Really good book, not fantastic, but if you like conspiracies and true crime this is for you! This could have delved deeper into native relations at the time, so the whole thing unfolds as a white savior story- saving the indigenous from not only the “baddies” but also themselves- enter the fledgling FBI. The real culprit here is the guardian system imposed on the Osage by the US fed.

I‘m not one for short stories, but this collection is the exception. It is really really good- each story is engaging and plumbs depths of universal themes that question identity. A beautiful must.

Found this one to be too much of a slog- granted there are super bits but the sum of the parts did not make a cohesive whole. I always felt there was a bigger structure Gold was alluding to, but if it‘s there I couldn‘t grasp it. I dragged myself to the end with the hope that it would come together. It never did.

Where the book I read previously was a slog, this reads like candy- not the type to rot your teeth! This is the healthy kind that has some hard bits, is sweet and easy and ultimately satisfying. Happy holidays!

It has been a while!
Nice mix of story and art- indigenous stories, punctuated by real life events, cool commentary and wickedly eye opening timelines- a good move to truth Abe reconciliation.

So I liked it- lots of tidbits that provoke a chuckle and be gobsmacked about- so why the middling rating? Some chapters rambled to the point where I would pop out of a droll anecdote wondering why was I reading this… but not really feeling like time was wasted just a bit lost in the meanderings of the author.

The completest in me continued this one to the end, and, though by no means a waste of time, Riggs‘ writing seems to get tired, and the story line unravels predictably with a “Harry Potter Runner-up” feel to the climax and bad guys. All in all,some good scenes but sloppy YAL, as Riggs tries to pack everything in for the final salvo in this series.

I‘ve been picking this book up every so often and reading a touch of dated wit that left me with a chuckle and little else. This isn‘t entirely the book‘s fault- my memory is sieve when teaching! So this is a worthwhile read as a historical doc and a good thought tool; I was marked by the prophetic nature of the final interview. This man was more important than history is allowing I think. Only so-so because it‘s dated.

Lovely and sweeping- a story that held me even with papers and notes of my students to read…certainly one of the reasons that what made this so beautifully diverting!

A book that has you thinking about religion, culture, “fake news” and the forces that drive it, and superstition. The setting in 1850‘s Ireland obscures some of this, taking these broad topics and reducing them down to intimate levels, so the story wobbles along disguising it‘s archetypes in (sometimes too mundane) details. Strong 3 1/2 stars ⭐️.

This throws some twists and turns like Atkinson‘s later work, but is a bit loser in its construction; bit like the written version of a Jane Austin-esque Masterpiece Theater sciFi adaptation… thoroughly enjoyed it!

I thought this one was even better than Station Eleven. Nuff said.

This is nice light summer fare- it‘s like reading a myriad of flash fiction and the imagination of Poore runs deep enough not to bore, but somehow not too original either. I don‘t regret the read, but take it for what it is.

The story is great with just enough detail, to let your own imagination fill in the dystopian horrors- both social and environmental. But best is the writing style- observant, compassionate, allowing enough poetic description to wonder but never heavy handed, with a thrill of pace that keeps picking up until the end.

There is the Irvine Welsh stamp of good writing on this one, but the story (thankfully in a way) wraps up too neatly- bad gets bad and good triumphs. And because of this, I feel Welsh went on a Floridian fishing trip to get Hollywood execs‘ attention trolling for a movie deal- still an exceptional read!

This one is much better than #4- obviously it picks up the threads of the story, but this installment keeps a wicked pace going which forgives the “Enid Blyton” moments…

The first hundred pages are really just review in a weird Harry Potter-esque way- pretty unnecessary by my count. Things start humming along though as Riggs gains his stride and introduces us to the American Peculiars and, not to spoil, makes me want to read the next two books. I certainly think he is priming these next installments for a Miss P sequel which takes the shine off a bit, but the movie like writing is also part of it‘s charm.

You know how it‘s going to play out but the heartbreak is real and their rock and roll legacy is there somewhere between the lines. I guess. Definitely a fun read if you‘re a fan of the band.

This was a slower read than its companion book, but Atkinson is in fine form, with woven details making each chapter a meal of a read- the ending a bitter-sweet palette cleanser; it all falls into place.

Quick read with the familiar Haig story voice if you‘ve read the Humans or How to Stop Time (both I‘d say are better books). I did finish it, so I can‘t say it‘s all bad, but this is a predictable read employing less imagination. A bit Bridget Jones gone way depressed shaken out of it by a multiverse cut from Marvel cloth that only exists in the quantum mind... I feel Haig has a publisher that never says no, and this book proves it.

This one meanders and pauses and encourages reflection but ultimately slips out of the hand unsatisfactorily. I‘ve been reading 1984 at the same time, and there are definite parallels, but this feels like a sketch and there are obvious plot quirks- like how can just a voice write- that undercut my buy in as a reader.

This finds Ondaatje in fine form; somewhere between the more straightforward English Patient (a good read, syrupy film) and Anil‘s Ghost that has me still scratching my head; this is not nostalgic like Cat‘s Table, but rather skirts the issue in the warlight of the books title.

This should really be 4 and 1/2 stars. I loved the writing style and the various scenes that developed into a series of “adventures”. The 1/2 star is lost in the book‘s connection to biblical imagery only because it became tiresome at one point in reading where I felt almost compelled to make definitive sense of the books events and their biblical corollary. In the end I couldn‘t be bothered... does that make me one of the evaporating adults...

As an extra part of the series this unfolds beautifully to add detail to the texture of the grander narrative of the series- good also to see secondary characters unexpectedly return in ways you should have expected.

I thought this was a beautiful book with the mix of humor and tragedy, and wisps of magic realism that kept me wondering. I‘m surprised so few Littens have taken to it...

