shy introvert, casual reader, 20+
a space for me to share my book thoughts and reviews
iāll occasionally post my thoughts about picture books and films too~
main: @luminafleure
[ my favorites - #mfleure-favs ]
Thanks for stopping by my profile! I created this little space to share my story of getting back into reading and to provide other readers with book-related content and resources. As I work to make reading a regular part of my life again, most of what I post is about the books I'm currently reading or just my random thoughts on the topic. Sometimes I'll share about annotations, and sometimes I'll share about journaling, since this space is for both reading and writing.
I want to join a few book clubs or maybe even start my own one day, and I'd also like to connect with other bookish communities on and off of Tumblr. I hope that makes me feel better about sharing things here too... I'm usually anxious, so talking to people directly isn't always easy for me. However, I don't want that to keep me from meeting other people who share my interests.
Everything here is just my own thoughts, shaped by how I feel and what I find in each book I read. Iām not here to be a harsh critic of authors or their work. I only wish to respectfully express my opinions. Given that English is not my first language, I am still in the process of articulating my emotions and thoughts. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding~
Lastly, I hope this little space shows how much I love reading and how much fun it is to find new books and new ways to get to them from all over the world. I share what I write here in the hopes that some people, including those close to me, will become more interested in reading. Perhaps someone who hasn't yet developed a love for books will realize that reading can be easy and fun -- much more enjoyable than simply scrolling through social media. Not everyone needs to read a lot to enjoy books. All readers count!
PS: I read all sorts of books except those that heavily revolve around SA and abuse that are made to depict it or contextualize it as pleasure or interest. Feel free to contact me here or on IG/Threads (or through email ā¬ļø) if you're interested in having me as your ARC reviewer š¤ All my reviews are on @mfleure-reads š
Happy reading! š
ā¤ #fleureposts - my own posts
ā¤ @mfleure-reads - thoughts & reviews
ā¤ email contact: [email protected]
PPS: I'll only respond to and consider messages about books and journaling. Thank you~
āDehumanized
šæššššš šššš šš āšššššš šššššššš.ā ššš š šššš šššššššššš¢ šššššš ššš ššššššššš šššššš šš ššš š šššš, ššš ššššššš šššš, ššš šø šššš šš šššššš šø šššš šššš š āšššššš šššššššā šššš ššš šššššš šø š šš šššš.
No Longer Human, or Disqualified as a Human Being (the direct title translation), is a heavy book to read, especially for people who already have a hard time finding the will to live in their daily lives. This is because many of Yozo's experiences and ideas about life can be very similar to our own. How he was afraid of human connection as his real self, feeling alienated, etc. But despite all that, I canāt deny how he ended up being so unlikable, and I am disgusted with some of his exploits, especially towards young women. You can see in this book how a good-looking person can easily deceive anyone around them and receive such empathy even if they are destructive not only to themselves but to the people around them too with just their looks, and it definitely shows more at the end of the book where they cannot comprehend nor accept how self-centered and abysmal Yozo is.
He blames everything and everyone in his life, even the entirety of human beings that caused all of his tragic misery, except himself. He even blames his own wife (that he manipulated and preyed on with his usual antics so she could fall in love with him) for being violated and abused by someone she thought could be trusted. That was the most disgusting part, and it still happens in some countries where women are blamed instead of the men who abused them and SA'ed them. It's just sick to see how he made it seem like he was the one who was abused, blamed her for everything, and further damaged his already ābrokenā life.
The book managed to make me empathize with the character in the first few parts of the first ānotebookā and end it with feeling the opposite. It also makes me really think about how damaging it is to not allow yourself to be open about your detrimental upbringing to the people you trust and eventually lead to contributing to worsening yourself in your late life. The second problem is also not knowing when or who to trust, even if you live in your own home and the people who live there with you make it worse.
The thing I find most painful is that Yozo's self-destruction resulted in the destruction of other lives as well. It makes sense that he felt different and alienated, and I can see why he couldn't figure out why he felt that way. He had also been taken advantage of in his early years, but that shouldn't be the primary justification for treating the people who entered his later life in the same way. Nevertheless, I can't deny that some real people do and behave similarly to Yozo... Though, I find myself being more disheartened for Yozoās wife than for him after all that had happened.
