Theroux is the reigning master of place and the ten-word character sketch. An example: "This was the far western end of the frontier, which is marked Theroux is the reigning master of place and the ten-word character sketch. An example: "This was the far western end of the frontier, which is marked by a tall, rust-colored, iron-slatted fence---paralleling an older, lower fence--blistered with corrosion, which extends below the tidemark, its end sunk in the Pacific Ocean." I love to read Theroux to feel as if I've traveled somewhere, and during the pandemic this is as close to a vacation as i'll get I think. I love how much research and reading he does to understand Mexican writers and the way other travel writers have portrayed the place, even if I do get slightly bored with some of the discussions of books I haven't read. ...more
Highly readable set of personal reflections on Christian faith and doubt. My sincere applause for the author's honesty that appears to have been earneHighly readable set of personal reflections on Christian faith and doubt. My sincere applause for the author's honesty that appears to have been earned through sleepless nights and unflinching examination of beliefs. I was sad to learn that she died rather young. I would have enjoyed reading more of her insights throughout a long life....more
I loved this book for the clear, insightful explanations of economic theory and how Keynes' life blossomed for me beyond his deficit-spending reputatiI loved this book for the clear, insightful explanations of economic theory and how Keynes' life blossomed for me beyond his deficit-spending reputation into a social and political thought leader trying to unlock a better life for those around him through economics. It's a great read to refresh that macroeconomics class from undergrad and gain a larger of sense of what Keynes hoped to accomplish through economics. I took away a powerful reminder that we can make a world where the love of money is as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life, rather than the world we're so familiar with where money is loved as a possession or a scorecard of a human's value....more
Moshfegh twists the murder mystery to the meta-degree in this novel that quite frankly embodies my every fear about growing old in solitude, kept compMoshfegh twists the murder mystery to the meta-degree in this novel that quite frankly embodies my every fear about growing old in solitude, kept company by every grievance I’ve ever had. The story is remarkably interior with little action, a kind of mirror for shelter-at-home pandemic time. Fans of the murder mystery genre may not find this book satisfying or even appealing, but those who like literary fiction with a twist will....more
Other reviewers have called this an optimistic book. The title certainly promises a bright outlook. Hoping for optimism in this time of coronavirus, IOther reviewers have called this an optimistic book. The title certainly promises a bright outlook. Hoping for optimism in this time of coronavirus, I was disappointed to find that examples of extraordinarily good communities were so few and far between. Solnit's writing is wonderful and her reporting is thorough. She brings to life stories of great heartbreak, terror and sadness--the stories of racial violence during Hurricane Katrina are difficult to read....more
Stories of fear and hope from teenagers making harrowing journeys to uncertain futures in the U.S. Compelling and quick read offering a window into thStories of fear and hope from teenagers making harrowing journeys to uncertain futures in the U.S. Compelling and quick read offering a window into the Central American migrant crisis, from hardship to the bravery and desperation of children....more
While this book lacks in in-depth interviews with MBS himself, it makes up for it in its thorough reporting of his actions. Action is character, as thWhile this book lacks in in-depth interviews with MBS himself, it makes up for it in its thorough reporting of his actions. Action is character, as they say. In other words, people reveal themselves more through what they do than what they say. So in this way Hubbard paints a fascinating portrait of a young man who came to power quickly and ruthlessly. ...more
The graphic description of four rapes throughout this novel overshadowed the author's fine prose and deft plot. I found the graphic violent details haThe graphic description of four rapes throughout this novel overshadowed the author's fine prose and deft plot. I found the graphic violent details haunting and upsetting even as I appreciated the page-turning suspense....more
Set in rural suburban Ohio, Meredith Doench’s first Luce Hansen mystery “Crossed” offers a fast-paced police procedural with rich subplots and charactSet in rural suburban Ohio, Meredith Doench’s first Luce Hansen mystery “Crossed” offers a fast-paced police procedural with rich subplots and character development. It’s a complex story combining the unraveling of a serial killer mystery, the struggle for intimacy between Hansen and her partner Rowan, and the story of Marci’s death in the mid-nineties. Add in a homophobic partner and the ghost of Hansen’s cop father and it might feel all too much, but Doench is a talented writer who braids the subplots tightly and held my interest to the end. It’s a suspenseful mystery mixing the rural darkness of Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series with the page-turning whodunit of Katherine V. Forrest’s Kate Delafield books. Fans of both will be entertained....more
