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1nancyewhite
1. A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read - 4 stars
A very well-written debut mystery. The main character is a fish out of water in Syracuse, New York. She is the scion of a very wealthy family. In addition to a decent mystery, there are many witty and insightful observations about class. Well done.
A very well-written debut mystery. The main character is a fish out of water in Syracuse, New York. She is the scion of a very wealthy family. In addition to a decent mystery, there are many witty and insightful observations about class. Well done.
3nancyewhite
2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 4 stars
Beautifully descriptive fantasy about magic and love. The Circus is the star, but the characters aren't as fully human as they could have been. Very worth the read for the imagination and description.
Beautifully descriptive fantasy about magic and love. The Circus is the star, but the characters aren't as fully human as they could have been. Very worth the read for the imagination and description.
4loriephillips
I read The Night Circus a few months ago. I liked it well enough, but it was weird how distant and cool the characters feel to the reader. It kind of added to the strangeness of the story though.
5nancyewhite
3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo - 4.5 stars
An amazing, gut-wrenching look at living in a slum in Mumbai. The folks who live here and are largely ignored by the world at large spring from the pages as the fully-formed people they are rather than symbols or stereotypes.
An amazing, gut-wrenching look at living in a slum in Mumbai. The folks who live here and are largely ignored by the world at large spring from the pages as the fully-formed people they are rather than symbols or stereotypes.
6nancyewhite
I subscribe to The Rumpus Room letters from a writer monthly plan. I've decided to document the writers here when I read the letter.
Chloe Caldwell.
A bit stream of consciousness. She writes about Portland and a lot about being a writer and calling oneself such even if you work in a bookstore.
Books mentioned:
The Buddha Walks Into A Bar
A Journal of My Son's First Son
Help, Thanks, Wow
Brain on Fire
Goodbye to the Nervous Apprehension
Valencia
Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses
Stretch
Quiet Days in Clichy
This is How You Lose Her
The only one I've read of those is Valencia by Michelle Tea, but I think I'll be adding most of them to my Wishlist.
Chloe Caldwell.
A bit stream of consciousness. She writes about Portland and a lot about being a writer and calling oneself such even if you work in a bookstore.
Books mentioned:
The Buddha Walks Into A Bar
A Journal of My Son's First Son
Help, Thanks, Wow
Brain on Fire
Goodbye to the Nervous Apprehension
Valencia
Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses
Stretch
Quiet Days in Clichy
This is How You Lose Her
The only one I've read of those is Valencia by Michelle Tea, but I think I'll be adding most of them to my Wishlist.
7nancyewhite
4. The Crazy School by Cornelia Read
A mystery set in a school for troubled youths. Second in a series. I like her smart and snarky take on the world. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, but I'll certainly continue the series.
A mystery set in a school for troubled youths. Second in a series. I like her smart and snarky take on the world. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, but I'll certainly continue the series.
8nancyewhite
5. The End of the World As We Know It by Robert Goolrick - 5 stars
I adored A Reliable Wife, and I adored this dark and beautifully written memoir just as much. Goolrick gets to the deep heart of life. Quickly becoming one of my favorite writers.
I adored A Reliable Wife, and I adored this dark and beautifully written memoir just as much. Goolrick gets to the deep heart of life. Quickly becoming one of my favorite writers.
10nancyewhite
7. Joyland by Stephen King - 4.0 stars
A coming of age story set at an old amusement park with just enough mystery and supernatural spooky stuff so that you know it's King. I really enjoyed this and for me, as always with King, it's about the warm, decent heart beating throughout his writing. Very good.
A coming of age story set at an old amusement park with just enough mystery and supernatural spooky stuff so that you know it's King. I really enjoyed this and for me, as always with King, it's about the warm, decent heart beating throughout his writing. Very good.
11nancyewhite
8. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling - 3.5 stars
A small town story exploring class and social politics. Rowling can write. The Weedon family breaks your heart. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
A small town story exploring class and social politics. Rowling can write. The Weedon family breaks your heart. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
12nancyewhite
9. Going Clear by Lawrence Wright - 4 stars
A very good, informative yet level-headed look at this Cult/New Religion. I liked Inside Scientology a little better, but this was stil quite good.
A very good, informative yet level-headed look at this Cult/New Religion. I liked Inside Scientology a little better, but this was stil quite good.
13nancyewhite
10. In One Person by John Irving - 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this (mostly) coming of age novel. Irving is a fantastic writer that draws you into the story. I see that other reviewers couldn't warm up to the main character, Billy. I liked him and the conversational voice quite a lot. I also have fun seeing Irving's go to themes worked in to the book. Wrestling, trans characters, New England boarding school etc. etc. In this one, the bears were different than usual but still there.
My only complaint, and it isn't much of one, is that I wish the Kitteredge story had more of an 'ending', but I also realize as I get older, that sometimes life is just like that - things just don't wrap up into a tidy ball.
As a queer person who spent one year in the late 1980s helping a 27 year old friend die of AIDS, that part of the story was both challenging and rewarding for me. My friend lived in NYC, and he spent time in St. Vincents before he came home for his final year. Irving captures all of the misery, pain, and uncertainty of that era very, very well.
I really enjoyed this (mostly) coming of age novel. Irving is a fantastic writer that draws you into the story. I see that other reviewers couldn't warm up to the main character, Billy. I liked him and the conversational voice quite a lot. I also have fun seeing Irving's go to themes worked in to the book. Wrestling, trans characters, New England boarding school etc. etc. In this one, the bears were different than usual but still there.
My only complaint, and it isn't much of one, is that I wish the Kitteredge story had more of an 'ending', but I also realize as I get older, that sometimes life is just like that - things just don't wrap up into a tidy ball.
As a queer person who spent one year in the late 1980s helping a 27 year old friend die of AIDS, that part of the story was both challenging and rewarding for me. My friend lived in NYC, and he spent time in St. Vincents before he came home for his final year. Irving captures all of the misery, pain, and uncertainty of that era very, very well.
14nancyewhite
11. TransAtlantic by Colum McCann - 5 stars
His writing is so good it feels holy. The exploration of Irish history is an interesting topic as well. Characters come to life under his fingers.
Like Let the Great World Spin, this is now one of the best books I've ever read.
His writing is so good it feels holy. The exploration of Irish history is an interesting topic as well. Characters come to life under his fingers.
Like Let the Great World Spin, this is now one of the best books I've ever read.
15nancyewhite
12. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed - 5 stars
Relentless empathy. Loving. Decent. Honest. Kind Hearted. I love this book more than I can say. I cried most of the time I was reading it.
Relentless empathy. Loving. Decent. Honest. Kind Hearted. I love this book more than I can say. I cried most of the time I was reading it.
16nancyewhite
13. The Ocean At The End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - 4 stars
Lovely and well-written but a tad bit insubstantial. I was surprised at how simple the story was.
A month or so after I read it, I find that it really sticks with me. Like a dream of childhood. The imagery is really haunting. I also find myself longing to know more about the family living at the end of the lane.
Lovely and well-written but a tad bit insubstantial. I was surprised at how simple the story was.
A month or so after I read it, I find that it really sticks with me. Like a dream of childhood. The imagery is really haunting. I also find myself longing to know more about the family living at the end of the lane.
17nancyewhite
14. Let the Devil Sleep by John Verdon - 3.5 stars
Third in a compelling series where a retired hero police detective gets involved in various murders. An easy yet engaging read.
Third in a compelling series where a retired hero police detective gets involved in various murders. An easy yet engaging read.
18nancyewhite
15. Bruce by Peter A Carlin - 4 stars
A semi-authorized biography of Bruce Springsteen. From Freehold, NJ to stardom and back again. I love Springsteen. This was respectful but not pandering, and it definitely described his foibles. The sections dealing with September 11th and Clarence Clemon's death gave me goosebumps. Recommended for fans or people who should be fans.
A semi-authorized biography of Bruce Springsteen. From Freehold, NJ to stardom and back again. I love Springsteen. This was respectful but not pandering, and it definitely described his foibles. The sections dealing with September 11th and Clarence Clemon's death gave me goosebumps. Recommended for fans or people who should be fans.
19nancyewhite
16. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman - 3.5 stars
Not really a thriller or mystery. Rather an exploration of kidnapping, captivity, Stockholm syndrome and living with the aftermath of those things. I enjoyed this.
Not really a thriller or mystery. Rather an exploration of kidnapping, captivity, Stockholm syndrome and living with the aftermath of those things. I enjoyed this.
20nancyewhite
17. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes - 4.5 stars
Time traveling serial killer! Well written with engaging characters and plot. Soooo creative. I loved this book.
Time traveling serial killer! Well written with engaging characters and plot. Soooo creative. I loved this book.
21nancyewhite
18. The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina - 4 stars
Second in a series. An understandably hard-nosed woman detective fights the bureaucracy and solves the crime. Issues of family and class are explored as she does so. I also enjoy that it is set in Scotland and filled with ids cadence and colloquialisms.
Second in a series. An understandably hard-nosed woman detective fights the bureaucracy and solves the crime. Issues of family and class are explored as she does so. I also enjoy that it is set in Scotland and filled with ids cadence and colloquialisms.
