I understand why this book is highly regarded. The prose is descriptive and the characters are compelling, consistent and well written. However, it‘s not one I‘d recommend. It‘s bloated with endlessly detailed scenes, mercilessly drags out grotesque and violent scenes past the point of the plot, and contains too many improbable plot points for me to have fully invested. If you like long, drawn out sorrowful epics? This may be for you. 3/5

This is billed as a “classic English ghost story” and I could not agree more. The pace is slow and languid, the atmosphere claustrophobic, tense and the story builds into a jaw clenching “get the heck outta there” moment. Not a thriller, but definitely a nice creepy read 3/5

A mystery, an old gothic estate, a con artist and a pack of tarot cards.. what could possibly go wrong? Lol I ABSOLUTELY enjoyed the heck out of this one. It‘s a thriller with enough clever plot twists to keep you turning pages until you wonder where the time went. 5/5.. great beach/ plane read

Ok, it‘s official, I am a Tara French fan girl! Wow!-what a page turner. I started at 9 this morning, legitimately planning to read for a few hours before starting my day. I should have had a clue ( from the stomach growling) but I am utterly shocked that it‘s 3pm and I have not moved from the couch! Needless to say, I finished and loved it. 5/5!!

No doubt that this book is ripe for discussion. (can‘t wait for book club !) Jones penned a novel that explores injustice, commitment, and that takes multiple views on love and fairness. That said, I found several of the characters unlikeable and that made it tough for me to “choose sides” with any degree of certainty, but hey, maybe that‘s the point. it‘s a bit heavy handed and emotionally manipulative, if you‘re ok with that?- 4/5

Over 20 years after I first picked this up and.. wow .. what a difference a couple of decades makes. I found subtext galore! Lol ..Revelations about the duality of human nature, repression and sociopolitical castes that I completely missed when I was a kid. Oh.. and no surprise Stevenson is as breathtaking and brilliant a writer as he ever was. 5/5

I liked the second half of this book much more than the first. I found the character of Less unlikeable, and was not terribly invested in his fate one way or another. As the story progressed I became more invested. I really liked the author‘s observations on love and growing older, and might recommend the book just for those. Overall, the narrative perspective didn‘t work for me. I liked it but didn‘t love it. 3/5

Hmmmm.. I sort of liked this book. I loved the allegorical aspect of the plot, but thought that 1. The writing was extremely awkward in spots OR 2. The translation was atrocious. I‘m assuming the clever allegory is what earned this a man booker nom, otherwise, I don‘t get it. This is chock full of great discussion points- criminal vs innocent, violence vs peace, fair vs unfair... think “Exit West” with way more gray area. 3.5/5

A fascinating survey of “society” in the Gilded Age. Strange to see the genesis of so much conspicuous consumption in the insecurity and vanities of these powerful yet oppressed women. I loved the topic, but felt that the book would have been markedly improved with a strict editor. The author skips around and tells tales out of chronological order, which can get a bit confusing. Solid 4/5 if you love this period of history 3/5 if you dabble.

I am not a big fan of romance novels, and while this one was well written.. it is still a romance novel. I understand that in profiling a same sex romance, it is approaching the genre from a seldom viewed perspective. However, it relies on the same tired trope (older paramour teaches adolescent about sexuality and love) that makes me roll my eyes with every other book that takes up this played out storyline. In a word “meh” 2/5

Yes, it‘s midnight, and I have to be at work early tomorrow, but those of you who have read this book will understand.. I HAD to finish it! I‘ve legitimately lost 2 pounds in the last week, missed meals, and lost sleep. The 1200 page behemoth that I predicted would take me a month to get through... I blew through in a week. I feel like I discovered a long lost Dickens novel, that was combined with a killer mystery. Nuff said-5/5!! Read this book!

