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A New York Tate of Mind
A New York Tate of Mind
In which this reader and explorer reviews books, muses on literary (and other) matters, and shares some of her adventures.

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My 1-5 rating system:
1 = I did not like it and would not recommend it.
2= It was fine. Read it if the subject matter interests you.
3 = I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
4 = I really liked it, and think you should read it!
5 = One of the best books I've read.
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Review: The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
5/5 stars The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton (2018) I enjoyed this book SO MUCH! It is as thrilling as it is confusing,...
tatedecaro
Jul 21, 20213 min read


Review: Love in Color: Mythical Tales
2/5 stars Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold, by Bolu Babalola A collection of folktales retold with a modern...
tatedecaro
Jul 15, 20212 min read


Review: Turtles All the Way Down
4/5 stars Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green (2017) TW: Anxiety, OCD, Mental Illness, Death of a Parent “In three words, I can sum...
tatedecaro
Jul 12, 20212 min read


Review: Once Upon a River
3/5 stars Once Upon a River, by Diane Setterfield (2018) This book is a mythical fairy tale of magical realism. Suspenseful at times,...
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Jun 30, 20212 min read


Review: Southern Reach Trilogy
3/5 stars overall Southern Reach Trilogy: Annihilation, Authority, & Acceptance, by Jeff Vandermeer (2014) Rating this was tough because...
tatedecaro
Jun 25, 20213 min read


Review: The Anthropocene Reviewed
5/5 stars The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, by John Green (2021) I first came to The Anthropocene Reviewed...
tatedecaro
Jun 10, 20213 min read


Review: Home Fire
4/5 stars Home Fire, by Kamila Shamsie (2017) To say this book is based loosely on the Sophocles play Antigone makes it sound loftier...
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Jun 2, 20212 min read


Review: Homegoing / Transcendent Kingdom
3-5/5 stars - Homegoing (2016) & Transcendent Kingdom (2020), by Yaa Gyasi I just finished reading Transcendent Kingdom, and realized...
tatedecaro
May 25, 20212 min read


Review: Vulnerability is my Superpower
5/5 stars Vulnerability is my Superpower: An Underpants and Overbites Collection, by Jackie Davis (2021) Listen, I feel like no one...
tatedecaro
May 21, 20213 min read


Review: Red at the Bone
4/5 stars Red at the Bone, by Jacqueline Woodson (2019) Sometimes it seems much more challenging to write a review of a book I loved than...
tatedecaro
May 13, 20212 min read


Review: The Near Witch
3/5 stars The Near Witch, by V.E. Schwab (2011) This is Schwab's first novel, originally published in 2011, then republished in 2019...
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May 6, 20212 min read


Review: Little Eyes
4/5 stars Little Eyes, by Samanta Schweblin (2018) Translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell (2020) Little Eyes is a creepy but...
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May 2, 20211 min read


Review: The Ladies of Grace Adieu
3/5 stars The Ladies of Grace Adieu, and Other Stories, by Susanna Clark (2006) Favorite quote from the book: “The governess was not much...
tatedecaro
Apr 26, 20212 min read


Review: Such a Fun Age
2/5 stars Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid (2019) This is a tough one to review. I think the premise is interesting and important......
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Apr 21, 20212 min read


Review: The Devil & the Dark Water
3/5 stars The Devil and the Dark Water, by Stuart Turton (2020) This murder-mystery thriller has a very Sherlock & Watson vibe, and like...
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Apr 16, 20212 min read


Review: Gods of Jade & Shadow
2/5 stars Gods of Jade and Shadow, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2019) This book is set in the 1920's in Mexico, but mostly it draws on...
tatedecaro
Apr 8, 20212 min read


Review: The Museum of Whales You Will Never See
3/5 stars The Museum of Whales You Will Never See, and Other Excursions to Iceland's Most Unusual Museums, by A. Kendra Greene (2020) On...
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Apr 3, 20212 min read


Review: Piranesi
5/5 stars Piranesi, by Susanna Clark (2020) This book was such a fun mystery to unravel, and just a gorgeous story to dive into. If...
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Mar 29, 20212 min read


Review: Out of Darkness, Shining Light
2/5 stars Out of Darkness, Shining Light, by Petina Gappah (2019) This is a book of historical fiction that tells the story of the people...
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Mar 23, 20212 min read


Review: House in the Cerulean Sea
3/5 stars The House in the Cerulean Sea, by T.J. Klune (2020) This book combines the magic (and, more specifically, Ministry of Magic) of...
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Feb 25, 20212 min read

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