22nancyewhite
19. Zealot by Reza Aslan - 4 stars
Very readable portrait of Jerusalem's political and religious (these were pretty much the same thing) environment of Jesus's time. Extrapolations of who Jesus might have been and what he was trying to accomplish are based on what historians know of the time. The book essentially is a distillation of religious scholarship rather than scholarship. This works well for lay-people (like me) to gain another perspective on Jesus the man, the Apostles and the Romans. I really enjoyed learning about Jesus's brother James the Just and the beginnings of the Christian Movement.
Very readable portrait of Jerusalem's political and religious (these were pretty much the same thing) environment of Jesus's time. Extrapolations of who Jesus might have been and what he was trying to accomplish are based on what historians know of the time. The book essentially is a distillation of religious scholarship rather than scholarship. This works well for lay-people (like me) to gain another perspective on Jesus the man, the Apostles and the Romans. I really enjoyed learning about Jesus's brother James the Just and the beginnings of the Christian Movement.
23nancyewhite
20. The Night Season by Chelsea Cain - 3 Stars
More brain candy. No Gretchen, but her breaking out again would push any hope of rationality in this series out the window. A book without her is smart for the series overall, but she is missed. Still I find Archie and Henry and Susan compelling. I like Susan a lot. The storyline with the homeless folks at the bridge and the kid are emotionally resonant. The murder weapon being an octopus is absurd, and I just pretended it wasn't so. Perhaps Gretchen wouldn't have pushed reality out of the picture after all.
More brain candy. No Gretchen, but her breaking out again would push any hope of rationality in this series out the window. A book without her is smart for the series overall, but she is missed. Still I find Archie and Henry and Susan compelling. I like Susan a lot. The storyline with the homeless folks at the bridge and the kid are emotionally resonant. The murder weapon being an octopus is absurd, and I just pretended it wasn't so. Perhaps Gretchen wouldn't have pushed reality out of the picture after all.
24nancyewhite
21. Lost Girls by Robert Kolker - 4 Stars
A true crime book that is like no other I've read. It looks into the murders of the sex workers whose bodies were discovered on a desolate, wild part of the beach on Long Island. However, rather than spending much time on who might be the murderer or other lurid topic, this book delves into the lives of the murdered women and their families. It humanizes people that are often looked over or worse. There is a line in the book where a reporter at a memorial gathering says something like, "I can't believe all this is for whores". It is a testament to this book and its writer that I began to cry when I read that dismissive statment.
A true crime book that is like no other I've read. It looks into the murders of the sex workers whose bodies were discovered on a desolate, wild part of the beach on Long Island. However, rather than spending much time on who might be the murderer or other lurid topic, this book delves into the lives of the murdered women and their families. It humanizes people that are often looked over or worse. There is a line in the book where a reporter at a memorial gathering says something like, "I can't believe all this is for whores". It is a testament to this book and its writer that I began to cry when I read that dismissive statment.
25nancyewhite
22. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith - 4 stars
A good mystery of the sort where a smart and observant detective finds the killer. Rowling can write which makes it better than many books in the genre. What I liked best, however, was the complex, quirky and likeable detective, Strike, and the wonderful temp secretary that quickly becomes indespensible.
A good mystery of the sort where a smart and observant detective finds the killer. Rowling can write which makes it better than many books in the genre. What I liked best, however, was the complex, quirky and likeable detective, Strike, and the wonderful temp secretary that quickly becomes indespensible.
26nancyewhite
23. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King - 4.5 stars
A sequel to The Shining in which Danny Torrance has become Dan and, like his dear old dad, an alcoholic. He bottoms, gets sober, and discovers a girl with a big shining, Abra. Abra is being pursued by a gang of vampires who live on the energy, what King calls steam, they get from torturing and killing kids who shine. These vampires, who call themselves The True Knot, disguise themselves as the sort of down home folks who travel in a cluster of RVs. Abra and Dan have a showdown with The True Knot on the site of The Overlook Hotel.
So that's the storyline. It has some coincidences that are unbelievable. Although the conceit of the villains being RV gypsy travelers with socks and sandals is clever and hilarious, they are more humanized than truly scary villains are. But that humanization also speaks to what is really meaningful here (and in all of King's recent novels). This story has a warm and beating heart. It's depiction of alcoholism and the connections that lead to sobriety feel exactly right. The tentative baby steps Dan takes into settling down and letting people into his world are perfectly depicted. The exploration of reckoning with our parents as human beings as we become adult is genuine. Abra is a strong teenage girl with anger, sweetness, and all of the other things that those creatures are made of.
There are the usual references to other writers, other books and popculture tidbits. I most enjoyed the quick reference to the bad guy from King's son, Joe Hill's, recent horror novel. Also, King can turn a sentence. And, as he once said, when he can't be scary, he'll go for the gross out.
Seriously, The Shining was terrifying. This book was not terrifying. It was, however, plenty scary and much more human.
A sequel to The Shining in which Danny Torrance has become Dan and, like his dear old dad, an alcoholic. He bottoms, gets sober, and discovers a girl with a big shining, Abra. Abra is being pursued by a gang of vampires who live on the energy, what King calls steam, they get from torturing and killing kids who shine. These vampires, who call themselves The True Knot, disguise themselves as the sort of down home folks who travel in a cluster of RVs. Abra and Dan have a showdown with The True Knot on the site of The Overlook Hotel.
So that's the storyline. It has some coincidences that are unbelievable. Although the conceit of the villains being RV gypsy travelers with socks and sandals is clever and hilarious, they are more humanized than truly scary villains are. But that humanization also speaks to what is really meaningful here (and in all of King's recent novels). This story has a warm and beating heart. It's depiction of alcoholism and the connections that lead to sobriety feel exactly right. The tentative baby steps Dan takes into settling down and letting people into his world are perfectly depicted. The exploration of reckoning with our parents as human beings as we become adult is genuine. Abra is a strong teenage girl with anger, sweetness, and all of the other things that those creatures are made of.
There are the usual references to other writers, other books and popculture tidbits. I most enjoyed the quick reference to the bad guy from King's son, Joe Hill's, recent horror novel. Also, King can turn a sentence. And, as he once said, when he can't be scary, he'll go for the gross out.
Seriously, The Shining was terrifying. This book was not terrifying. It was, however, plenty scary and much more human.
27nancyewhite
Manson by Jeff Guinn - 3.5 Stars
24. I've read a lot of books about Manson and the Family. For a long time I was fascinated by what could make young seemingly normal women behave in the ways they did for him. Turns out it is just the techniques of a pimp combined with a sociopathic charming personality. This book does a fine job of detailing the history of Charlie Manson and the context within which he became a murderer. It does exceptionally well at fleshing out his childhood. That being said, there were times reading it that I was bored. It just didn't always flow. That being said, it is certainly worth reading especially if you aren't very familiar with Manson.
24. I've read a lot of books about Manson and the Family. For a long time I was fascinated by what could make young seemingly normal women behave in the ways they did for him. Turns out it is just the techniques of a pimp combined with a sociopathic charming personality. This book does a fine job of detailing the history of Charlie Manson and the context within which he became a murderer. It does exceptionally well at fleshing out his childhood. That being said, there were times reading it that I was bored. It just didn't always flow. That being said, it is certainly worth reading especially if you aren't very familiar with Manson.
28nancyewhite
25. Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham - 3 stars
An exploration of the matricide in the film Heavenly Creatures. This book sets the scene and delves into the secret life of the teenage girls who created a world of their own. When that world was threatened, they planned and executed a horrific murder. This book covers the trial, jail stints and post-release of the women as well. Finally, it delves into the women's life after release. Too much pop-psych for me.
An exploration of the matricide in the film Heavenly Creatures. This book sets the scene and delves into the secret life of the teenage girls who created a world of their own. When that world was threatened, they planned and executed a horrific murder. This book covers the trial, jail stints and post-release of the women as well. Finally, it delves into the women's life after release. Too much pop-psych for me.
29nancyewhite
26. Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus - 3.5 stars
The first in a mystery series set in Ohio Amish country. The characters and setting are really interesting. The mystery was good enough. It is somewhere between a cozy and not a cozy. I liked this a lot and will certainly continue the series.
The first in a mystery series set in Ohio Amish country. The characters and setting are really interesting. The mystery was good enough. It is somewhere between a cozy and not a cozy. I liked this a lot and will certainly continue the series.
30nancyewhite
27. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed - 3.5 stars
Strayed walks the PCT after her mother dies and the rest of her life goes to hell. I liked but didn't love this memoir. I think that it shaped her in ways that make her so insightful and forgiving in her Dear Sugar columns and I enjoyed the actual descriptions of the trail and surving it. But, and this may be my age showing, I don't think I need another coming of age/figuring shit out memoir. Tiny Beautiful Things moved me deeply. Wild did not.
Strayed walks the PCT after her mother dies and the rest of her life goes to hell. I liked but didn't love this memoir. I think that it shaped her in ways that make her so insightful and forgiving in her Dear Sugar columns and I enjoyed the actual descriptions of the trail and surving it. But, and this may be my age showing, I don't think I need another coming of age/figuring shit out memoir. Tiny Beautiful Things moved me deeply. Wild did not.
