January

For whom the bell tolls- Ernest Hemingway

rating: 2 stars

I read this one for my final high school literature exam, as with many other books from this year, but I didn't put it in my list of books which you might predict from the rating. I'm sorry to start with such a negative review but alas. I never read anything from Hemingway prior to this and after reading it, I'm not very compelled to do so. I came out at the end of this book with even a bigger beef with Hemingway than I had before, cause my god- the way the main character was obviously at least partly self insert made me dislike the guy even more. It's not because I think the author identifying with his main character and drawing from their experiences is somehow inherently bad, but because the main character in question was just annoying. I found him really boring and uninteresting, and I did not care about his conflicting feeings between following orders or enjoying life by fucking with the love of his life he met an hour ago.

Speaking of, my guy really thought he could write a female character with a sexual trauma well. I guess he tried, but this is one of the things I think you should be really careful writing if you yourself don't have experience with it. María is just a perfect little wife figure that has a horrific trauma only so that she has an illusion of depth and so that Jordan can magically cure it with his special mc dick after they fall in love with each other in a few hours. Because of course that is enough for her to trust him and have sex with him the very first night after they meet, cause according to Ernest trauma works like that. The fact that the plot happens over the span of only 3 days is really NOT working in it's favour here. It doesn't matter how kind he is to her, every single thing that happens in their relationship happens so fast that it feels unrealistic and breaks any immersion. And it feels like I'm meant to like Jordan only because he has the basic decency not to force her into anything, even though it's extremely irresponsible and stupid to have sex in their situation and risk her becoing pregnant, which HE HIMSELF is worried about after they sleep together. Should've thought about that earlier don't you think, man?

I feel bad for María because I don't want to hate on her, the stuff she went through is absolutely horrible, but it's just not well written. She doesn't have any traits or actual motivations except being devoted to Jordan and wanting to survive the operation so that she can be with him and care for him like a good wife (although it sounds more like just a mother). And I know this was the 40s but still, it doesn't make the reading experience any less annoying.

Moving on from my main rant, the writing style was very simple, at times too simple. Though I was able to read the book quite fast cause of that, the simplicity of the writing didn't contain any charm, it often just felt lame instead.

The only really interesting part that actually gave me something was the story Pilar told to Jordan about the day the revolution started. It showed the reality of the horrific stuff that all the sides were complicit in in some way during the spanish civil war. It showed the fanaticism of a crowd, and didn't shy away from describing the injustices and violence that also occured on the side of the republicans. Also Pilar suprisingly is a female character that actually has some agency and personality.

February

Bungo Stray Dogs vol. 14- Kafka Asagiri

rating: 4.25 stars

Cronicle of a death foretold- Gabriel García Márquez

rating: 3 stars

Metamorphosis- Franz Kafka

rating: 4.75 stars

I was excited for this one cause the themes of Kafka's work- alienation, loneliness, the incomprehension of the world around you- are something I can easily relate to. It was a great, quick read, that you can infer many meanings from, because everyone can see something slightly different in the fate of the main character. There are many methaphors that come to mind as you read it. I like my friend's interpretation of Gregor's transformation and the reaction of his family as a situation when a person becomes disabled or ill, becoming unable to provide and in need of someone to take care of them- when the family starts to see them as a nuisance, an inconvenience they have to suffer. The actual meaning, if there is any, is not clear, but the feelings of sadness, hopelessness and selfloathing are apparent no matter how you read it. I don't think there needs to be any "real" or "true" meaning, cause sometimes the feelings a story potrays, and the contemplation that comes from it leading to you coming up with your own interpretation, is enough.

The white disease- Karel Čapek

rating: 4.5 stars

A great play that, sadly, has very important themes for today's reader, mainly the rise of fascism and the absurdity of war. Even the preface is shockingly relevant. The author is one of the most important czech writers of the 20th century, so I think a lot of people here already read it, but I recommend it even if you're not czech. It being a play it's a very short read, so it won't take you much time and it's an important work from the time when nazism was rising to power here.

I like the irony of the ending, where the doctor is killed by the same people he fought and advocated for, unknowingly vanquishing their hope of curing the illness- you can see the obvious warning against the danger of fanaticism and tunnel vision of crowds, where people stop thinking for themselves.

March

The miser- Moliere

rating: 3 stars

Pygmalion- George Bernard Shaw

rating: 3.75 stars

A nice play, it was actually quite feminist for it's time. I think Shaw did advocate for women's rights if I remember well what I learnt for my literature final exam.

All quiet on the western front- Erich Maria Remarque

rating: 4 stars

A good read, disturbing and uncomfortable. It achieves what it wants to achieve- to show the reality of the horrors and suffering experienced by the soldiers during the first world war. The part where Paul returns to his home town for a few weeks, where we are shown how he changed, his inability to connect with other people and find meaning in normal life, is depressing to read, and the author's own experiences are apparent in it. Same with the famous scene with the dying soldier from the other side, when Paul has the realization that they could've been friends had the circumstances been different. The way the book ends is haunting and really impactful, leaving you with a sense of hollowness.

