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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: Firekeeper's Daughter
3/5 stars Firekeeper's Daughter, by Angeline Boulley (2021) TW: grief, suicide, murder, drug addition, & rape Despite the heavy nature of...
tatedecaro
Dec 17, 20212 min read


Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
5/5 stars The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman (2013) "Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside,...
tatedecaro
Dec 13, 20212 min read


Review: Tongues
4/5 stars Tongues: On Longing and Belonging through Language, edited by Eufemia Fantetti, Leonarda Carranza, & Ayelet Tsabari (2021) I...
tatedecaro
Dec 12, 20213 min read


In This Moment chapbooks
5/5 stars In This Moment: Revolution, Reckoning, Reparation, a chapbook series curated by Amanda Chestnut, coordinated by Jeanne...
tatedecaro
Nov 26, 20212 min read


Review: They Called Us Enemy
4/5 stars They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger & Steven Scott, illustrated by Harmony Becker (2019) In this graphic...
tatedecaro
Nov 23, 20212 min read


Review: Mixed Feelings
4/5 stars Mixed feelings: Poems and Stories, by Avan Jogia (2019) This book may be slim, but it packs a punch, exploring the complicated...
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Nov 18, 20212 min read


Review: Where the Dead Sit Talking
2/5 stars Where the Dead Sit Talking, by Brandon Hobson (2018) TW: Drugs, suicide, sexual identity, violence against women This is a dark...
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Nov 17, 20212 min read


Review: Into the Water
2/5 stars Into the Water, by Paula Hawkins (2017) This is one of those 4-stars-while-reading, 2-stars-when-done kind of books. It is...
tatedecaro
Nov 9, 20212 min read


Review: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism
2/5 stars Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, by Amanda Montell (2021) There were parts that I found so fascinating, but overall it fell...
tatedecaro
Oct 22, 20213 min read


Review: Conjure Women
3/5 stars Conjure Women, by Afia Atakora (2020) An impressive debut of historical fiction, the book is set on a large plantation in the...
tatedecaro
Oct 12, 20212 min read


The Book Thieves 2022 Line-Up
My book club, The Book Thieves, met last night to choose all of our books for 2022, and I'm excited to share the list! If anyone is...
tatedecaro
Oct 8, 20214 min read


Review: If We Were Villains
3/5 stars If We Were Villains, by M.L. Rio (2017) A murder mystery for fans of Shakespeare! It's a very dramatic, literary, theatrical...
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Oct 1, 20212 min read


Review: The Kingdoms
4/5 stars The Kingdoms, by Natasha Pulley (2021) Kingdoms is a very cool and complex Victorian-era/Georgian-era time travel book of...
tatedecaro
Sep 24, 20212 min read


Review: Detransition, Baby
3/5 stars Detransition, Baby, by Torrey Peters (2021) TW: Trans- and Homophobia, Miscarriage/Abortion, Suicide, Sexual Content & Violence...
tatedecaro
Sep 12, 20212 min read


Review: Nights When Nothing Happened
3/5 stars Nights When Nothing Happened, by Simon Han (2020) This book is a slow, ponderous burn. I found myself feeling distracted at...
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Sep 3, 20212 min read


Review: The Body: A Guide for Occupants
2/5 stars The Body: A Guide for Occupants, by Bill Bryson (2019) If you didn't know already before reading this book, you would...
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Aug 27, 20213 min read


Review: Brown Girl Dreaming
4/5 stars Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson (2014) Earlier this year I read Woodson's 2020 novel Red at the Bone (click to read...
tatedecaro
Aug 27, 20212 min read


Review: Prison Diary of Ho Chi Minh
3/5 stars The Prison Diary of Ho Chi Minh, by Ho Chi Minh (1943) Translated from the Vietnamese by Aileen Palmer My mom is going through...
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Aug 20, 20212 min read


Review: Long Division
2/5 stars Long Division, by Kiese Laymon (2013) This one's a thinker. The book is two separate but very intertwined stories. One starts...
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Aug 6, 20212 min read


Review: The Glass Hotel
2/5 stars The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel (2020) Meh. I don't get it. This was a disappointing read because Mandel's book...
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Jul 22, 20212 min read

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