mentat_stem's reviews
797 reviews

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

hopeful reflective sad slow-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

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

Every Bird a Prince by Jenn Reese

adventurous emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Blue Place by Nicola Griffith

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil

dark informative medium-paced

4.0

Fangs by Sarah Andersen

dark funny relaxing slow-paced

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

4.75

I love how relationship tensions are examined through the standard tropes of vampires and werewolves.
I love how effortless the humor is. 
I love the quality of the book - heavy paper - sprayed edges - black endpapers - black embossed red cloth cover - beautiful.

The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes

adventurous dark funny 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? Yes

5.0

This is a wacky hardboiled story that brings to mind Who Framed Roger Rabbit (the movie. I haven't read the book). It's also much deeper. The setting is a sort of purgatory of ideas. It's an alternate cosmology that is far stranger than your average secondary world fantasy while still connected to our mundane reality.

That makes it sound heavy, but imagine an animation anthology like Love, Death and Robots or The Animatrix - a dozen different animation styles building one world.

I love how caring and loving the characters are, despite their trauma. I love the magical logic that gets built.

Really weird fiction is often difficult to slog through, no matter how rewarding. This manages to be presented with the ease of A Muppet Christmas Carol while never stepping far from the shadows of nightmares and death.

Highly recommend.

mulberry down!! by Nicole Kornher-Stace

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I'd classify this as slice of life as we follow the main character's day to day struggles as they try and focus on and analyze their dreams. It's much more than that and beautifully written. It has a nonlinear, experimental structure and revels in streams of metaphor.

The epic elsewhere that is painted in negative space will stick with me.

Love this.

Building a Storybrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller

Got to the end of my kindle unlimited subscription. I'm not invested enough in the book to purchase it or track it down at the library right now.