1984- George Orwell

rating: 4.25 stars

April

Pride and prejudice- Jane Austen

rating: 4.75 stars

One of my favourite books I had on my final literature exam list. It was the first Jane Austen book I've read, and it didn't dissapoint me. The specific and often almost sarcastic humour making fun of the people of the time's higher society is so good and accurate. The writing style was suprisingly so well readable for a book from 1813, which I feel like was at least supported by a good translation.

Elisabeth was a very entertaining and likeable protagonist, and in numerous scenes with her clown family also relatable. The many instances where she has to endure a social with her god awful mother and sisters while wanting the ground to swallow her up were so fun to read.

The romance was very well done and had a satisfying ending, they really are the og enemies to lovers. Both of them got to learn from the other and grow, overcoming their character flaws which stood in between them, so they could end up together in a way that felt earned and right. Mr Darcy's respectful "one word from you will silence me forever" is the standart.

May

Animal farm- George Orwell

rating: 3.25 stars

I think it was fine, but the topic is something that I don't really need an animal metaphor for.

No longer human- Osamu Dazai

rating: 3 stars

A hard book to rate. It was my first book by a japanese author so the writing style took some getting used to, but it was a very interesting glimpse into the psyche of someone so damaged and alienated from society.

Romeo and Juliet- William Shakespeare

rating: 1.5 stars

This was a pain to get through. I'm not saying it doesn't have any literary value, but god did I not like it. It's not like I don't enjoy Shakespeare at all, I think Hamlet is much better and has some themes which actually interest me.

Těžká hodina (The hard hour)- Jiří Wolker

rating: 2 stars

A czech poetry collection, I had to read at least two for my final high school exams. Though I definitely liked the previous one better (it was Kytice z pověstí národních/A Bouquet of Folk Legends from Karel Jaromír Erben but I already read it in 2023, so you won't find it here, but recommend that one). I think the style was good, it often had a beautiful ring to it and it definitely had some value, but the topics of the poems just weren't really something that'll speak that much to a modern reader.

June

Midnight- Erin Hunter

rating: 3.5 stars

I think it was a fine first book of a series. I've seen a lot of people who were bored by the description of the journey and say it was just walking, but I didn't think it was that bad. I mean a lot of the Lord of the rings trilogy is literally walking and I still loved it so much- and there's definitely not as much of it here. The thing that bothered me more was that I would've liked to see the traveling group get closer more gradually and be shown it a little more instead of told. I liked Brambleclaw's pov, and Leafpaw was a lovely character to follow too, her beginning friendship with Mothwing was adorable. I'm not suprised they're a popular ship from what I know, Leafpaw's so excited to become friends with her and can't stop thinking how beautiful she is. My girl's got a crush. It's also the first time we get to see a pov of a medicine cat or a medicine cat apprentice, so that was engaging to read.

Fullmetal alchemist 4- Hiromu Arakawa

rating: 4.5 stars

Fullmetal alchemist 5- Hiromu Arakawa

rating: 4.25 stars

Persuation- Jane Austen

rating: 4 stars

I didn't find it as good as Pride and prejudice, and the captain wasn't as likeable for me as my dear mr Darcy, but still it was a good, relaxing read. I always love reading Austen's humour. I also liked seeing a well written introverted main character.

Hamlet- William Shakespeare

rating: 3.75 stars

Deals with a lot of interesting themes, and most of the characters are actually really well written and multifaceted. I'm going to have to look at some more interpretations and analysis of this work, because it sure has a lot that are very interesting.

Also Hamlet x Horatio otp fr

Moonrise- Erin Hunter

rating: 2 stars

I wish any of the tribe cats had an actual character or depth to them. Maybe then I would care about Stormfur feeling betrayed by them and his feelings towards Brook. I feel like we're told that he became closer to them, especially Brook, but I wanted to see some *actual* scenes that would build their relationship and the tribe cats' characters. I don't think it would be a problem to add a few more pages dedicated to this considering that this is the shortest book in the 2nd series I think. But with the way it is, I just can't force myself to care.

Moreover, the tribe is clearly heavily inspired by native american tribes, and I don't think it's done well at all. There is a lot of questionable tropes about these groups of people being used here, like the obvious likeness to the white saviour trope, but I'm not the best person to talk about this topic so I'll leave it to others more fit for it. I gave it 2 stars for the forest storyline which was fine. Love Leafpaw, Sorreltail and Cinderpelt.

July

A hat full of sky- Terry Pratchett

rating: 5 stars

One of my favourite Discworld books so far. I was in awe of how well it captured the hellscape of being a girl in the 11-14 age bracket. The scene of Tiffany lying on the bed after the first coven meeting was painfully familiar and made me remember how it felt dealing with this stuff at that age, when you just want to fit in somewhere. I swear I had a friend that acted exactly like Anagrama lol. Tiffany's development through the book was awesome and realistic. I loved the hiver as an antagonist, it was so interesting to see him become an actual character, and the ending with Tiffany naming him, teaching him how to die and sending him off through the desert was a pretty cool resolution.

