kyra_ann_writes's reviews
354 reviews

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

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

4.25

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

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

4.75

Reading this book given what is currently happening in history was beautiful and infuriating all at once. I loved feeling interwoven into the fabric of a collective voice with the specificity in details only accentuating a sense of wholeness. Otsuka skillfully renders the strength of endurance amidst the violence of erasure in a way that feels full and not reductive in the slightest. I would highly recommend this short and powerful read. Let’s be wary of history repeating itself… 
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

When I first described what reading this book is like to a dear friend of mine, she said, “It sounds like Deadpool got Jumanjied into a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.” And I honestly can’t think of a better way to put it. Were elements of the plots predictable? Sure. Did I roll my eyes at some of the romantic clichés? Yes. But on the whole, this book was witty, endearing, and fun. I could even tolerate the spice scenes in context, which is a very rare occurrence for me. I want the world for Halla and Sarkis, and I’m excited to see more stories from this world.
Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human by Carlos Whittaker

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hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

I’m giving this book 4 stars because it did exactly what I hoped it would do. I found the prose readable and the dad jokes endearing. I also think that Whittaker does an excellent job of sharing the compelling aspects of his experiences among the monks and the Amish. However, some of the tips he provides, while very well-meaning, do seem to lack a bit of nuance, but some of that couldn’t have been avoided by virtue of sharing from his own experiences. For example, not using a GPS and “getting lost” from time to time, sounds good in theory, but the risks are a lot higher for women than they are for men. While I 100% agree that a lot of technology has led to dissatisfaction and dissociation, there is still the question of safety online and offline that I wish was explored a bit more. Overall though, this was a solid book that can spark much-needed dialogue.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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

3.25

I think that this book is a solid 3.25 stars for me. A part of me wonders if I’m giving it a lower rating than usual because I had such high expectations. Bradley thrives on the sentence level. I like the uniqueness of the character voices and witty turns of phrases. (The cleverness of the prose pumped up the overall rating by .25.) However, from a plot development standpoint, everything seems to collapse into itself toward the end, like crossing an event horizon of a black hole. I think The Ministry of Time was very interesting, but I cannot tell if I was drawn to reading more because of curiosity or for the sake enjoyment. Of course, those aren’t mutually exclusive, but I wouldn’t say I found any of the characters likeable, and that tends to be what makes me fall in love with a story. I think that this book sparks a lot of intriguing questions about history, agency, and society, and that has to count for something. I look forward to discussing this book with friends. 

(Also, I’m not really one for spice in stories in general, but I don’t think it added anything to this book. It just felt like a box to check, and there were probably more character-aligned ways to indicate a progression in intimacy.) 
Jackal by Erin E. Adams

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I think this is a solid 4.25 stars for me as a reading experience. Adams manages to tackle so much so succinctly with a lot of complexity. I was also pleasantly surprised by the speculative twist. I do think some of the information was paced in ways that feel a bit off-balanced in retrospect. I also think that some of the commentary was occasionally heavy-handed, but then again, some things might not be obvious to everyone. Some people aren’t born with certain stories under their skin, so they need to be spelled out. But in any case, I would definitely recommend this book for those in for a thrill. What a way to close out 2024 in reading. 
The Wedding by Dorothy West

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

4.0

Tar Baby by Toni Morrison

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

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

3.75

The language in this book was absolutely stunning. I was deeply immersed in Piranesi's voice and found his way of making sense of the world compelling. I feel like this is the kind of book that people who do 2000-piece puzzles for fun would absolutely love. Admittedly, I don't have the same patience as those people. I found myself disoriented in a way that was interesting but also a bit difficult to push through until around the 70% mark; then, I couldn't put the book down. I really liked this book overall, but this pacing element is the main thing keeping it from being one of my new favorites. I do think it is an excellent example of character voice and world-building, so I would recommend Piranesi if those things especially matter to you as a reader. 
Five-Star Stranger by Kat Tang

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Five-Star Stranger was a five-star read for me! This is certainly out of my comfort zone genre-wise, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much the characters in the story resonated with me. While I initially feared the plot would veer into the cliché, it met and subverted so many of my expectations. I'm also intrigued by the implications of a world of "strangers".  Perhaps the world of the story is much closer to reality than we think. The premise promised a lot, and the story delivered. This book is also very funny but in compellingly dark ways at times. Brace yourself for quite the ride!