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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: Arc of a Scythe series
4/5 stars Scythe, Thunderhead, & The Toll, by Neal Shusterman (2016, 2018, 2019) I'm going to start with a review of only the first book,...
tatedecaro
Jan 28, 20244 min read
The Final 40
In May of 2023 I wrote a poem using the titles of the first 30 books I read that year, and called it The First 30. Well, now here is The...
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Jan 25, 20244 min read
Review: Babel
2/5 stars Babel, by R.F. Kuang (2022) Oh, gosh. I dunno, guys. Am I just too weirdly picky about books? Or does the hype get me too...
tatedecaro
Jan 16, 20243 min read
2023 Books in Review
Totally baffled as to how I managed to read more this year than any other year, including those couple of pandemic years where I was just...
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Dec 30, 20232 min read
Review: Alias Emma
3/5 stars Alias Emma, by Ava Glass (2022) This is my version of a "beach read" - a fun, page-turning spy-thriller with a kick-ass woman...
tatedecaro
Dec 30, 20232 min read
Review: The Fragile Threads of Power
4/5 stars The Fragile Threads of Power, by V.E. Schwab (2023) Spoiler Alert: If you have not read the Darker Shades of Magic series by...
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Dec 23, 20232 min read
Review: The House Keepers
3/5 stars The House Keepers, by Alex Hay (2023) A daring heist! Revenge of the housekeepers! Deception and deceit in fancy dresses! This...
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Dec 7, 20232 min read
Review: The Sun Is Also a Star
2/5 stars The Sun Is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon First off, here is a video about how the book beautiful cover art was created: Book...
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Nov 23, 20232 min read
Review: Night of the Living Rez
3/5 stars Night of the Living Rez, by Morgan Talty (2022) TW: Drug & alcohol abuse These 12 interconnected stories follow a modern-day...
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Nov 22, 20231 min read
Review: The Secret Rooms
1/5 stars The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, & a Family Secret, by Catherine Bailey (2012) False...
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Nov 13, 20232 min read
The Book Thieves 2024 Line-Up
Each October my book club, The Book Thieves, meets to choose our books for the following year. This is our list for 2024 (minus the...
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Nov 9, 20233 min read
Review: Now Is Not the Time to Panic
3/5 stars Now Is Not the Time to Panic, by Kevin Wilson (2022) I've read two of Wilson's books before - Nothing to See Here, which I...
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Nov 8, 20232 min read
Review: Other Birds
4/5 stars Other Birds, by Sarah Addison Allen (2022) This book is a delight. It's somehow utterly fanciful and has its feet firmly...
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Oct 18, 20232 min read
Review: The Cat Who Saved Books
2/5 stars The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa (2017) Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai A 2-star book with a...
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Oct 6, 20232 min read
Review: Horse
3/5 stars Horse, by Geraldine Brooks (2022) I'm a huge Geraldine Brooks fan - one of my all-time favorite books is People of the Book -...
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Oct 1, 20233 min read
Review: Butts, A Backstory
3/5 stars Butts: A Backstory, by Heather Radke (2022) Not my words but an apt, brief description - this book melds "history, personal...
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Sep 26, 20233 min read
Review: Station Eleven
5/5 stars Re-read of Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) I first read this book in 2017, when the realities of a worldwide...
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Sep 18, 20232 min read
A Callery Pear Tree's Saplings
9/11/23 - 22 years later (Each section below has 100 words. This is part of a practice I've been trying to maintain of writing 100 words...
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Sep 11, 20234 min read
Review: Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch
3/5 stars Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch, by Rivka Galchen (2021) Such a good title! This book is a work of fiction but based on...
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Sep 8, 20232 min read
Review: True Biz
4/5 stars True Biz, by Sara Nović (2022) So many thoughts! I really enjoyed this book, but it also has some issues. Since I am...
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Sep 7, 20233 min read
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