Itās an ok book; some parts particularly were a bit confusing to read because Dazai didnāt explicitly say what really happened in some of it. It is replete with cynicism and hopelessness; this book is often viewed as a direct reflection of Dazai's own lifelong battles with emotional torment and self-hatred. Sometimes I just needed some strength to continue some of its paragraphs because of how discomforting they are to read, especially on how Yozo views all women and how heād manipulate them. I just felt like I just drowned deeper and deeper as I finished the book, no resolution, just pain and desolation, and I presume this is the main point of the title and the story, which is somewhat ironic, considering Yozo is truly just a human -- a very destructive, stubborn one. This book is definitely not for everyone.
š Something, Not Nothing: A Story of Grief and Love by Sarah Leavitt
āTeary-eyed
This book describes and pictures every bit of episodes that happen during and after stages of grief. I've never seen comic panels so exquisitely created by one person before as Sarah's. It started really heavy and monochromatic, something that encapsulates the feeling of expected, impending doom. And it ends with a bittersweet, colorful finale. I cannot explain how I feel overall, but there are times when colorful abstract panels made me really downhearted despite how vibrant those pages are. Sarah did it wonderfully. Most of the panels deserve to be put in an art exhibit, in my opinion.
My favorite part in the book is the Moomin panels and how fitting they are to the whole book. Iām glad that I was able to pick this up from the e-library. Below are some of the remarkable excerpts that Iāve taken from the book:
Some picture books I read and loved last month š§ŗāļøāĖā¹
š The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson
ā Amazed
This book tells the story of Nokomis (Ojibwe grandmother) Josephine Mandamin and her profound love for nibi (water). It shows the start of the "Water Walk Movement" and the people who were involved in it. I loved how raw & authentic the story was written and drawn, how it heavily lit my awareness of the importance of water in everyday life, and how timely it is nowadays,Ā especially on the over-consumption of water worldwide.
I wouldnāt have known about the aforementioned movement, the reasons behind their environmental concerns in 2003, or how important it is to protect water from pollution and excessive use without this book. Aside from this book, you can read more about the Water Walk Movement here.
āæ personal rating: 5/5
š Lights along the River by Pat Lamondin Skene with Sabrina Gendron (Illustrator)
ā Thankful
Another wonderful story about a young child and their town, who were just about to get their first day with electricity in 1952. Patsy, the young child, shared how they lived before having electricity, how they spent their time together as a family, such as listening to battery-operated radios, using oil lamps to fill light in the living room, and her brother reading old comic books. She also expressed some worries about whether electricity would cause their family to become closer or more estranged. The book as a whole is such a touching story; it made me appreciate what we have now, both with and without having to use electricity. What I have learned here the most is to learn to balance it into our lives, not over-relying on any, and instead learn to spend time the most with your loved ones. There is nothing that fills our lives more than doing that.
āæ personal rating: 4.86/5
š I Am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer with Gillian Newland (Illustrator)
ā Indignant
Coming from someone who was raised outside of Canada, this one was especially weighty. I had never known about the residential school system until I read this book last month. This book is one of those books that proves picture books can be read at any age, and some will really be impactful, informative, and gut-wrenching. The story revolves around Irene and her brothers, who have been taken from their homes and sent to live at a residential school in Canada. Here, I learned about the harm that the system did to the Indigenous people, especially the children who were taken because people thought they were bad and needed to be "saved" from themselves.
In this particular section of the book, I felt both enraged and sad for the people who had gone through that system --Ā āšøš š¢šš šššāš ššš š¢ššš šššš šš ššššššššš, šššš¢ š ššš ššššš šš šš š¢šš ššš ššššš. š°šš šš š¢šš ššššš šš šš, š¢šš š ššš šššš šš ššš ššš ššššš.ā This kind of discrimination and abuse happened in those residential schools and was told in the book. The last residential school closed in 1996.
āæ personal rating: 4.43/5
š The Most Beautiful Thing I Have Ever Seen by Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer with Gillian Newland (Illustrator)
ā Hopeful
The last book is about a little girl and her family who had to leave their home because of a war. They had to go to a different country where the girl thought they would be safe and not have to worry about anything. Only to display how war has affected their hope and freedom and how traumatizing it is, especially to young children, even if theyāve already fled from it. It showed how even a simple fireworks display at a celebratory event could trigger children from war, and it made me feel uneasy and sad, which is also the point of the book. Once more, it's a very relevant story, particularly in light of current events. I believe reading this will widen your empathy not only towards the families who have been suffering from these wars but specifically towards the children who only hoped to live and grow like us, without war, without fleeing from their home, beloved countries.
