dogtrax's reviews
2005 reviews

Hot Mess by Jeff Kinney

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funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I can't stop now -- I've read 19 of these books in 19 years (I started when I read them to my kids, and now as a teacher, I keep buying new ones for the classroom, but read it myself first.) I still chuckle at the gags, and wonder how many books Jeff Kinney has in him.
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

In the All-Night Café: A Memoir of Belle and Sebastian's Formative Year by Stuart David

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funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

An insider look at the beginnings of the band Belle And Sebastian, but even more: a look at a musician trying to find a way to make art on the music scene
Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Dark. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Band People: Life and Work in Popular Music by Franz Nicolay

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informative slow-paced

3.75

If you play in a band, this might interest you. Lots of interviews with musicians who are the leaders of bands -- analyzing the social fabric of making music together with other people
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My Trade Is Mystery: Seven Meditations from a Life in Writing by Carl Phillips

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell

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challenging hopeful informative mysterious sad fast-paced

5.0

A collection of wonders from the animal world, and with a message of all that has gone or might go missing, given the current climate challenges. But, she ends with a note of hope and action.
Shanghai by Joseph Kanon

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Fast-paced thriller