Tag: books
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The Secret History
Reactions: Compelled to read on, A page turner // Review: You may recall me gushing over Donna Tartt’s more famous novel The Goldfinch earlier this year (well, except the last 80 pages). The Secret History is an entirely different kind of story, but one that demonstrates Tartt’s remarkable ability across her novels to write such…
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The Falcon and the Foe
Reactions: So fun! Adorable gay romance. // Review: I’d been telling my bestie how I was worn down from the sci-fi slog I’d just finished and needed something to lighten the mood. So he sent me The Falcon and the Foe, and it’s utterly delightful.
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Redemption Ark
Reactions: OMG stop with the five-page physics explainers // Review: I love love loved the two books prior to Redemption Ark: Chasm City and Revelation Space. But dear god this one plods along. The parts I loved most about those two other books is that a mystery unraveled during each book. Without that plot device,…
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Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
This book came as a recommendation from my friend Daniel. I didn’t know what to expect other than it was a bit of a murder mystery. Not my usual genre. I sure am glad Daniel recommended it, because this book is a riot. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a matter of…
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Where’d You Go Bernadette
Reactions: Fun, adorable, quirky // Review: If you’ve already seen the movie, you will still absolutely enjoy this book. I enjoyed the movie starring Cate Blanchett. So, I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy the book. But I did. I enjoyed it a lot!
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Red, White & Royal Blue
Reactions: Adorable, So much better than the movie! // Review: This review is about Red, White & Royal Blue the novel, not the Netflix movie. And if you’ve seen the movie, you do not know what happens in the book. I had already seen the movie before reading the novel, and had such a pleasant…
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Dune Messiah
Reactions: Ummm, was that it // Review: Decades after reading the first Dune novel, I finally decided to pick up the second in the series. I wasn’t prepared for how short it would be or how light on plot and character building it is.
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City of Night
Reactions: Beautiful, Couldn’t put it down // Review: This novel is just stunning. It’s gritty. It’s lyrical. It’s experimental. It’s gay. I loved everything about it. So much so that when I set out to read the first ten pages, I ended up reading 80 pages in one sitting.
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Life After Life
Reactions: Almost loved it but not quite // Review: This novel by Kate Atkinson was a best seller, and I can see why. It’s an enjoyable read with a clever premise and narrative style. But I wouldn’t say that I loved it and here’s why: It leverages the plot devices of multiple realities and reincarnation…
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The Goldfinch
Reactions: Compelling, Page-turner // Review: A friend recommended this 2014 winner of the Pulitzer Prize to me. I had no idea what to expect and was a bit daunted at its 962 pages. And then I picked it up. The words captivate me. I couldn’t stop. 300 pages poured into my brain on the very…
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Revelation Space
Reactions: Engrossed, 🤯 // Review: evelation Space is the first in a series of related books within the same universe. I read the standalone novel Chasm City recently, and I’m glad I did. It’s an important “world building” novel that makes Revelation Space make much more sense. Note: Chasm City is a delightful, hard-boiled detective…
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Midnight’s Children
Reactions: Fantastical, Epic, Literary Genius. // Review: This book is not for the easily distracted. In the introduction, Rushdie himself says he set out to write a novel that blends the epic nature of greats like Anna Karenina and Pride and Prejudice with the magical realism of One Hundred Years of Solitude. And he sure…
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