Not great. I got confused thinking this was Peter Carey - it very much was not. A take on Madame Tussaud - as much as I dislike Michelle Morgan, I thoNot great. I got confused thinking this was Peter Carey - it very much was not. A take on Madame Tussaud - as much as I dislike Michelle Morgan, I thought her version was far superior. According to Carey, Marie (Madame) was surrounded by caricatures her whole life, so I suppose it's no surprise she grew up to make them. Sorta ridiculous over all and over long too. ...more
This was a really sweet story and I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it. I may have missed what year it was set but I'm guessing it was 40s/50s.This was a really sweet story and I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it. I may have missed what year it was set but I'm guessing it was 40s/50s. Anna Maye lives a life of routine - her passion is her work at the candy factory.
But her routine is disrupted and she is forced into a new way of living.
The characters were great, for the most part - Anna's sister a bit of a caricature .... The writing style was not for me, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. It certainly wasn't bad, just wasn't my preference.
I have not read a book so fast in a really long time. It was the perfect book at the perfect moment for me. Part suspense/thriller (sort of) part fantI have not read a book so fast in a really long time. It was the perfect book at the perfect moment for me. Part suspense/thriller (sort of) part fantasy. There was creativity and humor, friendship, betrayal?, love and unicorns. I probably could have lived without the romance, but I'm always one who can live without the romance.
I adored this book, probably my first favorite of 2024 and absolutely recommended for anybody who loves Narnia. It is not perfect, but who cares - it's pure fun.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book but the correlation to Ottessa Moshfegh is a weak one. It is the prime reason I read this book, so fair warning, don't I thoroughly enjoyed this book but the correlation to Ottessa Moshfegh is a weak one. It is the prime reason I read this book, so fair warning, don't go in thinking it's going to be anything like the genius of "My Year of Rest and Relaxation." I actually think this book would probably appeal to a wider audience.
I thought the story was engaging, and the characters quirky and fun (mostly) - people being flawed people. The setting was really interesting, it's nice to get out of the city sometimes and learn about a place as much as the people in the place. Many topics of relevance to our times: failing newspaper; affordable housing crisis; politicians being sheysters; native people trying to protect their land and tradition.
I finished this weeks ago now and I haven't forgotten it but I certainly don't exactly remember what I was going to say about it. It was very good, weI finished this weeks ago now and I haven't forgotten it but I certainly don't exactly remember what I was going to say about it. It was very good, well done, well written, heart rending with an amazingly endearing main character and all those around her who tried to dim her spark. Definitely would have enjoyed this being on the Booker longlist instead of some of the others. ...more
I don't know how I finished this book, but I did, so that has to count for something. At the beginning I wasn't sure. The writing was aw2.5/3 (barely)
I don't know how I finished this book, but I did, so that has to count for something. At the beginning I wasn't sure. The writing was awful - I suspect there are a number of AI generated sentences. It read like high school creative writing project.
The writing settled in some, but the story was really disjointed. It felt like the author had a number of different ideas, but none of them were enough to make a book of its own so he threw them all into one book. There are also massive gaps in time, like there was a main character who featured in probably 2/3rds of the book ... he has his "moment" then the book forwards to two years later, and he's completely gone from the story.
If you are drawn to this book because of the Ted Kaczynski aspect you may also find yourself disappointed. Ted's story is woven throughout, mostly peripherally until the latter part of the book. Then we have some sections featuring Ted, and then another time lapse of 10 years ....
I get that we aren't supposed to be rooting for Ted, but he and every other character in this book are mostly unlikable and frankly uninteresting. We have a postal inspector who is on Ted's case, and we get to hear a lot about his mother who is at home and not even in the book??
Trigger warning: There is animal cruelty and other animal stuff which a lot of people will find upsetting. Yet, somehow the author managed to strip all emotion from the book.
It somehow kept me reading, but I neither enjoyed nor appreciated it.
My first Goddard was "Hourglass" and I was blown away by the writing. This was good, but I was missing that "spark" - the genius lines that insist on My first Goddard was "Hourglass" and I was blown away by the writing. This was good, but I was missing that "spark" - the genius lines that insist on a highlight were not there.
This book tells the story of a group of friends who grow up in the council estates and how their lives turn out and their friendship endures.
It's not a terribly original storyline, but it was very engaging; a very fast read. ...more
I really enjoy Kunzru's books and I thought this got better and better as went. Old flames from art school find each other in an unlikely spot in the I really enjoy Kunzru's books and I thought this got better and better as went. Old flames from art school find each other in an unlikely spot in the middle of the 2020 lockdown. Their lives have taken completely different paths, and as they warily get to know each other again - we learn both about their past and their present.
Well told tale that I think almost everybody can relate to....more
This book used every Vietnam trope known to man, and the story was entirely predictable - BUT - it was good. It was a solid read, hard to put down - IThis book used every Vietnam trope known to man, and the story was entirely predictable - BUT - it was good. It was a solid read, hard to put down - I was thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. I don't know what was more surprising to me - the fact that it made me cry, or the fact that I got something out of the perspective of the story.
