Recommend a Book You've Read Recently and Enjoyed

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel?

[Anonymous]

Another vote for The Rose Code, as well as Quinn's other books. But, especially this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The Change - read recently based on DCUM. Revenge fantasy about women who get witchy powers after menopause. A little over the top but fun.

Slightly more rooted in reality, but also a story of menopause: Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- maybe my favorite book of 2022

OP here - YES! I loved that book!! Have you read anything else she's written? I've been meaning to try her earlier books . . . .

So many bad reviews of Wayward on Amazon. You guys really thought it was good?

NP here. It starts right after Trump was elected, and the character is a rich white older liberal woman who is dealing with feelings about that. I think that’s where most of the online vitriol comes from. Some people hate the character because she’s an entitled “Karen,” while others are probably offended conservatives. Ironically, the character has a lot of self-loathing precisely because of her demographic. Point being that people love to hate on Hilary Clinton types. And even Hilary Clinton types are trained to hate themselves.

Anyway, I liked the first half, but then it lost me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Change - read recently based on DCUM. Revenge fantasy about women who get witchy powers after menopause. A little over the top but fun.

Slightly more rooted in reality, but also a story of menopause: Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- maybe my favorite book of 2022

OP here - YES! I loved that book!! Have you read anything else she's written? I've been meaning to try her earlier books . . . .

So many bad reviews of Wayward on Amazon. You guys really thought it was good?

NP here. It starts right after Trump was elected, and the character is a rich white older liberal woman who is dealing with feelings about that. I think that’s where most of the online vitriol comes from. Some people hate the character because she’s an entitled “Karen,” while others are probably offended conservatives. Ironically, the character has a lot of self-loathing precisely because of her demographic. Point being that people love to hate on Hilary Clinton types. And even Hilary Clinton types are trained to hate themselves.

Anyway, I liked the first half, but then it lost me.

Thanks for this summary. I just started reading this book but will now return (7 people waiting). I read to try to escape from everyday life — I absolutely don’t want to revisit any part of what you described.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Change - read recently based on DCUM. Revenge fantasy about women who get witchy powers after menopause. A little over the top but fun.

Slightly more rooted in reality, but also a story of menopause: Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- maybe my favorite book of 2022

OP here - YES! I loved that book!! Have you read anything else she's written? I've been meaning to try her earlier books . . . .

So many bad reviews of Wayward on Amazon. You guys really thought it was good?

NP here. It starts right after Trump was elected, and the character is a rich white older liberal woman who is dealing with feelings about that. I think that’s where most of the online vitriol comes from. Some people hate the character because she’s an entitled “Karen,” while others are probably offended conservatives. Ironically, the character has a lot of self-loathing precisely because of her demographic. Point being that people love to hate on Hilary Clinton types. And even Hilary Clinton types are trained to hate themselves.

Anyway, I liked the first half, but then it lost me.

Thanks for this summary. I just started reading this book but will now return (7 people waiting). I read to try to escape from everyday life — I absolutely don’t want to revisit any part of what you described.

I’d say PP accurately described sone of the book’s situational/political context and one aspect of the (rather complex) main character. But the core plot and character arc are much bigger and more interesting than the Trump/Hillary context happening in the background, IMHO. To write it off as that narrow truly sells it short.

[Anonymous]

The Violin Conspiracy - excellent book that delves into racial issues in America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Change - read recently based on DCUM. Revenge fantasy about women who get witchy powers after menopause. A little over the top but fun.

Slightly more rooted in reality, but also a story of menopause: Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- maybe my favorite book of 2022

OP here - YES! I loved that book!! Have you read anything else she's written? I've been meaning to try her earlier books . . . .

So many bad reviews of Wayward on Amazon. You guys really thought it was good?

NP here. It starts right after Trump was elected, and the character is a rich white older liberal woman who is dealing with feelings about that. I think that’s where most of the online vitriol comes from. Some people hate the character because she’s an entitled “Karen,” while others are probably offended conservatives. Ironically, the character has a lot of self-loathing precisely because of her demographic. Point being that people love to hate on Hilary Clinton types. And even Hilary Clinton types are trained to hate themselves.

Anyway, I liked the first half, but then it lost me.

Thanks for this summary. I just started reading this book but will now return (7 people waiting). I read to try to escape from everyday life — I absolutely don’t want to revisit any part of what you described.

I’d say PP accurately described sone of the book’s situational/political context and one aspect of the (rather complex) main character. But the core plot and character arc are much bigger and more interesting than the Trump/Hillary context happening in the background, IMHO. To write it off as that narrow truly sells it short.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to discourage anyone from reading it; what I described is not the plot—more the backdrop. But I did read a bunch on the Amazon reviews after I read it, and that seemed to be where the negativity was coming from. I imagine if you are a conservative, the character’s politics would be off-putting.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone read Chanel Cheeton books? THoughts?

[Anonymous]

I just want to say THANK YOU to the person who recommended The Lies I Tell. I devoured it. Now I'm reading one of the author's other books - The Last Flight - and also enjoying it, though it may have too many similarities to TLIT to feel as novel and exciting as that book did.

If you have any recs for other books, TLIT recommender, I would love to hear them! Esp if they are as fast paced as that one. It really helped take my mind off the apocalypse.

[Anonymous]

Currently reading The Kitchen House. Very good. Can't put it down.
Recently finished The Maid. Loved it. (Not to be confused with Maid- the Netflix series- totally different)

[Anonymous]

Remarkably Bright Creatures. Really enjoyed this one; it’s charming and a bit different. Not fast paced, no big mystery to solve, but very engaging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Change - read recently based on DCUM. Revenge fantasy about women who get witchy powers after menopause. A little over the top but fun.

Slightly more rooted in reality, but also a story of menopause: Wayward by Dana Spiotta -- maybe my favorite book of 2022

OP here - YES! I loved that book!! Have you read anything else she's written? I've been meaning to try her earlier books . . . .

So many bad reviews of Wayward on Amazon. You guys really thought it was good?

Yes, I really did!!! I think it helps to be on the older side (I’m late 40s) - YMMV, but I’m guessing my 20-something self couldn’t have related, and my 30-something self might have been too judgy of the main character? But at this age, I really appreciate how Spiotta explores the complexity of midlife - balancing multiple facets of our identity, not just me-as-mother above all else. Messy and not always pretty. But I thought it was a great take.

I also really enjoyed it. I’m 32 so younger than the main character and older than her daughter but found both characters relatable. It was funny, engaging, smart. I’d recommend.

[Anonymous]

I'm reading Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hildebrand. My adult daughter highly recommended it. I've loved all her previous books. Just two chapters in but totally enjoying it, and it is currently #1 on the NYT Bestseller list.

[Anonymous]

I'm reviving this week-old thread to recommend a book I just finished. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. It's set in 1960s California and the female protagonist is a research chemist who, thanks to a series of unexpected events, ends up hosting a cooking show on local television. I loved it!

While I'm here, I'll also recommend The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. It's a family story told across two generations, in Cyprus and in London. It's excellent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remarkably Bright Creatures. Really enjoyed this one; it’s charming and a bit different. Not fast paced, no big mystery to solve, but very engaging.

I liked it a lot too. Nothing too deep, just a feel-good, highly readable book.