This was a brutal yet beautiful book about the lives of the people on a southern plantation just before the Civil War. The enslaved people there struggle to live the best life they can, sometimes finding some respite, but mostly confronted with cruelty. It is a tragic love story in a different vein. The book did devolve into some overly ornate language at times and the narrative could have used some tightening, but overall a great debut. 4⭐️

Dickinson wrote a lot of poems - there are 1775 in this collection. This collection is comprehensive and well organized. Many of her early poems are very girly things about flowers and bees, but you can see her mature as both a person and a poet as you progress through the collection. Like any artist, there is a lot of so-so stuff here, a lot of pretty good, and a few amazing. Overall, 4⭐️

While the journalistic style of this book grew thin over the course of reading, overall I thought it was a smart, relevant book about how far we still need to go regarding racism in the US. We look at the music career of Opal and Nev from the 70s to today and find that not much has changed. Opal, a Black woman, has a much harder career path than Nev, a white man. Fantastic characters and a great story highlighting a lot of current issues. 4⭐️

Entertaining enough, but wildly implausible and I figured out what was going on right away. It was frustrating to watch the narrator walk around clueless when it was so clear what the ‘reveal‘ was going to be. 2⭐️

There are a lot of heavy topics in this book. It‘s about the violence, both physical and emotional, that people can do to each other, as well as the guilt, grief, and hope for atonement that comes with it. We follow a young woman to Tanzania after a devastating traffic accident in which three children are killed. Everyone she meets there has their own pain and grief to deal with also. While not a light read, I found it immersive. 4⭐️ #hoopla

This book is hard to describe. Two separate women lose their sisters in two seemingly unrelated tragedies. They are eventually brought together by this, but only briefly. It is about the relationships between sisters, how there can be both love and hate. It‘s also about grief and guilt. The complexity of the relationships here is deftly navigated in what is a rather bleak, unflinching story about loss. 4⭐️

I don‘t usually like romance reads, but this one worked for me. The story is a pretty typical fake dating turned love story, but the characters felt real and believable. It gets pretty graphic in a few places, so if that‘s not your thing be forewarned. It was fun, with charming characters. #hoopla

Got to about the 50% mark and just not enjoying this at all. Felt tedious.

The writing here was good, but the story was a bit cliche. The author introduced the idea that boarding schools impacted future relationships, but this wasn‘t as well fleshed out in the modern day timeline as I would have liked, and ultimately the boarding school experience didn‘t even seem to be the relevant issue in her relationship. 3⭐️

This middle grade novel tackles some tough topics, but also conveys the message that you can‘t judge a book by its cover. Sometimes what looks scary can be safe and sometimes what seems safe can be dangerous. Audiobook narrator was great. 4⭐️

I‘m on the fence about this one, but I think it‘s still a pick. The writing is sharp and often funny. There are good observations about family, money, and relationships. The narrative, however, is often as directionless as the narrator. I breezed through it so it is a quick and enjoyable read, but maybe not a lot of staying power. 3.5⭐️

I often find Broder‘s books as unnerving as they are refreshing in their realness. This one is about the complicated pull between desire and self-discipline. It‘s also about food and sex - a lot of food and a lot of sex. Throw in some religious doubt and some mother/daughter relationship problems and you have one really messed up character. I loved it. 4⭐️

Each chapter in this book is from the perspective of a different character. It‘s a snapshot of a day at a summer holiday spot. It is a simple story, but each character was wonderfully realized with distinct voices for each. Most of the chapters center on family relationships. Lovely writing too. 4⭐️ #hoopla

I tried the print edition of this, but felt it got bogged down with too many mundane details. The audiobook version is much better, because it gave a better feel for the voice and character. It‘s a story about a young woman who is a bit of a misfit in her small town, but she really doesn‘t care. A fun read. 3.5⭐️ #hoopla

This was a dual-timeline historical mystery. I found the parts set in the 1790s much more enjoyable than the present day timeline, though. It was much better written and less contrived. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read. 3.5⭐️

There is not much plot here, but I enjoyed the rawness of the writing and the depth of the character enough that the lack of plot wasn‘t a big issue for me. It is a story about a queer, indigenous youth trying to find a way through the poverty, racism, and homophobia in his life. Loved the writing and the author did a great job reading this. I also loved the way the character showed his deep respect and fondness for the women in his life. 4⭐️

