alicebeastcat's reviews
449 reviews

Small Game by Blair Braverman

adventurous tense fast-paced

4.25

A really effective page-turner, that also works in some commentary on how exploitative reality tv and capitalism can be.  I could not put it down!  I hope Braverman writes more thrillers and I will also check out her non-fiction. 

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

dark mysterious fast-paced

3.75

Very solid page turner!  Lost a little steam and coherence for me as it neared the end. The epistolary format was fun and well executed. 

Human Diastrophism by Gilbert Hernández

5.0

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

4.75

A sweeping epic of a novel that explores the role of fate in our lives as it follows Lilliet, a horseback riding opera singer who travels from a farm in Minnesota to the top of Europe's opera scene as she tries to wrest her fate into her own hands, despite the attempts of men and society to deny her.  I was constantly surprised by this book.  I loved it!

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns

4.25

Set in a dystopian present, in a nameless city, skewers privileged white people "doing the work", while depicting the exhaustion, hope and solidarity of Damani, a ride share driver, and her friends, who are mounting resistance to exploitation by capitalism and the state.   

Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

This isn't usually my genre, but I read it as part of the Wisconsin Book Club.  It was charming, and I like that the protagonist's journey was just as much coming into her own as a person as it was about finding love.  

Entitlement by Rumaan Alam

dark tense medium-paced

4.25

Although not a horror story, it feels like it in a way, with a sense of dread building on each page, waiting for the inevitable shoe to drop.  Alam does give us a few hints as to why Brooke starts to

disconnect from reality

, but I would have loved a little more clarity there.  I imagine Alam gave us all the info he wanted us to have, though.  Regardless, Brooke's journey was fascinating as well as sad, with thought-provoking observations on wealth, capitalism and especially charitable foundations. 

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

4.0

Very creative and sexy, too!  Great worldbuilding.  I found it a little repetitive at times and a little confusing here and there, but overall really enjoyed the book and will read the rest of the series and more N.K. Jemison.  

The Charterhouse of Padma by Padma Viswanathan

4.25

I loved the nested/parallel stories!  And both "P" characters and how they grapple with the many and varied relationships in their lives.  I enjoyed the essay excerpts sprinkled throughout the text very much until the end, when they took up a larger percentage of the book -- I was so interested in both "P"s that I didn't want to be pulled away from their stories so much.  

Angels and Magpies by Jaime Hernández

4.0

5 stars for Love Bunglers and Browntown, which are profoundly moving, even a masterpiece; I dnf'd the Ti Girls sequence.