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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 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....
tatedecaro
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...
tatedecaro
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


Review: Magpie & Moonflower Murders
4/5 stars - Magpie Murders | 1/5 stars - Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (2016/2020) I liked Magpie Murders a lot. Moonflower...
tatedecaro
Nov 25, 20224 min read


Review: Truly Devious series
5/5 stars Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair, The Hand on the Wall, and The Box in the Woods, by Maureen Johnson (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)...
tatedecaro
Oct 8, 20222 min read


Review: two Sophie Hannah mysteries
2-4/5 stars - The Mystery of the Three Quarters (2018) & Woman with a Secret (2014), by Sophie Hannah 4/5 stars The Mystery of Three...
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Jul 28, 20223 min read


Review: The Liar's Dictionary
3/5 stars The Liar's Dictionary, by Eley Williams (2020) You need to love learning about language and, more specifically, the etymology...
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Jul 20, 20222 min read


Reviews: Eight Perfect Murders / The Hotel Neversink
4/5 stars - Eight Perfect Murders, by Peter Swanson (2020) 3/5 stars - The Hotel Neversink, by Adam O'Fallon Price (2019) Two very good...
tatedecaro
Jun 3, 20223 min read


Review: The 12 Lives of Samuel Hawley
3/5 stars The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley, by Hannah Tinti (2017) Tinti's The Good Thief was the first book that my book club read in...
tatedecaro
Apr 11, 20222 min read


Review: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
3/5 stars Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, by Matthew Sullivan (2017) TW: Suicide & murder I thought this was a really fun,...
tatedecaro
Mar 18, 20222 min read


Review: An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed
4/5 stars An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed, by Helene Tursten (2021) Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy Well, this was...
tatedecaro
Jan 23, 20222 min read


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: 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


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 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


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,...
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Jul 21, 20213 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: 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: 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...
tatedecaro
Mar 29, 20212 min read

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