āæ personal rating: 3.86/5
šļøI absolutely recommend these books to anyone who appreciates art -- especially vibrant illustrations -- combined with beautiful narrative, new information, and powerful messages. You can still pick up useful information in picture books such as the books I have mentioned above (most of them are not fiction). I have always loved reading picture books because that's how I started to love reading. Back then, picture books were essentially relevant to young children, not only to improve reading comprehension but also to learn empathy through the visuals being evoked in the books. They were locally affordable and supported not only independent local writers but also artists. Picture books helped me develop my love for drawing in addition to reading, and I hope that these two passions will continue to prevail into the future of newer generations.
āAlright
I am not well-versed in the culture surrounding serviceberries in the West, as an Asian who was born in an Asian country where they are entirely nonexistent (although I am aware that they are present in other Asian countries). However, this book provided me with a few insights into their importance in the gift economy, a subject about which I am not particularly knowledgeable. In our country, the gift economy does exist and is prevalent in a way that was described in certain pages of the book, where it arises in times of disaster or calamity. From the middle of the year until Christmas, our country is hit by thunderstorms every year. Most of these vendors and small businesses are hurt by the floods that destroyed their goods and stocks. Some individuals depend on relief goods and funds that are primarily provided by private sectors and citizens, with only a small amount of assistance from the public government. That being said, I kind of agree that it only exists in the situations I listed. Some health care facilities in other countries offer basic services for free, but that's not the case here. Volunteering is also common (as is a sort of gift economy), but not in the way you might expect. Certain volunteer projects require government funding, particularly in countries like mine that have very expensive goods and utilities in addition to dishonest public servants who use taxes for personal gain rather than the community...
šššš ššššš šššššššš šš šššššššššš, ššššššššššššš šššš šššššššš šššššš ššššššššš. šæššššš šššš šššššš¢ šš ššš ššššššš, ššš ššššš šš šš ššššššš ššššššššš š ššš ššššš¢ššš ššššš ššššš ššššššššš šš šššš ššš ššššš ššš šššššššš šš šššššššššš¢. šššš šš¢ššššš šš šššššššššš ššš šššššš ššššššššš šš šššš ššš ššššššššš, šššš šššš šš šššššš ššš ššššš.
The book started with an environment that is tranquil and nature-filled, accompanied by beautiful illustrations from John Burgoyne. However, the book seemed to keep talking about the same thing over and over: capitalism and the market economy are bad, while the gift economy is good. Itās like pushing you into moral dilemma while giving you wisdom in life on the side. Even though it would be great to live in a world with only a gift economy in some ways, I don't think it will be safe for everyone to make that our sole economy right now. Individuals who are unable to maintain social connections may be impacted by the risks associated with the gift economy. The book consistently emphasizes the importance of reciprocating the generosity of those who provide for you. It would lead to social pressure and burnout that I can't even begin to imagine; the dysfunction within it could even be more chaotic than a mixed economy.
šššš šš ššš šššššššš ššššššš š ššš šššš šššššššššā šššš¢ šššāš šššššššš š ššš š ššš ššššš ššš šššššššš š šš ššššššš ššš ššššš. šššš šššššš šššš ššššššš¢ š šš šššššššš šš¢ ššš šššš šššššš, šš¢ ššššššš šššššššš ššš ššššš šš ššššššš.
Throughout the majority of human existence, voluntarism and gift economy were the main pillars of human society, so there is no doubt that they are effective on some level. The tricky thing is that such a system relies on trust, interpersonal relationships, and memories of events and interactions if it is not changed. This is where social pressure comes in, as well as what the author of the book refers to as "...someone breaking the rules of sharing."
Some aspects of capitalism are undoubtedly major contributors to the serious issues facing our society and I cannot claim to know the solution to those issues... It is also said in the book that the gift economy can only really work in smaller groups, which already exist. Please remember that I only know the bare basics about the main topic of this book, so these are just my thoughts at the moment I'm writing them. I'm open to learning more about these from additional books.
I'm not sure if I can suggest this book to anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of the gift economy, but overall, it's a decent read for gaining some understanding of the subject in general, how it still exists today, and its positive effects especially in the West. I might recommend the shorter version of this book, which is an essay (legitimately) available for free on the internet.