Beautifully written story that takes many fictional liberties with the events leading up to the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921, one of the worst examples ofBeautifully written story that takes many fictional liberties with the events leading up to the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921, one of the worst examples of racial violence in the United States. Parker Rhodes acknowledges as much in her afterword. She creates sweeping and empathetic back stories for the two real world protagonists: the black man and white woman whose interaction in an elevator in downtown Tulsa in May 1921 sparked racial rancor into vengefulness and propelled a mob to put the Negroes of Tulsa into their place once and for all. Little is known about either of the real world actors, and her historical reimagining is compelling but also distracted me because of its departure from facts that are known. Still, a terrific read....more
More poetic than plot-driven, author Karen An-hwei Lee drives readers of "Sonata in K" around downtown L.A., Koreatown and mid-Wilshre alongside a livMore poetic than plot-driven, author Karen An-hwei Lee drives readers of "Sonata in K" around downtown L.A., Koreatown and mid-Wilshre alongside a living, feeling, eating hologram of Franz Kafka in her Prius. Delicate, beautiful language wraps Southern California in elegant phrases and descriptions. I heard An-hwei Lee speak about this book, saying it emerged from a series of notes she wrote to herself about what Kafka might say during bureaucratic meetings at the university where she works. ...more
Characters in Curtis Sittenfeld's latest collection of short stories, You Think It, I'll Say It, learn hard lessons about what to do when the world thCharacters in Curtis Sittenfeld's latest collection of short stories, You Think It, I'll Say It, learn hard lessons about what to do when the world they picture vanishes under the weight of someone else's actions. And they learn how to move on, in tears, in joy, in resignation, and always in the knowledge that there are ways in this world that we will always, inevitably, be alone, whether in relationships or out of them. The women (and one man) of these stories are flawed, hopeful, lonely, observant women at their lives' midpoints, navigating motherhood and marriage and professional success with sex and power and love. Taken together, the tautly written and multi-faceted story collection is a portrait of modern womanhood, albeit one within a bubble of affluence and comfort.
The reader can take away lessons, too, that the ten stories in this collection provide a snapshot of modern womanhood that is more nuanced than proponents of gender equality may wish to acknowledge. Sittenfeld doesn't tell stories with black-and-white morals or victories of right over wrong. She tells a quieter truth of a loneliness that can persist through marriage and motherhood and professional success. For women who thought they could have it all, the goal remains ever elusive....more
It's not Moonshiners and it certainly ain't Deliverance. Barlow Adams transcends hillbilly tropes to deliver an Appalachian coming-of-age novella withIt's not Moonshiners and it certainly ain't Deliverance. Barlow Adams transcends hillbilly tropes to deliver an Appalachian coming-of-age novella with a mastery of voice that reveals the poetry and violence of those living along the Kentucky River. Appalachian Alchemy is a pleasure to read though those who are squeamish might skip over the more brutal passages. Highly recommend....more
Characters in Mary Maddox's 2016 thriller, Darkroom, don't crack many smiles. They live in a bleak world as full of shadows as the old-school darkroomCharacters in Mary Maddox's 2016 thriller, Darkroom, don't crack many smiles. They live in a bleak world as full of shadows as the old-school darkroom where photographer Day Randall had developed her artistic images. When Day goes missing at the start of the novel, her absence sets her roommate Kelly Durrell on a dangerous journey into the violent sphere of drug dealing and distribution.
Readers looking for a taut thriller populated by unpredictable characters will find Darkroom compelling and worthwhile. Maddox's crisp writing is a pleasure to read and the smart, resilient protagonist she created in Kelly Durrell is an example of the strong female characters I love to see in fiction. Those looking for something more light-hearted should keep on moving....more
I was a super fan of Mason's first novel, Three Graves Full, and was delighted to read her follow-up, Monday's Lie. The woman can write a sentence andI was a super fan of Mason's first novel, Three Graves Full, and was delighted to read her follow-up, Monday's Lie. The woman can write a sentence and plot with as deft a hand as a master mapmaker. She does a terrific job describing the inner workings of a marriage falling apart. She's a magnificent writer but does get bogged down in backstory which makes the first part slow going like fellow reviewer Debbie mentioned....more
Quick and breezy personal anecdotes wrapped up with the author's personal lessons about learning to do less, and a superficial dollop of pop psychologQuick and breezy personal anecdotes wrapped up with the author's personal lessons about learning to do less, and a superficial dollop of pop psychology. Redeeming qualities are that it is easy to read and it has a very positive message....more
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