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sunspot

Lover of all genres exploring deep character-driven stories and rich prose. Ideal reading spot: a sunny day, a shady park, my Greyhound snoozing next to me.

2170 points

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Early User
Spring 2025 Readalong
Level 5
My Taste
Small Worlds
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1
Our Wives Under the Sea
Martyr!
Hamnet
Reading...
The Brothers Karamazov
0%
Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI
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sunspot commented on a post

1w
  • Trust
    Thoughts from 45% (page 182)

    I thought part 1 was a decent standalone novel. Part 2 is convincing me that this book is brilliant

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  • sunspot started reading...

    1w
    Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI

    Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI

    Karen Hao

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    1w
  • Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
    sunspot
    Aug 13, 2026
    Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
    3.5
    Enjoyment: 3.0Quality: 3.0Characters: 3.5Plot: 3.5
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    1w
  • The God of the Woods
    sunspot
    Aug 13, 2026
    The God of the Woods
    4.0
    Enjoyment: 4.5Quality: 4.0Characters: 4.0Plot: 4.0
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    1w
  • Hamnet
    sunspot
    Aug 13, 2026
    Hamnet
    5.0
    Enjoyment: 5.0Quality: 5.0Characters: 5.0Plot: 5.0

    I don’t know how to put into words my love for this book. I don’t think I can. I’ve never read anything like it—the writing feels like being enveloped in a forest. The settings are so vivid, everything felt so real to me while reading. I couldn’t put it down—I skipped work to keep reading and read until I was finished. This one is making me recalibrate my ratings, something that I find rare. I think last time I had that feeling was with The Bee Sting? Absolutely my best book of the year so far.

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  • sunspot finished a book

    1w
    Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

    Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

    Grady Hendrix

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    2w
  • Demon Copperhead
    sunspot
    Aug 11, 2026
    Demon Copperhead
    5.0
    Enjoyment: 5.0Quality: 5.0Characters: 5.0Plot: 5.0Audiobook: 5.0
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  • sunspot made progress on...

    2w
    Demon Copperhead

    Demon Copperhead

    Barbara Kingsolver

    90%
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    3w
    Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

    Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

    Grady Hendrix

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    3w
    Demon Copperhead

    Demon Copperhead

    Barbara Kingsolver

    81%
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    3w
  • Notes on an Execution
    sunspot
    Aug 04, 2026
    Notes on an Execution
    5.0
    Enjoyment: 5.0Quality: 5.0Characters: 5.0Plot: 5.0
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    3w
  • The Count of Monte Cristo
    sunspot
    Jul 31, 2026
    The Count of Monte Cristo
    3.5
    Enjoyment: 3.5Quality: 4.0Characters: 4.0Plot: 3.0

    I know this is a beloved classic, and I can understand why! The payoff at the end is a masterclass in interwoven threads. The ending is emotional. The penguin edition features some gorgeous writing.

    For me, it comes down to pacing. I love a long book. I love being patient for things to come together. But I think I may not be smart enough or patient enough to read this and fully grasp the brilliance of it. I’ve read a few classics this year, but none of them had as intricate webs of characters. I wish I had printed one out ahead of reading.

    I think the middle section felt slow….but I honestly think that’s a me thing. I’ll be curious to revisit this one when I’m older. Maybe retired?

    I think it’s worth it. I’m glad I read it. But right now I’m mostly feeling proud of the accomplishment rather than feeling sad that it’s over. I’m somewhat relieved to finish it. I think this one gets a lot of hype, and I wish I had gone in knowing that it would be dramatic and action packed, but not in a Robin Hobb way.

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