I really thought I was going to like this more, but as you can see I've had enough.
Kate Morton is definitely a fine writer, but I'm finding DNF at 62%
I really thought I was going to like this more, but as you can see I've had enough.
Kate Morton is definitely a fine writer, but I'm finding this to be a whole lot of reading to get little forward motion going. And, with not a whole lot of enticing conflict happening, it's getting harder and harder to pick up and get immersed. I've read over 300 pages and with well over another 200 to go, I'm cutting my losses and moving on to something that will grab me better. I also suspect that I have already guessed at one of the secrets to be revealed...I'm heading for spoiler country soon. Also, with all the time changes and characters, I've had to stop frequently to remind myself who is who, who is this the daughter of, etc. Never a good sign, and probably a deficiency on my part.
During each reading session I've had, I've tracked about 20-30 pages. I just started a new book this morning and blew through the first 40 easily. 'Nuff said.
At this point it's pretty safe to say that John Boyne is my favourite author.
I have been waiting over a year now for his Elements novella series to seAt this point it's pretty safe to say that John Boyne is my favourite author.
I have been waiting over a year now for his Elements novella series to see this side of the pond for Kindle release, and I've only got a couple of months to go before all four novellas are available in one book. But sheesh, John. Have a word with your NA publishers, eh? It's been an agonizing wait. We love you here as well.
So in the meantime I've been dipping into some of his earlier works. Mutiny on the Bounty was next for me, and despite the fact that it wasn't a story I was keen on reading, nothing in my to-read list was calling out to me. I knew I was going to eventually read everything by him, so what the heck, I'll download the sample and see if it grabs me. And it did! Mutiny on the Bounty is told from the perspective of Captain Bligh's young servant, and I was pleasantly surprised with the Oliver Twist-like beginning to the story.
This didn't quite hit five star levels for me (although there were some parts that definitely did) but overall I'm feeling a strong four stars for it.
Leave it to John Boyne to hook me for over 500 pages with a story I didn't think I wanted.
I love me a good family drama saga, and being a hockey player, having a middle grade hockey team in the story is definitely a bonus. Unfortunately I hI love me a good family drama saga, and being a hockey player, having a middle grade hockey team in the story is definitely a bonus. Unfortunately I had my fill at 40%, where I DNF'd it.
I did enjoy the setting and story somewhat, and even the characters, but the writing quality was missing for me. A while back I wrote a review for Distant Sons, a crime novel by one of my favourite authors Tim Johnston. The reason he is one of my favourite authors, and I mentioned this in that review, is that he can take such a simple and inconsequential scene such as a man meeting his girlfriend's father, and make it riveting. Not by any key developments, but by little attentions to details that will make a scene unforgettable only for the feeling of the moment it gives you.
That wasn't happening here. There was a high level feeling to all of the scenes and they felt bland to me. When I'm reading a novel like this, it really is the little details that matter, and so I lost interest with the whole thing.
I'm a very fussy reader, so your mileage will vary, certainly. I suggest you check out more reviews than mine if this novel interests you. It is very popular, after all. ...more
For someone who is so selective on what to read next, I'm fairly embarrassed that I didn't know that this novel was middle grade until just after I boFor someone who is so selective on what to read next, I'm fairly embarrassed that I didn't know that this novel was middle grade until just after I bought it on my Kindle. Oh well, it's John Boyne, one of my favourite authors, so regardless, it's got to be pretty good anyways, right?
Right.
I didn't even think I was in the mood for another WWII story, but here we are. This short novel follows the story of Pierrot, a young French/German orphan who winds up in the care of his aunt, who is the head housekeeper in Adolf Hitler's Austrian retreat at the dawn of WWII. Although it is a simply written story, thus the middle grade classification, the novel does deliver a strong message about the nurturing of a young mind. And despite the middle grade classification, some very bad things do happen.
It's a very quick read and it scratched my Boyne itch for now. I am still anxiously awaiting the September release of his highly acclaimed Elements series, so it's highly likely I'll be reading another of his lesser known works before then. We'll see.
