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egkaetzel's reviews
188 reviews
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
I enjoyed the writing, but it felt like there wasn’t anything driving the story, which left me not itching to finish.
The Social Justice Investor by Andrea Longton
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I am someone who works in social impact and around finance people all the time, but I don't have a ton of money. It has always felt like doing something impactful with my investments was not in the cards, but Longton breaks down getting started in a way that is so easy to follow. I felt so much more confident getting started, especially with the extensive resources she includes. Plus the real life stories from investors were a nice dose of inspiration to keep me from getting overwhelmed by the nuances. I will definitely be recommending to my friends who care about what their money is doing.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Captivating, heart wrenching in the best of ways. Few books balance so well the personal development of characters as well as a riveting plot, even one filled a with a well paced mystery unraveling. As hard as it is to read some of the struggles of Elizabeth Zott, the author never falls too far into pessimism- rather she shows what real goodness and hope look like when they shine through a few people. I would recommend to any reader.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
The Fallen Fruit by Shawntelle Madison
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? No
3.0
The Fallen Fruit uses the story of a family of time travelers to capture the lives of African Americans in Virginia from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. Rather than having one main character, the book follows several key characters in the Bridge family and how their lives and choices shaped the family curse.
I expected the book to have a more mystery element, maybe following Cecil’s as she uncovers for herself the time traveling mystery, but that isn’t what happens with how the book is organized. Instead I found myself a bit lost as to where the story was going. Because of that I think readers will enjoy the book most if they have the expectation of a story focused on the lives of the characters themselves, shaped by time travel rather than a mystery that drives the book. I do think reading a physical copy would help so you could go back and reference past sections and the family tree.
For me I wish there had been more time spent on unraveling the curse and I felt like it ended with a lot of unanswered questions. Still it paints a detailed picture of life in Virginia for free African Americans at that time.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amistad for the ARC!
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Goddess of the River reminds me why it is to the benefit of the reader and the speculative fiction genre to publish stories that are rooted in a diverse array of traditions, yet rooted in themes that resonate with everyone. This book takes a character from a larger Hindu work - the goddess Ganga- and explores not only her story as god made human made god again, but the repercussions of our actions (whether divine or mortal). It’s an exploration of justice, honor, motherhood, and free will, but never looses its way in becoming too dense or making the reader feel bad. It does what all good folktales and myths do- it sweeps you up in the story and leaves you with something that will stick with you in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for the ARC.
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A letter to the luminous deep plays out entirely in letters, capturing an epistolary romance, a mysterious investigation, and an academic adventure into the oceans depths. It’s hard to characterize this book because while it certainly turns into a sci-fi/fantasy book and definitely centers a mystery, the first half of the book doesn’t include much of either. The result is a bit of an uneven pace as you read through the budding romance of two ocean-loving introverts before being thrust into the details of an amazing mystery involving secret societies, poetry, sci-fi crafts, and unexplained disappearances. All that to say while it takes a bit to get going, readers who stick with it will be rewarded with a fantastic mystery that leaves you itching to read the inevitable sequel. Bonus- great representation of someone with OCD, autism, or social anxiety in the main characters!
I received a copy of A Letter to the Luminous Deep as an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Orbit books
Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake
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? It's complicated
4.0