nookandcrannyseattle's reviews
241 reviews

The Willows by Algernon Blackwood

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Full disclosure, I'm setting this down purely because of the "editor." From her incomprehensible introduction to her inane footnotes (on page 1 she felt the need to inform us that the author and narrator are both English and that it is unlikely that the Swedish companion would use an English word to describe the riverbed), Ruthanna Emrys needs to have her proverbial mic taken away. And the footnotes can't even be ignored because they take up half the page! I thought I could keep going for a good chuckle, but honestly it's just offensive after a while. I'll find another edition!
A Storm Blew in from Paradise by Johannes Anyuru

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville

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

4.5

Half a star off for an inconsistent narrator, but China Miéville never misses!
The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Gorgeous. Florrie is one of the most wonderful heroines I've ever read. 
The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

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dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The first half was interesting...setting itself up to be a compelling, if trite, ghost story. I was engaged, anyway. But the moment the lawyer dude burst in out of the rainstorm to declare his lust...well, I couldn't take another word seriously after that. Plus the ending was dumb af. Do yourself a favor and just read The Woman in Black. It's everything this book wishes it could be.
The Girl, The Ring, and the Baseball Bat by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Narrators were dreadful, but the story was actually really satisfying and empowering! 
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

The Last Vanishing Man and Other Stories by Matthew Cheney

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste

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

4.0

A creative take on the traditional haunted house/ghost story! And I liked the romantic twist as well... even if the opportunity for a polycule was right there. 😂
The Waters: A Novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It probably deserves a better rating. I really liked the style of prose. But I hated all the characters, pretty much unilaterally 😂