I don't think I've ever blown through a short story collection as quickly as this one.
I've loved every novel that Tom Perrotta has put out, with the eI don't think I've ever blown through a short story collection as quickly as this one.
I've loved every novel that Tom Perrotta has put out, with the exception of The Leftovers, which I have yet to read. What I love about this guy's writing is that he is so straightforward, his prose just flows so easily into my head, and his stories are composed of everyday suburbia.
This short story collection is no different. I don't tend to read a lot of collections, but for some authors I don't like to pass them up. The great thing is that these stories are all linked to one character, Buddy, who is growing up through the 70s. Tom Perrotta and I are the same age, and his perception of the 70s as a teen match mine very closely, which is the main reason I enjoyed this so much.
The stories are mostly inconsequential, and that's okay. Just being in the moment of them was highly enjoyable for me.
For a mood reader such as myself, is there anything better than a short novel I can blow through in two days? Woohoo!
Some of my favourite stories haveFor a mood reader such as myself, is there anything better than a short novel I can blow through in two days? Woohoo!
Some of my favourite stories have had the Vietnam War either at the forefront or as a backdrop. Movies like Coming Home, Platoon, The Deer Hunter, and excellent novels like Hearts in Atlantis, The World Played Chess, and Chances Are.
Every so often I'll search out novels that feature that war, and every time The Things They Carried is highly recommended, so I've had this one written down for a while. My wife and I have been watching Parenthood on Netflix and one of my favourite characters from the show is Zeek, patriarch of the Braverman family. Zeek is a Vietnam vet, and the other night there was a scene where he meets up with a fellow vet in a late night diner. This got me jonesing for another Vietnam story (mood reader alert), so I dropped the novel I was not enjoying anymore and loaded The Things They Carried onto my Kindle and started reading.
The only reason I've waited so long to read this is that I was under the impression that this was a short story collection. While the novel is structured that way, the stories do combine as a cohesive novel.
The writing is top tier. I am not interested in battle scenes. Not because I'm squeamish of them, but because the details of action cause my eyes to glaze over and I am put to sleep. I am interested in the human aspect of war, and it was brilliantly done in this book. There are scenes in here that I don't think I will ever forget. True horror, and it makes you realize why many veterans can't talk about the things that happened there. I am still shaken by two scenes in particular.
An excellent novel about a platoon in the Vietnam War, as advertised. Five stars....more
First off, present tense: I abhor it. It's impossible to avoid it as most newer releases have faDNF at 44%.
I absolutely hated the writing in this one.
First off, present tense: I abhor it. It's impossible to avoid it as most newer releases have fallen into this trend, and so I will endure it if the novel is good. When the novel surpasses expectations and is spectacular, the present tense miraculously vanishes from my consciousness.
Unfortunately in The Dreamers, the dreamlike quality of this present tense narrative, coupled with an overabundance of comma-separated phrasing (almost like I'm doing right now, admittedly), hung over me like a thick cloud from the onset. I knew going in that the novel doesn't have closure, and there are times when that is perfectly okay with me. Particularly when the writing is really working for me and I'm feeling for the characters.
In this case the writing wasn't working for me and that makes each page an effort when I don't care much for the characters and the storyline isn't grabbing me. So it was a no-brainer to stop and move on to something else. Too bad because I really enjoyed The Age of Miracles for her writing there. I hated this change in style. A big fat miss for me....more
I don't know exactly why I haven't read her until now. I guess I thought she was writer for women, or perhaps she was just too litMy first Anne Tyler!
I don't know exactly why I haven't read her until now. I guess I thought she was writer for women, or perhaps she was just too literary for my tastes. But recently I heard an author being interviewed, and it may have been Scott Turow, and he was asked what author was an automatic read for him, and he said Anne Tyler. Hmm, I says...
And so, based on what he said about her attention to detail where family dynamics are concerned, I decided to read The Accidental Tourist, for no other reason that it was the highest read book of hers on Goodreads. And so what do you know, she's not just a "writer for women", nor is she overly literary. Her prose is very readable, and her dialogues are very good, and her stories will appeal to everyone. In all the years I've been reading, I have gone through several genres as favourites. But the one constant criteria for a good read for me has always been character building and their relationships. Lately I have gravitated towards family dramas because it is a genre for which character building is paramount.