I‘m going in!! I‘ve been meaning to read this behemoth for awhile now, and there‘s no better time than the present! My lofty goal is to have it done by the end of February...#bucketlistread #25pagesinandalreadylovingit

WOW.. what a fantastic book! Johnson‘s characters convey tremendous ranges of emotion. His “hero‘s journey” takes us through a fully fleshed out North Korea, giving us a profound understanding of the toll of totalitarianism, and the human will to exist. The book is part thriller, part mystery, a page turner and a book worth discussing. What else do you need? 5/5 Loved it!

I‘m about 100 pages from finishing The Orphan Master‘s Son, when my book club pals call me laughing “We‘re reading the wrong book!, it‘s The Good Son” Luckily this was an easy one to fly through. Page turner, suspenseful and interesting though a bit gory for me. It wasn‘t one I‘d recommend for enjoyment, but it would make a long flight whiz by for sure. 3/5

If you‘re looking for a top notch detective story that makes time disappear - then this is the book for you. I‘ve only read one of her books before ( Into The Woods) and I forgot how much I enjoyed her writing style. The plot is compelling, the characters feel authentic and the writing is descriptive without being tedious! If any Tana French aficionados out there can steer me toward her best books, I‘d appreciate it! 4/5

Wow, what a stunner! It took me a minute to find the rhythm of this book. To my mind it‘s part Greek chorus, part poetry and 100 percent brilliant. The writing is superb, the format is novel and the insights are profound. I highly recommend it, especially if you are a history buff (they are incidental to the story, but I found the history tid bits fascinating) 5/5

I pulled this one off the shelf to reread it for book club this month. Many of the essays hold up, Gay‘s witty and insightful analysis of pop culture is as true now as it was when the book was first released . Surprisingly though, a lot of these essays seem hopelessly dated which is crazy for a book that is only 4 years old. Just goes to show how much has changed in such a short time. 3/5

This surprisingly intense little book dives into various philosophical theories throughout history and attempts to apply the collected wisdom toward dealing with midlife, accomplishment, regret and mortality. Whew! There‘s a lot to absorb here. I‘m definitely recommending this to a few of my more philosophical pals. If pondering the meaning of life is your thing, snag this one! 5/5

Fantastic non fiction about Paris during the reign of Louis IXV “the sun king”. This intriguing tale exposes murder plots, the Paris underground and how the man appointed to the newly created position of “police chief” worked to clean up the city and bring a network of murders to justice. Great snapshot of 17th century Paris that reads like a mystery. Highly recommend 5/5

I was undecided about this “locked room” style mystery until the last 200 pages. (which flew by!) The writing is great, and the intriguing plot is peppered with relevant political commentary. The juxtaposition between commentary and mystery makes this book hard to compare to anything I‘ve read before. This is a translation from Finnish ( and I had to look a few things up) but I‘m glad I made the effort. 4/5

To my dearest bookclub pals, I absolutely applaud your commitment to broadening our horizons with diverse picks. I was intrigued to read a book that was billed as an “LGBTQ romance” but are you effing kidding me? I‘m curious to figure out why this made the list. In what world are gratuitous violent rape and torture scenes the prelude to romance? Anyone trying to pass this off as romance LGBTQ or otherwise, is off their rocker. 1/5

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant and scary as hell! Shirley Jackson is one of my favorite authors, and her famous ghost story is a terrifying tale of psychological horror presented through exceptionally crafted prose. Try to read this one during daylight hours! 5/5

I‘ve always had a weird obsession with the true crime case of Lizzie Borden and the infamous murders that occurred in Fall River in 1892. Schmidt does a brilliant job, weaving a nail-biting, page-turning, fictionalized narrative around the details of the crime. I highly recommend this one and if there are any true crime fans of the Lizzie Borden case out there, order this ASAP.. you won‘t regret it! 5/5

Damn!!! This was a fantastic book! Brilliant, tension filled narrative with lush detail and beautiful prose. An “on the edge of your seat” story arc that leaves you curious and frightened at the same time. Crazy genius musings about religion, truth, family and purpose. WOW.. it was so good that I got off my flight and just sat in the airport for 30 minutes finishing it before I get in the cab to head home. 5/5!!!

