nookandcrannyseattle's reviews
241 reviews

Stunningly beautiful. I do think it's worth mentioning that, considering the sort of book it is, the number of times they use the word "penis" is...much higher than I would have expected. 😂 It may have started giving me the giggles halfway through simply due to the sheer volume of penises running around the fjords. But that was between all the uncontrollable tears due to the gorgeous prose, so all is forgiven, lol.

The Redshirt by Corey Sobel

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emotional funny informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

I *almost* dnf'd this one, not because it started off terribly, but just because I wasn't sure I cared enough about what was happening. I'm so glad I finished it. The longer I sit with it, the more I appreciate the author's subtle stylishness. Also that he brought so much of his expertise to the table without being didactic. It does make me want to read his short stories, because I feel like he will be a stronger shirt-form writer, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for future work!

After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Oh dear....I SO wanted to love this. I get the concept, and I dare say it accomplished what the author hoped. But it just doesn't work for me. I like fragmented novels, but it either needs to be fragments of a story OR fragments of a character. If it's fragments of many people's stories, I just can't find much to care about. Maybe she wanted me to care about feminism? But I already do. That's why I read the book. Gotta give me a little more. I've been looking forward to reading this for so long and got my expectations so high...kinda bummed about it, tbh.

Civilizations by Laurent Binet

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adventurous funny informative medium-paced

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

4.25

I was absolutely tickled by this! Was it still a largely Eurocentric retelling of history that changes little other than the names of the major players? Totally. Was it nevertheless hilarious to imagine Emperor Atahualpa reading Machiavelli, kidnapping Charles V, writing a baffled treatise dismantling the Spanish Inquisition, and converting Henry VIII to worship Inti? 💯💯💯

Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj

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emotional funny informative inspiring medium-paced

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

4.75

It says something about what I've been reading lately that this felt so refreshing, but it really really was. Beautiful writing, great characters. My only complaint is that only one character gets heavily featured in more than one story and he is the least interesting of the lot. I want know more about Samira! Or, like, literally anyone else besides dude bro cop Marcus.

The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath

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adventurous medium-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

2.75

I don't even know what to say. The prose was serviceable, but just......why? What was the point? Why did I read to the end?

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nookandcrannyseattle's reviews 241 reviews

nookandcrannyseattle's reviews
241 reviews