What a strange novel. The ending was ambiguous, but the bulk was about real people navigating life, and what happens when you only listen. The evangelical community was challenging and hypocritical and a good mirror to Pew

Love this! Really cleaver stories. Some heartbreaking some heartwarming. I want to read more

This is such a detailed and nuanced description of a time that was not generous or kind to women in its mythology. Pat Barker is great

Took some time to get used to the language, but then it was a lucid honest portrayal of neurodivergence in a time when not much knowledge or support was available

This was lovely. Honest and raw and beautiful. A real poignant look at being a child of immigrants. Humble stories made fascinating by deft words and pictures

I‘m not sure. Well written. But the two main characters made me uncomfortable in different ways. On one hand, Brooke is so right - no one deserves such wealth. But her discontent with life warrants therapy, not destroying her main relationships. It seemed a bit immature? And Archer‘s bluster and fake concern was gross, as were his swanning sycophants. I think this is probably accurate, I just didn‘t want to be in it

This was awful. The main character is mean and annoying and self indulgent with no redeeming arc. Her mother is horrible, but she has such potential with her sister, who she is as likely to destroy as to support

Oh wow. Modern retelling of the Little Matchstick girl. Very sad. The power of love from unknown sources and the love of sisters.

So so strange. Took me a minute to get into it. He often is using an everyday device or scene to describe something else, lending irony and humour. Would recommend

Loved! Rereading, and it was exciting as the first time. Such a lovely human - and a reminder to savour the joy

This was great! Aside from complex queer characters, the depiction of fat bodies was right. Recommendation!

Loved! Sparse writing, but says so much and paints a vivid picture. Despite the sadness and horror, I am left feeling optimistic about this family

Some stories/essays were better than others. Her willingness to be vulnerable and honest was lovely and validating. Would recommend. The vulnerability of her ED, childhood of immigrants, queer journey was so interesting

This was lovely. The male character is very annoying at times, endearing at times though. His heartbreak feels real. What got this book for me was the end - the narrative from the female character was so relatable and real. Loved her :)

This is had a high bar from reviews, but it didn‘t live up to that. I found the main character in need of therapy, for obvious reasons, but then never seeming to actually address her problems. She couldn‘t communicate. And the resolution with her sister happened in an anticlimactic way.

This ended well, but throughout much of the book I found the protagonist annoying. She had a very singular focus, but was capable of regret about abandoning her friends. Liked, but expected more

So good! I love this series! Juliette Tilney is amazing and neurodivergent Jonathan is so great. More!

Most of the essays I enjoyed. Those that didn‘t dealt with books or people I didn‘t know much about. Some essays were really funny. Made me want to read and reread more

This was exciting and pacy and gender bending and queer. Well done

What a page turner! Really heartbreaking, but redemptive in the end. Well described characters

Beautiful. There are very heavy topics: ED and self harm. But she deals with love and loss and grief of a mother very deftly.

Beautiful, tense novel. Compassion and kindness from unexpected places

Loved! Such a good romance story! Great combo of intrigue and history and love and drama. The true historical elements were fascinating.

She‘s back! Loved this book. Also, the lack of communication which is classic Sally Rooney didn‘t lead to the characters ruin, as it has in the past. The ending was happy :)

There was lots going on here - some of it good. But the characters were annoying at times, and the jumping around in time - some characters aged, some didn‘t. There was a lot of policy talk for a book focused largely on the environment. I also think that in 60 000 we will be a much different society

Not as good as his debut, but great! He has such a real voice, and spending time with Orvil and his family and ancestors was lovely. Sadness and happiness together

This was so subtle and beautiful. A look back at significant relationships in the narrators life

Amazing! Unclear what was reality and what was virtual reality, but it didn‘t matter. It was quirky and tender and interesting. Recommend and would like to read more

This book really challenged me in different ways of thinking. Lots of unlearning and relearning (and listening) to do. Benefited greatly from discussion in book club

Oh wow! Compact story that manages to do so much, unpacking a relationship with the backdrop of a quickly changing world. Shades of John Cheever

Not as good as Essex Serpent (but the cross overs were enjoyable). But she writes beautifully, and lovingly about her characters flaws. One reviewer was annoyed about the closeted main character, but I found it believable in a strictly religious small town in the 90s

This was great! Ordinary people captured honestly, with their fears and joys and grief. Cohesive collection, with themes of absent mothers, mothering, aging, and love lost

Some of these essays were beautiful, some less so. Overall the idea is nice, to write at friendship at first love. But she was actually trying to honour her cousin, which didn‘t really work as well in this style

A beautiful sad story of a man examining his life in a series of flashbacks and making peace with his demons. Really enjoyed the view of the second half of the 20th century Nevada culture

This was okay. Confused by the audience - felt like a YA book at times, but the subject matter was adult at times. The characters felt very juvenile

Beautiful and interesting story. Difficult to navigate at time - dense language. The ending is open - one suspects the worst, but if so, the players go out in a loving blaze of glory

Strange but moving stories. Apocalyptic beginnings with hopeful loving ending. Well edited

Amazing!! She is such an interesting writer. Her sex scenes are strange but real and hot. She also writes honestly about being peri menopausal. Will read again

This was challenging because of the similar place names, which the author references. But a cool story of pre-Hispanic Mexico. The city and its rulers and people are very lively drawn, as are the bumbling Spanish. Enjoyed it once I got into it

This books contained magic, but never enough to seem unbelievable, ie royalty, wealth, and the Church are in absolute control. But greed will get ya! Well researched about the Inquisition and its horrors.

Wonderful. Sparse sensitive writing. Historical fiction at its best makes the characters real and come alive. The protagonist learns about the trickery of strangers. I can see the straightforward ease of rural life, not for the work, but for the familiarity of the people

This was wild! Such a range of emotions - from respecting to empathizing with to disliking the wife. The twist at the end is interesting, but annoyingly typical that the man puts so much less effort into the “game” the two are playing

In her typical fashion, she creates greater understanding for the natural world, and rural people. The ecological teachings are at times a bit heavy handed, but the story moves along well, and characters are redeemed.

Wow. This was very good. Such a gentle and honest and heartbreaking telling. Related to the province and landscape. The thoughtful interrogation of male dominated work camps was excellent

This was great! Good as audiobook - the language, which is such a dynamic part of this novel, really shone this way. So interesting. No desire to read Huck Finn. James is such a well drawn, introspective character - could have spent so much more time with him.

This was strange, in usual Cusk fashion - meandering story with lots of interior thought and feeling, not tons of plot or dialogue. Some elements or narrative plots were better than others.

This was good. A serious of vignettes - like columns - told by one woman about her daily life. No real connection aside from the apartment building. Wise and enjoyable

Not how I expected. Soft graceful story of one man‘s simple life, with historical markers of the 20 century.

Stronger at the start than the end. Interesting mash up of different genres. Wasn‘t expecting the supernatural ghost elements, but it worked. The historical fiction was better than the now. Enjoyed it overall

This was fun for a book club. Lots to discuss. Almost like a rom com. Everything was very neat and perfect in the end, making much of the story pretty unbelievable, but it was engaging to read.