This had a lot of similarities with his earlier work ‘Never Let Me Go‘ in terms of themes and situations, but with some differences in the details. The book is narrated by an AI character who makes direct observations of the world that are insightful but monotonous. It was like listening to a precocious but affectless child. The book definitely needed more world building and could have done more with its characters and events. Overall, so-so. 3⭐️

This was such a fun, charming, and delightful book. It is a dual-timeline story about two lexicographers and how their lives eventually intersect. Lovely writing and clever wordplay, as well as endearing characters and a cat named ‘Tits‘. Not completely happy with the ending, but it didn‘t dampen my enjoyment of the book overall. 4⭐️

This was pretty typical of the genre - resistance in WWII France, some romance, etc., but I felt that the dialogue was rather wooden and the part that should have been an exciting climax felt so slow. It‘s not a bad book and it is an interesting story based on real events. 2.5⭐️

Wonderful writing in this story that seamlessly melds a broad set of themes - science, religion, race, family, addiction, and mental illness. The narrator works to come to terms with her father‘s abandonment, her brother‘s drug addiction death, her evangelical upbringing, and her mother‘s depression. Thoroughly enjoyable read. 4⭐️

This author - I always like her writing style but hate her stories. This is the stream-of-consciousness of an older woman, recently widowed from a egotistical, controlling husband. She creates a world in her head and eventually we come around to her recognizing her true feelings about her deceased husband, but it was a bit of a slog to get there. 2⭐️

The first part of this book is useful for readers as well as writers. It examines how a lot of literature is developed, read, and critiqued from a distinctly white, middle class, cis male perspective. It is good to help think about how one might be reading non-western literature or what one might see as challenging norms. The second part is more directed at teaching methods to overcome these biases. 4⭐️

A good follow up to My Brilliant Friend. Here the relationship between Lila and Lena grows more complicated as their lives shift from childhood into adulthood. 4⭐️

This book had a really interesting premise, but I often felt like the characters just weren‘t fleshed out enough. The scope of the story and the themes were good, but the people and dialog often just weren‘t convincing enough. I liked it, but didn‘t love it. 3⭐️ #hoopla

An engaging coming-of-age novel set in 1950s Naples. I loved the gritty characters and neighborhood descriptions and the friendships between the characters. 3.5 ⭐️

This was an insightful look at the experiences of transsexual women and their culture. It also examines the family structure, what it means and how it‘s changing. While I wasn‘t completely sold on some of the characters‘ motivations, this was nevertheless an enjoyable read. 3.5⭐️

This is a rather academic look at women and sex following the MeToo movement, but it is nonetheless engaging. The author examines three areas: consent, desire, and arousal. It is complicated territory, but important to consider. 4⭐️ #hoopla

I see this classified as a thriller, but I didn‘t find it to be so. It is a good look at a woman‘s struggles to find her place, and the desire to achieve a better life, or at least the one you think you want. I found some passages very on point about the experiences of women. Eg, “[L]ike most men, he‘d liked her passion when he was the cause of it, but her own passion, passion that had nothing to do with him, was dismissed as foolishness.” 4⭐️

This was a really good biography not just of Emily Dickinson, but of the whole Dickinson family. It elucidates how her image and reputation were influenced by those with a personal interest in promoting her poetry after her death. Here she is not quite the wilting violet she was often portrayed as. The extramarital affairs, secret illnesses and love letters, and back stabbing - who knew sleepy 19th century rural MA could be so exciting? 4⭐️

Fun world and main character, but I felt it was often expository instead of world-building via action.

