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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: Even Though I Knew the End
4/5 stars Even Though I Knew the End, by C.L. Polk (2022) At barely over 100 pages, this was a quick read, but Polk manages to create an...
tatedecaro
Jun 27, 20242 min read


Review: Book of Night
3/5 stars Book of Night, by Holly Black (2022) First of a series which.... I think I'd be interested enough in to keep reading? Not...
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Jun 4, 20242 min read


Review: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
4/5 stars Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, by Jesse Sutanto (2023) “People always say that your wedding day is the happiest...
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May 29, 20242 min read


Review: Then She Was Gone
4/5 stars Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell (2017) I've read two Lisa Jewell books before and really enjoyed them (The Family Upstairs...
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May 20, 20242 min read


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...
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Apr 23, 20242 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...
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Dec 30, 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 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


Review: Genuine Fraud
2/5 stars Genuine Fraud, by E. Lockhart (2017) I could keep this super simple and just say: If you have read or watched The Talented Mr....
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Aug 26, 20231 min read


Review: The Family Upstairs / Remains
3/5 stars The Family Upstairs (2019) & The Family Remains (2022), by Lisa Jewell TW: Domestic abuse, cults A crazy thriller series that...
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Aug 13, 20232 min read


Review: A Botanist's Guide to Parties & Poisons
3/5 stars A Botanist's Guide to Parties & Poisons, by Kate Khavari (2022) TW: Threat of rape This is a delightful, historical murder...
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Aug 1, 20232 min read


Review: The Killings at Kingfisher Hill
3/5 stars The Killings at Kingfisher Hill, by Sophie Hannah (2020) Another of Hannah's Hercule Poirot mysteries! I also read The Mystery...
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Jul 7, 20233 min read


Review: Who is Maud Dixon?
4/5 stars Who is Maud Dixon?, by Alexandra Andrews (2021) WOW this was fun. Totally entertaining! But there's also VERY little I can say...
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Jun 30, 20232 min read


Review The Inheritance Games series
3/5 stars The Inheritance Games (2020), The Hawthorne Legacy (2021), and The Final Gambit (2022), by Jennifer Lynn Barnes I'll be...
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May 15, 20233 min read


Review: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
3/5 stars Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson (2022) Ernie Cunningham is from a family of seemingly...
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May 8, 20232 min read


Review: Hell Bent
3/5 stars (reluctantly) Hell Bent, by Leigh Bardugo (2023) A few years ago I read the first book in this series, Ninth House, and...
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Mar 27, 20233 min read


Review: Amy Among the Serial Killers
2/5 stars Amy Among the Serial Killers, by Jincy Willett (2022) I didn't realize until I was well into the book that it's actually the...
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Mar 10, 20232 min read


Review: The Death of Jane Lawrence
3/5 stars The Death of Jane Lawrence, by Caitlin Starling (2021) First 3/4 of the book - 5 stars. The final 1/4 of the book lost its way....
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Feb 8, 20232 min read


Review: Murder Most Festive
4/5 stars Murder Most Festive, by Ada Moncrieff (2020) A really charming and clever murder mystery. Very British, but in a...
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Jan 4, 20232 min read


Review: The Conductors
4/5 stars The Conductors, by Nicole Glover (2021) Husband and wife Benjy and Hetty Rhodes are escaped slaves, and former Underground...
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Dec 5, 20222 min read

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