awkwardly written.

• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood left the reviewer with mixed feelings, appreciating the immersive writing style but feeling unsatisfied with the incomplete world-building and ambiguous ending.

• Educated by Tara Westover, a memoir about escaping a survivalist family, received a high rating for its engaging story and themes of self-invention, despite concerns about exaggerated details.

• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, a book about finding happiness, received a low rating for being unrelatable to the reviewer and lacking new or inspiring insights.