ampersandinc's reviews
1330 reviews

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

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

4.0

Cosby doesn’t mess around–not with how well he captures very specific aspects of the American south, not in his pacing, and not in the least with how hardboiled and raw his books read. I had to look away from the page for one paragraph because it was all too much at one point. While still filled with more sentiment and ideas than 80% of crime thrillers, this does feel like a move to a more commercial direction from ALL THE SINNERS BLEED. As much as I miss that extra layer, it’s hard to complain when your hair is being blown back on an absolute thrill ride like this. 

Flashlight by Susan Choi

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

4.0

My word! I went in expecting an epic, and instead received an EPIC. Flashlight never settles into being one type of book, it’ll fabulously sport a cross-continental family saga look for a hundred pages and then try on a great looking pair of espionage thriller boots before sinking into a heartbreaking/gut-wrenching near horror style prison sequence. All of this swirls around a central story involving the North Korean abductions in the late 20th century–a topic that Choi uses masterfully to interrogate identity and memory. 

Murder By the Clock by Rufus King

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

3.0

If you like early 20th century mysteries or locked room mysteries you will find this quite satisfying! Some of the mystery/resolution mechanics feel slightly hamfisted, but they’re overcome by the witty observations of the central investigator. Like many of my favorite mystery authors, King uses the baseline rhythm of the mystery plot to get off some guitar solo take riffs on random aspects of life at the time. 

Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor

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

4.0

This book is a rise and fall story, both of a biotech start-up and of a love triangle. Due to my genuine dread re: the ills of start-up culture (and maybe my pettiness about the author of this book being themselves a mid 20s Harvard wunderkind), I was pretty out on this book for the rise portion of it all as it felt like overdone start-up-agenda but then I turned to the fall and it was all the more delicious as the author does a tip-top job of breaking down the fraudulence, both of IP and spirit, that fuels many of these operations. The central love story tied to it all is also quite affecting, and as much as I struggled ideologically with the 1st half of the book, it’s still excellently-paced with measured introduction of characters to keep you satisfied whilst you shake your fist at the air. 

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

5.0

Perfection! Reads like the most bookish equivalent of the beginning of Up. I loved the other works I’ve read from Hanff, primarily because she’s so gosh darn funny, and she is at her best in these collected letters. But in addition to the humor, there is a poignant sadness due to how immediate the passage of time between letters feels. It’s also short as all get out, so if you need a book reset or want the thrill of starting and ending a book on the Victoria - Vancouver ferry, this is a great option. 

Ash's Cabin by Jen Wang

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

3.5

Late to this one, as I was reserving reading it for when I next stayed at my partner’s family’s cabin in rural Washington, which I was lucky enough to do in February. Of course, the art is beautiful because Jen Wang is just such a talent but the story and ideas fueled by the art are just as touching. This is very much a laugh one page reach for the box of tissues box the next page. 

The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey

3.5

For a slim book, this one is A LOT! Neither beginning nor ending, both fiction and non-fiction, the book is constructed in a sandwich style format where you read two separate pieces into the middle where they both end…hence the mobius of it all. One piece is essentially a novella and the author a memoir of a brief glimpse of time in the author’s life, both reckoning in some way with grief extending from the end of the relationship. 

Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher

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

3.5

A lovely little Beauty & and the Beast retelling for fans of Beauty and Rose Daughter, Robin McKinley's two retellings of this fairytale. While all the story's beats are familiar, there are enough changes from the original fairytale to keep it interesting. The sisters are not unredeemable harridans as in some versions, and Bryony/Beauty is a sensible sort whose love of gardening and books helps her solve the castle's mysteries to save the Beast. I enjoyed it but likely won't bother with a reread in the future. 

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

• 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

Another romantasy, set in the same world as Swordheart (with a couple of beloved side characters popping up in both books) once again featuring two POV characters: a warrior with a tragic past and a dry sense of humour and an underestimated woman whose previous romantic partner(s) were unsupportive and disappointing. Do the two books have a fair amount in common? Sure. Am I mad about it? Definitely not! This one had a murder mystery side-plot and political scheming aplenty. I enjoyed the explorations of grief and PTSD the two characters had to do to grow as individuals and meet each other's needs. Once again, I really enjoyed that this was a romantasy featuring adult/middle-aged protagonists, rather than "new adult" characters or centuries-old fae that act like adolescents. There are three other books in the Saints of Steel series featuring Stephen's paladin brethren; I'm definitely interested to pick up at least the next one. 

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis

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

4.0

Woohoo! You know when you’re reading a book and you’re hoping the author will put the characters in one scenario or that a certain mystery will reveal itself at a certain time, and they actually deliver? This is one of those books. Five sisters are maybe or maybe not turning into dogs and wreaking havoc on their 17th century town, and many hijinks ensue as you move through the POV of different town folk. Rare where a book can be both fun and moody, but this definitely checks both boxes.