Anonymous wrote:I'm in a reading rut - too many light-weight thrillers lately - and could use some new ideas!

I typically like literary fiction, but the more accessible kind that crosses over into popular fiction (think Ann Patchett, Jennifer Egan, Dave Eggars, Mohsin Hamid).

I've also had good luck these past few years with women-centered novels that go a bit deeper (as opposed to the current glut of thrillers with "Girl," "Woman" and "Wife" in the titles . . . . ) For example, I really liked The Vanishing Half, This Is How It Always Is, Black Cake, The Power, and Such a Fun Age.

Thanks!

LOL. This reminds me of Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.

Warning: the book didn’t age well.

One of my favorite books this year was Erotic Stories by Punjabi Widows-- woman centered with a mystery and I guess you can read it and figure out the title! Loved the book.

Anonymous wrote:Non fiction but amazing - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Also would recommend Code Girls (pairs well with the fictional Rose Code). I also was surprised how much I liked Shonda Rhimes’ “The Year of Yes”

For fiction I’d second The Gentleman in Moscow. If you’re open to fantasy at all, I loved Chakraborty’s Daevabad trilogy.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - I just hated this book. Important story but I thought the books was so awful and boring. Probably too much science for me.

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading "Olga Dies Dreaming" by Xochitl Gonzalez now, and loving it more than anything else I've read in a long time. Great writing, memorable characters, and a lot of layers, plus a very fun send up of the weddings and parties of the ultra rich (Olga is a celebrity wedding planner and her brother is a congressman described as the "Latino Obama").

Also loved "True Biz" by Sara Novic. Really inventive story set at an ASL high school on the verge of being closed in the Rust Belt.

"Crying in H Mart" is also amazing.

I liked Olga dies dreaming too. I also recently enjoyed Ghosts by Dolly Alderton. She’s a wonderful writer.

Did anyone else catch the Washington Post review of The Hero of This Book? I’m sold and I didn’t even read the review past the first few sentences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone recommend a good contemporary spy novel? Nothing set during the Cold War or WWII. I'm more interested in stories involving Russia, China, or the Middle East.

I've recently liked Damascus Station, by David McClosky, and Red Cell, by Mark Henshaw. Also loved the Red Sparrow trilogy awhile back. (Haven't seen the movie but heard it wasn't nearly as good as the book.)

Any other ideas? Thanks!

Probably you’ll get more responses with a new post for this.

Good point. Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone recommend a good contemporary spy novel? Nothing set during the Cold War or WWII. I'm more interested in stories involving Russia, China, or the Middle East.

I've recently liked Damascus Station, by David McClosky, and Red Cell, by Mark Henshaw. Also loved the Red Sparrow trilogy awhile back. (Haven't seen the movie but heard it wasn't nearly as good as the book.)

Any other ideas? Thanks!

Probably you’ll get more responses with a new post for this.

I'm reading "Olga Dies Dreaming" by Xochitl Gonzalez now, and loving it more than anything else I've read in a long time. Great writing, memorable characters, and a lot of layers, plus a very fun send up of the weddings and parties of the ultra rich (Olga is a celebrity wedding planner and her brother is a congressman described as the "Latino Obama").

Also loved "True Biz" by Sara Novic. Really inventive story set at an ASL high school on the verge of being closed in the Rust Belt.

"Crying in H Mart" is also amazing.

Can anyone recommend a good contemporary spy novel? Nothing set during the Cold War or WWII. I'm more interested in stories involving Russia, China, or the Middle East.

I've recently liked Damascus Station, by David McClosky, and Red Cell, by Mark Henshaw. Also loved the Red Sparrow trilogy awhile back. (Haven't seen the movie but heard it wasn't nearly as good as the book.)

Any other ideas? Thanks!

Thanks to those who recommended the audio of Remarkably Bright Creatures. I really enjoyed it!

I just devoured Julie Clark's The Lies I Tell.

The Last Flight was good too (also by her) but this one was even better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is tommorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow a romance? The blurb makes it sound like it’s about a “not like other romances” romance from the beginning as childhood friends and how they navigate career success.

Also, if you are an “oregon trail” generation who wasn’t and isn’t into video games, would you still like it?

I fit that description - born in the 70s and not the least bit into video games - and I loved it. (I didn’t even know Oregon trail was a game IRL. I assumed it was made up for this book.)

Awesome, thanks!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is tommorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow a romance? The blurb makes it sound like it’s about a “not like other romances” romance from the beginning as childhood friends and how they navigate career success.

Also, if you are an “oregon trail” generation who wasn’t and isn’t into video games, would you still like it?

I fit that description - born in the 70s and not the least bit into video games - and I loved it. (I didn’t even know Oregon trail was a game IRL. I assumed it was made up for this book.)

Anonymous wrote:Is tommorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow a romance? The blurb makes it sound like it’s about a “not like other romances” romance from the beginning as childhood friends and how they navigate career success.

No, I wouldn’t call it a romance. Guessing that was just an over-eager marketing person’s effort to expand the audience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Guncle. I loved it, but it’s certainly not woman-centered.

Why does it have to be woman centered? No other books are allowed?

Ummm … did you bother to read the very first post that started this thread? See page 1 or below:

Anonymous



I'm in a reading rut - too many light-weight thrillers lately - and could use some new ideas!

I typically like literary fiction, but the more accessible kind that crosses over into popular fiction (think Ann Patchett, Jennifer Egan, Dave Eggars, Mohsin Hamid).

I've also had good luck these past few years with women-centered novels that go a bit deeper (as opposed to the current glut of thrillers with "Girl," "Woman" and "Wife" in the titles . . . . ) For example, I really liked The Vanishing Half, This Is How It Always Is, Black Cake, The Power, and Such a Fun Age.

Thanks!