31nancyewhite
2013 Summary
5 Stars
The End of the World As We Know It by Robert Goolrick
TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
4.5 Stars
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
In One Person by John Irving
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
4 Stars
A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
Joyland by Stephen King
Going Clear by Lawrence Wright
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Bruce by Peter A. Carlin
The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan
Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker
The Cuckoo's Calling by JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith
3.5 Stars
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Crazy School by Cornelia Read
The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
Let the Devil Sleep by John Verdon
I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn
Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
3 Stars
Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham
The Night Season by Chelsea Cain
5 Stars
The End of the World As We Know It by Robert Goolrick
TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
4.5 Stars
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
In One Person by John Irving
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
4 Stars
A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
Joyland by Stephen King
Going Clear by Lawrence Wright
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Bruce by Peter A. Carlin
The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan
Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker
The Cuckoo's Calling by JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith
3.5 Stars
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Crazy School by Cornelia Read
The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
Let the Devil Sleep by John Verdon
I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn
Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
3 Stars
Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham
The Night Season by Chelsea Cain
32nancyewhite
2014!
28. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston - 4 stars
My first ever finished audiobook. A scathing look at the Italian judicial system's handling of three decades of horrible murders by a serial killer. Preston moves to Florence to write a novel, he meets a journalist named Mario Spezi and becomes fascinated by the open cold case. Together they try to investigate the crime and find the killer. They piss off the cops, prosecutor and judge and become part of rather than observers of the story. Ultimately their writing about the case results in Preston being interrogated and Spezi being imprisoned. As they go further and further down the rabbit hole, it becomes more unbelievable that this could happen in a democracy. It gave me chills to learn that these same people still hold their respective jobs and were responsible for the Amanda Knox investigation.
I liked that the book was neither too dry nor too sensationalistic. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes well written true crime.
28. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston - 4 stars
My first ever finished audiobook. A scathing look at the Italian judicial system's handling of three decades of horrible murders by a serial killer. Preston moves to Florence to write a novel, he meets a journalist named Mario Spezi and becomes fascinated by the open cold case. Together they try to investigate the crime and find the killer. They piss off the cops, prosecutor and judge and become part of rather than observers of the story. Ultimately their writing about the case results in Preston being interrogated and Spezi being imprisoned. As they go further and further down the rabbit hole, it becomes more unbelievable that this could happen in a democracy. It gave me chills to learn that these same people still hold their respective jobs and were responsible for the Amanda Knox investigation.
I liked that the book was neither too dry nor too sensationalistic. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes well written true crime.
33nancyewhite
29. Tampa by Alissa Nutting - 3.5 stars
A sociopathic female teacher works in a middle school so that she can prey on the pubescent male students. The main character is resourceful and completely deluded. The book is simultaneously a satire and an exploration of predation. I can't decide if I liked it. I know that if the teacher was male, this book would likely not have gotten the attention it has. However, I think that it is much more likely for men to behave the way this female character does. It is my suspicion that female teachers who sleep with students believe they are in 'love' rather than have emotionless lustful physical desire.
A sociopathic female teacher works in a middle school so that she can prey on the pubescent male students. The main character is resourceful and completely deluded. The book is simultaneously a satire and an exploration of predation. I can't decide if I liked it. I know that if the teacher was male, this book would likely not have gotten the attention it has. However, I think that it is much more likely for men to behave the way this female character does. It is my suspicion that female teachers who sleep with students believe they are in 'love' rather than have emotionless lustful physical desire.
34nancyewhite
30. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - 4.5 stars
I love Kate Atkinson. I love the Jackson Brody series. I loved this. A look at a British family as they live their lives through WWI and WWII. The catch is that one of the daughters, Ursula, starts anew every time she dies. It is fascinating to read of different paths taken and where each might lead. It also sheds light a bit on the dilemma of a novelist. The characters can go anywhere at all. How are decisions made about where to take them?
The descriptions of the Blitz were amazing and brought those nights to life for me. Atkinson makes each character their own person in full. It is interesting how the essence of each stays intact regardless of which life path is explored.
I'm not doing this book justice. Her writing illuminates. Read it.
I love Kate Atkinson. I love the Jackson Brody series. I loved this. A look at a British family as they live their lives through WWI and WWII. The catch is that one of the daughters, Ursula, starts anew every time she dies. It is fascinating to read of different paths taken and where each might lead. It also sheds light a bit on the dilemma of a novelist. The characters can go anywhere at all. How are decisions made about where to take them?
The descriptions of the Blitz were amazing and brought those nights to life for me. Atkinson makes each character their own person in full. It is interesting how the essence of each stays intact regardless of which life path is explored.
I'm not doing this book justice. Her writing illuminates. Read it.
35nancyewhite
31. Charm City by Laura Lippman - 4 stars
Second in the Tess Monaghan series. These mysteries are set in a Baltimore brought to life by Lippman who obviously knows and loves the city. I like Tess and the other recurring characters. I thought the look behind the scenes of a daily newspaper was interesting. Honestly, I guessed the culprit pretty early, but it didn't impact my enjoyment of the book.
Second in the Tess Monaghan series. These mysteries are set in a Baltimore brought to life by Lippman who obviously knows and loves the city. I like Tess and the other recurring characters. I thought the look behind the scenes of a daily newspaper was interesting. Honestly, I guessed the culprit pretty early, but it didn't impact my enjoyment of the book.
36nancyewhite
32. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - 5 stars
She writes so beautifully. Reading this novel is like communion - reader, writer and words. This book looks at maternal love and its loss, the salvation found in art, and the circular nature of life. The characters - Theo, Pippa, Hobie; Boris and wonderful Mrs. Barbour are living breathing people who you can see whole cloth before you as you read. The ways in which children can become physically and emotionally unmoored in a moment and how that impacts the entirety of their lives are made crystal care as is the power of art and beauty to preserve us and be a lifeboat in the storm.
She writes so beautifully. Reading this novel is like communion - reader, writer and words. This book looks at maternal love and its loss, the salvation found in art, and the circular nature of life. The characters - Theo, Pippa, Hobie; Boris and wonderful Mrs. Barbour are living breathing people who you can see whole cloth before you as you read. The ways in which children can become physically and emotionally unmoored in a moment and how that impacts the entirety of their lives are made crystal care as is the power of art and beauty to preserve us and be a lifeboat in the storm.
37nancyewhite
33. Bad Boy by Peter Robinson - 3.5 stars
There are a couple of series I've been following for a very long time. Lawrence Block's Scudder, K. C. Constantine's tragically under-read Western PA mysteries and Peter Robinson's Banks series. One of the things I love about following a well-written series is that sense of visiting a familiar place and group of people. Bad Boy didn't let down in that regard. All of the usual folks were in Eastvale and it was lovely to 'see' them. That being said, this wasn't as good as many of its predecessors in the series. The daughter in danger plot just wasn't tight enough and the plot was too farfetched. While still better than many mysteries on the market, this wasn't remotely close to Robinson at his best.
There are a couple of series I've been following for a very long time. Lawrence Block's Scudder, K. C. Constantine's tragically under-read Western PA mysteries and Peter Robinson's Banks series. One of the things I love about following a well-written series is that sense of visiting a familiar place and group of people. Bad Boy didn't let down in that regard. All of the usual folks were in Eastvale and it was lovely to 'see' them. That being said, this wasn't as good as many of its predecessors in the series. The daughter in danger plot just wasn't tight enough and the plot was too farfetched. While still better than many mysteries on the market, this wasn't remotely close to Robinson at his best.
38nancyewhite
34. Beyond Belief by Jenna Miscavige Hill - 3 stars
A first-person account of growing up in Scientology as David Miscavige's niece. Interesting for the account of how Scientology 'cares' for its kids. Not especially well-written. The 'harrowing escape' is largely deciding to leave and doing so. There are other Scientology escape tales that are much more fraught with intrigue. Quick and easy read, but if you want the definitive and well-written book on this 'religion', choose Going Clear by Lawrence Wright.
A first-person account of growing up in Scientology as David Miscavige's niece. Interesting for the account of how Scientology 'cares' for its kids. Not especially well-written. The 'harrowing escape' is largely deciding to leave and doing so. There are other Scientology escape tales that are much more fraught with intrigue. Quick and easy read, but if you want the definitive and well-written book on this 'religion', choose Going Clear by Lawrence Wright.
39nancyewhite
35. Last Seen Leaving by Kelly Braffet - 4 stars
A dive into a mother/daughter relationship, the meaning of loss, hope and hopelessness and the futility of trying to run away from our lives and who we are wrapped in the guise of a mystery/thriller. I really enjoyed this book. Miranda and Anne jumped off the page for me as they tried to fight their way out of their shared loss. You will either appreciate or despise the ending. I appreciated it. My main complaint is that it wasn't very kind to my beloved Pittsburgh
A dive into a mother/daughter relationship, the meaning of loss, hope and hopelessness and the futility of trying to run away from our lives and who we are wrapped in the guise of a mystery/thriller. I really enjoyed this book. Miranda and Anne jumped off the page for me as they tried to fight their way out of their shared loss. You will either appreciate or despise the ending. I appreciated it. My main complaint is that it wasn't very kind to my beloved Pittsburgh
40nancyewhite
36. Changeless by Gail Carriger - 3 stars
Okay. But just. The typical humor mixed with steampunk/werewolf/soulless/vampire adventure that began in the first book. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did that one.
Okay. But just. The typical humor mixed with steampunk/werewolf/soulless/vampire adventure that began in the first book. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did that one.
