By turns this book is a historical thriller, backwoods gothic horror, murder mystery noir, romance and who knows what else laid in front of the forest backdrop true to the book‘s title. A captivating story. The various plot threads woven so well make this a very fun, fun read.

There might be some repetition in Duras‘ book, but I saw it like choruses to a song. As for the rest, it was beautifully written- cinematic as images and movement and silences hang together in something somehow greater than the parts plays out offscreen. Something that Duras plays out in your heart.

The first 40 pages drag, but are ultimately necessary in setting up this harrowing and gripping story. A page turner that discusses the human condition under desperate circumstances while also having the subtle thread of empire privilege and hubris as a fault. The last lines sum these ideas up very satisfactorily: “Nothing else remains of the ferocious struggle that once took place there, or of the ravaging dreams of empires.”

Empires preserve their power with the stories that they tell, but just as critical are the stories they don‘t- the dark silences they impose, the pages they tear out.

“The authors rarely depicted themselves or their companions as the agents of an imperialist system. They were consumed by their daily struggles and ambitions… it is precisely such unthinking complicity that allows empires to endure. Indeed, these imperial structures require it: thousands and thousands of ordinary people, innocent or not serving… a system many of them rarely question.”

It‘s a clever book swaying under the mentorship of Lady Atwood. I really enjoyed the characters but am not sure women would, as they do in the end here, fall into the “power” trap that is associated with “toxic” masculinity… but looking into the opposite mirror was all the fun of this book, and chillingly well done.

20% in and this reads like butter… the role reversal is on point with the world‘s increasing masculinity- love how alderman leans into events taking them to the furthest, rather than backing down for reader comfort.

This is a bit like the third Star Wars movie (#6 in the new canon): slightly disappointing for the diehard fan in me; it feeling a tad formulaic. There is however enough to motivate me to continue to have the stories wash over me- #4 is in the cue.

A tragic and heartwarming book that goes to the heart of human identity and the twist love (can it be called that when wrapped in privilege) blinded by sorrow can take. Felt all too close to the bone.

A funny book whose satire is true to today in so many ways- how Kurt is still relevant after some 40-50 years is the genius behind his words.

A beautifully crafted book. Writer Peter Carey‘s playbook in many ways and it was through an interview with him mentioning the book that I discovered this truly incredible family story.

Definitely deep in the poetic stream. This does not always lend itself to the full story as I might have chosen to structure this differently- reserving the imagistic for the Vietnam segment so beautifully juxtaposed with the father‘s decline. Ultimately this is a beautiful story of love, family bonds, and events that shape us.

This is Hunger Games on steroids- and, huh, it was published before… seems very much like… huh. That said super fun read with built in action from pretty much the beginning. Nice.

This has a lot of everything I like- it even gets me with the mushy bits- who knew I was waiting for something so spy/betrayal/intrigue/time-travelly?!? Well I was and I loved it. Five stars past, present, and future!

Beautifully poetic, but suffers from it also at times if you plan for a straightforward narrative. Of course this is about time travel, so the unwieldy structure fits and gives the reader a more impressionistic pallet from which the story bubbles up. Should come with a user recommendation to “best read in one sitting” to thoroughly enjoy.

Like a Wilco song this just washed over me in the best of ways. I‘m not at the point of writing a song, but could relate his feelings and ideas to my other creative practices! And he is so right when he says every one of us should experience creating something.

A tough read on the 5th of November. A masterful tale in a contemporary apocalypse of neglect, abandonment, industrial consumption, and narcotic. Devastating at points of course, but stepping up to be the definition of optimism and resilience.

Yeah liked it ok- my super “compact” format did not do it justice- my eyes are not good enough for this DC!

Fantastic classic- not sure if I could teach this one- the complexity out shines 1984, though it is a shorter book. Also incredible, like 1984, is how relevant it still is to our world today (though there are some references that are racially dated… of course here they play into the narrative). I ask myself, are these great Sci-Fi works presages of what is to come, or do they impact society so that we grow into their models of worlds?