Hamid creates a remarkable narrative, employing clever plot devices to reveal the impact of our globalized, transient world. He explores themes of poverty, security and relationship all while uncovering what it means to feel like we belong to a place, a time or a “tribe”. I really enjoyed it! 4/5

I enjoyed the heck out of this fantastical steam punk- esque tale. Set in the 1850s, this book follows three English explorers on an expedition to Peru for the East India Company. The writing is dense, lush, descriptive and surreal in parts. I found shades of the Dark Materials trilogy in Pulley‘s writing, but found myself flashing back to reading “The Vorrh” as the novel progressed. Not everyone‘s cup of tea but I loved it. 5/5

I‘d recommend this book to anyone who would like to gain insight into how non-conformity can improve business success, and foster fundamental changes in society. This is mainly a “how to do business better” book, however i walked away with some profound insights on how to improve my creativity. 4/5 -because some of his conclusions were a bit subjective.

A fantastic overview of the history of philosophy! The collection of short profiles of various philosophers contains profiles of philosophers that I was very familiar with ( Socrates, Kant, etc) as well as ones I had never heard of. Well written, neatly condensed and simply presented- this book has me itching to dive deep into some original source texts. Highly recommend! 5/5

Ok kids, it‘s a wrap for me! My eyes are glazing over, I‘m no longer absorbing what I‘m reading and I ultimately lost too much time yesterday to make up on the last day. A massive, huge international high five to all you badasses out there that hit #24in48 this time around! 🙌🏻 @24in48 thanks for another fun event!!

Hour 36 challenge @24in48 - the oldest book in my collection from childhood? I inherited some of them but believe this has to be the oldest. I loved this book as a child and still encounter random snippets of its plot drifting through my brain on regular occasions. #24in48 I just hit 16 hours.. don‘t k ow if I‘ll make it but I‘m going to see how the day unfolds!

This book took me by surprise. I was not expecting an intense, violent gut wrenching story about the intersections of art and war, violence and sex. It was a bit too violent for me in spots, but I understand why it was part of the narrative. If you like intense writing that can charge you up with depression and anger? 5/5 @24in48 I‘m abandoning my tbr stack and diving into something lighthearted and fun #24in48 I need a sea change after this one!

After a day that did not roll out as I had planned, all it took was a great book to put me back on track. This one was a last minute grab off the tbr shelf- wow! .. way better than I was expecting. I‘ve got 70 pages left but have decided to get some sleep @24in48 I‘ll be back at my #24in48 challenge in the morning!

A quick nap detoured me from from #24in48 progress but I was glad to be refreshed enough to enjoy the stunning writing and philosophical observations in this exceptional novel. Rachel Cusk‘s insight and analysis of human suffering and frailty is spectacular. What a tour de force 5/5 @24in48 this one will be hard to top!

#24in48 hour 6 challenge. Best opening line “before the flight I was invited for lunch at a London club with a billionaire I‘d been promised he had liberal credentials” can‘t wait to start this one! @24in48 #24in48

Done with my first @24in48 book. This memoir was a fantastic, thought provoking insight into the role of women in society, why we chose the paths we chose and what and who leads us to those choices. It was a surprisingly quick read but impactful non the less. 4/5.. next up, more tea and some fiction! #24in48

Started my @24in48 journey with this great non fiction memoir. Loving it so far and wish i could awake longer, but I want to remember all the profound tidbits and my brain has started to rebel! See you all in the morning😇

I‘ve got so many tedious errands to run this weekend that I‘m pretty sure I won‘t be able to hit 24, but I‘ll have fun trying. Here‘s the stack! @24in48 #24in48 I might have to throw a non fiction in there to mix it up, but this is the stack I‘m launching with!

