bookmaddie's reviews
1104 reviews

Caesaria by Hanna Nordenhök

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

interesting questions about imprisonment, instated by others and by yourself.. 

dark, gory. how a girl comes to understand herself in an isolated world where women are unknoweable, dirty, wrong.
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Asunder by Kerstin Hall

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

4.5

the ending got me good.. 😭😭
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The Island Child by Molly Aitken

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

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adventurous informative sad medium-paced

3.75

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The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora by Wendy Pearlman

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

Powerful stories. Really enjoyed revisiting people over multiple chapters. 
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The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

I had a good time!! Most people sucked but it was entertaining.
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She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark

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dark medium-paced

3.5

I was so excited to read some short stories from Clark after reading & loving her first two novels! This collection starts off with some bangers, but around halfway through, I felt a bit weary of it all. Even so, if you're a fan of Clark's writing, I think you'll be into this. Lots of surprises, as well as Clark's signature twisted focus on the darker sides of human nature.
Clark is SUPERB at writing some of the grossest stories l've read. The first story, about a woman selling a mysterious weight loss treatment online, was so gross that I had to pause after reading it to collect myself.

That feeling continued across
multiple stories in this collection, so if you're into feeling disgusted, this is the book for you!!

There were some more pleasant surprises, though. Science fiction!! I really enjoyed most of these sci-fi stories, and now I'm left hoping Clark is gonna publish a sci-fi novel next. Her stories were filled with such fantastical imaginations of space and aliens, but firmly grounded by her characters. I loved it!

Not every story blew me away, but this was still a really worthwhile (and quick!) reading experience for me. Stories about women, survival, and darkness populate every page, with some wry, thoughtful observations about our nature and climate change. Thanks @netgalley and @harperperennial for my advanced digital copy!

—
initial thoughts below:
Some stories really stood out, many were truly disgusting and made me feel a bit nauseous! The latter half of the collection wasn’t as strong for me. The more sci-fi stories surprised and intrigued me! Maybe she should go there w her next novel.
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A Feather on the Breath of God: A Novel by Sigrid Nunez

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Some parts were more compelling than others. The last section about her affair with Vadim dragged a bit. Gorgeous writing throughout.
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The Story of the Forest by Linda Grant

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for my advanced digital copy!

It took me awhile to figure out where this winding narrative was going and to really connect with the characters. I wish this was less of a wide-ranging tale, so we could’ve gotten to know characters more. Even so, the latter half really picked up for me and I found it a compelling read.
A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune by Noliwe Rooks

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

Sometimes I wish sections about Bethune’s activism were a bit more detailed. Impassioned writing.
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