Books

These Summer Storms ★★☆☆☆

I misunderstood the premise and perhaps didn't know much about the author before I started reading this. I

Last One Out ★★★★☆

Nothing ever happens in a Jane Harper book, at least in the present, but she has an uncanny ability to

The High Mountains of Portugal ★★★★☆

My second Yann Martel book after the seminal Life of Pi, which I adored. It's about loss and

The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life ★★★☆☆

This was a disappointing read. I was a big fan of his "The Psychology of Money" which had

Orbital ★★★★☆

Prose as poetry. There's no plot or direction except around the Earth aboard the space station. Six individuals

Razorblade Tears ★★★☆☆

Disappointing compared to All the Sinners Bleed. Although the premise held much promise and the characters dropped a lot of

The Black Wolf ★★★☆☆

I'm conflicted about this one. Louise Penny's writing remains impressive at creating the right mood and

Did I Say You Could Go ★★★★☆

Wacky and infuriating, but it keeps you reading. Told from the perspective of four characters, it gives you an insight

The Compound ★★★★☆

I don't watch reality shows, but this book, based on one, reads like one. Consumerism, late-stage capitalism,

The Essex Serpent ★★★★☆

Read it more for the mood and for the sadness of dashed fears, unrequited love, loss of purpose, and abject

The Astral Library ★★☆☆☆

I couldn’t relate to Kate Quinn going from writing about strong women in historical fiction novels set in times

Small Great Things ★★★★☆

Good intentions and says all the right things but a little too exposition-y. It ends a bit too perfectly.

The Poppy Fields ★★★★☆

Erlick's second novel (for me) tackles grief more directly. Centered around three characters who are forced by circumstances

Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves ★★★★★

Gilbert covers a lot of ground exploring incidences of women's exploitation in music, entertainment, reality TV, and even

Little Fires Everywhere ★★★★★

Brilliantly written, it explores the frustrations yet the deep love mothers have for their daughters. I also love how Ng

The Dream Hotel ★★★★★

Minority Report meets an authoritarian government that seems just too real to be considered a dystopian future. The real story

The Stardust Grail ★★★☆☆

A tad all over the place in terms of the narrative. It’s definitely ambitious in its world building and

The Seep ★★★☆☆

Notable Highlights When connected with the aliens through water or bodily fluids, it was impossible to feel anything except expansive