This is my first Agatha Christie and I will definitely be reading more of her work. This was a perfect mystery book - tight writing, distinct characters, and an ending I couldn't guess. I love the premise - 10 strangers stuck on an island, dying off one by one...

The writing and premise of this book are really great, and I enjoyed the beginning where Olivia is in the city. As the story progresses, however, I became frustrated at the lack of development or arc for the main character. She became too blatantly spoiled and obliviously self-indulgent for me to truly enjoy where this narrative went.

I say pick for this book, but it is mainly because this read challenged me to think about gender and power in new and interesting ways. As a novel, I think this had some issues and surprisingly wasn't that engaging from a narrative standpoint. The story definitely did not go in a direction I was expecting. There are passages that made this a great thought-provoking book, though.

I am a big fan of Liane Moriarty, but this is not one of her best. The secret is dragged out for too long and it's frustrating to read all the obfuscation. Once you know what happened at the BBQ the story gets better, but I wish it hadn't taken so long to get there.

I'm officially giving up on Zadie Smith. This is the 3rd novel of hers I've read and I haven't enjoyed any of them. I thought I'd try this one because so many people point to it as her best. I don't like her frenetic writing and the way she jumps all over the place. It just feels indulgent and boring to me.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and the quirky voice of the narrator but as the story went on I began to get frustrated and lose interest. It started to feel too pretentious and overly contrived to me. I did not like the European section.

Well-written short stories that offer unique male voices. I really liked Sometimes the Rain. I wish the stories were linked a little more than just through location, but I recommend this to short story fans.

Epic novel with great detail and wit. Boyne weaves this story together in an amazing, Dickensian fashion. Sad, but also feels very true and important. Highly recommend. It is big, but it reads quickly.

I liked this magical realist YA novel. The romance was written well and I got hooked by the story. I thought it slowed down too much at the end, but I really enjoyed it overall. Recommend to fans of YA fiction.

As I started this book, I didn't think I was going to like it, but once you get used to the short fragments it packs a huge emotional punch. Offill seems to capture the nature of marriage perfectly. Quick read, highly recommend.

I liked the themes of this novel and thought Pan handled the subjects of depression and suicide with respect and tact. I also liked the artistic viewpoint of the narrator. The book does read very young adult though in dialogue and a lot of interior questions. I missed more characterization of adults in the story. Main issue was that there is a twist that seemed to have a lot of questions and plot holes to me.

I'm in between a pan and a so-so because I do admire that Machado uses her writing to tackle tough subjects of feminism and women's bodies, but I didn't actually like any of the stories. It wasn't that I was grossed out or thought things went too far, I just found the stories to lead nowhere or veer into a vague space that I found frustrating. This is a common annoyance for me with short stories. Also, I hated the Law & Order fan fiction story.

At first I was really digging this book. The world is cool, there are tons of interesting science details, and the narrator's voice was entertaining. As the novel gets further into the plot, however, the story seemed like it couldn't make up its mind on where to go and so it zigzagged all over the place and was just generally confusing. I was sort of disappointed by the action of the plot overall.

This book is set in my hometown! I liked all the medical details in this novel and Martin has a good sense of humor. I think she stretched out the secret for too long, though, to the point where I didn't really care. Also, I couldn't really get invested in the plot because I didn't find the main love interest appealing in any way. He wasn't charming.

I have heard so many people rave about this book, but for me it was just ok. I commend Ishiguro for his commitment to voice and the interesting structure where he slowly peels back the layers underneath the surface of things, but it is a bit slow and dry. A well-done novel on a technical level, but it didn't particularly move me until the very end and sometimes actually put me to sleep while I read in bed.

I really wanted to like this because I loved the Martian but Weir cannot write in a female voice. It was cringeworthy to me. I found the concept and science in this cool, and that's definitely Weir's strong suit. Overall, though, Weir's writing ability is weak and it shows when he tries to add more characters/non-science plot. This also read like it was ready to go straight to screenplay, which I'm sure it will.

Ugh this book. At first I was thinking maybe the author's perspective was humorous and ironic, and I liked her anthropological take, but no. This is an excuse for the author to brag/complain about her ultra-privileged life simultaneously. My main takeaway - there is no limit to the human ability to be miserable and feel sorry for oneself.

Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors, but this was not my favorite of her books. As always, the writing is beautiful, but it felt like there was way too much trying to happen in this novel, resulting in almost nothing happening in reality. I wish the characters had been narrowed and the focus had been tightened onto a few key ideas.

This book was SO GOOD! If you are a fan of fantasy like Name of the Wind, then you need to get this book. I stayed up late reading it and can't wait for the next installment. Such a unique world with magical djinn in the Middle East and I loved the main characters.

I love Ann Patchett and her writing voice and this memoir was no exception. This is a beautiful (if sometimes graphic and heart-wrenching) retelling of Patchett's 20-year friendship with the poet Lucy Grealy. As an aspiring writer, my favorite part was following along with the career trajectories of both of these literary women. A great memoir.

I had really high expectations for this book and really wanted to love it. The premise is great and the book starts out well. I thought Simon's chapter was a bit graphic, but also poignant and the character it felt like Benjamin connected with the most. The other chapters felt far-fetched and one-dimensional to me. Overall I didn't like the direction in which Benjamin chose to take the book.

Even though there was a diabetic character, which is cool, this thriller didn't hold together for me. I found the way that the kids go missing on the cruise pretty implausible (when I think there were lots of other plausible options) and the actions and motivations of the characters confusing. The book also reads very light like a beach read, but covers dark topics and events, which feels kind of disconcerting in this particular scenario.

I didn't like this book as much as the first, I think mainly because there were a lot of fight scenes that felt slow to me, but it was still a very solid read. I love this setting/world, and Arden does such a good job of weaving actual historical research into fantasy. I will be excited to continue the series when the third book comes out.

This series was one of my all-time favorites as a kid and I hadn't reread any of the books since back when I was a child. I picked this up in preparation for the movie. I do love this story and how weird and unique it is. It really was before its time in so many ways. It is funny to read it as an adult now, though. Your perspective changes a little. It felt more solidly a kids' book than the Harry Potter series, which is awesome at any age.

I really enjoyed this fantasy tale and am excited to read the recently released sequel. Vasya is a great heroine and the setting of medieval Russia, where paganism and Christianity clash, is super interesting. It's definitely well-researched by the author. Certain parts were slow and the ending got a little messy, but I liked the way the novel concluded. Makes me intrigued for what happens next.

I was expecting to like this book a lot more than I did. The writing felt overladen with details, which made it hard to read, and overall it just felt like the author was more interested in description than plot or character. There was too much going on in the novel and the story went in some strange and unbelievable directions toward the end.

This book had a great premise but by halfway through it felt like it abandoned all that potential for a more random and jumbled storyline. Certain secrets were given away too soon, and most of them weren't very interesting, just sad/depressing. By the end I felt like there were a lot of plot holes, the many characters weren't being put to good use, and ultimately there wasn't much intrigue or meat behind the mystery.

I love food and everything about it - including food shows and memoirs, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this book. My favorite aspect was seeing what goes into being a food critic and the behind-the-scenes look at every review Reichl features here. At times the characters and their import seemed a bit exaggerated, but overall really good.

Continue to be mesmerized by these books and Ferrante's writing, though this is my least favorite in the series so far. The plot moves a little slower, there is the least amount of interaction between Elena and Lila directly, and I was frustrated with some of Elena's choices. Still, there is so much here that is good, especially discussions of feminism and motherhood, and the way political activism plays out differently between the classes.

Book Two of the Neapolitan Novels is just as good as the first. I was absolutely hooked and had to finish it, staying up until past one in the morning. Elena Greco as first person narrator is pure mastery. You are frustrated with her, happy or sad for her, but she always feels so real. Still loving the series so far.

Loved this book. Totally lives up to the hype I've heard about the Neapolitan Novels. It took me a few chapters to really get into it, but then I was totally hooked. I loved the first person voice of the narrator and it's such a rich cast of characters. Going right to Book Two next!

I thought I was fairly well-informed and socially conscious before I read this book but Coates's essays offered me a great perspective I feel like I've never been fully exposed to before. Reading this was like having a blurry picture enhanced and clarified, a whole new level of understanding. A great book to learn more about the many different forms of America and the danger of mythologizing history.

I was completely ignorant of this tragic period in US history and, after reading this book, feel like the Osage Reign of Terror is woefully absent from history books. Thanks to Grann for bringing attention back to this story. The evil and injustice repeatedly done unto the Osage people is truly appalling. A well-told, well-organized nonfiction book.

