charl's reviews
379 reviews

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

well this was a weird one! If not for having nothing else from the library to read I may have taken it back early. I like unreliable narrators and it was fun reading transcripts, but I feel like this could have worked better in 200 pages? Lots to unpack but I'm glad
her dog didn't die
cause otherwise what has the gal got going for her?!
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense 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? No

4.5

Really enjoyed the narrative, twists and turns and the characters. Big themes of the sisterhood and it was interesting to learn about phoolan’s story through Geeta’s experiences and thoughts. 
Weather by Jenny Offill

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

a snippet of life, very engaging to read especially from a post pandemic perspective 
White Teeth by Zadie Smith

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emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

took a while to get through so kept forgetting who everyone was, but the writing was engaging when I got thrown into the stories again 
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

”Sometimes the men—they come with keys, and sometimes, the men—they come with hammers.”

Really beautiful and challenging writing 
Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
Didn’t like the narrator - too “im not like other girls” and couldn’t hold out to see if that was done in a self aware or twist way or not 
Honor by Thrity Umrigar

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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? No

4.0

took me a while to get into this book but 2 whole days of listening and we got there. I got really attached to the story and characters. It’s brutal, really sad and challenging but also had an uplifting ending amidst the sadness. 
Reward System by Jem Calder

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dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Bleak collection of short stories about relationships and social media. I really enjoyed the first story but the rest weren’t as punchy. I wanted more for Julia! Development! Grow up a bit! Treat yourself better! And the workplace one super dragged which I guess is the point ? Depressing vibes.
Enchantment: Reawakening Wonder in an Exhausted Age by Katherine May

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.25

this book was such a relaxing and thought provoking companion, I especially loved the writing on deep play. The author’s relationship with the environment was also so lovely to read. 
Wild Things by Laura Kay

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.25

helped to get out of a reading slump. What a cute story, I want to have a countryside commune :(