I‘ve been dabbling off and on for months with this amusing collection of jazzy short stories after I read a Gertrude Stein poem about Anderson. Well worth the read to feel electrified by a bygone era.

As far as the series goes this is a stellar book with plenty of loss and redemption. I am just in awe how this writing duo generate such good storylines that look like they can‘t possibly hold together but in the end wrap up in such a satisfactory way- not always happy but “right”.

One thing I love and always have to remember about this writing team, is their ability to pivot a story whilst throwing wrenches and curveballs every which way into their plots- with enough moving pieces you‘d expect it all to go to pot, but these authors have the literary dexterity to right the ship and reweave their story threads into a better version than my expectations of before. It‘s bananas!

This is a powerhouse of a book- and most certainly for those who understand the love of hockey- BUT don‘t think this is a hockey book. The writing is superb, evocative and authentic encouraging me to find solace and heal where so much anger should be holds the value for forgiveness above the destruction of revenge. Books like this enlighten and offer clarity- should be on everyone‘s TBR pile.

Yeah... hmmm... huh? ... whoa...wow...ugh?!... hmmm...zzzz...wha..? I‘m sometimes glad I read ... challenging for sure... dark, wicked, raw... yeah... hmmm...huh?Yeah!

A divergent group of people all with their own baggage and personal histories masterfully drawn together. Into the malstrom of an explosive celebration, Orange repeatedly shows how “families” are torn apart and hints how they (through tragedy) can come together.

I‘ve finally been able to finish a book! What with teaching and reading papers and this whole pandemic thing, where does the time go?!

The writing style of this is great, and each section flows very well with its own rhythms and character motivations. But the drama of their interconnectedness feels a bit fleeting, tenuous, and sometimes forced. I tried to make due with the threads Benjamin gave, but that just made me hope for more.

I‘m still wiping the tear from my eye, even if reviews had forewarned me! The story is heartbreaking on numerous levels and it‘s installment like structure broke the tension with “true accounts”- the last of which is the most heartbreaking of all.

I was surprised by this one- described as the love child of Bridget Jones and Americanah- this was a rough emotional ride at times. It had some humor and fluff, but the core is a tight story of race, and mental health- with breakdown and rebuild. Perceptive and heartwarming and hard to put down even though at times it was hard to watch the train wreck of a protagonist.

This hits all the good points and tickles the brain enough to get one thinking- this book is on the good side of fluff. And if you liked this one you‘ll love his latest “How to Stop Time”!

I was a bit disoriented and disappointed with the beginning because it felt like more of the same only now, because of the 30 year gap between this and the previous book, with added geriatric complaint by characters getting older. There is that, but oh so much more! Corey knows how to keep the fish on the line and then reel them in and land them home- this might have been one of the best in the series because it was such a departure!

A graphic masterpiece with the story to back it up.

Sweeping, contemporary and epic; this is a great companion piece to the much angrier “Between the World and Me”, giving equal enlightenment in fictive form. That said its distance softens the poignancy and punch, with a satisfyingly romantic end that makes me realize that this has been a love story all along... and why shouldn‘t it be?

Powerful and right for the times but not righteous- an eye opening look at motivations that I can only empathize with as, reading this, I find myself shaken from the Dream and realizing that dream is so deeply flawed.

It‘s a bit of a heartbreaker, but King‘s humor makes this a terrific and poignant read- especially considering the times we are living in! It gives focus to this activist- letting me know what we can and should be fighting for and why we should be fighting.

Gotta love rock-n-roll! But the late seventies without the idea of emerging punk rock seems a little foreign to me... this will make a great tv miniseries! Not much more to say- mic-drop.

Excellent and distracting read- love the jump through time and characters weaving a full story that lucky for this reader comes to a satisfying end. Summer reading cocktail: one part “High Fidelity”, 2 parts “Fleishman is in Trouble”, a generous splash of anything Irvine Welsh- stir vigorously and garnish with a wit of time. Enjoy!

An excellent read that with a mystical thrill, added details to the life under slavery that did well in revealing the horrors of that oppression. So powerful at points that I am more than willing to forgive any sap or predictability as I steel myself for his other book: “Between the World and Me”.

This book hits the plot tarmac at a furious pace and keeps the twists and turns coming through what feels like a thriller-esque memoir. For fear of spoiling this exceptional read, I won‘t say more than the final twists take this book in a very different and contemplative direction- can division be reconciled?

Not really what I was expecting, but this book‘s perspective captures the pioneering spirit that the new emigres through the gate have. There might be a bit too much “ here it‘s like this, there it‘s like that” between the new world and Earth, but by the end the evolutionary possibility the main character has is as much physical as, more importantly, psychological. This steps out of the Expanse universe, but a good read for the fan.

I had a issue figuring out where this one fit in. This novella is really a filler piece giving unnecessary background info for the sake of fleshing out a part of the Expanse universe that needed the least elaboration- the books had already done a great job depicting what type of psychopath developed the protomolecule- we had Dresden! The story does point to some plot threads but that hardly makes this one worth it.

#dogsoflitsy she‘s a cutie! Sporting her DIY trim with poise.

It is a bit misleading to, as the person who recommended this book to me did, compare this with Lord of the Flies. This is not nearly as direct a book as that- more like the female love child of George Orwell ‘s “Burmese Days” and “LotF”. By the end I was deeply invested, but felt wading through the overly imagistic first half laborious...

Bit too short... but oh so good... these short fiction nuggets in and of themselves are great distractions but if you‘re a fan, they give great perspective on a world I have a hard time getting enough of... more more more!

This is a bit of a teen-Expanse novella- and since this brand of action Sci-Fi is steeped in rock-em-sock-em writing- don‘t get me wrong, I‘m a fan, but this stuff is not Tolstoy- this one is almost too much even for this fan.