41nancyewhite
I'm reading Inside the Dream Palace and an LT Review suggested that it come with a CD. I've decided to create a reading list and playlist as I read. To that end:
Reading List:
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane
Playlist:
Dvorak - Symphony Number 9 (The New World Symphony)
Reading List:
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane
Playlist:
Dvorak - Symphony Number 9 (The New World Symphony)
42nancyewhite
37. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - 4 Stars
While not the tour-de-force that was American Gods, this was still a great read. I enjoyed watching Fat Charlie and Spider come into their own as they found within themselves the traits of the other. Glints of humor are on many pages, and I found myself grinning out loud a fair amount. A fun fable written by an amazingly talented writer. Read and enjoy.
While not the tour-de-force that was American Gods, this was still a great read. I enjoyed watching Fat Charlie and Spider come into their own as they found within themselves the traits of the other. Glints of humor are on many pages, and I found myself grinning out loud a fair amount. A fun fable written by an amazingly talented writer. Read and enjoy.
43nancyewhite
38. And When She Was Good - 3.5 Stars
While there is a thriller aspect, this is more of the story of a single mother who came up hard and now runs a successful escort agency but needs to keep that a secret from her suburban community. The entire novel floats or sinks depending on whether you like the main character, Heloise, or do not. I did.
While there is a thriller aspect, this is more of the story of a single mother who came up hard and now runs a successful escort agency but needs to keep that a secret from her suburban community. The entire novel floats or sinks depending on whether you like the main character, Heloise, or do not. I did.
44nancyewhite
39. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness - 4.5 Stars
Wow. Just wow.
The best of all of the YA dystopias I've read. By a lot. Of course there is the standard YA trope of teenagers being the most important thing in a vast struggle and more capable than teenagers probably are. Teenagers need and deserve to read stories that speak to their discovery of the world's betrayals and their feeling of being immortal but also alone.
Ness gives them those things and so much more. He can write. His descriptive sentences and observations about human nature are wonderful to read. His world-building is flawless and never threw me out of the story. The characters are multi-faceted and convincing.
Most importantly, the story is emotionally and morally complex. People make bad decisions, people do ugly things they don't want to do, good and bad and right and wrong are murky things, the bad guys do good things, the good guys do bad things. The heroes themselves are deeply flawed. This causes the reader to ask themselves what they might be capable of given circumstances where every choice is an awful one.
Finally, there is action. Enough adventure and action happens that boredom never sets in and there are plenty of breathless moments of wondering what happens next.
Well done. I'm eager to see what's next.
Wow. Just wow.
The best of all of the YA dystopias I've read. By a lot. Of course there is the standard YA trope of teenagers being the most important thing in a vast struggle and more capable than teenagers probably are. Teenagers need and deserve to read stories that speak to their discovery of the world's betrayals and their feeling of being immortal but also alone.
Ness gives them those things and so much more. He can write. His descriptive sentences and observations about human nature are wonderful to read. His world-building is flawless and never threw me out of the story. The characters are multi-faceted and convincing.
Most importantly, the story is emotionally and morally complex. People make bad decisions, people do ugly things they don't want to do, good and bad and right and wrong are murky things, the bad guys do good things, the good guys do bad things. The heroes themselves are deeply flawed. This causes the reader to ask themselves what they might be capable of given circumstances where every choice is an awful one.
Finally, there is action. Enough adventure and action happens that boredom never sets in and there are plenty of breathless moments of wondering what happens next.
Well done. I'm eager to see what's next.
45nancyewhite
40. Affinity by Sarah Waters - 4.5 Stars
I'd tried this before and found that I couldn't get into it. This apparently was a much better time for this book. The first 30 pages or so I was skeptical. Then I was sucked in to the point where I could barely wait to read more. The tale of Margaret, the damaged spinster daughter, and Selina, the imprisoned spiritualist psychic, was so rich, detailed and complex and compelling. Waters writes beautifully, and I could visualize every scene as it took place.
There were many emotional twists and turns as Margaret visited the prison, interacted with her mother and became enamored with Selina. The class and gender constraints were so well-depicted that I felt as though I was straining against them myself. It was, at times, hard to read of a young woman who was bright, curious and different being written off and stifled by everyone around her after her father's death. Add the stigma against lesbianism, and poor Margaret was destined to have bouts of suicidal madness. I'm certainly not a person who romaniticizes previous eras and longs for 'simpler times' and this book reminded me why.
I've spent a little time thinking about the reviews that described this as slow-moving or overlong while I wish there had been another 100 pages. Recently I watched the TV show 'True Detective' with a family member. He found it frustrating and bloated while I loved it. We've been talking a lot about how this may be a product of my love of storytelling for its own sake while his enjoyment is largely plot-driven. I think that difference between readers/watchers may be a part of why there are such disparate experiences of Affinity.
This is likely to be one of my favorite books of the year.
I'd tried this before and found that I couldn't get into it. This apparently was a much better time for this book. The first 30 pages or so I was skeptical. Then I was sucked in to the point where I could barely wait to read more. The tale of Margaret, the damaged spinster daughter, and Selina, the imprisoned spiritualist psychic, was so rich, detailed and complex and compelling. Waters writes beautifully, and I could visualize every scene as it took place.
There were many emotional twists and turns as Margaret visited the prison, interacted with her mother and became enamored with Selina. The class and gender constraints were so well-depicted that I felt as though I was straining against them myself. It was, at times, hard to read of a young woman who was bright, curious and different being written off and stifled by everyone around her after her father's death. Add the stigma against lesbianism, and poor Margaret was destined to have bouts of suicidal madness. I'm certainly not a person who romaniticizes previous eras and longs for 'simpler times' and this book reminded me why.
I've spent a little time thinking about the reviews that described this as slow-moving or overlong while I wish there had been another 100 pages. Recently I watched the TV show 'True Detective' with a family member. He found it frustrating and bloated while I loved it. We've been talking a lot about how this may be a product of my love of storytelling for its own sake while his enjoyment is largely plot-driven. I think that difference between readers/watchers may be a part of why there are such disparate experiences of Affinity.
This is likely to be one of my favorite books of the year.
46nancyewhite
41. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths - 4 Stars
The first in a mystery series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. She is smart, fat and curmudgeonly. I like her very much. I was concerned that she was too self-hating about her body for me to love, but I've decided that while it borders on too negative, I can tolerate it given all of the things that are so good and unusual about her. The mystery itself is set in England and is connected to mythology, literature, paganism etc.
The first in a mystery series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. She is smart, fat and curmudgeonly. I like her very much. I was concerned that she was too self-hating about her body for me to love, but I've decided that while it borders on too negative, I can tolerate it given all of the things that are so good and unusual about her. The mystery itself is set in England and is connected to mythology, literature, paganism etc.
47nancyewhite
42. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling - 5 Stars
I listened to the audiobook version while driving. It is still filled with magic and joy. There were details and wordplay that I'd forgotten and were a delight to re-visit. But, what was most remarkable, was the bittersweet quality of meeting Harry, Hermione, Neville and even Draco as young children again knowing what their future holds. From a purely storytelling perspective, seeing how she sets up the entire series while never undermining the reader's experience of this book. Masterful in ways that I'd no idea about during my first read. I can't imagine another Rowling coming along anytime soon. Loved. Loved. Loved.
I listened to the audiobook version while driving. It is still filled with magic and joy. There were details and wordplay that I'd forgotten and were a delight to re-visit. But, what was most remarkable, was the bittersweet quality of meeting Harry, Hermione, Neville and even Draco as young children again knowing what their future holds. From a purely storytelling perspective, seeing how she sets up the entire series while never undermining the reader's experience of this book. Masterful in ways that I'd no idea about during my first read. I can't imagine another Rowling coming along anytime soon. Loved. Loved. Loved.
48rocketjk
"I don't think I need another coming of age/figuring shit out memoir."
I laughed out loud. I so know what you mean. Even when they're good . . . .
Just catching up with your thread, obviously. Great reading list. Hope all's well.
I laughed out loud. I so know what you mean. Even when they're good . . . .
Just catching up with your thread, obviously. Great reading list. Hope all's well.
49nancyewhite
>>48 rocketjk:. Right?!? It seems a point (age?) gets reached and the repetitive nature of the coming of age memoir overrides the individual story no matter how compelling. I feel a little like this is a, "You kids get off of my lawn," reaction, but there it is.
That being said, there are still the occasional coming of agers that blow the roof off. Just Kids was one of those. I guess that's why I still give them a try; particularly when the writer has moved or impressed elsewhere as Strayed did in Tiny Beautiful Things which I loved.
That being said, there are still the occasional coming of agers that blow the roof off. Just Kids was one of those. I guess that's why I still give them a try; particularly when the writer has moved or impressed elsewhere as Strayed did in Tiny Beautiful Things which I loved.
50nancyewhite
43. The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths - 4 stars
In the second book in the series, Griffiths overcomes my fear about Ruth Galloway's body-hatred turning me away by making her a fully realized person. I enjoy her hopeful, cranky, smart take on the world. I love how she is determined to have the life she wants. The mystery is engaging enough although noticeably implausible unlike the Louise Penny series where the mystery is implausible, but you don't actually notice. The setting is great although not as fully realized as the setting in the Peter Robinson Alan Banks series. But, as with most series mysteries, the key is in having great characters where we care about them and their relationships to the other great characters. Griffiths is building something here that I certainly intend to continue reading. If you like Penny and/or Robinson or other non-cozy series try this. Try KC Constantine first, but as soon as your done with that, give this a go.
