“Shorefall” hardly takes a single breath from “Foundaryside”. The story of Sancia, Gregor, Orso, etc continues to be exciting and fast paced. “Locklands” is next and I am certain that it doesn‘t take a breath either.

Generally fun little YA book that was a decent listen while walking the dog.

Per the usual for Everett, this book is amazing. It is so strange how he can make you laugh out loud about such difficult topics. This is one his earlier titles and it seems readymade for a movie adaptation; it is sprawling and the characters are always on the move. However, Dirt Marder might be a tough pill to swallow for many. I suppose that is why it hasn‘t made it to the screen.

I loved “More Perfect”. The characters are complicated and so are their motivations. There are real stakes and costs. The technology is both frightening and exhilarating. Just a great read.

Decent ideas, corny writing. The writing about computers is downright painful. I read this one for my book club.

This book is in my top 5 non-fiction books of all time. It is manages to be both very expansive and compact at the same time. It tells the big picture of pathogens and their effects on human history going all the way back to Homo sapiens tenuously coexisting with Neanderthals. Tuchmans “A Distant Mirror” is also in my top 5 and is a great companion piece for this book; its focus is much tighter: The Black Death. “Pathogenesis” is truly remarkable.

What a lovely read “Babel” is! It is a fantastic vehicle for discussing colonialism, racism, misogyny, and inequality. Kuang is so thoughtful about her characters and the story. Couldn‘t recommend it enough 😊

This was another reread for my book club. I loved it as much as the first time. I also found some more to the story than before. Such an amazing book

This book is a history of witchcraft trails over the last 450 years. It contains lots of contemporary material and connections as well. Not surprisingly, whether 1600s or 2000s, witchcraft accusations are rooted in misogyny, control, hatred, and abhorrence of those in poverty.

“Foundryside” is fast-paced and exciting to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I‘ve ordered “Shorefall” 😊

Another great road-trip audiobook listen 😊

I‘m still recovering from this one. I really enjoyed it, but it is wrenching. Great book 👍

This is a great road-trip audiobook! Silly enough to make you laugh and wild enough to keep your attention 😊

I loved Trees! It amazes me how Everett can tackle such a topic while maintaining a level of humor. Also, the chapter that is told from Trump‘s perspective is pure gold 😊

This was the third book I‘ve read from Percival Everett. I loved it so much! I was a little sad when I finished. I love reimagining old and cherished stories and James does not disappoint.

This book is great. It is not a list of animals considered to be pests. It is about how humans create pests through definition, expectations, inaction, and carelessness. That perspective showed up almost on the first page and the author takes her time making her case.

Where do I start with Leslie Jones‘ memoir? Well, first, I really loved it. Second, it is by far the most emotional memoir I‘ve ever read. Leslie reads the audio book and she cries numerous times. Third, it is hilarious, which I very much expected 🙂 Honestly, it is a thoroughly entertaining audio experience.

This is one of those book club books that represent the reason i joined: I wouldn‘t have picked it. Yet, it really sucked me in! Wow…just lots of fun 🙂

This made for delightful listening while walking my dog over the last 8-9 days. Enjoyed learning about Stewart‘s young life and career. Overall, it was a fun listen 🙂

This is a reread since it was selected by my book club. As before, a decade ago, I really enjoyed it. I love the concepts that it plays with. Also, after 10 more years, it brought up a whole set of novel thoughts (for me). Glad I reread it 🙂

This fun little graphic novel is a great explainer for the brain 🙂

Overall, I enjoyed this reimagining of the story of Jezebel from her perspective. At times, however, it felt a little flat and one note.

This graphic novel was blast 🙂 I really enjoyed the artwork.