āBeautiful
There's something about books that are written so vividly that they draw readers of all ages and even make adults think in a profound and reminiscent way. In a world that is slowly losing its colors, The Little Prince is always in our hearts, reminding us of who we once were, or rather, who we really are.
Despite being published nearly a century ago, the central plot of The Little Prince is so timeless that it can still be applied to our everyday lives as adults.
š°šš šššš š ššš š ššš šššššššš šššš (ššš šššš šš šššš šššš ššššššššš).
This book is not only about our young selves that we have sheltered, disregarded, and sometimes forgotten, but also about our wants and dreams that we have abandoned to fit in the adult āworld.ā Little Prince stands in for the versions of ourselves that we have all been ashamed of due to our ridiculousness, immaturity, naivete, and lack of purpose in life -- even if we actually have. Surprisingly, this book will make you feel much better about life and give you new hope because it will awaken your inner self, which has always been there, guiding you towards a meaningful life based on your own wants and aspirations, which you have kept in your own treasure box inside your heart.
The Little Prince demonstrates that there is no reason to be ashamed of being oneself; rather, we should be embarrassed about the idea of becoming strictly uniform, as this would rob us of our uniqueness and individuality, which is what defines us a solid and special species. Also, being different doesn't mean you have to lose your modesty. Instead, it should make you think about people who are opposite to you in an appreciative way, unlike the people from other worlds the Little Prince met, whose pride kept them stuck in their own ego bubble.
šø šššššš š¢šš, ššš š šš¢ šššš šš šššššš šš š¢šš ?
Beyond the few things I've already mentioned, there is a lot more you can learn from this book because it is so well-written and can be absorbed introspectively, which will help you better understand not only yourself but also those around you.
I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially to those who feel as though they are stalled in their lives and require a complete reset while reflecting on their past selves. Also, If you like cute pictures like those in picture books, this book has some that were drawn by the author himself, which is a big plus!
ššš šššš ššššššššš šššššš ššš ššššššššš šš ššš šš¢šš.
āOK
I spent some time reading my first physical book of Edgar Allan Poe, āTell-Tale Heartā, Penguin Classics, which includes 2 other stories, āThe Fall of the House of Usherā and āThe Cask of Amontilladoā.Ā These three short stories all shared the same haunting and bizarre themes that delve into a different range of human nature.Ā I found The Tell-Tale Heart funny in some aspects because of the way the narrator speaks for his own "genius" schemes, as he simultaneously defends his sanity while his actions prove the opposite. It was somewhat absurd for him to even narrate every bit of his actions towards fulfilling his plans, where I feel like watching Tom plotting against Jerry, simply because Jerry bothers him. Eventually, the narratorās schemes have been successful, only to find himself in a mess when it was time to cover up the (quite morbid) wrongdoings. The guilt consumed him to the point where he imagined his victim's heart still beating, when it was his own all along. Turns out, his plans aren't as brilliant as they seemed. I think this one has delved into all stages of paranoia, tells it in only a few pages.Ā
The second story presents a guttural contrast. The Fall of the House of Usher culminates in tragedy, a sense of hopelessness permeating even the initial pages and foreshadowing the ending.Ā Both the surrounding environment and the people shared the same fate; it resembles a curse upon both the lineage and the ancestral home.Ā This was more about fear of going astray, a fate from which there seems to be no escape for them. The Cask of Amontillado reads like a semi-dramatic play centered on revenge. Although itās mostly about revenge, it has a similar concept to Tell-Tale Heart where the story explores the plotting of a scheme against another person.Ā It unsettles me to think that some individuals will do everything, even in the mostĀ heinous way,Ā to get revenge in such a composed demeanor, often without the intended victim's knowledge.Ā But we know how frequently these cases have already occurred in real life. The third story's pacing was my least favorite part.
Poe likely intended to illustrate how madness, guilt, and decline, even leading to retaliation, can consume the human mind in a terrifying and appalling manner. WhereĀ horror isn't merely external, but resides within the mind itself. Such exploratory tales were written in a time when the terror in the human mind had not yet been significantly expounded.
ā Great || Author BAD
The book was so well written that it hooked me right away. The opening atmosphere reminded me of the foggy world of the original Silent Hill, with its thick, pervasive mist and sense of surrounding darkness. It felt both mysterious and eerie.
