emily_britton's reviews
833 reviews

dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Evocative? Yes. Deep and thought-provoking? In spades. But if, like me, you like resolution or even clarity, this book is not for you. Interesting stuff.

Three Ways to Disappear by Katy Yocom

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adventurous mysterious 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? No

3.5

The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA by Gunther Siegmund Stent

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challenging funny informative inspiring medium-paced

3.75

I am rather proud of myself for reading and making sense of this book, since my education in genetics (besides watching my children develop) ended in ninth grade. Watson's account is really quite charming and does not go far beyond that ninth grade biology lesson, which is to say that it was also mindblowing to think about how much it took to get to a discovery that now all high schoolers learn in the most basic of science classes. I also enjoyed the reviews at the end more than I thought they would -- they added a good amount of context and were highly amusing.

Call It Sleep by Henry Roth

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dark sad tense slow-paced

3.0

Having finished this, I can recognize Roth's genius, but it was not an enjoyable or easy read. The dialog was especially difficult.

Content Warnings

The Philosophical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us about Truth, Love, and the Meaning of Life by Alison Gopnik

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informative inspiring medium-paced

3.75

Some interesting information here. Gopnik does a fairly good job of straddling the line between academic and pop writing styles.

The Emperor's Last Island: A Journey to St. Helena by Julia Blackburn

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informative fast-paced

5.0

So interesting!

The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It's only been one hundred years since it fell, but we seldom consider the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This novel, which details the lives of one family as the empire begins its disintegration, was one of the most beautifully written books -- but there is very little plot to hook onto. Definitely a great read, but don't think saga so much as snapshots in poetry.

The Travelling Hornplayer by Barbara Trapido

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dark funny lighthearted fast-paced