This book is one part sci-fi, one part love story, and one part mystery and I am here for it! It was blast to read 🎉

This is another book club choice. It‘s a quick, fun read 🙂

This was another book club choice. I ended up liking the story of Herr Drosselmeyer. At least, the next time I see the Nutcracker Suite, I will have an origin story to noodle over 🙂

This is the second in the “Songs of Penelope” series (the first was “Ithaca”). This story of Penelope jousting with Meneleus is suspenseful and fun. I loved the portrayals of Helen and Aphrodite 🙂 I am ready for the “The Last Song of Penelope” this summer. Contra the Odyssey, I was hoping that Odysseus would stay trapped for longer. Not ready for him to get home yet.

This is my second Percival Everett in as many weeks. I‘ve loved them both. I can‘t wait to see American Fiction. Jeffrey Wright is perfectly cast 🙂

I really enjoyed “Dr. No”. The characters are fun and the way that Everett plays with language just adds another level. Honestly, he seems to be a bit of a polymath.

Read this one for my book club. I‘m not a fan. The dialogue couldn‘t have been more clunky and the secondary story is just straight weird.

2024

Another fun Rothfuss novella, but not the third book of the Kingkiller Chronicle 🙂

I‘m always a little sad when I finish another Murderbot iteration. They‘re so good and I just want to keep going 🙂

Read this one for my SciFi book club. It was okay. I enjoyed the ending but I had trouble getting sucked in.

I really loved this book. In particular, I liked that no creature or perspective is to small or undeserving. Just a very different and interesting read. 👍

The normalized, widespread, and systematic murder of the Osage for their oil rights by a significant proportion of the white community of Osage County, Oklahoma is yet another awful chapter in American history. This book is chilling and well-written. I hope the movie captures the dread.

The consequences of modern society‘s ability to obscure important truths, profit off of that obscurity, and ignore large segments of the population are folks like Naomi Wolf, Steve Bannon, and Donald Trump.

Scary how much of this book remains powerful and relevant….

Like all of Scalzi‘s books, this one is laugh out loud funny and a joy to read! It‘s also another parody in the vein of another one of his books, “Redshirts.” Great read! Give it a read!

I really loved this follow up to “Mickey 7”! Still enjoyed Mickey, Nasha, Berto, and the other characters. The story was fun with no lag. Just a great read 🙂

This book is a ton of fun! I loved Kai, Ziede, Bashasa, and bunch of the other characters. I‘m just going to assume this will be the first book of a series 🙂

There is a lot to like in this book; the concept, for example. It reminded me of “The Power”, but different and interesting. However, the characters seemed too saccharine, at times, and I found that frustrating.

I loved this book. I enjoyed all of the point of view characters. I loved the fight scenes. There were many times that I didn‘t want to put the book down, but had to for work (boooooo). I‘m definitely ready to read book 2: “The Art of Destiny” 🙂

Similar to “Circe” and “Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller, “Ariadne” elevates characters largely ignored by Greek mythology and tells their stories. I really loved this book and am excited to read more by Jennifer Saint (including “Electra”, which I need to get my hands on).

This is a book of short stories, but all in the same vicinity. I really enjoyed almost all of them, especially the last one where the protagonist is a lion 😊

Ehrman writes about the Problem of Evil and how Christians have attempted to “square the circle” the millennia. I love a good dilemma and this is a classic. Multiple horns and lots of consequences; according to Ehrman, too many facile responses to a very deep philosophical conundrum.

I enjoyed the rhythm and pace of this book. I enjoyed the characters and the themes. It was an all around fun read!

( Da Vinci Code + One Flew Over the Cuckoo‘s Nest ) * nonfiction = This book 🤷‍♀️

I wouldn‘t say that enjoyed the entire book. Yet, at some point, the story changes and becomes much more interesting. Overall, I‘d say Roth‘s female characters are paper thin, but he can definitely write parents with expectations 🙂

This is a fun read about frequencies in general. As the title suggests, it is largely focused on human hearing.

This is a wonderful book about love, loss, and family trauma. I love the chapters written from the perspective of a particular fig tree 🙂