Very enjoyable collection of short stories and a novella centered around the experiences of Black women in the current cultural and political climate in the US. Great characters and good variety of situations and themes. 4⭐️

I found the pace of this book incredibly slow. A lot of the book is centered around Gina‘s attempts to fit in at a restrictive girls‘ school and her feelings that her father has abandoned her. There is a lot of petty squabbling among the girls. Also, the mystery of Abigail is not very hard to figure out. 3⭐️

This was a pretty good murder mystery that paid homage to the greats of gothic literature, particularly Wilkie Collins. I was a little disappointed with the outcome as it seemed disingenuous, but the detective character was very well done. 3⭐️

A moving novel about human restlessness and search for purpose. Claude Wheeler is born into a prosperous farming family in Nebraska at the turn of the century. Finding dissatisfaction in work and marriage, Claude finally finds purpose while serving in France during WWI. A well-drawn character portrait and portrait of the time. 4⭐️ #hoopla

Abandoned at about 50%. Just not holding my interest.

This started strong, but quickly lost momentum. It is a story about romantic relationships centered around the relationship of Benson and Mike, but it‘s also about the relationships of others in their lives (parents, co-workers). We don‘t get that much insight into the actual relationship of the two narrators so much as we do their individual hang ups. Overall, everyone seems pretty miserable and we get to find out what everyone is eating (?).

How can a book that begins with a murdered teenage girl be so delightful? When it is about the short life of the marvelously endearing misfit, Janet. Janet grows up in a decaying castle on the northern coast of Scotland following WWII. She is often unable to engage with people, but feels deeply and passionately about the natural and ancient worlds. Wonderful prose, wonderful character, and just a pleasure to read. 5⭐️

This book centers around a family dealing with the collective grief over the death of one of the sons. Alternating chapters are narrated by either the mother, sister, or brother of the dead son. Also included are chapters narrated by a spirit. With the exception of the spirit narrator, there is no distinct voice for the individual characters. Great cover though.

Solid writing and an important piece of history, but I felt this book suffered from too many characters and divergent plot lines. It made for a very uneven narrative. I also often felt that the author included certain characters and events solely to make a cultural or historical point and not in furtherance of the story. Very distracting and takes away from enjoyment of the main story, whose characters and plot I liked. 2.5⭐️

A very middle-of-the-road story collection. Each story was about a different love affair and many of the stories overlapped with the same characters. I found I didn‘t love or hate any of the stories, just so-so overall.

Excellent memoir about a topic that is, unfortunately, far too common. I was impressed with the author‘s ability to tap into her 15-year old self and honestly convey her feelings. I was worried that I would be angry the whole time I was reading this book, but instead I wound up feeling great empathy with the author.

Not the best of her books I‘ve read. Too many of the details around the drug research were just too far off base that it bugged me.

As with most Smith books, there is probably just too much going on here for my feeble brain to sort out. It‘s always a fun ride, though. Our biggest cultural mishaps are handled with wry humor, never heavy-handed.

3.5 ⭐️ This was an interesting look at how Shakespeare‘s plays have often reflected current cultural attitudes in America over the years. Some of the early stuff in the book on how prior presidents attributed importance to the plays and the parts on early theater in NYC were fascinating. Overall a little light on both history and analysis, but a fun read.

Another gripping family drama from Patchett! While I didn‘t find it as strong as ‘The Dutch House‘, I still enjoyed the writing and characters. There were some sections of the book that were odd diversions from the primary story that were distracting, but still 4⭐️ overall.

The author‘s love of the natural world is apparent in this collection of short essays. Unfortunately, her attempt to connect her understanding of the natural world with events in her life often seemed like she was really reaching. 3⭐️ #hoopla

I enjoyed the wide variety of characters, time periods, and settings in this short story collection. Each story had a distinct voice. 4⭐️ #hoopla

The last of the three novels ‘Pale Horse, Pale Rider‘ is the best in the collection. It is a fever dream of a novel about one woman‘s experience with the 1918 flu. It recounts the horror of a deadly pandemic coming on the heels of a major war. The other two novels are also tragedies reflecting life in the American southwest in late 1800s-early 1900s. 3.5 ⭐️ overall

This book was epic in every sense. It spanned generations of a Georgian family, the rise and fall of the USSR, unforgettable characters, tragic love affairs, and a magical chocolate recipe. At 934 pages, it was also epic in length, but I didn‘t find any of those pages excessive or diversionary. This book was a big investment, but completely worth it. 5⭐️

This was just ok. Very slow in many places. I think this may be that the book tried to go in too many directions at once. It was a murder mystery, an immigration statement, a feminist statement, etc.