It’s August, what are you reading?

[Anonymous]

"Working" by Robert Caro. It's great!

[Anonymous]

I just finished The Return by Hisham Matar. His dad was a Qaddafi opponent and kidnapped in Egypt in 1990 and put in Abu Salim prison in Libya. After a couple letters the family never heard from him again and although it’s presumed he was killed at some point, they’ve never gotten answers from the Libyan government or anyone in the Qaddafi regime. The book is a memoir of the author returning to Libya after 40+ years of exile to seek answers about his father. I saw it on the NYT Best Books of 21st century list. Not sure I’d agree with that ranking but it was an excellent read with some really breathtaking sentences that eloquently capture grief and family connection.

[Anonymous]

Killers of the Flower Moon - how the FBI was born out of murders in the Osage community in the 20s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finished “The Buried Giant.” A big “meh” from me. I’ve read 3 Ishiguro books, and in every one I appreciate the construction/writing, but I just cannot connect with them. This might’ve been the biggest miss for me.

Reading “Normal People” now. I’ve never read Sally Rooney, and she has been very hyped up, so I’m going in cautiously optimistic.

I have the same reaction to Ishiguro. Except for Remains of the Day which was beautiful. I also met him in the early 2000s at a literary event in London and he was charming.

I won't read Sally Rooney. Who needs to read sex books dressed up as lit? No one.

I'm with you 100% on Ishiguro although for some reason I liked The Buried Giant more than his futuristic ones. But none compare to Remains of the Day, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished The year of magical thinking by Joan Didion.

Starting Open by Andre Agassi.

Did you like The Year of Magical Thinking? It got so much praise, but I never connected with it at all. I was even more baffled when it went to Broadway!

[Anonymous]

I'm reading Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières. He's best known for Captain Corelli's Mandolin, but I've read a bunch of his other books and have really enjoyed them all.

This book is such a slow read for me. There are a bunch of characters and it's in a time & place I don't know much about. But I love his writing and will eventually make my way through it.

[Anonymous]

I read The Other Black Girl, which I did not really care for. I was expecting it to be more realistic/literary when it is closer to genre fiction. Maybe it was just not for me, but disappointing. Reading Same As It Ever Was now, and enjoying it so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finished “The Buried Giant.” A big “meh” from me. I’ve read 3 Ishiguro books, and in every one I appreciate the construction/writing, but I just cannot connect with them. This might’ve been the biggest miss for me.

Reading “Normal People” now. I’ve never read Sally Rooney, and she has been very hyped up, so I’m going in cautiously optimistic.

I have the same reaction to Ishiguro. Except for Remains of the Day which was beautiful. I also met him in the early 2000s at a literary event in London and he was charming.

I won't read Sally Rooney. Who needs to read sex books dressed up as lit? No one.

Raises hand. I need a sex book dressed up as lit.

I love Sally Rooney precisely for this combination of qualities.

[Anonymous]

I just finished and really enjoyed Anita De mont laughs last. Even more than Olga Dies Dreaming (actually a lot more).

It’s got excellent spooky atmosphere.

[Anonymous]

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. It's like if Fourth Wing was science fiction. Great writing I'm loving it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished The Whispers by Ashley Audrain-
Recommend[/quote

I loved this book!

[Anonymous]

I just finished My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Enjoyed it, moving on to the next book in the series

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. It's like if Fourth Wing was science fiction. Great writing I'm loving it.

Is that a YA book? My son loved his books when he was 12. Are they crossovers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Enjoyed it, moving on to the next book in the series

You are in for such a treat with that whole series

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. It's like if Fourth Wing was science fiction. Great writing I'm loving it.

Is that a YA book? My son loved his books when he was 12. Are they crossovers?

It is YA but most of Sanderson's work is not YA. Tress of the Emerald Sea is also an excellent read.