nquinlan's reviews
207 reviews

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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dark funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

A sweet book about the inner lives of people. I would have changed the mystery,

by the second red herring it was predictable, by the third boring.

Monkey King: Journey to the West by Wu Ch'eng-En

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Way goofier than I would have ever imagined the book to be. Glad to have read it.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

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adventurous hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Classic Becky Chambers, warm & hopeful. A nice quick read.

The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (near) Fall of J. Crew by Maggie Bullock

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informative medium-paced

4.0

An interesting read in business, fashion, trends, and LBOs. A story that captures so much of the 80s through COVID by focusing on a single brand and its players.

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m left not knowing how to feel. I enjoyed the ending but I’m not sure the payoff was worth the novel.

Content Warnings

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett, Dave Evans

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hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

A book I’d love to give to every college student and one I’ve referenced to several friends as I read it. The book and its techniques resonated well with ones I’ve stumbled upon and put forth more structure to them.

The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger, Marc Schulz

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challenging informative medium-paced

4.0

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

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dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

The book kept me wrapt and engaged but in the end I don’t know that it was the book for me.

Content Warnings

Translation State by Ann Leckie

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adventurous lighthearted 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? No

4.0

An Olive Grove at the Edge of the World: How two American city boys built a new life in rural New Zealand by Jared Gulian

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

A little slow going and not my style of humor, definitely informative for an American in New Zealand.