In the second book in the series, Griffiths overcomes my fear about Ruth Galloway's body-hatred turning me away by making her a fully realized person. I enjoy her hopeful, cranky, smart take on the world. I love how she is determined to have the life she wants. The mystery is engaging enough although noticeably implausible unlike the Louise Penny series where the mystery is implausible, but you don't actually notice. The setting is great although not as fully realized as the setting in the Peter Robinson Alan Banks series. But, as with most series mysteries, the key is in having great characters where we care about them and their relationships to the other great characters. Griffiths is building something here that I certainly intend to continue reading. If you like Penny and/or Robinson or other non-cozy series try this. Try KC Constantine first, but as soon as your done with that, give this a go.
51nancyewhite
44. The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison - 3 stars
This was a real page-turner. It stayed up two hours past my bedtime to see how it all turns out. Todd and Jodi have an ideal marriage. Sure, he cheats, but she can live with that to get the stability she needs. When a young woman that he is involved with becomes more than a fling, all hell breaks loose.
The book is a thriller, but more of a psychological thriller than full of action if that makes any sense. It propels you forward, and is very good in that sense. The writing is neither stellar or awful. The characters are interesting but not memorable. A good, quick interesting marriage gone bad thriller.
It is fascinating to me that I found it so compelling that I had to stay up late to finish it but also sort of meh.
This was a real page-turner. It stayed up two hours past my bedtime to see how it all turns out. Todd and Jodi have an ideal marriage. Sure, he cheats, but she can live with that to get the stability she needs. When a young woman that he is involved with becomes more than a fling, all hell breaks loose.
The book is a thriller, but more of a psychological thriller than full of action if that makes any sense. It propels you forward, and is very good in that sense. The writing is neither stellar or awful. The characters are interesting but not memorable. A good, quick interesting marriage gone bad thriller.
It is fascinating to me that I found it so compelling that I had to stay up late to finish it but also sort of meh.
52nancyewhite
45. Frog Music by Emma Donoghue - 4 stars
The story of the friendship between a cross-dressing woman, Jenny Bonnet and a burlesque dancer/prostitute, Blanch leDesues. We follow the story of their brief friendship and Jenny's murder. The real heart of the book though is San Francisco in the late 19th Century. Donoghue did a great deal of research to write this novel. The characters were all real people and this is an imagining of their real lives. The city is the star of the show. It explodes off the page. The story is set in the middle of a heat-wave / smallpox epidemic (real). You can hear the crowds, smell the piss and alleys, food and sickness. There is violence and opportunity in the very air. Anti-chinese sentiment courses underneath everything and, of course, danger to women permeates these character's lives. Then there are the baby farms where babies were taken to live or die depending on how much the proprietor was paid. If these things weren't all based on fact, it would be too much to believe.
Music of the time winds through the novel as well. People sing. Music is played on the streets and in the bawdy houses. Donoghue did her research here as well, and the information about the people and music she provides in the Afterword are fascinating.
I loved Room and liked this quite a bit. She is gifted at immersing you in a place and time so that you are startled when you look up and realize you are in your own house.
The story of the friendship between a cross-dressing woman, Jenny Bonnet and a burlesque dancer/prostitute, Blanch leDesues. We follow the story of their brief friendship and Jenny's murder. The real heart of the book though is San Francisco in the late 19th Century. Donoghue did a great deal of research to write this novel. The characters were all real people and this is an imagining of their real lives. The city is the star of the show. It explodes off the page. The story is set in the middle of a heat-wave / smallpox epidemic (real). You can hear the crowds, smell the piss and alleys, food and sickness. There is violence and opportunity in the very air. Anti-chinese sentiment courses underneath everything and, of course, danger to women permeates these character's lives. Then there are the baby farms where babies were taken to live or die depending on how much the proprietor was paid. If these things weren't all based on fact, it would be too much to believe.
Music of the time winds through the novel as well. People sing. Music is played on the streets and in the bawdy houses. Donoghue did her research here as well, and the information about the people and music she provides in the Afterword are fascinating.
I loved Room and liked this quite a bit. She is gifted at immersing you in a place and time so that you are startled when you look up and realize you are in your own house.
53nancyewhite
46. Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen - 4 stars
An embittered detective is assigned to what is essentially a newly created cold-case division. His bosses have put him there in an office in the basement. He intends to do absolutely nothing but then gets an assistant, Assad, who is determined to investigate.
The missing government official is the case which twists and turns. In addition to following the case, we also get her experience as the victim.
I would have given this one less star if it were not for the character of Assad. A Muslim with a mysterious past who is much smarter than he lets on. He was funny and wise and quite a character. I also like the casual incorporation of his religious life into the story.
An embittered detective is assigned to what is essentially a newly created cold-case division. His bosses have put him there in an office in the basement. He intends to do absolutely nothing but then gets an assistant, Assad, who is determined to investigate.
The missing government official is the case which twists and turns. In addition to following the case, we also get her experience as the victim.
I would have given this one less star if it were not for the character of Assad. A Muslim with a mysterious past who is much smarter than he lets on. He was funny and wise and quite a character. I also like the casual incorporation of his religious life into the story.
54nancyewhite
47. Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden - 4 stars
Harrowing biography of a young man who was born and raised in a North Korean prison camp. The systematic dehumanization of North Koreans by other North Koreans upon the order of the state. The book describes violence, neglect, murder, sexual assault, matricide, starvation. Difficult to read, but if he can live through it, I feel I should be able to read about it. I'm glad he escaped. History will not look kindly on us for knowing about these horrific human rights abuses and electing to ignore them.
Harrowing biography of a young man who was born and raised in a North Korean prison camp. The systematic dehumanization of North Koreans by other North Koreans upon the order of the state. The book describes violence, neglect, murder, sexual assault, matricide, starvation. Difficult to read, but if he can live through it, I feel I should be able to read about it. I'm glad he escaped. History will not look kindly on us for knowing about these horrific human rights abuses and electing to ignore them.
55nancyewhite
48. The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths - 4 stars
I've quickly grown quite fond of Ruth Galloway and the rest of the characters in this series. She remains curmudgeonly, stubborn, smart and determined. Add harried to the description of her characteristics now that she's a mother. The mystery this time revolves around German bones from the WWII era. What is the secret and who is determined to protect it? In the end, for me as with most series mysteries to which I get attached, the draw is in the collection of characters: cops, professors, students, townspeople, friends, druids etc. I'd like it if Ruth was not thrown into peril quite so much, but I've already downloaded the Kindle version of my library's copy of the next in the series.
I've quickly grown quite fond of Ruth Galloway and the rest of the characters in this series. She remains curmudgeonly, stubborn, smart and determined. Add harried to the description of her characteristics now that she's a mother. The mystery this time revolves around German bones from the WWII era. What is the secret and who is determined to protect it? In the end, for me as with most series mysteries to which I get attached, the draw is in the collection of characters: cops, professors, students, townspeople, friends, druids etc. I'd like it if Ruth was not thrown into peril quite so much, but I've already downloaded the Kindle version of my library's copy of the next in the series.
56nancyewhite
49. Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway by Sara Gran - 4 stars
This is a very odd mystery series. It is almost impossible for me to describe. The detective is a tortured woman with a past. Detection is a philosophy and a calling. Every detail is part of the solution. Odd gurus routinely turn up. And, oh yes, in this one Claire moves from drug user to addict which is portrayed in a very graphic way. Gran is creating something here that both is a mystery novel and turns the notion of a mystery novel on its ear. I like this series but suspect there are plenty of people who won't.
This is a very odd mystery series. It is almost impossible for me to describe. The detective is a tortured woman with a past. Detection is a philosophy and a calling. Every detail is part of the solution. Odd gurus routinely turn up. And, oh yes, in this one Claire moves from drug user to addict which is portrayed in a very graphic way. Gran is creating something here that both is a mystery novel and turns the notion of a mystery novel on its ear. I like this series but suspect there are plenty of people who won't.
57nancyewhite
50!. The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen - 3 stars
The second in the series set in Denmark and featuring a newly formed cold case division headed by Karl Morck a curmudgeonly detective. This one investigated a group of boarding school thugs. I liked this less than the first in the series. It else really 'felt' translated to me and that interfered with the flow. Some of the reviews say this one was the weakest, so I'm likely to try one more.
The second in the series set in Denmark and featuring a newly formed cold case division headed by Karl Morck a curmudgeonly detective. This one investigated a group of boarding school thugs. I liked this less than the first in the series. It else really 'felt' translated to me and that interfered with the flow. Some of the reviews say this one was the weakest, so I'm likely to try one more.
58nancyewhite
51. Camp Paradox by Barbara Graham - 4 stars
An e-book from Shebooks the new digital media company devoted to short works by women writers.
A memoir of a teenager's sexual abuse at the hands of her camp counselor and the impacts it had on her adult life. This was very well-written and articulate about the impact of sexual abuse disguised as love. Shame and confusion haunt the lives of survivors of that kind of assault. Really insightful about the true meaning of closure as well.
An e-book from Shebooks the new digital media company devoted to short works by women writers.
A memoir of a teenager's sexual abuse at the hands of her camp counselor and the impacts it had on her adult life. This was very well-written and articulate about the impact of sexual abuse disguised as love. Shame and confusion haunt the lives of survivors of that kind of assault. Really insightful about the true meaning of closure as well.
