spinesinaline's reviews
815 reviews

The Melting Queen by Bruce Cinnamon

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challenging inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

3.75

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Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by Z.Z. Packer

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challenging reflective 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

4.25

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Have You Eaten? by Sarah Gailey

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adventurous challenging tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

This was sweet. A quick read available online, I've loved Gailey's short apocalyptic fiction with found family! 
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Monologue Dogs by Méira Cook

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challenging reflective fast-paced

3.75

I really enjoyed the format of this one with all the poems presented as monologues from different characters. I wasn't familiar with all the sources so I'd love to revisit with more of that background
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Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

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

4.0

I think this one confused me more than the last Oyeyemi book I read. I'll need some more time to figure out exactly what I thought about it, or maybe another read through since she packs so many little details in the prose.
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Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

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hopeful relaxing slow-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

4.0

A solid 4-star read. Definitely hits the "healing fiction" genre, presents more as a series of vignettes than a deep novel but I appreciate the lack of resolutions that allow for self-inserting.
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Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

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challenging mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

5.0

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The Sacred Heart Motel by Grace Kwan

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emotional reflective slow-paced

3.0

Network Effect by Martha Wells

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

4.25

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No Credit River by Zoe Whittall

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reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

I was tentative going into this one, as I often am with poets I'm unfamiliar with but I really enjoyed the prose-like format of this collection. And I'm always up for a sad, reflective read. It's a very personal telling of the author's own experiences but there's still room for relating to shared themes of breakups, grief, family and love.
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