User Profile

kiarazard

kiarazard@bookwyrm.social

Joined 3 years, 1 month ago

Reader of mostly #contemporary #fiction, occasionally #thrillers, #fantasy and #scifi, in English and Italian.

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kiarazard's books

Julie Dachez: Invisible Differences (2020, Oni Press)

Review of 'Invisible Differences' on 'Goodreads'

This graphic novel is the story of Marguerite and her invisible challenges. When she finds out about Asperger's syndrome, she sets up to find doctors that help her get an assessment. The diagnosis changes her life, explaining all her challenges and differences. And she finds out she's not alone.
I found this story informative, especially because girls often are not diagnosed as criteria are based on men, but also positive and pleasant to read. The illustrations are lovely, neat and expressive, and the text is concise and interesting. I liked the colour accents.
In UK the estimate is 1 child out of 100 in the autistic spectrum - this is a good way to raise awareness and remind ourselves that we should all be kinder to others, we don't know what life they're living.

Review of 'Diary of a Confused Feminist' on 'Goodreads'

This is the diary of a 15 year old who navigates all the issues of the teenage years while trying to be a feminist and coping with her anxiety. She asks herself what it means to be a woman and a feminist and I found it very relatable. The style is fun, bright and engaging, even when touching the more serious topics, I'm 40 and I enjoyed reading it, I'd have loved it at 15. I recommend it for teenagers and as a light read for their parents.

Bernardine Evaristo: Girl, Woman, Other (Hardcover, 2019, Penguin Books, Limited, Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin Books)

Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives and struggles of twelve very different characters. Mostly women, …

Review of 'Girl, Woman, Other' on 'Goodreads'

This book is a collection of portraits of women, all linked together around a play at the National Theatre. Each portrait is deep and interesting and real, it feels like falling deeper and deeper each time. I enjoyed it and I recommend it. It is written as an internal monologue, with minimal punctuation, which means it requires concentration, and it's quite long.
Thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for my review.

reviewed Nessuno si salva da solo by Margaret Mazzantini (Scrittori italiani e stranieri)

Review of 'Nessuno si salva da solo' on 'Goodreads'

I due protagonisti si incontrano a cena dopo avere divorziato. Durante la cena seguiamo i loro pensieri e ripercorriamo con loro tutta la loro storia.
Un libro doloroso, tagliente, realistico. I protagonisti sono ben descritti, il linguaggio scorrevole e preciso. Bello.

Review of 'Unreliable Man' on 'Goodreads'

The book is a long letter written by the main character, Jakop, to a women, Agnes, about his life and his encounters with the members of the Lundin family through the years. Jakop is a university professor of humble origins and with poor social skills - he makes me think of Stoner, and similarly I couldn’t relate to him but ended up feeling some sympathy for him. The pace of the story is quite slow, so much that I was tempted to leave the book unfinished at some point, but various colourful characters are presented along the way but the second part becomes more interesting and we slowly see Jakop changing and becoming more aware of his needs.
I loved Gaarder’s books in the past and I was happy to read him again after many years. The theme of storytelling is one he has used in the past, but here …

Review of 'Grandmothers' on 'Goodreads'

This book is the story of three women who are grandmothers or look after children and how the relationship with them and their children affects their life. The three women are very different and had led different lives, however they meet and create a bond.

I find the story interesting, because it explores an age that it is rarely found in books, but it is such a big part of our life. The three women have had (or not) a career, a family, a partner, and now need to find themselves again, to feel they are still individuals with their own interests and skill set, Sort of a second coming of age story.

The style is smooth, kept me interested. The characters are well described although I noticed there isn't almost any mention of health issues they might have, which makes it less realistic and misses the point a bit. …

J.K. Rowling, Robert Galbraith, Robert Glenister: Lethal White (AudiobookFormat, 2019, Mulholland Books)

"When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike's office to ask …

Review of 'Lethal White' on 'Goodreads'

I loved this book. As usual with the author, the characters are well rounded and developed, the plot is complex and intriguing and I was equally looking forward to know the ending and happy to savour each page. Highly recommended.