pecsenye's reviews
156 reviews

The Seamstress of Sardinia: A Novel by Bianca Pitzorno

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emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

What a charming and delightful book of life in an Italian village in 1910 through the eyes of a seamstress. I thoroughly enjoyed this. 
An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling

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emotional hopeful sad 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

Soooo schmaltzy!
The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us by Rachelle Bergstein

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hopeful informative medium-paced

4.25

A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen

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emotional hopeful informative 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

3.75

Math-ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics by Jo Boaler

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hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

This is great advocacy about how math could be taught way way better all around the world. I get the feeling that her earlier books might be more about the knitty gritty of teaching techniques. 
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

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emotional funny hopeful 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

This one is better than the other two in the series because it's in first person. 
The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards by Jessica Waite

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Our Hearts Were Young & Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner, Emily Kimbrough

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funny hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.25

This book was written in 1942 about events that happened in 1920, but even in 2024 I laughed out loud reading this book. It's just so funny and clever, and captures the essence of being a 19-year-old set loose on the world. 
The Bell in the Fog by Lev AC Rosen

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This one is much better than Lavender House, which I liked a lot. But Rosen is really hitting a stride with Andy and the world Andy lives in, and this is a much more traditional mystery instead of a closed-room like the first one was. 
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is such an interesting world Kawakami has created and such fully-drawn characters.