Started reading this one and I love the style of this first person narrative. I‘m 7 chapters in and the whole thing is thought provoking. Where have I been in science fiction land to have missed Octavia Butler? I only heard about her when she died but never read her works until now. And boy is this a doozy. Her thoughts and ideas on religion are truly unique and giving the narrative to a YA teenager makes it innocent and compelling.

I liked this. Although I am not 100% certain that everyone in the vignettes was a card carrying sociopath. Stout does identify a few earmark characteristics that appear to be on the radar of many sociopaths. In all this was a very good read and her attempt to define and discuss conscience was very informative. A few psychologists have deemed the book to be pop culture alarmism and I can see why, however Stout has some very good points.

After reading The Vegan, I decided to try one of Lipstein‘s earlier works. Told in the first person, the book is at times tedious with a thoroughly self absorbed narrator. There are a lot of inside baseball tidbits about the publishing world, which I found interesting. But the narrator is annoying, almost bordering on sociopathic at times to get his point across. The indecent premise of the book hooks you from the beginning

Reading Lipstein‘s current offering. One word - Weird. Will let you know more later. So far it reminds me of Doris Lessing‘s The Notebook in its uncanny attention to detail and clinical derision of the upper 1% of society, of which the protagonist is also a part of and wants to be cherished and adorned by. The correlation between success, guilt and going vegan is insanely obtuse. Half way through it and it‘s still pretty interesting.

I really enjoyed this book. It‘s told in two parts, with the first being the most exciting. There is so much here and Ilyon Woo makes it possible for the reader to feel just how difficult it was to escape captivity. She also reveals the peculiar secrets of many popular politicians and Presidents and introduces us to writers and artists of the time while also revealing the jealousy and infighting among the anti slavery protesters. Great read.

Awad is a great writer but Bunny goes to a place where reality & fantasy are so intertwined that it becomes difficult to sort it all out. I thought the big reveal would be that all are in an insane asylum but alas, no. Instead we are expected to drop our concept of reality & just go with it. Specks of Tart‘s A Secret History, Pinborough‘s Behind Her Eyes & Michaelides‘The Maidens are here but just not as rewarding as these classics.

Only one word review so that I don‘t give anything away:
WHOA !!!!!

Just an unbelievable book. Backman is an absolute genius. There are so many controversies in this book that are dealt with head on and in a manner that is not glossed over.
It deals with a town‘s acceptance of group think and it‘s complicity in purging individuality. It poses the question of how far would you go to win and/or to fit in? Support a crime? Blame the victim? It is a fitting read after finishing A Man named Ove. Pure genius.

Listening to the book with Tom Hanks narrating. I‘m half way through. First part was a little confusing with the time jumps but it‘s coming together nicely. It took a death for the story to pick up, but it‘s become more coherent since that happened. Hanks is of course brilliant.

Am I missing something here, but why is Hemingway heralded as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century? I borrowed this book based upon an interview with Johnny Depp, whom I now question, not only because of his court case, but because this book is just awful. Hemingway‘s use of the “N” word in particular was not only unnecessary but showed an absolute disregard for certain people. As for the writing? Again why is he heralded?

Currently reading, based upon the numerous recommendations from friends, Reddit and Litsy. So far, this is really extraordinary writing. It harkens back to Amor Towles in some aspects with the research obviously being put to good use and the concentration on character development.

Wow! The best book I‘ve read this year. Ove is an anachronistic middle aged widow who has a heart of gold but you wouldn‘t know it. He takes nonsense from no one and expects excellence from everyone. There are so many life lessons in this work of fiction that it has to be one of the best books of the decade. Backman uses a very small geographic area to tell this epic story, relying more on deep character development and it works.

Currently reading. Wow, first few chapters are brilliant.

I listened to the audiobook of this while on a long drive. Unfortunately the dialog seemed really forced; the characters were somewhat confusing and in the end, there was so much procrastination about the true intent of the characters, with no subplot, that I just didn‘t care. The ending was somewhat unrealistic and I‘m not really certain if the original offenders ever got what they deserved. This was a brand new release at my library last month.

It‘s been slim pickings for summer reading. I‘ve either stopped reading or panned the last 3 books that I‘ve read. However redemption has been found in Taylor‘s follow up to An Irish Country Doctor. It‘s a real treat for the summer. I‘m four chapters in and I may just pick up the entire series. It‘s that good. Full review to follow.

I read this last November. I really liked the way in which Michaelides refers to the doctor in his previous book. Subtle, but nice. This novel is somewhat formulaic but it is a good read. I remember not putting it down and reading it in a weekend. I won‘t give anything away but it‘s about a secret society. That‘s all. If there‘s a negative it would be the depiction of women is borderline misogynistic. Otherwise a good summer novel.

From a not so routine traffic stop of a woman, Gladwell explores the intricacies of so called routine traffic stops for certain people. He delves into the reasons why certain people fear for their lives. He uses data to explain why what we think is not what is really happening. And why so called routine traffic stops may not be so routine.

I got into a reading frenzy before bedtime for the last few months but summer reading choices have not been good. But this novel, which I reread this year is absolutely amazing. Steinbeck creates incredibly rich characters, making the book almost impossible to put down. I really recommend this, especially if you‘re rereading this. As an adult it is just so much better.

Fiona Hill is mesmerizing. Her background and rise to the top makes compelling reading. What she has had to endure from a society compelled to perpetuate social norms is amazing. From accents to race, from colorism to class, Ms Hill openly talks about the struggles she and fellow acolytes face. She is also realistic about the opportunities that were open for her and not others. And finally she is open about her time in the White House. Great book.

