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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 Crane Husband
4/5 stars The Crane Husband , by Kelly Barnhill (2023) Barnhill does magical realism very well. I've read two other novels by her - The...
tatedecaro
Mar 102 min read
16 views
0 comments


Review: We Need No Wings
3/5 stars We Need No Wings , by Ann D á vila Cardinal (2024) Magical realism done quite well. Tere (short for Teresa), a Puerto...
tatedecaro
Jan 312 min read
7 views
0 comments


Review: The Book of Doors
5/5 stars The Book of Doors , by Gareth Brown (2024) Fantastic book for book-lovers! Cassie works at a bookstore in New York City. She...
tatedecaro
Jan 162 min read
51 views
0 comments


Review: Real Americans
3/5 stars Real Americans , by Rachel Khong (2024) This is a reluctant 3, but the book is better than a 2, so here we are. The story is...
tatedecaro
Oct 11, 20243 min read
50 views
0 comments


Review: Witch of Wild Things
3/5 stars Witch of Wild Things , by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (2023) A fun little book of magical realism. Sage Flores has a special gift...
tatedecaro
Aug 8, 20242 min read
21 views
0 comments


Review: Self-Portrait with Nothing
3/5 stars Self-Portrait with Nothing, by Aimee Pokwatka (2022) I really enjoyed Pokwatka's The Parliament, which I read last month, so I...
tatedecaro
Apr 23, 20242 min read
49 views
0 comments


Review: The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley
3/5 stars The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley, by Sean Lusk (2022) Zachary is born in London in 1754 to Abel Cloudesley, a renowned...
tatedecaro
Mar 3, 20242 min read
40 views
0 comments


Review: When Women Were Dragons
2/5 stars When Women Were Dragons, by Kelly Barnhill (2022) This would have been a fantastic short story! Like, really compelling and fun...
tatedecaro
Feb 25, 20242 min read
704 views
0 comments


Review: Ink Blood Sister Scribe
5/5 stars Ink Blood Sister Scribe, by Emma Törzs (2023) Fabulous. So fun! This is a fantasy-thriller with gothic libraries filled with...
tatedecaro
Feb 10, 20242 min read
85 views
0 comments


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...
tatedecaro
Oct 18, 20232 min read
434 views
0 comments


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...
tatedecaro
Oct 6, 20232 min read
70 views
0 comments


Review: The Last White Man
2/5 stars The Last White Man, by Mohsin Hamid I'm having a really hard time writing about this one. I finished it almost 2 weeks ago and...
tatedecaro
May 2, 20234 min read
72 views
0 comments


Review: The Night Circus
5/5 stars The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern (2011) I've read this twice before, and the third read was just as awesome. This time I...
tatedecaro
Feb 18, 20233 min read
219 views
0 comments


Review: Lanny
5/5 stars Lanny, by Max Porter (2019) This is such a unique, beautiful, poetic, fantastical little book. If you're a fan of poetry, a fan...
tatedecaro
Jun 7, 20222 min read
52 views
0 comments


Review: Mouthful of Birds
2/5 stars Mouthful of Birds: Stories, by Samanta Schweblin (2009) Translated from Spanish by Megan McDowell (2019) Last year I read...
tatedecaro
Feb 15, 20222 min read
62 views
0 comments


Review: Pet
1/5 stars Pet, by Akwaeke Emezi (2019) UGH. I really didn't enjoy this book. I'm so confused by all the praise it has received (including...
tatedecaro
Dec 24, 20212 min read
38 views
0 comments


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
116 views
0 comments


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
72 views
0 comments


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,...
tatedecaro
Jun 30, 20212 min read
21 views
0 comments


Review: Nothing to See Here
4/5 stars Nothing to See Here, by Kevin Wilson (2019) My one-sentence review: This book is a rollicking good time! But I'll say more... I...
tatedecaro
Jan 29, 20212 min read
39 views
1 comment

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