January Book Log - open to all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished An American Marriage and I can’t stop thinking about it

I read that years ago and loved it. Still one of my favorites from the last 5 years or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. I liked it very much. Ingeniously intertwined stories, funny and moving writing, beautiful. 8.5 or 9/10.

Me again. Today I finished Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. For the first quarter/half I was underwhelmed. It seemed to rely a bit too much on creaky plotting—children are gathered to listen to an audio tape by their dead mother, but they keep taking breaks/storming out/drawing out the process in what’s that seemed sort of like a bad soap opera and not true to life and that we’re distracting to me. And the writing on a sentence level also often seemed creaky. And a major plot hinge is that a group of lesbian students at an “elite university” around 2005 or so beat up a student because she is bisexual, which frankly seems hard to imagine. Etc. But I found it much more gripping/compelling/emotionally complicated in the second half. So maybe 7/10?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. I liked it very much. Ingeniously intertwined stories, funny and moving writing, beautiful. 8.5 or 9/10.

Me again. Today I finished Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. For the first quarter/half I was underwhelmed. It seemed to rely a bit too much on creaky plotting—children are gathered to listen to an audio tape by their dead mother, but they keep taking breaks/storming out/drawing out the process in what’s that seemed sort of like a bad soap opera and not true to life and that we’re distracting to me. And the writing on a sentence level also often seemed creaky. And a major plot hinge is that a group of lesbian students at an “elite university” around 2005 or so beat up a student because she is bisexual, which frankly seems hard to imagine. Etc. But I found it much more gripping/compelling/emotionally complicated in the second half. So maybe 7/10?

Oh that first half sounds kinda torturous. Well done for getting to the end of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished A Fine Balance, which most people probably read a long time ago. I would give it an 8/10.

The ending has really stuck with me and I am having trouble wanting to pick up another book right now.

Thai book wrecked me. I sobbed at the end. Could not let it go for the longest time.

[Anonymous]

I’m reading something recommended by DCUM: The Thursday Murders Club. It is very enjoyable and just what I needed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. I liked it very much. Ingeniously intertwined stories, funny and moving writing, beautiful. 8.5 or 9/10.

Me again. Today I finished Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. For the first quarter/half I was underwhelmed. It seemed to rely a bit too much on creaky plotting—children are gathered to listen to an audio tape by their dead mother, but they keep taking breaks/storming out/drawing out the process in what’s that seemed sort of like a bad soap opera and not true to life and that we’re distracting to me. And the writing on a sentence level also often seemed creaky. And a major plot hinge is that a group of lesbian students at an “elite university” around 2005 or so beat up a student because she is bisexual, which frankly seems hard to imagine. Etc. But I found it much more gripping/compelling/emotionally complicated in the second half. So maybe 7/10?

I didn’t care for this book at all. It was just too much all at once - the Windrush generation in the UK, the US immigrant experience, being Black/Caribbean, LGBTQ, even some mental health issues thrown in. It felt like the author was trying to check off as many boxes as possible. Would’ve been much better if she’d focused on one or two of the issues and delved into them in more detail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished the Court of Thorns & Roses series. The first 2 I thought were awesome. Book 3 was okay. Book 4 was a bit more disappointing. Book 5 I feel like it didn't really wrap much up. Plus there was so much freakin' sex. Like way more than any of the other books. I'm not prude by far, but it felt like half the book involved some sort of sexual act.

I also liked the first two but stopped after #3 - sounds like just in time.

[Anonymous]

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca 6/10 - one of the weaker in this series
The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty - 7/10, liked her recent one Apples Never Fall better
Maybe Now by Colleen Hoover - 6/10 - liked earlier books in this series better
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 6/10 - same as above
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley - 8/10

Not a great month so far!

[Anonymous]

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - 7/10 (I finished that it January- started in December)
lessons in chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - 9/10
The only woman in the room - Marie Benedict - 5/10 i so wanted to like this. While I am not sure I would have liked Hedy Lamarr, I don’t think I would have found her dull. I acknowledge it was difficult historical narrative to write because there was no single antagonist and there was a lot of history to cover in the background.
The family game - Catherine Steadman - 7.5/10. This was my fun thriller read after the last book. I found it by accident and gave it a try because I thought she seemed interesting in an interview clip I once saw. I enjoyed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. I liked it very much. Ingeniously intertwined stories, funny and moving writing, beautiful. 8.5 or 9/10.