It's important to revisit our war stories even know when know we've read a lot of books about them because in the hands of the right author they have something new to offer. Hannah is hit and miss for me, I loved The Nightingale and hated The Great Alone. The love stories in this book definitely featured prominently which I think took away a bit. But the good about it far outweighed the bad. Being a nurse in Vietnam is potentially one of the most underrated experiences out there and I was glad to have gotten a glimpse of it. ...more
this has been on my shelf for YEARS and I'm so glad I had it on a recent road trip - it was a great story for a long drive. this has been on my shelf for YEARS and I'm so glad I had it on a recent road trip - it was a great story for a long drive. ...more
Am I gaslighting myself or did I really love this book? Honestly, I think I loved it and let me explain.
Reading the blurb (which I didn't read until Am I gaslighting myself or did I really love this book? Honestly, I think I loved it and let me explain.
Reading the blurb (which I didn't read until after I finished the book) this sounds like a Frederick Bachman novel and that is not my jam at all. I like dark books, I don't like "feel good" stories, and sometimes characters like Jamie grate my last nerve. Maybe I was just in the right headspace. It was that story - where a bullied-misfit kid with all the odds against him ends up with a group of people supporting him on a project. Some of the characters were flawed and amazing and some were caricatures. None the less the great ones were really great.
I liked the writing and the way the author wove in really beautiful moments into the building of a boat. It made my cold, dark, heart ... happy. Though the story has been done before I found 3 of the 4 main characters really interesting and I thought building the message into the boat was a unique perspective. I kind of think this is going to be shortlisted....more
My first 2024 book, and it was a banger! (US pub date: February 27, 2024)
It's been a long time since a book grabbed me like this, I totally enjoyed iMy first 2024 book, and it was a banger! (US pub date: February 27, 2024)
It's been a long time since a book grabbed me like this, I totally enjoyed it.
Often I'll read books knowing nothing going in - only having the most basic understanding of the blurb - I prefer it that way. As I was reading I kept thinking about the author. I guessed he was Canadian and I thought, there's something a bit deeper about this guy. It turns out that he has a PhD in Philosophy and that was the secret sauce of this book.
This was the only part of the blurb I read, for me it was enough to pique my interest:
For fans of David Mitchell, Ruth Ozeki, and Kazuo Ishiguro, an elegant and exhilarating literary speculative novel about an isolated town neighbored by its own past and future, and a young girl who spots two elderly visitors from across the border: the grieving parents of the boy she loves.
There are aspects which may seem "young adult" - it starts with a girl of 16 as the primary character. However, this is not a young adult book. There are themes of friendship, loyalty, grief, morality, and yes … even a bit of philosophy. I found it totally original which is difficult to find these days.
Spec literary fiction, with so many ideas to talk about! Highly recommended, and one of my favorite books read this year....more
This was a slow burner for me. I love when a place feels like a character in the story as well as the people, and I definitely got a sense of Penang iThis was a slow burner for me. I love when a place feels like a character in the story as well as the people, and I definitely got a sense of Penang in the era. I knew nothing of Maugham and have never read his works, but that didn't diminish from the story being told and in all I thought it was an interesting way to frame the story.
There were some really creative ideas - and there was a degree of complexity in bringing the inspirations of the story together which I appreciated. I didn't know the gender of the author while reading, and actually assumed it was a woman. I thought he did a pretty remarkable job with Lesley, the main character, and the strongest in the book by far.
The ending came together beautifully for me, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I enjoyed learning where the title of the book came from. A solid book all around ... not mind blowing in any way....more
It's still impossible to become immersed in the topic of 9/11 and not get emotional. I most certainlyA feel good book about 9/11? Who'd have thought?
It's still impossible to become immersed in the topic of 9/11 and not get emotional. I most certainly am not the same person I was then ... I'd say any sense of patriotism I had at the time has waned. In other words, I'm disgusted by politics. But that point in time will probably always grab us.
This was a good book - I wasn't blown away but I appreciated it for what it was. Snippets of people's lives who were impacted by the closing of US air space in the wake of 9/11 and the welcome they got in Canada. May the people of Gander, Newfoundland never change. ...more
This book may be a tinge flawed, but I absolutely LOVED it! Set in an elementary school in the early 80's a new teacher comes to town and everybody waThis book may be a tinge flawed, but I absolutely LOVED it! Set in an elementary school in the early 80's a new teacher comes to town and everybody wants to be her pet!
There's an incredible amount of nostalgia; we all had that one teacher, didn't we? The one you would do anything for?
Well, there was more to this story than first meets the eye and there's quite a bit of darkness. Fast moving, well told, interesting characters, unique ideas - one of my favorites of the year! ...more
I have read a lot of WW2 books - fiction and non-fiction, and it surprises me to find that there is still more to learn and still perspectives to be sI have read a lot of WW2 books - fiction and non-fiction, and it surprises me to find that there is still more to learn and still perspectives to be seen.
The author's mother was in the war serving in the Red Cross as a "Clubmobile" girl. Around 1,000 women drove these buses around the war serving comfort, coffee and donuts to the troops. This book is an historical fiction account of some fictional volunteers who ended up deep in the front lines with Patton's troops.
It was really good. A story of endurance, adventure, survival, friendship, love, the brutality of war, revenge, acceptance. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't give details - but we know so much about WW2 it's hard to imagine any part of it through fresh eyes, and there was one part in the book that somehow I'd never thought about before. a scene in Buchenwald that was really powerful for me.
An engaging story full of twists and turns, definitely worth reading. ...more
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