59nancyewhite
52. Butchers Hill by Laura Lippman - 3 stars
I wasn't as fond as of this as the preceding books in the series. I just didn't find anyone especially interesting. Even Tess seemed subdued. I will absolutely continue the series though. I think this one might be a fluke.
I wasn't as fond as of this as the preceding books in the series. I just didn't find anyone especially interesting. Even Tess seemed subdued. I will absolutely continue the series though. I think this one might be a fluke.
60nancyewhite
53. Light Our Fire by Patricia Kennealy Morrison - 1.5 stars
A short memoir of her courtship by and wedding to Jim Morrison from Shebooks. It is possible I've never liked a memoirist less than I liked her. Defensive. Arrogant. Annoying. Ugh.
A short memoir of her courtship by and wedding to Jim Morrison from Shebooks. It is possible I've never liked a memoirist less than I liked her. Defensive. Arrogant. Annoying. Ugh.
61nancyewhite
54. The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani - 4.5 stars
I loved this Depression-era coming of age story. The voice is of a woman and the story is her adolescence, sexual awakening and the repercussions it wrought. Thea is sent to a girls riding boarding school from her home in disgrace. Over the course of the book, we learn what happened through flashback and follow Thea as she adapts to being away from home for the first time in her life.
I really enjoyed the character of Thea. I found her to be strong, resilient and creative in difficult circumstances. Young women are often sexual and it bugs me that in reviews people are blaming Thea for it. When young girls are misused by horny young men, it can be ugly. However, when a young girl has a sexual relationship with an adult, it is sexual abuse. Period. It doesn't matter what she did or even how she thinks of it then or later. It is never, ever her fault. It is always abuse.
Over time, Thea realizes that her estrangement from her family was a choice they made. Because they blamed her for exploring her sexuality, because they perceived her to be a 'bad' girl rather than a wounded and confused teenager, they elected to let her go when there were other options available. She also realizes that it is irrevocable. She becomes independent and self-determining.
There are also horses and a look at the impact of the Great Depression on the affluent as the economy fell apart.
I loved this Depression-era coming of age story. The voice is of a woman and the story is her adolescence, sexual awakening and the repercussions it wrought. Thea is sent to a girls riding boarding school from her home in disgrace. Over the course of the book, we learn what happened through flashback and follow Thea as she adapts to being away from home for the first time in her life.
I really enjoyed the character of Thea. I found her to be strong, resilient and creative in difficult circumstances. Young women are often sexual and it bugs me that in reviews people are blaming Thea for it. When young girls are misused by horny young men, it can be ugly. However, when a young girl has a sexual relationship with an adult, it is sexual abuse. Period. It doesn't matter what she did or even how she thinks of it then or later. It is never, ever her fault. It is always abuse.
Over time, Thea realizes that her estrangement from her family was a choice they made. Because they blamed her for exploring her sexuality, because they perceived her to be a 'bad' girl rather than a wounded and confused teenager, they elected to let her go when there were other options available. She also realizes that it is irrevocable. She becomes independent and self-determining.
There are also horses and a look at the impact of the Great Depression on the affluent as the economy fell apart.
62nancyewhite
55. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling - 4 stars
Rowling can write characters like nobody's business. Strike and Robin are wonderfully human, but what is exceptional is that even the secondary and tertiary characters jump fully-formed from the page. The insider over the top look at the vindictive, backstabbing world of publishing is a hoot. The mystery itself is engaging enough to keep my attention, but not fantastic. However, that matters little as it is mostly the hanger on which she tells the Adventures of Robin and Strike.
Rowling can write characters like nobody's business. Strike and Robin are wonderfully human, but what is exceptional is that even the secondary and tertiary characters jump fully-formed from the page. The insider over the top look at the vindictive, backstabbing world of publishing is a hoot. The mystery itself is engaging enough to keep my attention, but not fantastic. However, that matters little as it is mostly the hanger on which she tells the Adventures of Robin and Strike.
63nancyewhite
56. Manon Lescaut by abbe Prevost - 4 stars
My very first French novel written in the 1700s ::smile::. Like many LT reviewers, I read this for the Coursera class The Fiction of Relationships. The narrator is absurd and unreliable. Pretty much all we know of Manon is that she is beautiful and likes money. The two of them embark on a Bonnie and Clyde crime spree. His obsession with her leads him to follow poor decision with another poor decision. Someone who reviewed it commented that it reminded them of Tarantino which is funny and completely accurate. Two observations that I had that I haven't seen mentioned is 1. When people don't work at jobs or passions they have time for all sorts of intrigue. 2. Most classic books about love gone wrong have a female who is lead astray by a male. It was very interesting to read the converse.
My very first French novel written in the 1700s ::smile::. Like many LT reviewers, I read this for the Coursera class The Fiction of Relationships. The narrator is absurd and unreliable. Pretty much all we know of Manon is that she is beautiful and likes money. The two of them embark on a Bonnie and Clyde crime spree. His obsession with her leads him to follow poor decision with another poor decision. Someone who reviewed it commented that it reminded them of Tarantino which is funny and completely accurate. Two observations that I had that I haven't seen mentioned is 1. When people don't work at jobs or passions they have time for all sorts of intrigue. 2. Most classic books about love gone wrong have a female who is lead astray by a male. It was very interesting to read the converse.
64nancyewhite
57. The Secret Place by Tana French - 4 stars
Murder in a girl's boarding school. As always, French writes a great story with good characters. In this case, the narrative switches between the cops investigating the murder and 4 young women at the school. Surprisingly, I found the girls more compelling than the police although I liked the deepening relationship between the two outsider investigators. This is my least favorite of the Dublin Murder Squad series and is still heads and shoulders above many good mysteries.
Murder in a girl's boarding school. As always, French writes a great story with good characters. In this case, the narrative switches between the cops investigating the murder and 4 young women at the school. Surprisingly, I found the girls more compelling than the police although I liked the deepening relationship between the two outsider investigators. This is my least favorite of the Dublin Murder Squad series and is still heads and shoulders above many good mysteries.
65nancyewhite
58. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny - 4 stars
The culmination of Gamache's ongoing downward spiral in the Suerte. There are two simultaneous storylines - a murdered woman who turns out to be one of a famous family of quints and that of Gamache's fall from grace from his beloved and now corrupt Suerte. I love Gamache and I love Three Pines. As always, Penny fills the book with decency and compassion. The ending had a small twist that I loved. Like the recently read The Secret Place, I liked this least in the series and still found it to be far above many books in my favorite genre.
The culmination of Gamache's ongoing downward spiral in the Suerte. There are two simultaneous storylines - a murdered woman who turns out to be one of a famous family of quints and that of Gamache's fall from grace from his beloved and now corrupt Suerte. I love Gamache and I love Three Pines. As always, Penny fills the book with decency and compassion. The ending had a small twist that I loved. Like the recently read The Secret Place, I liked this least in the series and still found it to be far above many books in my favorite genre.
66nancyewhite
59. Talking to the Dead by Barbara Weisberg - 3.5 stars
For some reason Talking to the Dead became a slog for me even though I also enjoyed learning more about the rise of Spiritualism generally and the Fox Sisters specifically. I wanted to know more about the history of the movement after my partner and I visited Lily Dale this summer. Although nothing there convinced me that the mediums there hwere channeling the dead, it is a lovely village in which to spend a weekend and they tave the largest collection of Susan B. Anthony objects in the world. She spoke there a bunch of times and visited even more. They hosted Women's Suffrage summits for many years and long before women were able to vote. The Lily Dale museum has a good deal of ephemera from those events - buttons, photographs, letters, yearbooks. The connection between the early women's movement and Spiritualism fascinated me. While this book didn't discuss that in too much detail, it described the circumstances of Spiritualism's early days in ways that helped me see how the two things were linked. It also fascinates me how that little part of New York became a hotbed of new religious movements - Spiritualism, Mormonism, the Oenida movement and others I'm forgetting all had their genesis there in a relatively short time period. She discusses that briefly in the beginning of the book, but I'm likely to go looking for something that provides more details about that phenomenon.
The history of the sisters themselves along with all of the 'tests' of their mediumship were detailed and thorough. I can't really say where it stopped holding my interest. Perhaps the people themselves just weren't that interesting. I did like hearing of all of the famous and important people of the era believed in Spiritualism and the ability to contact the dead. I was already familiar with the possibility of the great uprising of belief in the ability to contact the dead was a result of the grief connected to so many people dying. There was a cholera outbreak when the Fox sisters started hearing knocks and, of course, the Civil War and its atrocities began not that long into the increased openness to Spiritualism Weisberg also explores the possibility that their willingness to believe, or at least reserve judgement, was tied to the technological developments at that time - telegraph, electricity - was interesting and thought provoking.
Honestly, if you are interested in the rise of Spiritualism in general and the Fox sisters specifically, this is a fine book to get a thorough look at that history without an underlying agenda of belief or disbelief. My recommendation is that, if you can, you should visit Lily Dale instead.
