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I understand the poor reviews from readers anticipating a Tom Clancy-ish Russian spy novel so I knew not to settle in for a thriller. Instead I got caught up in the character study of Russian-born Julia set up as the COO of big tech Tangerine(ha!) and the Alice (American born Chinese) who discovers something is amiss. I liked it. ↓

#Pantone2022 13-2004 Potpourri

This book is more about the journey than the destination- which is frequently awesome- but this story felt too long and slow to me. It was billed as a "thriller" and a "cat and mouse game" but what I saw was an exploration of women in the tech industry and the ways in which they have to fight to get and keep a seat at the table. I liked both Julia and Alice but I don't know that I liked where this ended up.

I haven‘t seen much about this book on litsy, but I‘m glad I pulled it out of the #botm pile!

Julia is a Russian orphan recruited to be a spy. She was placed in Silicon Valley and worked her way up to COO of a social media giant. She‘s married an American and had a baby. When minor employee Alice discovers that Julia‘s account is doing some shady things, she is determined to get her caught. This reads as contemporary fic with some plot tension.

I'm surprised by the low rating for this book on Goodreads & thought it was much better than the rating suggests.
Although Julia isn't particularly likeable, that wasn't an issue for me. I think the dislike of her is a result of her exhibition of characteristics that are more strongly associated with males. I feel like Julia is a literary character who is a stand in for society's perception of any strong or successful woman.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this book about a Russian Spy embeds in a US tech company and the IT employee who suspects something is amiss. One small beef: the title and cover don‘t really reflect the story.

I got this as a #BOTM selection and was really disappointed. I‘ve also heard it praised on a few podcasts. I found it pretty slight. A cat and mouse story with no suspense, a very perfunctory chase and nobody to root for.

Julia is COO of mega tech company Tangerine. She also happens to be a Russian spy. Alice finds some suspicious activity on Tangerine‘s servers and starts to figure some things out. I enjoyed this, but not as much as I thought I would. I loved reading Alice‘s story, but Julia‘s was a little lackluster for me. And the cover doesn‘t fit the book at all, which annoys me.

I liked this one. I don't even know if you can call it a thriller? It's more a character study and way less an action book. I liked the pacing. Julia is a COO of a Silicon Valley company, Tangerine, and also a Russian spy. You get her point of view, her handler's, Leo, and Alice, an IT worker within Tangerine who discovers Julia's strange activities within the company.

Time to read one of my #botm books. Started this one this morning.

Here is my #BOTM selection. This is the only book thought I would like this book. I felt lukewarm about May's choices.

Picked my #BOTM box for May. But guys ... I‘m just not feeling the options lately. When I rejoined 2 years ago, there were many more nonfiction picks. Now there isn‘t much and I struggle every month to decide. Sigh ...

I struggled to narrow it down this month. I knew if the Andy Weir was in the #botm lineup, it'd be a sure pick, but there were several I really wanted among the other choices. I may have to make another account for Things We Lost to the Water and Last Thing He Told Me. I wonder if the husband would notice if 2 blue boxes showed up in May. 🤫

#BOTM #BOTMspoilers

I believe the top 5 are the main picks and then the first 4 in the bottom section are the add-ons for May. It also looks like they will go live today.

📣Word on the street is that these are two of the #BOTM picks for May 📚