Keeper of the lost cities-Shannon Messenger

rating: 1.5 stars

I know I'm not the target audience, but I got it a few years ago and wanted to finally try reading it and not let it sit on my bookshelf unread. Besides, there are middle grade books that are enjoyable to read even for adults. This was unfortunately not one of them. Please excuse my small rant but there was really little that I liked about it.

It was very simplistic and shallow even for a book meant for a younger audience. The worldbuilding was very bland and the constant girl hating, extreme heteronormativity and "not like the other girls" mentality made me want to bang my head against the wall. I don't mind the use of cliches here and there, but I didn't know it was possible to have so many in one book.

Sophie wasn't the worst protagonist I've read about, and there were moments where she really felt like just a 12 year old and I sympathized with her, but still, she's a text book Mary Sue. The way the author constantly had to drive it home how special she is in almost everything got on my nerves and it got to the point where it was just ridiculous. And if I read one more time that her heart "did that stupid fluttery thing" when she's with Fitz, I'm going to get a lobotomy.

As for the other characters, Fitz was kinda bland, he's the stereotypical popular pretty guy that every girl has a crush on and at least in this volume didn't yet get any proper depth. Keefe's at least got daddy issues so there's a potential there to make him a more well-rounded character. Though he is still one big walking cliche, with his "crooked smile" and troublemaker behaviour. "And you said you weren't mysterious~" I have a fully loaded shotgun sir and it's aiming at you. As for Alden, I wanted to murder him with a pipe several times.

August

V pasti pohlaví(In the trap of gender)- Silvie Lauder

rating: 4.5 stars

A czech non-fiction book about feminism and women's rights in the Czech republic. Most of the things were quite basic ideas of feminism and already known to me, but I really enjoyed the history chapter. It helped explain the current aversion to the word feminism in this country, even though many people do share the thoughts it encompasses. I didn't realize we completely skipped the 2nd wave here. That explains a lot .__. Appreciated the chapter about gender vs sex and the acknowledgement and support of trans and nonbinary people.

September

Dawn- Erin Hunter

rating: 3.5 stars

Quite a good continuation of the new prophecy series, and a satisfactory ending of the journey to the new territories. I don't have too much to say about this one, but that doesn't mean anything bad. I quite like the romance between Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (who finally got her warrior name yayyy) in this one, though from what I've heard I should enjoy that feeling while it lasts. Damn you Erins. Also, sometimes the mothers in this series begin to feel like the narative punching bags, which I really do not appreciate.

October

One hundred years of solitude- Gabriel García Márquez

rating: 3 stars

I couldn't really figure out what rating to give this one. I'm glad I read it because I'm going to need it as a spanish philologist, but it took me so long to get through. The prose was so dense that a lot of the times one page felt like three. I figured I'm not really keen on multi-generational novels, and here it was worse cause of the constantly repeating names. Although I am a fan of magical realism and I liked a lot of the strange athmosphere and dreamlike logic.

After having read it, my History and culture of Latin America professor pointed out some cool inspirations and references to pre-colombian mythology and worldviews, like the tree in the patio of the Buendía's house possibly referencing the native american tree symbolism, or the cyclical view of history, as well as how it follows the real historical development of the region, so I'm excited to properly discuss it in Latin American lit class. There is certainly a LOT of stuff you can find in it.

There was a lot of questionable stuff which felt unnecesary, like the first Aureliano just casually being a pedophile. I mean, I know it was 19th century, but from what I know the practice of actually having kids with like, 13 year olds, wasn't really as normal and common in the past as a lot of people think. It seems so weird to me that none of the other characters thought that much of it, and didn't feel like a 13 year old having kids is a bad idea. And describing the said 13 year old girl as becoming motherly is just distasteful to me and makes me gag. I do not mind these taboo themes being explored in fiction, but in this book I wonder what was the point?

November

City of ghosts- V.E.Schwab

rating: 3 stars

An okay middle grade book. I'd probably enjoy it better a few years ago when I was younger, but I let it sit on my bookshelf unread for too long.

December

Wintersmith- Terry Pratchett

rating: 4.5 stars

A marvelous book about responsibility and the power of folklore and fairytales. I don't know if it surpassed A hat full of sky for me, but still it's definitely up there among the VERY good discworld books. I loved all the folklore references, though a lot of it is from the british isles, so I could appreciate it in it's entirety after reading about the book after having finished it. But as always my beloved czech translator Jan Kantůrek slayed with all the funny and explanatory footnotes providing context to the most important cultural references.

Once again I loved the development that Tiffany goes through, and I was pleasantly suprised with Anagrama's development too. She was really humanized in this book, and as with all Terry's characters I felt like I have met a type of person just like her in real life. I'm enjoying the Tiffany Aching series so much, it's great that it can be read by both kids and adults.

Iron widow- Xiran Jay Zhao

rating: 3.25 stars

An okay sci-fi book I guess. It was interesting to read about a main character with the chinese traditional bound feet, and I liked seeing a protagonist with such heavy physical limitations for once. The romance was fine, I'm glad the love triangle resolved in a poly relationship cause it's probably the only way to get me interested in this trope, haha.