a great book that grapples with suffering and the silence of god…

i didn‘t love the martian, to technical. but this one has a great story and heart. definitely worth a read!

great ending to the bear town trilogy. such a honest take on the nature of our souls which create the relationships and eventually the towns we live in.

maybe my top read of the 2022. if you don‘t think the system is rigged for the mega rich - you will after you read this book. makes you realize you can‘t trust the fda, the justice system and drug manufacturers. unchecked capitalism is destructive. extremely well written.

stephen king is a legend…he is a national treasure. go read this book! it is not just the fantastical worlds he creates but instead how he grounds his characters in their humanness…and creates an emotional landscape. so good.

i am part of a book of the month club and they are always sending interesting new books. maybe their books are more literature than my typical fare…but they are always engaging and challenging. the bloater is no exception. a look inside boredom, relationships and our own internal conflicts.

As a stand alone book i am unsure of how much i would recommend. as part of the two part series - i highly recommend. i loved the olive series so much and this was not that…so took a bit to adjust.

really good. my first read that was set during the pandemic. taken together these two books shine - but the first book in the series is not as enjoyable as this one is. lots of thoughtful concepts are explored. highly recommend!

i love libraries and this book shows the power and community in libraries during the darkest hours of war. great and easy read. the use of the two time periods was an interesting twist but glad the author spent more time in the 30/40s in paris.

i live in arizona making this book even more special. so well done. the mix of art/illustrations and text is beautiful. if you don‘t know much about the challenges faced by native americans and the tension created between poor rural communities and the mining industry. this is a great primer. as a country our lack of respect for native ways, culture and religion is heart breaking.

started out strong but the story never got going or fully captured me. i know it was supposed to be a story about new york and the social classes…which was interesting but never connected deeply enough with any of the characters after the opening 3rd. not nearly as good as the follow up of lincoln highway.

good stuff…

the fact that we still find ourselves facing the mass delusion (or fall for the propaganda) that America is somehow set aside as special…a beacon of some christian ethic…amazes me. when faced with the reality of our past…we continue to prefer false histories and diseased patriotism over a true accounting of our crimes. this book reveales that at root of it…we are no different than those countries we demonize. read this!

very short read…more like a collection of feelings or meditations…themes of loneliness, family trauma and the rhythms of life. enjoyable. my only critique is that maybe is was too one note. i wanted to uncover more of the narrators inner world.

great characters. i love billy especially! each character is brought to life so well and so uniquely. kept me interested. want to check out his other works.

the hits keeps coming

Short and easy read. interesting history that i was not aware of around bombing technology and competing visions of war.

haunting. peaceful and dreamlike. great writing.

so freaking good. where has this series been all my life!

the second book is also great!

great start to a great series. can‘t believe i hadn‘t heard of this series before…

big Stephen King fan. liked this collection of short stories. love that he came back to holly and that story line. got this book from the library and it reminded me how much i love libraries. libraries are a small example of the best we can be as a society.

she is one of my favorite authors and captures what it might be like to be a woman growing up in southern italy. great themes around finding your own way…family…the myth of our parents and more.

this book is a great reminder about the possibility of life all around us…and the ways regrets can trap us in a type of prison. a really great concept, well executed. for me personally - great reminder to try to be more present in my own life. we have this one life and infinite possibilities await while we still draw breath. highly recommend this book.

maybe i just don‘t love short stories because i want to know more…what happens next. these stories are very well writtten but all are melancholy…as life can be.

wow. such a creative and well written book. couldn‘t put it down…made me a bit sad…wrestles with big concepts without ever being preachy. highly, highly recommended. i am already planning a reread.

second read and first read after the epic film. i enjoyed it. the character of paul is a bit annoying - a bit too perfect etc. but overall great read

makes you feel you are listening in on an italian family…great characters.

"Happiness,” he said, "always seems nothing. It is like water; one only realizes it when it has run away."

what a true idea…

i loved her when i first read the roundhouse…i loved night watchmen and the sentence is very enjoyable. maybe not at the same level as those other two…but still.

so good. great characters. unfortunately the backdrop of indian termination is true. loved thomas and pixie.

great read. themes about who our family is…forgiveness and well intentions gone wrong.

super creative. loved it. i think mosquitoes are the actual dominate species on our planet

great small novel. mixing several stories into a single moment. bending reality. very good.

not bad. kept me interested until the end.

Would be a great movie. Tackles so many interesting themes about technology, information and isolation. great and really well written!