Good but a bit of a slog in the mid-bits. Story comes together too slowly and could have used some character revision between world building interactions. Suffers from YAL repetition to nail down the point. That said, I‘ll move to read the rest of the trilogy because all the reviews say good gets better.

This was a good read with the current US prison system, our use of its resources (inmates), the train wreck of reality TV, and our society‘s willingness to rubber-neck enough to slowdown but so rarely stop, all rolled together. Love when speculative fiction rubs up against contemporary politics… put this next to Handmaid‘s Tale and wait until November.

This was a good read with the current US prison system, our use of its resources (inmates), the train wreck of reality TV, and our society‘s willingness to rubber-neck enough to slowdown but so rarely stop, all rolled together. Love when speculative fiction rubs up against contemporary politics… put this next to Handmaid‘s Tale and wait until November.

I feel I should have been able to finish this sooner, it is terrifically written, but somehow the second half drags in the memoir section. There is a thrilling element, but somehow does not remain sustained and the final reveal feels… like I wanted more

A great book with satisfying turns, other worldly tensions in an odd companion piece to “The Famished Road” I read earlier in the season. Deserving of its Booker listing, opening me as a reader to a (Sri Lankan) history and culture and atrocities which I‘d only vaguely been aware of happening.

It is not Good vs. Evil out here. It is varying degrees of bad, squabbling with conglomerates of the wicked.

This one lives up to the hype! Shelve next to the MadAdam series, Station 11 and, maybe further down the shelf you‘ll find Total Recall and/or Birnam Wood. Stick with it well worth the read- Great book!

On the cobbles of the library returning the book…
A good true to form YA mystery. Lots of twisty turny (just a tad unbelievable in an after school special sort of way) plot maneuvers to keep me engaged- biggest problem is that it‘s not a stand alone.

If there was ever a novel of a comic book this is it. A WOKE summer read that is light enough to carry the deeper and profound parts, making it all a worthy adventure! I‘m in for part two as soon as I can find a used copy 😊

This is maybe the best yet and I can only hope there is more! Great scenes and new characters and some old threads all driving this plot forward for pure entertainment.

This is a thicket of brambles as a a book- the writing is so dense with description. Okri weaves between dream and waking; between the spirit world and that of the living, where the two bleed into one another so seamlessly that it oftentimes left me reeling. Strong stuff!

This is really 4 1/2 ⭐️. The journey is engaging and heartfelt, but at times I felt I didn‘t need the familial parallel story… at times it felt too intimate. That said there is no denying this is an important book, research, person in our global fight with climate disruption. And this woman has answers- will the policy makers please, please listen and make the change!!

To paraphrase Jason Reynolds‘ quote on the cover of the book “This is a necessary story. One that makes the world a better place for it being told.” Another good YA pick and a fast read too!

Well this brought on the tears! And while I feel there was a lot going on, sometimes too much, author Callender does a terrific job of making the various plot ideas work together. Good YA material.

This “memoir” of the Vietnam war feels like source material for so much that I‘ve seen concerning that conflict. The book is, however, incredibly poignant as it describes the moronic military leadership having ideas of war defined by outmoded memories of glory and courage. A soldier‘s POV without any deep analysis of the politics, shows war‘s absurdity and plodding futility.

Super fun and levels of complexity adding to layers of world building. The story does wander a whole bunch and sometimes skips past other possibilities, but this is the nature of “ever expanding” universes. Opening for more in the future almost seems to be in Taylor‘s storytelling DNA. Promising, I hope, more fun to come!

Not super bad but not super good either. Did enjoy the esoteric bits… sometimes. This smells of late sixties disaffected James Bond type of stuff with LSD thrown in to be the difference maker- shaken not stirred- waking up the morning after to realize the wild ride was better on TV. Watch the show sooo much better.