Never visited a book three times but this one I had to in order to finish it. I didn‘t like it. I hated the writing style and the violence almost seemed gratuitous. I couldn‘t keep track of the characters and for the life of me I couldn‘t tell you what the plot is. This may be the last time I read a book based upon friends telling me it‘s a must read and it‘s a classic.

I read this based upon recs & the International Booker prize.It is a compelling book with an interesting look into psychosis, PTSD & anorexia. It is a deep look into a dysfunctional family & obvious social inequalities. But there are issues. First there are no decent male characters. The concept of veganism appears to be born out of self trauma and unrealistic. The misogyny is over the top excessive. Not being mean, but it‘s a little over rated.

After you get through the first few chapters of classic Greek and Latin, this book picks up with amazing writing and character development. I literally had difficulty putting this book down. And don‘t get me wrong. I literally hated every single character in this book! Yet I found Tartt‘s writing style so engaging that i pictured the town, the campus and dorms that she details. I will give nothing away, But it is a classic & deservedly so.

One of the best books of the year for me. The book focuses on twin sisters who witness a terrible act and decide to leave their southern town. Eventually one of them decides to be someone else, casting an eternal ode to Jim Crow and passé blanc colorism. This book is an eye opener. It challenges the reader to see things from both sides. It exposes the true brunt of racism, sexism and even homophobia. The book is brilliant.

#Currently_Reading. Wow very difficult to imagine the evil of Colorism and how it affects the current day culture. So honest in its appraisal. 1/4 of the way through.

Again I will put myself out there and say James McBride may be the Hemingway/Baldwin/Salinger of our time. This is Not Deacon King Kong, which just goes to show the depth of his writing. It is an autobiographical tribute to his Jewish Mother and all the abuse that she received from, well just about everyone. It‘s about her resilience and her ability to triumph. If you don‘t cry by the end of this then you should take a one way trip to Mars.

Silicon Valley from a female and liberal arts perspective. Well written and a condemnation of bro culture. There are a few negatives though. She appears to be drawn to the negative side of Silicon Valley despite despising it. This becomes somewhat confusing as she berates herself and others at the same time. I do however like her revelations and the thought process.I also like the fact that the book is written from a liberal arts perspective

One word: Wow! There were times when I wanted to stop reading this, mainly because of the “tell” but not “show” issues and the introduction of several cliched characters. But as I read on it became readily apparent that the conversations are an integral part to the story telling. The characters are complex and the village created in the mind is so rich in its history it becomes difficult to separate fact from fiction. This is a masterpiece.

Probably the first time I‘ve actually read a book in almost one sitting. This is a compelling and spellbinding account of one woman, whom after enduring tragedy, struggles to escape to the US with her son. I was gripped from the first page. Although there is a lot of controversy about the author and the book itself, I think that reading it without knowing the controversy will lead you to one conclusion Cummins is a great storyteller.

Fictional generational tale but not as good as Marquez‘s Hundred Years of Solitude. Gaudé fails to develop characters long enough for the reader to care. There is some continuity in having the sister pop up from time to time to tie things together, but really the most interesting chapter is the last one where there is a solid reflection on the meaning of life. But you have to go through many characters to get there. It‘s a good short read.

I would like to tell you what a great sequel this book was to the first book, “Crazy Rich Asians” which I believe is a masterpiece. But I cannot. I cannot get past chapter four. I‘ve tried three times and the book is just not good. It‘s as if Kwan tries to stun us again with the opulence that was displayed in book one. But this book repeats the opulence kick that it becomes nauseating. I had no feel for any of the characters. Sorry.

I read this last month due to the strong recommendations from friends. Interesting premise to begin with which shows up early in the book. What makes it interesting though is the deep interconnection of feelings, unspoken class rift and guilt that permeates the book. Sprinkle it with the narrator‘s flawed love for an abuser and unexpected attachment issues and you have a recipe for how desperate one can become to be accepted. Recommended.

Detailed at first, but by about page 100 there was no putting the book down. I became engaged in the flawed protagonist.

Although there are one too many name changes creating confusion; and a few belief defying police stops, Lutz manages to tie everything together in the end. The gotcha moment at the end was predictable but the story ends with a relatively satisfying conclusion. The author succeeded in keeping me engaged. I do recommend it.

All scientists and environmentalists should read this! As a male I am appalled at how we have treated women in Science. This book is a true testament to the difficulties that still persist in taking women and minorities seriously. The work done by Dr Jahren is priceless. The book also sheds light on the ridiculously low wages garnered by lab techs. It‘s a call for change! You will never look at a tree the same way again after you read this.

A very good read. In the end, despite his flaws which are well displayed in this book, Musk remains one of the all time greatest innovators of our time. The book is an insight into this. Well written and well researched.

Not sure what I was expecting but I think I got more than I bargained for. The early parts of the book seemed to drag on, possibly because I could not relate to it. But later I loved the “inside baseball” reveal and the witty and sarcastic insights on life, chauvinism, theater and the movie industry. There is a near meandering quality that sometimes makes you feel that you are in on a manic session. That‘s a plus and a minus. Overall I liked it.

Absolutely spellbinding. I held on to the end and was pleasantly surprised. The ending is an absolute stunner !!!

Difficult read for the first hundred pages. It takes a while to figure out why the main character traversed time, space, credulity and more. The book is about the madness of war and the madness of Billy, the main character. But it makes sense if you can continue past the first few pages. It‘s a tough recommendation but I‘m trying to get into the Beat authors and getting used to the stream of consciousness style. Challenging but rewarding.

Michael Lewis is such a detail genie. A great read on two of the greatest psychologists of our time. A must read!!!

One of the best books I have ever read. The detail is extraordinary and the questions that this book poses have still not been answered. If you are in the biological sciences this is a must read.