ahpotts's reviews
1377 reviews

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The City in Glass by Nghi Vo

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dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No

2.5

The prose is beautiful but I just couldn’t get going on this one. More showy than show, more idea than execution - I guess I would say this felt more like an idea than a story to me, even though it’s pretty to read.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved Margo’s Got Money Troubles. So so so good - there’s single parenting & a prof who sleeps with a much younger woman (Margo) & a wrestler dad and addiction and sex work and much more… but it’s  funny & hopeful & I loved it - and it made me think about POV and writing and what it means for something to be real. 
The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

A War of Swallowed Stars by Sangu Mandanna

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

The time travel part is fascinating - made me think a little of The Time Traveler’s Wife in that way. Lots of characters to keep track of & some seriously violent deaths. A fun read, but somehow not my fave: too many people are “beautiful” and too many relationships seem unlikely, maybe.
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Cozy & relaxing for a quick romantic read that’s perfect if you’re willing to suspend reality for a while - I don’t suggest pausing to try to calculate Nina’s potential salary as someone who runs a mobile book shop, for example. Heeheehee. Not cloying or overly silly; just enough character complexity to keep me reading.
Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit

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hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

3.0

Lots of interesting ideas in here - some have aged well, and others not so much. I really enjoyed the framing of hope as active.
Hamlet Is Not OK by R.A. Spratt

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Listened to this one - cute & fun - nothing over the top but perfect for what it is