michaelmarshall's Reviews (250)

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder

David Grann

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope

Sarah Bakewell

5.0

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, War

The Republic of Thieves

Scott Lynch

5.0

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

Star Maker

Olaf Stapledon

3.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Down and Out in Paris and London

George Orwell

4.0

adventurous challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, Antisemitism

Saga: Compendium One

Brian K. Vaughan

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail

Nomads: The Wanderers Who Shaped Our World

Anthony Sattin

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, War

The Mask Falling

Samantha Shannon

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping

Children of Memory

Adrian Tchaikovsky

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Murder

A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story

Qais Akbar Omar

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War