Me again. Today I finished Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. For the first quarter/half I was underwhelmed. It seemed to rely a bit too much on creaky plotting—children are gathered to listen to an audio tape by their dead mother, but they keep taking breaks/storming out/drawing out the process in what’s that seemed sort of like a bad soap opera and not true to life and that we’re distracting to me. And the writing on a sentence level also often seemed creaky. And a major plot hinge is that a group of lesbian students at an “elite university” around 2005 or so beat up a student because she is bisexual, which frankly seems hard to imagine. Etc. But I found it much more gripping/compelling/emotionally complicated in the second half. So maybe 7/10?

I didn’t care for this book at all. It was just too much all at once - the Windrush generation in the UK, the US immigrant experience, being Black/Caribbean, LGBTQ, even some mental health issues thrown in. It felt like the author was trying to check off as many boxes as possible. Would’ve been much better if she’d focused on one or two of the issues and delved into them in more detail.

I wish the book just focused on the mother’s story. That was more compelling than the present day story line. I’d give the book 7/10.

I also read Olga Dies Dreaming. 5/10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. I liked it very much. Ingeniously intertwined stories, funny and moving writing, beautiful. 8.5 or 9/10.

Me again. Today I finished Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. For the first quarter/half I was underwhelmed. It seemed to rely a bit too much on creaky plotting—children are gathered to listen to an audio tape by their dead mother, but they keep taking breaks/storming out/drawing out the process in what’s that seemed sort of like a bad soap opera and not true to life and that we’re distracting to me. And the writing on a sentence level also often seemed creaky. And a major plot hinge is that a group of lesbian students at an “elite university” around 2005 or so beat up a student because she is bisexual, which frankly seems hard to imagine. Etc. But I found it much more gripping/compelling/emotionally complicated in the second half. So maybe 7/10?

I didn’t care for this book at all. It was just too much all at once - the Windrush generation in the UK, the US immigrant experience, being Black/Caribbean, LGBTQ, even some mental health issues thrown in. It felt like the author was trying to check off as many boxes as possible. Would’ve been much better if she’d focused on one or two of the issues and delved into them in more detail.

I wish the book just focused on the mother’s story. That was more compelling than the present day story line. I’d give the book 7/10.

I also read Olga Dies Dreaming. 5/10.

PP here and completely agree, the mother’s story was the most compelling and focusing/expanding on that would’ve been much better.

[Anonymous]

I just finished Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo.

I'm undecided on my ranking. 8/10 captures my enthusiasm for the story, I love the genre, and definitely got caught up in it.

The plot, though, probably closer to 5/10. There were a few things that I really didn't like (don't want to post spoilers).

I did re-read Ninth House just before starting this one, which I definitely recommend doing given the length of time between the books. I'd forgotten some key plot points that crop back up.

[Anonymous]

The Plague by Camus - excellent so far and very timely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Plague by Camus - excellent so far and very timely.

Are you reading it in the original, French? If so, impressive!
I am reading Mick Herron's 3rd book in the Slow Horses series, Real Tigers. Its excellent, pacy, funny, exciting. I'm hoping to get through it before they release the 3rd season of the TV show.

[Anonymous]

January reads so far:

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents 10/10 - this was smart, easy to read, helpful.

My Name is Lucy Barton, Elizabeth Strout - thoroughly enjoyed. I’m new to this author but I see why people enjoy her. The character development was great.

Anatomy: A Love Story, Dana Schwartz - I liked this YA book a lot. It took a fantasy turn that I wasn’t expecting. I’d read the sequel but not going to rush to do so.

Inspector Gamache #10 (The Long Way Home), Louise Penny - love this series, will continue to read it forever. #9 has been my favorite so far.

The Bookshop on the Corner, Jenny Colgan - Nice fluffy palate cleanser. I love being transported to Scotland, and the premise of the book is that a woman in a dead end job throws it all away to sell books in the middle of nowhere, so even though the love portion was cheesy and predictable, I’ll read that plot all day long for a bit of an escape.

Somebody’s Daughter, Ashley Ford - I summarized why this book was a miss for me in the books by black authors thread, but I feel it was over publicized in a way that doesn’t represent what the book is. I like the author and thought the book was decent. A bit disappointed is all.

The Testaments, John Grisham - read this one with my husband. I haven’t read Grisham in years, and this was about what I remembered. Definitely pulled in because I wanted to know what happened, but repelled by the sexism and greedy capitalism. Classic Grisham.

Currently reading The Sun is Also a Star, as well as Stolen Focus: Why you can't pay attention and how to think deeply again by Johann Hari and loving both!