amsswim's reviews
238 reviews

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

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

3.75

I really liked this but boy it was slow. I'd recommend if you are into historical fiction, but this also crosses directly into true crime. Margret Atwood clearly did her research and really brought this story to life. Glad I was finally able to finish it. 
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Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns

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dark funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

 I enjoyed this one a lot, despite the massive amounts of mixed reviews. I love reading and watching content about unhinged women. I think it appeals to me more than the unhinged men trope (i.e. Taxi Driver, which this book is a modern reversal of) is that women are not at the top of the hierarchy of oppression, so it doesn't feel meaningless, unwarranted, and solely dangerous. To me, it feels more justified. Add layers of other injustices like racism and classism, and you start to unpack intersectionality and why this book appeals to me so much more than Taxi Driver does. But maybe I am just an unhinged woman as well..

Short chapters, very funny. I listened to it, which went really quick (6.5 hrs), and was ready by the author. Don't be a Jolene and tip your drivers. 
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Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling

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

3.25

This book was not bad, I just don't think it was anything outstanding. Anything above a 3 is still worth a read if you're interested, in my opinion. If the author's intent was for me to be mostly bored and hate every man in this book it was achieved. Then the story I did like following, the WHite Alice plot, was generally ignored until 2/3 of the way through. I think overall Rose's story was the best written though. I could've just read a book about her experiences, which she was definitely the main character. Ending was alright but a pain to get to. The themes of climate change and folies of men are good, and I love a dystopian always (this was more of a pre-dystopian in my opinion).
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Garfields Cheesy Holiday Special #1 by Mark Evanier, David DeGrand, Scott Nickel, Andy Hirsch

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emotional funny tense fast-paced
If you know you know. Kinda scary. Thanks Kc. 
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson

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funny informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

I liked this one. Easy to read/listen to and follow the journey she went through. As this is a topic I am very interested in, I knew a lot of the information already but there were still some new facts or perspectives I hadn't considered. This is more of a personal story and perspectives with facts rather than a strict non-fiction book, which isn't bad just worth pointing out. Would recommend to most people. Liked the content but the writing style was not really for me.
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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Liked this one a lot. Not much more I have to say about it other than I think it will translate well into a TV show.
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South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry

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dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Loved this read. Similar premise to How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith in the sense of travelling to important places in the history of black people in America, however this book does not limit itself to pre-Civil War history. Truly dives into how the United States was built on slavery and inequality from the very start, and we as a nation keep the old ideas and habits around. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author. Highly recommend this one, and it came out this year.
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White Noise by Don DeLillo

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emotional funny mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reread this to watch the show. In my opinion this books reads very slow, but the characters, the ways they speak and see the world, and the world they live in seems so familiar and simultaneously dar away you can't help but continue reading. An interesting read for those looking for a more recent classic, but not too recent. Excited to see what they do with the show, considering the depressing plot but funny dialog and descriptions.
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The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

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adventurous funny reflective 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

5.0

I saw this book recommended everywhere, and it was totally worth it. N.K. Jemison has such a way with word, the descriptions were so vivid. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND listening to the audiobook, it's not just a read it has sound effects, music, and more. Made the descriptions amd story really come to life.
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Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

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emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This one was very sweet. You read from the perspective of an "Artifical Friend", a robot that accompanies children. I really loved how Klara interacted and saw the world. As well as how her perspective lacked context entirely sometimes, but had too much in other points. I would love to know more about the larger world the story takes place in, but it didn't matter to Klara so it was not in the story. It felt like a sweet, nice episode of Black Mirror (those are rare though). I'd recommend for science fiction people and those who like light science fiction.
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