For some reason Talking to the Dead became a slog for me even though I also enjoyed learning more about the rise of Spiritualism generally and the Fox Sisters specifically. I wanted to know more about the history of the movement after my partner and I visited Lily Dale this summer. Although nothing there convinced me that the mediums there hwere channeling the dead, it is a lovely village in which to spend a weekend and they tave the largest collection of Susan B. Anthony objects in the world. She spoke there a bunch of times and visited even more. They hosted Women's Suffrage summits for many years and long before women were able to vote. The Lily Dale museum has a good deal of ephemera from those events - buttons, photographs, letters, yearbooks. The connection between the early women's movement and Spiritualism fascinated me. While this book didn't discuss that in too much detail, it described the circumstances of Spiritualism's early days in ways that helped me see how the two things were linked. It also fascinates me how that little part of New York became a hotbed of new religious movements - Spiritualism, Mormonism, the Oenida movement and others I'm forgetting all had their genesis there in a relatively short time period. She discusses that briefly in the beginning of the book, but I'm likely to go looking for something that provides more details about that phenomenon.
The history of the sisters themselves along with all of the 'tests' of their mediumship were detailed and thorough. I can't really say where it stopped holding my interest. Perhaps the people themselves just weren't that interesting. I did like hearing of all of the famous and important people of the era believed in Spiritualism and the ability to contact the dead. I was already familiar with the possibility of the great uprising of belief in the ability to contact the dead was a result of the grief connected to so many people dying. There was a cholera outbreak when the Fox sisters started hearing knocks and, of course, the Civil War and its atrocities began not that long into the increased openness to Spiritualism Weisberg also explores the possibility that their willingness to believe, or at least reserve judgement, was tied to the technological developments at that time - telegraph, electricity - was interesting and thought provoking.
Honestly, if you are interested in the rise of Spiritualism in general and the Fox sisters specifically, this is a fine book to get a thorough look at that history without an underlying agenda of belief or disbelief. My recommendation is that, if you can, you should visit Lily Dale instead.
67nancyewhite
60. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - 4 stars
This is a YA vampire dystopia. If any of those appeal to you, I'd recommend this book.
The world building is cool and believable and the story is well-written, but the most important thing is that the characters were compelling and the main character, Tana, is fantastic. It is a pleasure to read the story young woman who is feisty, confident and a bit snarky as she navigates deep and dangerous waters. I also loved that Tana's ex-boyfriend, Aiden, is either omnisexual or bisexual. I don't know which because Black never says. She just has him kissing and flirting with both boys and girls. Reading about Aiden and the casual way in which his sexuality is presented is a breath of fresh air and points out how often I still feel that GLBTQ characters are tokenized in mainstream books or relegated to specifically GLBTQ books. It reminded me of how sometimes I'm only fully aware of a headache's pain in its absence.
Mostly the book is a bit of fun with some tragic backstory, a vampire/human romance and a lot of action adventure. If you like that sort of thing as either a meal or as a palate cleanser, you could do much worse than reading this. If you don't mind the "teenager disrupts power and saves the day when no one else has managed to do so" or "teenager compels a 200 year old vampire (who happens to be in the body of a young man) in a way in which they've never been compelled in their long, long life" that is the hallmark of the genre, and if you like dystopia, I'd definitely point you in the direction of this book. If you like vampires but crave an adult version of their story, I'd suggest you see Only Lovers Left Alive and forego this addition to the vampire craze.
This is a YA vampire dystopia. If any of those appeal to you, I'd recommend this book.
The world building is cool and believable and the story is well-written, but the most important thing is that the characters were compelling and the main character, Tana, is fantastic. It is a pleasure to read the story young woman who is feisty, confident and a bit snarky as she navigates deep and dangerous waters. I also loved that Tana's ex-boyfriend, Aiden, is either omnisexual or bisexual. I don't know which because Black never says. She just has him kissing and flirting with both boys and girls. Reading about Aiden and the casual way in which his sexuality is presented is a breath of fresh air and points out how often I still feel that GLBTQ characters are tokenized in mainstream books or relegated to specifically GLBTQ books. It reminded me of how sometimes I'm only fully aware of a headache's pain in its absence.
Mostly the book is a bit of fun with some tragic backstory, a vampire/human romance and a lot of action adventure. If you like that sort of thing as either a meal or as a palate cleanser, you could do much worse than reading this. If you don't mind the "teenager disrupts power and saves the day when no one else has managed to do so" or "teenager compels a 200 year old vampire (who happens to be in the body of a young man) in a way in which they've never been compelled in their long, long life" that is the hallmark of the genre, and if you like dystopia, I'd definitely point you in the direction of this book. If you like vampires but crave an adult version of their story, I'd suggest you see Only Lovers Left Alive and forego this addition to the vampire craze.
68nancyewhite
61. Against Football by Steve Almond - 5 stars
A blistering and passionate take-down of American football. Almond shows the links between football and racism, classism, homophobia, sexism, the military industrial complex, slavery. He details the ways in which money comes first in football before health, morality or any other consideration. The game is corrupt at every level - high school, college and professional. That he loved the game only makes his rage and frustration more visceral and real. In the end, he holds himself and us as fans accountable. Our love of watching violence and machismo has turned a backyard game of tackle, catch run into a brutal money-making machine broadcast for our entertainment. As a person born and raised in Pittsburgh, I live in a place described as, "bleeding black and gold" and where a Terrible Towel is issued at birth so I know the meaning that football can take on in the lives of everyday people. Now is the time to think about why and at what cost. Brilliant and highly recommended.
A blistering and passionate take-down of American football. Almond shows the links between football and racism, classism, homophobia, sexism, the military industrial complex, slavery. He details the ways in which money comes first in football before health, morality or any other consideration. The game is corrupt at every level - high school, college and professional. That he loved the game only makes his rage and frustration more visceral and real. In the end, he holds himself and us as fans accountable. Our love of watching violence and machismo has turned a backyard game of tackle, catch run into a brutal money-making machine broadcast for our entertainment. As a person born and raised in Pittsburgh, I live in a place described as, "bleeding black and gold" and where a Terrible Towel is issued at birth so I know the meaning that football can take on in the lives of everyday people. Now is the time to think about why and at what cost. Brilliant and highly recommended.
69mabith
Against Football certainly seems like an important book. Especially at the high school level it's distressing, as the justification for spending seems to be that it makes money, yet in my experience that money is always put back into football, not into arts or academic programs. My middle school art teacher had to spend her money on supplies but of course we HAD to have a football team (which certainly didn't make any money).
I'm not sure I'll read it, but glad to know someone wrote it. It was always soccer in my family, though my dad likes most sports, and I've never been able to understand the huge importance people place on sports. Like the way people will stop watching a tournament once their team leaves, or only watch their team's games. If you love the sport surely it's fun to watch all of it? Not to mention the full-scale riots after a team wins or loses. Just baffling.
I'm not sure I'll read it, but glad to know someone wrote it. It was always soccer in my family, though my dad likes most sports, and I've never been able to understand the huge importance people place on sports. Like the way people will stop watching a tournament once their team leaves, or only watch their team's games. If you love the sport surely it's fun to watch all of it? Not to mention the full-scale riots after a team wins or loses. Just baffling.
70nancyewhite
>69 mabith: I live in Western Pennsylvania with a 9 year old son who is quite big for his age. The people here seem to think that football is the most meaningful thing on earth. I will never allow my son to play and this just confirms all the reasons why.
71nancyewhite
62. The Museum of Literary Souls by John Connolly - 5 stars
I loved this charming little book. A book-lover moves to a small town where he sees a familiar woman attempt suicide. Twice. The first time she succeeds. The second he intercedes and follows her back to what appears to be a closed up, dusty library. After casing the place for a few days, he meets the librarian and learns what this library really has to offer.
I loved this charming little book. A book-lover moves to a small town where he sees a familiar woman attempt suicide. Twice. The first time she succeeds. The second he intercedes and follows her back to what appears to be a closed up, dusty library. After casing the place for a few days, he meets the librarian and learns what this library really has to offer.
72nancyewhite
63. What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund - 4 stars
I read about this on mabith's thread, and boy was she right. This examination of what happens for us when we are "seeing" a book unfold before our eyes is interesting and illuminating. There are graphic renderings as well. Parts of this were out of my league, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I find myself occasionally popping out of the story I'm currently reading (seeing) to try to see what I actually "see", but I can't quite catch it when I look. I'd highly recommend this one for anyone who loves to read.
I read about this on mabith's thread, and boy was she right. This examination of what happens for us when we are "seeing" a book unfold before our eyes is interesting and illuminating. There are graphic renderings as well. Parts of this were out of my league, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I find myself occasionally popping out of the story I'm currently reading (seeing) to try to see what I actually "see", but I can't quite catch it when I look. I'd highly recommend this one for anyone who loves to read.
73nancyewhite
64. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast - 4.5 stars
A graphic memoir of her elderly parents and their decline into death. Chast honestly and fearlessly details her relationship to her parents as a child and as an adult. Wonderful and highly recommended.
A graphic memoir of her elderly parents and their decline into death. Chast honestly and fearlessly details her relationship to her parents as a child and as an adult. Wonderful and highly recommended.
75rocketjk
I saw last night that the Chast book made the NY Times list of the 10 best books of 2014.
76nancyewhite
>75 rocketjk: I am so happy for Chast. The book is definitely deserving, IMO.