This is a lovely book- maybe not as hard hitting as her previous offerings, but suitably SciFi as reality gets twisted and intelligences vie for status. Leckie spends much time universe building and as always does a great job. However, for all the intricacies of interstellar race/gender relations and inherent duty verses personal freedom that Leckie infuses in this universe, at the heart of her story is a simple romance. Lovely.

I really enjoyed the meandering thoughts laid upon the thin thread of a “end goal race” plot. Murakami‘s fiction always touch on something profound, this does likewise but in an oddly lighter way. It left me refreshed and invigorated from all the thinking (no running necessary).

I really love where this goes (bit campy sometimes but…) taking on questions of immortality, stewardship, colonialism, and extinction/extermination. Some might feel it is too light on some of these tough subjects, but taking it for what it is, it allowed my mind to play and wander. Really liked this! What a good listen!

Can‘t believe I hadn‘t read this ever- certainly extended moments of brilliance and far more profound than I had expected. Be warned this is not like either movie- but more of a third very good option. The PKD fan within is sated.

This is a terrifically fast read. Van Camp‘s writing is direct and uncomplicated but rich all at the same time. These stories range from those that feel highly personal to others that should be optioned by Netflix if they aren‘t already. Needless to say with this type of range there is really something for everyone, and hardly just to be regulated to the YA category.

This a simple story that is stuffed full of Faulknerism which is not necessarily every person‘s cup of tea. Written in a stream of consciousness style with circular imagery, opaque idiomatic references, and a profound understanding of a bygone South and people, this book somehow positions the reader as the intruder and leaves us in the dust. Thoroughly enjoyable if you are OK with bowing to Faulkner‘s world.

I felt like I‘d read this book before… but it is a love story through and through, and I‘m a sucker for those. It is a story of the love of lovers, a love of adventure and belonging as well as the love that drives some to believe in something bigger even if bigger swallows you and crushes you, and finally love for family, especially that of a mother and son.

Meh… 2 1/2 stars for this trope laden over produced and over played who-done-it. I do like the old radio play type of feel though. That was worth it if you could get beyond the ham acting.

Bit of a meander through times spent with the album. More impressionistic than fact based, which was a pleasant surprise. The writing actually mimics the source material of Wowee Zowee in its free form feel and at times stream of consciousness construction. Good for fans, not so for the novice.

My friend wrote this book so this review is full of bias- sorry. There‘s suspense and suspicion at every turn as a scorcher of a tale unfolds. While there are evident tropes, Abagail is a heroine worth a thousand men, and Penning takes nothing away from her. He is also generous with the “creepy”! There are moments where you‘re saying he wouldn‘t, then you say “he can‘t!?!”- but then he does! And Penning does horror very nicely.

There is a lot going for this story; a foundation in the effects of colonialism, the abuses of privilege, and micro aggressions give the story its driving force and make it worth the read. Unfortunately, there is a nagging feeling that Kuang had a historical novel researched, a handful of YA characters hanging about, which she decided to drive around using a literary vehicle powered by magical silver. Question: why not let reality take the wheel?

Inhabiting the same realm as “Never let me Go”, tensions are created through the interpretation of events and world by what amounts to being an unreliable narrator. Ishiguro surprises at every turn; adhering faithfully to the naive thinking of the main character. My only criticism is that the background world is too sketched; Ishiguro forgets we are visitors and, unlike his characters, not born to the events of the setting. Still, a fine👇🏻

Multiple Miss Marples with updated twists- nothing too heavy and having some excellent “social justice throw away lines” without being preoccupied by this- keeping pace and murder at the forefront like any good mystery should.

Truly Carey‘s masterpiece, even years later reading it for the second time. A world where nothing is real, every character and every event is a deception, a misdirection, a hoax and/or a joke, a beautiful world of words with deadly consequences. This has a modern resonance, though it was written before fake news and liars as politicos were really a thing, it‘s still relevant as a testament to truth. Carey makes you believe that words matter.