Really enjoyed this epic novel. The narrative and historical context were so interesting and Lee's writing was completely immersive. This type of book was exactly what I needed - a sweeping story with lots of emotion and great characters. Couldn't put it down. It is one of those books that is so vivid it's like you're watching a movie in your head.

I think more of us could use Greg Boyle's perspective on the world and his practice of boundless compassion. I appreciate his approach to ministry (inclusion, acceptance, understanding). This book helped me recognize the ways in which I close my heart off to others and let fear, anger, and skepticism win. Amidst a violent world, Boyle reminded me to always look towards hope and redemption as the way forward.

I was expecting something different from this book, I think I was waiting for a more intimate portrait of the victim that never came. I felt like the author wasn't sure about what they were trying to say with this memoir and it was frustrating structurally.

I like Celeste Ng's writing style a lot and I think this was an even better book than her first. This is a great family/community portrait and character study that could lead to some interesting discussions for a book club meeting.

It takes a commitment to get into this book, but it's worth it to hang in there. Once the characters and concept start coming together, it's a cool take on the alien sci-fi story and I really enjoyed the ending. I hear book #2 is even better, so excited to pick that one up soon.

Looks like I've been on a bad reading streak lately. This book has a lot of potential built in to its premise, but it doesn't deliver. Maybe it has to do with the translation, but this read like a YA book. I also thought the structural choice to move backwards and forwards in time took all the narrative tension out of the story.

I hadn't read any Backman books before though I've heard a lot about him. I didn't love this. It just felt a little too cheesy to me and not super funny. Kinda like a Hallmark movie or something. I know some people like that type of book now and then, but it's not for me.

I enjoyed reading this nonfiction tale, mainly because the story of the firefighters and the arson investigators was so fascinating. I think Hesse tried to make this into a broader social commentary, which seemed like a stretch, but the story itself and the community are super interesting.

Smith is such a great writer, but I think there was way too much going on in this book. The interchanging plots didn't meld and inform each other, but rather distracted and confused the novel. I think Smith should've focused more on the main friendship and mothers and left the celebrity/school storyline for another book.

This is a fascinating and complex life story, so it was worth the read to me. At points, though, the writing could be repetitive and overly detailed, which made it feel a bit slow.

This is a great read for exploring black history in Ghana and America over the last 200 years. The expansive perspective of following the descendants of one family really creates this unique picture of how people end up where they do and the many factors involved in that story. I wasn't always narratively or emotionally pulled in by all the chapters, but I do recommend.

Really liked this short story collection. Marra weaved these stories together so well that it actually felt more novel-like than some of the vignette style novels I've read. The subject matter is super sad and dark, but Marra's writing is just so beautiful. I really enjoyed following some of the characters.

Very important read - everyone should pick this up. By following eight families facing eviction, Desmond demonstrates the systemic injustices and policy inefficiencies people living in poverty face that keep success and stability always out of reach. This is a crucial part of the actual conversation we should all be having about opportunity and inequality in America - no partisan distractions, just real stories about real people.

This was a quick read and I really enjoyed it. I think Gilbert had some good pointers on attitude and perspective for creatives, as well as some good anecdotes. Sure, it is a little cheesy at times, especially if you don't go for the whole spiritual, grand coincidences thing, but mostly there's a lot of practical advice that I found motivating. I've put some of it to use already. Sometimes I need an inspiration read!

Parts of this book were funny and cute, and I liked how Ruth and her younger brother had such different experiences of their parents. Overall, though, the book never grabbed me. I found the narrator (Ruth) to be emotionally blank and too passive. I would zone out while reading quite a bit and was mainly just bored, I think because the voice was too neutral.

Really enjoyed this book! I love how Weike Wang's writing style is so sparse but can get to the emotional heart of an experience so well. Also, the interspersed science and math facts throughout the book added to the character and were also super interesting. Blew through this one. Very unique, one of my favorites for the year so far.

Really enjoyed reading this one. Rivers sets up a lot of suspense through the pacing of the story and creates a sense of eeriness and fear over the whole wartime setting. Such a great premise. I also thought this was a great take on an epistolary novel and she uses some clever techniques to keep it interesting.