I enjoyed The Accidental Tourist quite a bit, although I don't think this is considered one of her best. Which is a great thing because even though plot-wise this one was rather lean, I really did like her writing for the most part, she made me laugh and ponder several times, and I'm left pretty darn excited to read a lot more of her.
I have had this book on my radar ever since I heard about it on the long gone Books on the Nightstand podcast 13 years ago.
Since then, it has been on I have had this book on my radar ever since I heard about it on the long gone Books on the Nightstand podcast 13 years ago.
Since then, it has been on and off my to-read list several times as each attempt to read it would be thwarted by any lukewarm or negative review I would come across. Yet I always knew I would read it some day, when it felt the right time.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when, on my walks, the podcasts I listen to are interviewing Karen Thompson Walker because of her third release, The Strange Case of Jane O. I should mention that one of the driving forces behind putting The Age of Miracles on my to-read list was because of all the favourable opinions I was hearing about her second novel, The Dreamers. And now, after hearing her talk about this latest novel, and her previous two, I really wanted to get off the fence and explore her novels.
The reason I enjoyed The Age of Miracles is simply because I loved how she just thought up this concept of the earth inexplicably beginning to slow its turning, and then have this as the backdrop behind a coming of age story of an 11 year old girl. I'm not going to spoil anything about the novel, but I can now understand why a lot of people rated it so low, or were ambivalent about it. And their opinions are valid. But I will say that sometimes the journey can be much more rewarding than the destination, as is the case with me and this book. I finished this book only this morning, but I think I can safely say that it will stick with me a very long time. Not because of any plot developments, but just the sense of being in this novel. Walker is a very good writer whose prose and dialogue flow easily making this not only a fast read, but she creates such a sense of place and the idea is so thought provoking that I thought about it all the time I was away from it.
I can't wait to dive into The Dreamers and The Strange Case of Jane O. She is a writer to be excited about by sheer virtue of her original ideas and how her characters deal with them.
With this caveat: This review was written in 2025 and a man who should be in prison now has been re-elected president of the US. He has launched a tariff war against the world, and wants to annex my country. Who knows how things will pan out, whether his party will turn against him or not (let's face it, this is the only way he can be stopped), but there is always hope that good will prevail. My point being, this is a pretty bleak landscape that Karen Thompson Walker has painted. You really should be in a good place before reading it. Despite some personal things and the state of the world, I can still look at my life as being pretty darn good and I'm in a good place for sure. Yet, this book really dragged me down emotionally at times, and I am glad to move on to something else. So, if you’re already anxious about the state of the world right now, this may not be the ideal time to read this. I would say that the ideal time for me to have read this book would have been at a totally carefree time, say, 16 year old me in 1978. Haha.
I'm giving this five stars because it was so affecting....more
Why the hell did I read this? What an overwrought, derivative mess.
I admit it. Despite promises to myself not to buy into hypes and to avoid celebrityWhy the hell did I read this? What an overwrought, derivative mess.
I admit it. Despite promises to myself not to buy into hypes and to avoid celebrity book club picks like the plague, I have failed. I bought into the hype and figured this was for me.
I didn't even heed the first sign of trouble, which was present tense narrative, which I abhor. I tell myself, yes, I hate it, but if this is an absolute non-starter, I will never read any newer releases. Everybody is doing it. And, not only was this present tense, but the novel tells the story from present day, the past, and the past before that, ALL IN PRESENT TENSE. GAAAAAHHHH!!! I know this doesn't bother most people, but this was so unwieldly clunky that it bothered me with every single sentence. There are some novels that succeed in making present tense slide by, like the marvelous Hunger Games, but this one failed for me big time.
