I really, really enjoyed this quirky, thought-provoking, semi-dystopian, semi-magic realism take on I'm not sure what. Professor Wala Kitu, renowned expert on "Nothing" is on the faculty at Brown University in the mathematics department, but he rarely has to teach his small graduate class. His work on "Nothing" is renowned. He is on the autism … Continue reading Dr. No: A Novel – Percival Everett
Author: Emily Leader
I have been an avid reader since Dick and Jane met Sally. At age 7, I read my parents' first edition of "To Kill a Mockingbird." I am a retired lawyer and so read almost only fiction for pleasure. I'm adding in nonfiction these days, largely on social justice matters but also history, biography, and weird topics that catch my imagination. I used to read only serially, one book at a time. Presently, I read paperbacks, hardcovers, listen to audible, listen to CDs and read online through Net Galley. Covid-19 has caused me to read a lot so I have re-upped my Goodreads challenge for 2021 and am starting to review at least my favorite finds annd, perhaps, some stinkers.
The Book of Form and Emptiness – Ruth Ozeki – audible
Sometimes... the books I am most attached to are hardest to describe. This is one of them. Benny Oh's father, Kenji, a jazz musician, dies when Benny is twelve. His mother Annabelle dropped out of college in library science to have Benny. And now, her heart is broken. Her job, clipping news articles for subscribers, … Continue reading The Book of Form and Emptiness – Ruth Ozeki – audible
Things We Found When the Water Went Down – Tegan Nia Swanson (Audio and Print both read: Get Print!)
READ IN FORMAT THAT LETS YOU SEE COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS! For the author's sake, because she deserves actual readers of the print book. I have been trying to figure out how to share my love of this novel since I read it in March 2023. It's hard to describe. First: Get the print version or read … Continue reading Things We Found When the Water Went Down – Tegan Nia Swanson (Audio and Print both read: Get Print!)
Lucky Dogs – Helen Schulman
Lucky Dogs intersperses the stories of two women who sprang from very different and very traumatic childhoods to what looks like success but is also traumatic. But don't assume that means this whole book is a downer. I happen to be a person who likes books that juxtapose two characters and that have quirky elements … Continue reading Lucky Dogs – Helen Schulman
Killing Moon – Jo Nesbo
When I read my first Harry Hole novel, some years ago, it was an entry partway through the series and I immediately bought all of the prior books. Jo Nesbo's characters are complex and they grow and change and Harry is central to this. In Killing Moon, Nesbo is not hiding some of the key … Continue reading Killing Moon – Jo Nesbo
The Spectacular – Fiona Davis
Fiona Davis does it again! I've enjoyed every one of her novels, all set in two eras and centered on a building in New York city. In this case, while a building matters (Radio City Music Hall), "The Spectacular" is about a Rockette, Marion, who danced in the 1950s and is now, in the 1990s, … Continue reading The Spectacular – Fiona Davis
The Imposters – Tom Rachman
Dora is an older person who is alone in the world, partly by design, but she is obviously lonely. She is a published author of books that failed to sell. Yet, she still has an agent. Still is invited to a writer's conference in Australia. There have been people in her life, but she is … Continue reading The Imposters – Tom Rachman
Remarkably Bright Creatures -Shelby Van Pelt (Audible)
This is one of the most entertaining audio books I've ever read. One thing I loved was the voice of the Octopus, whose voice we hear in many chapters. He is perfectly narrated in a kind of "Mr. Belvadere' voice (showing my age). The female narrator is excellent as well, voicing an array of male … Continue reading Remarkably Bright Creatures -Shelby Van Pelt (Audible)
The Society of Shame – Jane Roper
The Society of Shame is a clever satire. Kathleen Held, wife of a progressive US Senate candidate, Bill Held, returns home in a taxi to find her garage on fire, her husband near the conflagration with his pants down, and the woman her husband was with, nearby, decidedly disheveled. After saving the family dog, the … Continue reading The Society of Shame – Jane Roper
Hang the Moon – Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls, with unparalleled perception and kindness brings to us the inner voices of people who survive and thrive, despite their extraordinarily dysfunctional families. I have loved each of her books for her gift of writing, so much that I read hours and hours until my eyes will not let me stay awake. Hang the … Continue reading Hang the Moon – Jeannette Walls
They Called me Bookworm 