spinningjenny's reviews
474 reviews

Clean by James Hamblin

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Those is probably awesome but it's triggering my health anxiety and I just don't care enough given that I already agree we could shower less. 
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

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

3.5

I read another review that pointed out that this book was grotesque and they were not wrong. Though I enjoyed some of the imagery and especially the nature of the prose that Khaw at this point should be known for, I just didn't feel quite like the target audience on this one and that's ok! 

The story was beautifully told and had a lot of different potential interpretations which is very neat to see a contemporary author doing. Loved it in theory, could tell it was well done and understand how this could scratch a very particular itch. 
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

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challenging emotional informative slow-paced

4.0

This was fascinating and sad in a lot of ways. It is a good and interesting story and blends history, science, and future considerations well. 
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

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

3.5

The Missed Connection by Denise Williams

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lighthearted fast-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? No

3.0

The Book Spy by Alan Hlad

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tense fast-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

3.0

This was OK but the writing wad sort of bland. I would have preferred the real life story to a fictionalized account, but that's on me for choosing fiction. 
I hoped this would be more akin to The Lilac Girls, but it felt more like a pale imitation. Still, not horrible and a quick read. 
The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This was great world building and drove home that we look for people to be like us and perceived differences can make us cruel. Very good. 
The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh

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lighthearted 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

1.75

The Boy Toy by Nicola Marsh

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lighthearted 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

1.5

This was OK but really not ky cup of tea. The humor just didn't hit for me and made me grimace a lot. It felt forced, but I really think it's just a different style than I typically go for. 
The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep by Guy Leschziner

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
It wasn't originally on my tbr an  picked it up on a whim. Honestly just felt stressed reading it, think it triggered my health anxiety 😬