raelemkesprung's reviews
1181 reviews

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

challenging mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox

dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Ice Beneath Her by Camilla Grebe

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

medium-paced

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

3.0

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

4.75

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.

I’m just not ready for COVID literature. 

The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny
Did not finish book.

too depressing to read about a world where the pandemic is explicitly over

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Did not finish book. Stopped at 80%.

I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, but it was just…not that good? Did not find it compellingly written or the characters particularly interesting, and the “dialect” writing was done very obviously and badly in my opinion.  

Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.

Wrong headspace. Gorgeous book, will try again sometime. 

A House Between Earth and the Moon by Rebecca Scherm
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.

Activated a climate dread in the first pages that my postpartum brain cannot handle. Too bad - seems like a great book. Will have to try again later.