alanawithdog's reviews
206 reviews

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger

hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I’ve never read anything quite like this, and I’m better now that I have. What a quietly fantastic book. You notice details and come to realizations right along with the main character, and you feel lighter, smarter, and more yourself for having done so. This is for everyone who needs to learn that reinvention can be a slow, gentle process, that still somehow feels like flying. 

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

3.0

Laughing Boy: A Navajo Love Story by Oliver La Farge

adventurous emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Just beautiful. Calming, gentle, introspective. A lovely read, just like the first one. I’m going to keep coming back to these books, to remember to ask what I need, even if I don’t know the answer. 

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

emotional informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

Moderate: Child death

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

adventurous challenging informative mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. I took two days to read the first 100 pages, and then finished the last 260 pages in one sitting. Could not put it down. At once challenging and beautiful, mysterious and certain. The author paints such a clear picture of the unfeeling wildness of nature, and the unthinking cruelty of humans. Incredible book, perfectly written. 

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

adventurous mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

5.0

Delicious! by Ruth Reichl

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring mysterious fast-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

5.0