77nancyewhite
65. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes - 4 Stars
A very twisted supernatural detective story told from the perspectives of multiple characters - the blogger, the homeless guy, the cop, the cop's daughter, the killer. The cop's daughter, Layla, and her best friend, Cas, are the heart and soul of the book. I also really liked the homeless guy, TK, who is a recovering addict who works at the homeless shelter. Detroit was brought to life in a way that both included and transcended its current position as the city that rots. The killer is an artist who is creating sculptures that he believes will come to life and set the world free. Supernatural elements start slowly and unexpectedly and build to an ending that may or may not have been an encounter with something outside of logical explanation. Good, but not as good as the Shining Girls
A very twisted supernatural detective story told from the perspectives of multiple characters - the blogger, the homeless guy, the cop, the cop's daughter, the killer. The cop's daughter, Layla, and her best friend, Cas, are the heart and soul of the book. I also really liked the homeless guy, TK, who is a recovering addict who works at the homeless shelter. Detroit was brought to life in a way that both included and transcended its current position as the city that rots. The killer is an artist who is creating sculptures that he believes will come to life and set the world free. Supernatural elements start slowly and unexpectedly and build to an ending that may or may not have been an encounter with something outside of logical explanation. Good, but not as good as the Shining Girls
78nancyewhite
66. Mean Little Deaf Queer by Terry Galloway - 3.5 stars
A memoir by a woman who became deaf in early childhood. It details her struggles with being deaf and the rage and bitterness it created in her childhood, her career in theater, her coming out and finally her forming relationships with other folks who are disabled. The parts where she describes her childhood, her family stories, education and the time she went to summer camp for "special kids" are very, very good. Moving from there into her coming of age is less so. She moves too quickly and her life stops springing from the page. It becomes a chronological telling of events - I lost my virginity, I kept living with my parents, I feel in love... It comes to life again when she discusses how she came to finally connect to the disabled community which she 'othered' and then realized included her. The ending is full of enough insight and warmth that I got teary-eyed.
A memoir by a woman who became deaf in early childhood. It details her struggles with being deaf and the rage and bitterness it created in her childhood, her career in theater, her coming out and finally her forming relationships with other folks who are disabled. The parts where she describes her childhood, her family stories, education and the time she went to summer camp for "special kids" are very, very good. Moving from there into her coming of age is less so. She moves too quickly and her life stops springing from the page. It becomes a chronological telling of events - I lost my virginity, I kept living with my parents, I feel in love... It comes to life again when she discusses how she came to finally connect to the disabled community which she 'othered' and then realized included her. The ending is full of enough insight and warmth that I got teary-eyed.
79nancyewhite
67. The Strange Library by Haruk Marakami - 4.5 stars
A weird little book where a boy trying to take out some books about tax collecting in the Ottoman Empire finds himself in a very strange situation indeed. I let myself get lost in this little book and had a wonderful time doing it.
A weird little book where a boy trying to take out some books about tax collecting in the Ottoman Empire finds himself in a very strange situation indeed. I let myself get lost in this little book and had a wonderful time doing it.
80nancyewhite
68. Revival by Stephen King - 3 stars
A boy and the young minister that comes to preach in his little town are linked to one another for the rest of their lives. I liked the parts where he described rock 'n roll better than anything about the plot itself. This one just didn't do it for me.
A boy and the young minister that comes to preach in his little town are linked to one another for the rest of their lives. I liked the parts where he described rock 'n roll better than anything about the plot itself. This one just didn't do it for me.
81nancyewhite
69. The Unspeakable by Meghan Daum - 3.5 stars
Daum writes personal essays about the things that remain unspoken in our culture such as electing not to parent, ambivalence about a mother's death, excessive love of your dog. Obviously she writes from a position of North American privilege. That being said, she writes very well and is very smart. The ones that resonated for me really resonated. The rest were still worth reading. The essay where she describes being an "honorary dyke" bordered on offensive for me, though.
Daum writes personal essays about the things that remain unspoken in our culture such as electing not to parent, ambivalence about a mother's death, excessive love of your dog. Obviously she writes from a position of North American privilege. That being said, she writes very well and is very smart. The ones that resonated for me really resonated. The rest were still worth reading. The essay where she describes being an "honorary dyke" bordered on offensive for me, though.
82mabith
Personal essay books are always a bit hit or miss, it seems. I would certainly be really angry if someone told me they were an "honorary cripple" (I'm disabled). I can't imagine anyone thinking that kind of statement is okay (well, I can imagine it, because people are awful, but you know what I mean).
83nancyewhite
Fiction
Museum of Literary Souls by John Connolly - 5 stars
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - 5 stars
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami - 4.5 stars
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani - 4.5 stars
Affinity by Sarah Waters - 4.5 stars
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - 4.5 stars
Manon Lescaut by Abbe Provost - 4 stars
Nonfiction
Against Football by Steve Almond - 5 stars
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast - 4.5 stars
What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund - 4 stars
Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden - 4 stars
YA/Children's
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling - 5 stars
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness - 4.5 stars
Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - 4 stars
Mystery
Broken Harbor and The Secret Place by Tana French - 4 stars
How the Light Gets In and Long Way Home by Louise Penny - 4 stars
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) -4 stars
The Crossing Places, The House at Sea's End and The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths - 4 stars
Museum of Literary Souls by John Connolly - 5 stars
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - 5 stars
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami - 4.5 stars
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani - 4.5 stars
Affinity by Sarah Waters - 4.5 stars
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - 4.5 stars
Manon Lescaut by Abbe Provost - 4 stars
Nonfiction
Against Football by Steve Almond - 5 stars
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast - 4.5 stars
What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund - 4 stars
Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden - 4 stars
YA/Children's
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling - 5 stars
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness - 4.5 stars
Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - 4 stars
Mystery
Broken Harbor and The Secret Place by Tana French - 4 stars
How the Light Gets In and Long Way Home by Louise Penny - 4 stars
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) -4 stars
The Crossing Places, The House at Sea's End and The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths - 4 stars
84nancyewhite
Conveniently I had 4 reads that were 5 stars and 6 that were 4.5 stars.
5 Stars
Museum of Literary Souls - John Connolly - A wonderful novella in which a bookish man becomes intrigued by a woman and follows her to a library beyond imagination. Delightful
Against Football - Steve Almond - Blistering look at football. Includes all of the concussion headline news, but also looks at sexism, homophobia, corporate domination, racism.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - JK Rowling - I'd never heard of this so I thought I'd give it a try when I saw in in a bookstore. Just kidding. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this again knowing how it all turned out. Rowling planted so many seeds here. She's amazing.
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt - A human story written beautifully. Deserved all of the awards and accolades it received.
4.5 Stars
The Strange Library - Haruki Murakami - A kid goes to a library and really strange things happen. Really strange. Really, really strange. Short and fun and very Murakami.
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant - Roz Chast - A bracingly honest graphic memoir about caring for her aging and ultimately dying parents.
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls - Anton DiSclafani - A disgraced young woman is sent away from her home to a boarding school. Prickly and challenging, she is no Jane Eyre. This debut was definitely memorable and a favorite for this year.
Affinity - Sarah Waters - Spiritualism. prison, mental illness, class issues, love. This is Waters. If you like her, you'll love this.
The Ask and the Answer - Patrick Ness - Now this is dystopian YA at its best. Action, truly evil villains, young love, moral dilemmas. The second in a trilogy.
Life After Life - Kate Atkinson - A woman lives her life over and over with small changes making a big difference in how it goes.
Really Good 4 Stars
What We See When We Read - Peter Mendelsund
Broken Harbor and The Secret Place - Tana French
Manon Lescaut - Abbe Provost
How the Light Gets In and Long Way Home - Louise Penny
Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Holly Black
The Silkworm = Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)
The Crossing Places, The House at Sea's End and The Janus Stone - Elly Griffiths
Escape from Camp 14 - Blaine Harden
5 Stars
Museum of Literary Souls - John Connolly - A wonderful novella in which a bookish man becomes intrigued by a woman and follows her to a library beyond imagination. Delightful
Against Football - Steve Almond - Blistering look at football. Includes all of the concussion headline news, but also looks at sexism, homophobia, corporate domination, racism.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - JK Rowling - I'd never heard of this so I thought I'd give it a try when I saw in in a bookstore. Just kidding. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this again knowing how it all turned out. Rowling planted so many seeds here. She's amazing.
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt - A human story written beautifully. Deserved all of the awards and accolades it received.
4.5 Stars
The Strange Library - Haruki Murakami - A kid goes to a library and really strange things happen. Really strange. Really, really strange. Short and fun and very Murakami.
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant - Roz Chast - A bracingly honest graphic memoir about caring for her aging and ultimately dying parents.
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls - Anton DiSclafani - A disgraced young woman is sent away from her home to a boarding school. Prickly and challenging, she is no Jane Eyre. This debut was definitely memorable and a favorite for this year.
Affinity - Sarah Waters - Spiritualism. prison, mental illness, class issues, love. This is Waters. If you like her, you'll love this.
The Ask and the Answer - Patrick Ness - Now this is dystopian YA at its best. Action, truly evil villains, young love, moral dilemmas. The second in a trilogy.
Life After Life - Kate Atkinson - A woman lives her life over and over with small changes making a big difference in how it goes.
Really Good 4 Stars
What We See When We Read - Peter Mendelsund
Broken Harbor and The Secret Place - Tana French
Manon Lescaut - Abbe Provost
How the Light Gets In and Long Way Home - Louise Penny
Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Holly Black
The Silkworm = Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)
The Crossing Places, The House at Sea's End and The Janus Stone - Elly Griffiths
Escape from Camp 14 - Blaine Harden
