tualha's reviews
391 reviews

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

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challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

As others have written, Bazterrica has a way of writing books that stick with you - even if they're not exactly enjoyable reads. Similarly to her first novel, The Unworthy exposes the mundanity of normalized horror in the world created within the it. It then forces us to look around at the world we live in with new eyes. What everyday violences do we accept as commonplace, as necessary for our advancement, our salvation? It is heartbreaking and beautiful, and ultimately a more hopeful book than Tender is the Flesh, though perhaps not at first glance. 
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The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

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adventurous dark inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A solidly enjoyable book for folks who like stories about witches and sisters. 
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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emotional hopeful relaxing 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

5.0

Parasol Against the Axe by Helen Oyeyemi

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Half expecting a different book on reread
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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adventurous challenging emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Pure joy, will listen again.
Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

4.5

A lovely, disgusting, surreal ramble. It felt meditative and frenetic in equal measure, claustrophobic at times and nearly cozy, yet deeply uncomfortable. 

Think this especially worked well as an audiobook and the narrator was fabulous. The descriptions of foods are much more visceral and emotional in audio. Would recommend.
The Only Ones by Carola Dibbell

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challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

5.0