I could also perfectly picture all of Coraline's emotions in every scene. From watching her talk to Miss Spink and Miss Forcible to seeing the Old Man (Mr. Bobo) act peculiar while they conversed, I felt a firm sense of discomfort. On top of that, her parents were so uptight with her. Their negligence and indifference in the first few parts were tormenting to read about because I grew up in a similar family. That feeling weighed me down, almost like a mirror of my own childhood. But eventually, I was happy to see how it ended for her, since it turned out they were just getting used to their new home after all. The Other Mother was the creepiest of all. Turning buttons into something horrifying was such a unique idea.
I read the paperback edition with Dave McKean's illustrations, which perfectly depicted a suburban gothic artstyle that fit the story well. I was a little confused when I discovered online that the house was named the "Pink Palace." In some editions, it was explicitly mentioned in Chapter 1, but in my paperback it appeared only in the foreword. The book's description of the large house reminded me of the mansion from the Over the Garden Wall episode "Mad Love," as if two different lives and two different mansions had somehow been combined into one. But we know that, in contrast to the book, itās only one large house in physical form. I also noticed a shared concept between the Beast in Over the Garden Wall and the Other Mother, where both characters lure children and feed on their souls. Speaking of similarities, I think Little Nightmares 2 also shares similar elements with Coraline.
Overall, the pacing was a pleasant read. I had only seen the first few scenes of the movie because I wanted to finish the book first, so now Iām even more excited to see how they brought this one-of-a-kind story to life on screen. Now that Iāve finished reading, I realize that I love stories like this.
āBecause,ā she said, āwhen youāre scared but you still do it anyway, thatās brave.ā
āGracious
This book wrapped around me like the embrace of a big, healthy extended family. It made me feel like I truly belonged somewhere safe and surrounded by people who love unconditionally, showing care in both gentle and unexpected ways.
It didnāt really hit me with that kind of punch until I got to the last chapters. Some of the scenes and the moods reminded me of a Korean drama that I watched earlier this year called "Heavenly Ever After". Even though their diegeses are totally different, both have an approach of guiding you through each character's unique lives and demonstrating how and why those lives shape who they are.
It was definitely an easy read, and I could really visualize every scene that was written in this book. Many of my favorite moments were the ones where Pinky is involved, and I could almost feel how fluffy Boomer is! It kind of makes me miss my childhood days too, back when I was still living with my grandma. Itās those simple little things that really tug at you and make you want to keep reading.
āPleasant [Film]
the film had a few simple monologues that might not seem like much, but some of them actually carry good advice. overall, it felt really soft and comforting, and i enjoyed every bit of it. itās short, under an hour, but you can see the care in the dialogue, the music, and the animation based on charlie mackesyās artworks. whether the lines stick with you or not is up to you, but for me, the whole thing felt like being hugged by a friend who accepts all of my vulnerabilities & flaws. and that was something i really needed the most at the moment.
āGood
Whoever fights to topple a system often becomes the system once they take control.
I finally finished a book again after months of being in a slump. This one had been sitting on my backlog for two years, and since I set my reading goal this year to focus on short but meaningful books, I decided to start with it. It was surprisingly easy to get through even with the heavier theme running through the whole story. It has already been reviewed countless times, and I ended up feeling pretty much the same way as many of those readers. I think this is the kind of book you can come back to more than once, and it will still give you the same effect each time.
[DNF]
I wanted to start reading again, so I picked up this book knowing nothing about it, only the author. I understand that this is the point of the story, but I found myself deeply disturbed by the surface-level content after reaching just 15% of the book.
Maybe the genre overall isnāt for me. Narratives centered around such "themes" make me feel quite uneasy. I donāt feel like continuing it anymore, so Iāll drop it for the time being.
š The Librarian of Auschwitz [Graphic Novel Version]
āHonorable
Beautiful graphic novel adaptation with good storytelling, though it could have been better at conveying peopleās emotions in certain scenarios. I felt the sentiment towards Dita, who always loved books and reading. One quote that will always stay with me is: āThe only way to escape was to use your imagination and resist to the bitter end.ā
I've seen a few Holocaust films and animations with different takes and perspectives, but this might be the first time Iāve read one as a graphic novel. The true horrors were captured so vividly that even I couldnāt look at them for too long. It felt very different seeing them visually rather than imagining them in my mind. It is a bit condensed or short, but overall, itās a good book that I came across while browsing Libby.
I would love to educate myself more about its history, and I plan to read more books on the subject.
