What are the last 3 books you read (or listened to) and what did you think?
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Anonymous
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I'll start:
Alisas Emma by Ava Glass - It's about a British spy trying to move an asset across London in one night. It was pretty good; there were some tense moments. I'd rate it at a 3.5-4 stars. It held my attention decently enough while reading but ultimately will likely be forgettable. The Boys, by Katie Hafner - I may have gotten this as a recommendation from DCUM. It's about a married couple, mostly the husband, adopting and taking care of 2 boys during the pandemic, while dealing with significant childhood trauma. It was a very slow start, but the second half picked up a lot. I mostly liked it for the twist in the middle, which I absolutely did not see coming. I'd also give this one 3.5-4 stars. Unusual enough that I won't forget it, but the first half was too slow for me. Still Alice, by Lisa Genova - I enjoyed this a lot. A neuroscientist Harvard professor is diagnosed with early onset Altzheimer's disease. I felt like I really got into the head of how it might feel to be a smart person experiencing dementia. The end was very powerful, IMO. I've always kind of bought into the idea that having dementia is such a low quality of life that I would rather not exist, but it made me wonder, can one experience enough simple pleasures in each moment that people can find joy even without the ability to remember the past or think about the future? I'd give this one a 5 for being a thought provoking and memorable listen. |
Anonymous
Hmmmm |
Anonymous
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Wil Wheaton's new book where he annotates his old book he wrote about himself - kind of boring with all the Star Trek stuff and he's still not finished working through all his anger at his parents and anger at the entertainment industry for not making him more successful. Also kind of hard to keep reading with all the footnotes.
The Christie Affair - SO GOOD! The head of HR at my law firm suggested it to me. It's not exactly my style, but turned out I loved it. It's the author's IDEA of what MIGHT have happened when Agatha Christie disappeared for a couple of weeks (that part is true and really DID happen). |
Anonymous
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Remarkably Bright Creatures....LOVED!!
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow...Really enjoyed it! Lessons in Chemistry...Currently reading but the jury is still out. So far I think it's fine but not sure I see the hype yet. |
Anonymous
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Number One Chinese Restaurant, by Lillian Li - enjoyed it more than the reviews, which were middling-to-mildly-positive.
The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel - disappointing. Nowhere near as good as Station Eleven. Jar City, by Arnaldur Indridason (trans. from Icelandic) - liked it. I love Nordic noir and this is the second series I'm starting on, after finishing the Kurt Wallander series (which I loved). |
Anonymous
Interesting. I have started Remarkably, but am sort of bogged down right now. I need to restart. I tried Lessons but was pretty bored. I keep trying the sample of Tomorrow, but I really loathe long, meandering sentences. It feels like the author trying to sound literary. I think it must be my mood. I just can't get into much of anything. I'm hoping the book club will help! |
Anonymous
True |
Anonymous
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The Marriage Portrait, which I liked but didn’t love. Partly I was just disappointed that it wasn’t as amazing as her last book (Hamnet), which I loved. Also, it felt a bit like the historical fiction stuff I read a lot, as opposed to something “literary”. Still, I’d give it 3 stars.
The Romanov Empress. Historical fiction, interesting, kept my attention. All Things Wise and Wonderful. Just lovely. The James Herriot books are soothing balm for this painful age. |
Anonymous
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Black Cake
Alice, I have been Daisy Jones & the six |
Anonymous
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Say all the Unspoken Things - John Sowers
Loved it How to Talk to Strangers - Malcolm Gladwell It was ok. I expected to get more out of it. Smart Brevity - Axios crew. Definitely a valuable resource. |
Anonymous
I thought you misremembered the title of this book, but I guess there are multiple recent novels about Agatha Christie’s brief disappearance? |
Anonymous
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First Test and Page are the first two books in a (at least) four book series by Tamora Pierce. They're about a 12 year old girl enrolled in becoming a knight and the hardships she faces and overcomes. I kinda wish this wasn't finished so I didn't already know the ultimate outcome. That said, there's stuff like overcoming adversity, bullying, stereotypes, gender roles, a little love and I have a feeling that as she gets older (I think she's 14 or 15 at the end of Page) she's taking more about boys and who she likes.
I like this series but it's an easy read. Nice for after work and while my team is on a losing streak, but not really something I'm looking to gain a lot from. Each book is about 6 hours audio, and I finished then awhile doing house work on weekends. The third is Songbird and Snakes and I enjoyed it more. I think I would like it when more if it was released before Hunger Games and we didn't already know what Dennis would become. He makes logical decisions but knowing what he's going to become makes me want to argue against him. He's a pretty moral character of not naive. |
Anonymous
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The House in the Cerulean Sea: picked it up based on thread on books enjoyed and I loved it.
Hurricane Girl: interesting and quirky but I didn’t love it. Nightcrawling: I wanted to like it but it dragged on for me. Compelling but depressing story. |
Anonymous
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Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz. I'm a huge fan of his books, he's hilariously funny and clever and writes an excellent page turner while also having an eye on social critique. However this one disappointed. Total lack of laughs and riddled with editorial errors which were distracting.
Man to Woman by Norah Vincent (recently deceased 53 yr old journalist by suicide at a Swiss clinic). She is clever and bold in her attempt to view the world from a male perspective but is completely hampered by her UMC preconceptions about the working man and it made me cringe and feel sorry for her in a big way. The Colony - Audrey Magee - Booker Long listed, brilliant boo set in a remote part of Ireland while the troubles were also taking place in Northern Ireland. It's beautifully written and draws you into the remoteness of the place. A total winner, I was really disappointed it didn't a) make the shortlist or b) win! |
Anonymous
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Solitary by Albert Woodfox - a memoir from a man who was in solitary confinement for forty years!
Reader Come Home by Mary Ann Wolf - how reading/critical analysis has changed in an increasingly digital society Down These Mean Streets, by Piri Thomas. Coming of age story of a young Puerto Rican in NYC as he faces racism and unjust criminal justice system. |