chloemakesbooks's reviews
715 reviews

Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science by Erika Engelhaupt

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informative fast-paced

3.75

Solid bit of science writing. Some topics more interesting than others (to be expected). Great factoids.
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The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

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

3.0

Great ambiance- the right amount of spooky. Not the greatest ending. A few important plot holes. Slow start, but gathered speed. 
At First Spite by Olivia Dade

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emotional funny 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? Yes

3.0

Cute. Characters were a little flat, plot was a little thin, but that's romance. Great setting.  
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The Missing Thread: A Women's History of the Ancient World by Daisy Dunn

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
So boring. Not actually women focused, because we don't have the history to support it. Poorly organized. 
James by Percival Everett

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challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Beautifully done, deep and compelling. Loved the philosophical bent and classic adventure feel. References to Voltaire and of course Twain were masterful.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Light on plot, heavy on loveable characters. Cozy, but needed more worldbuilding. 
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture by Frank Owen

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Couldn't keep track of who was who and frankly didn't care. 
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Incredibly saccharine but satisfying nonetheless. Rough timing, reading it the week of the election, but hopeful anyway. 
Empty Theatre by Jac Jemc

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

4.0

Listened on audiobook at 1.5x. I loved the literary aspects of this- the way the entire book read like a stage play, the blending of truth and assumption, the excellent writing style (if a bit slow here and there). Definitely reminded me of The Great. Very compelling snapshot in time, richly drawn characters. I wanted a bit more context, maybe an epilogue- oddly, the only character you really get this for is Wagner, which is the only character I didn't really need it for. Excellent meditation on power, wealth, character, sexism, family, and mental health. Didn't like the very last bit; wish it had just ended ambiguously.
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