kat2's reviews
25 reviews

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

Clover learns how to live through her work as a death doula. What an interesting profession! Death doula as rom-com character keeps the story moving and provides contrast, but for me the novel could have struck deeper chords.

The Periodic Table by Primo Levi

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

This book of essays, each named for an element, tells stories of a at Levi’s life as a chemist. Woven through is the story of WWII, from the rise of fascism in Italy through the war’s long after effects. Funny, evocative and memorable. My favorite, “Chromium,” includes an account of how he started writing after the war—from a chaotic outpouring of storytelling to the lucid building of a book that helped him live again. The book’s epigraph is a a Yiddish proverb: Troubles overcome are good to tell. Yes.

The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie

emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

4.5

This book is philosophical and hilarious, with a main character who talks to squirrels and is feeling wobbly about her upcoming wedding. With memorable and ultimately lovable characters, the novel asks why we love who we love, and how to deal with families of origin—as in “Little Miss Sunshine,” no one gets left behind. Can’t wait to read another novel by Mckenzie!

The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie

emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

I’d never read McKenzie before, and I found the book smart, funny, well written, and lively.

The Only Way Through is Out: A Memoir by Suzette Mullen

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

For me, the book resonated in so many ways, and I admire the writing and structure!