This one grabbed me from page one thanks to the very distinct voice and darkly hilarious exchanges. We witness Bunny spiraling into an abyss but all the while it‘s the humor that keeps it interesting. It‘s the first book out of the chute this year and I‘m relatively sure I found the novel of the year.

A book that you are more likely to admire than love; however, I find the writing exceptionally sharp and, at times, revelatory. Lerner has a true gift for language, but what I find most extraordinary is the overall meta conceit. We all know writers graft bits from their life to form a believable narrative, but this story illustrates the symbiotic relationship between fact and fiction more effectively than any book I‘ve read.

Had to put this one down. Sadly, the problem is it‘s neither fish nor fowl. I‘d hoped that it would be a noir, which is how it was billed; however, it aspires to be more pointed and as a result falls short in every regard.

A very fine read. Having been raised in NY during this period, it seemed to me a little inauthentic, but I forgave the author this small gripe. Loved the epic scope of what is ultimately a very small, intimate story. I kept feeling that there was something Dickensian about this story about the New York art world at the beginning of the 80s.

Wow, am I really the first to write about this insanely brave debut about the lives that are shattered by the lone gunman of a mass shooting? This novel deserves more attention. I read it close on the heels of How To Be Safe by Tom McAllister which touches on similar subject matter from a different perspective altogether. This one reads more like something out of DeLillo‘s catalog. One of the best of 2019, in my opinion.

Clearly not a book for everyone as it addresses the hot button subject of gun violence. And, despite what others have written, it is a satire and quite funny. It took a lot of guts to find humor in such an awful topic, so I tip my hat to McAllister for mostly pulling it off. No happy ending here, but how could there be given the subject matter?

I‘ve yet to be let down by a NYRB noir reissue. And this is by far my favorite of the lot. A great black-hearted story about obsessive love and how it ultimately curdles. Crafted in beautiful, spare clipped sentences, this novel will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final period.

Easily one of my top 10 favorite books which Huston made into one of my top 10 movies. To refer to it as a book about boxing is to sell it short. It‘s about intersecting lives and how we occupy space with people at one time and then head out along our path. It‘s about brilliant dreams and our drab realities. It‘s a quick, concentrated, satisfying read.

The book that started my obsession with BJF. Maybe not as side-splitting as A Mother‘s Kisses, but still quite hilarious in its own right. Up there with Gentleman‘s Agreement on the subject of bigotry and anti-Semitism. This is one I wish I could read again fresh.

To be fair, I put this one down before finishing. Just as I had put down several other Abbott books that had received positive notices. My conclusion is that I respect Abbott‘s taste, but find her prose dull and derivative.

It‘s been many years since I read this book, but it has remained a favorite. A rare funny piece of serious literature. Kennedy‘s Francis Fitzgibbons is essentially another Kennedy‘s Ignatius J Reilly. A comedy of manners without the manners.

I enjoyed this book. I think it goes off the rails and gets a bit to broad even for satire in the last third, but I will give Ms Kleeman‘s next book a read. She has a unique voice and is sometimes too funny for her own good, but I‘d recommend this book.

I enjoyed the first season of True Detective, so I thought I might enjoy the showrunner‘s noir that he wrote in advance of the HBO series. This is really really strong, bleak piece of hard boiled literature. Hope Nic doesn‘t abandon the form in favor of Hollywood.

I‘d read Flamethrowers, so I thought I had a handle on Kushner‘s writing—but, it would seem that she is a literary shapeshifter. I enjoyed Flamethrowers, but loved The Mars Room. This book is truly a stunning achievement. A lot of research must have gone into this novel, as it feels utterly authentic. Wondering if Rachel spent time in stir. Big love.

Unique and profound and oddball and downright brilliant. This is a work that challenges the normal conventions of novels. In fact, it‘s no surprise that it was translated to the stage—it‘s as much a piece of drama as it is a lyrical poem. Can‘t recommend it heartily enough.

Ottessa is a writer to watch. I read My Year and then went back into her catalogue to read everything of hers. This is what a book like this will do for you. Bleak, but hilarious and utterly unlike any other voice out there. The last pages completely took me by surprise—had me in tears, if I‘m honest. An utterly disarming piece of literature.

A brilliant, colorful piece of writing. Great use of language. Maybe a touch long, but wonderful nonetheless.

A gutsy piece of writing. Both realistic and experimental at the same time. Not for the faint of heart but, for me, a terrific piece of literature.