Calling all Scooby-Doo fans, or at least the ones who would enjoy a tale loosely based on the teenage detective foursome and their dog. The clever premise finds our meddling kids all grown up and reuniting for one last mystery. I enjoyed this one but admit there were some tedious scenes that dragged on. The writing was so self consciously clever in spots that it interrupted the flow of the tale, but I liked it anyway. 3/5

I thought this was a fun quick read. The author blends fact and fiction to create a clever narration perspective, but I‘m not sure that it entirely works. I really enjoyed his previous novel, “Magpie Murders”. I did not like this one as much. I would lend this book to a friend to read on a beach day, but I wouldn‘t buy it to give as a gift. 3/5

The rhythm of life in a small village, the cycles of nature, the stages of grief and the process of tragedy- Jon McGregor is an exceptional author and brilliant observer. This book was a poignant read and stirred up lots of feeling while provoking lots of lush imagery. That said, it dragged in parts and could have been shorter while remaining just as impactful. 3/5

What a great read! This was an incredibly clever “who dunnit” - ish novel. It‘s set in the distant future and plays around with the idea of a post apocalyptic authoritarian state, but the entire plot could easily be transposed to any era. Great beach read/page turner. 4/5

I‘m conflicted. There are parts of this book where the writing is great, there are parts where the story line is clever and creative. But there were also parts of this book that felt rushed, like I was reading the outline. Also, the story has some nastiness to it that I thought was out of place. Villains that were mean without cause or purpose. All told, I don‘t really recommend this book, and I don‘t know why. 3/5

I‘ll raise my hand right now and say I do not understand the hype on this one. The writing is good, but the characters are unlikeable jerks.I sorta felt they all deserved each other. This has been offered up as a contemplation of gender roles in society. I didn‘t see it that way. The characters in this book all seemed to embody a one dimensional aspect of some type of neurosis. Not my thing, but again, the writing is good. 3/5

Great beach read! I picked up this thriller at the Bay Area Book Festival and might never have otherwise come across “the queen of Icelandic noir”, author Yrsa Sigurdardottir. It‘s a well paced page turner, and I enjoyed the author‘s style though the translation was a bit clumsy in spots. 4/5

If you are an avid non fiction fan and love this period in history, you may love this book. I am interested in the history of Mary Queen of Scots, but found this book a bit tedious and slow. I discovered some intriguing facts, and learned more about the politics between England and Scotland, but it took Herculean effort for me to finish it. 3/5

When I was a kid, I loved reading Greek mythology. This book has all the familiar trappings of those classic tales, craftily woven into a fictionalized account of the life of the goddess Circe. I enjoyed every page of this book. I recommend it for all my fellow mythology fans out there! 4/5

Sweet little collection of short stories by the author of “All the Birds in the Sky”. I like to call her style “lighthearted dystopian”. These short stories are clever and enjoyable. Kinda like a small collection of twilight zone- esque tales. 4/5

Place, generations, love and loss- this is not the kind of book I usually gravitate toward. Luckily I hopped out of my box for “The Shipping News”. I really enjoyed this book and was blown away by the author‘s clever writing style. Her use of “inner voice” perspective delivers insightful revelations. She‘s able to conveys tremendous amounts of detail and feeling with perfectly chosen, succinct phrases. Yea, I wish I could write like this! 5/5

Outstanding non fiction! A gruesome unsolved murder in Victorian England? The first sensational murder in a “locked English country estate”? Yes, yes and YES! Countless writers from Dickens to Wilkie Collins were directly influenced by this crime. The author also traces the evolution of the mystery novel, and our obsession with them. (ok maybe just my obsession lol) @HardcoverHearts you would love this! Highly, highly recommend! 5/5

This turned out to be another good, but not great BOTM club pick. I enjoyed the story. I thought the plot was good, but it felt more like a TV show mystery than a “must read” novel. 3/5