I'm sure while you're reading this, you're wondering (as stated above), why the hell did he read this? Well, I was entranced with the story. I love family drama and this seemed to totally be my jam. The story structure was good, bringing us the story to present day, where a murder trial is about to commence. And the ratings. Despite my having been suckered in many times before, I was lured in my the huge ratings for this one. And it was short. Only 300 pages. And I didn't hate it all. In fact, my star ratings went up and down faster than the stock markets this week. Especially through 50% to 75% of the book. I couldn't put it down.
But geez...the final 25% of the novel threw down every cliche known to twisty dramas that I could see coming a mile away (but hoped I was wrong and be really surprised). What a predictable mess. I wish I hadn't wasted my time, and I vow to be more true to my reading instincts from here on out.
This novel got a lot of five star reviews from friends here that I trust, so hopefully my review doesn't seem insulting. I'm glad you folks enjoyed it. This one just hit me in all the wrong ways and I guess my tolerance for novels of this type has hit rock bottom.
I'm feeling one-star energy right now, but there was some good writing at some points so that would be unfair. So it's two-stars. Barely....more
I guess Count the Ways could be classified as Women's Fiction, but I really enjoy family drama for stories. I had seen quite a few raves for How the LI guess Count the Ways could be classified as Women's Fiction, but I really enjoy family drama for stories. I had seen quite a few raves for How the Light Gets In, a follow up to this one, and so I decided to give this a try.
I really enjoyed the story and how realistic things can happen to a family and how people deal with them, and how Joyce Maynard constructed the novel and how things were playing out were really working for me. For over half the novel I was quite sure that I would be giving this one four stars. Now that I am finished it I would throw it across the room if it wasn't on my beloved Kindle.
Oh, I've got things to say. I'm going to have to enclose a few of the things I had big problems with as they will be major spoilers.
Firstly though, let me address the writing. Perhaps it wasn't as bad through the first half, or at least I didn't notice, but the writing became painfully repetitive for the rest of it. Like really, really bad. She would mention the same occurrence or the same observance over and over and over and over and over again. And in a manner as if her reader were a child with the short term memory of a gnat. Also for the most part, the overall writing had way too much telling and not enough showing. Which I don't like. But, given the story developments below, I'm grateful to be spared the immersion.
Now for what bothered me about the story:
(view spoiler)[There was no way I could buy into Elijah reaching out to his father's ex-wife (Eleanor, who at this point was ostracized by the family), and they have just a lovely relationship. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[It's bad enough that Eleanor chose to stay mum about what had happened between Coco and Cam, I mean for someone whose children meant the world to her, to accept losing them just so she can protect their feelings about Cam? Give me a break. I confess that I am not a very forgiving person. But I can't imaging anyone falling on a sword like that. And come on. Who among us wouldn't feel the slightest bit of satisfaction of her ex-husband's wife cheating on him the way he cheated on her? So, bad enough for that. Even worse was when she chose to tell her 28 year-old daughter (Ursula, who, by the way, has just ended her silence by reaching out to Eleanor by telling her she can come and stay so she can "help with meals and diapers", oh boy!) the truth about Coco and Cam, and she becomes furious, doesn't believe her, and subsequently doesn't speak to her for years. And this was the NICE daughter, who just wanted everyone to be happy. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[And great touch having the character who was the kindest to Eleanor, hook up with Coco. Come on. (hide spoiler)]
Such stupid character developments, and it's a wonder I finished the book. But I had to see how it wrapped up. I wish I didn't.
Suffice it to say I won't be reading the follow up. Ridiculous....more
Stoner keeps popping up all over the place as a lot of readers' favourites. I've found myself in a bit of a reading slump, and so, after previous failStoner keeps popping up all over the place as a lot of readers' favourites. I've found myself in a bit of a reading slump, and so, after previous failed attempts (only a page or two admittedly), I decided to see for myself what the fuss was about. The main driver for me was that it was short and fairly cheap.
Well, indeed it's a very well written book. As the book is explained by pretty much everyone, it's simply the quiet story of the titular character whose life spans college years from 1914 to his career as a professor. Told like that it sounds rather dull, but you could say the same thing about Remains of the Day, another quiet novel about a proud butler during WWII.
For about the first third or so of the book, I must say that it was inexplicably engaging. But this feeling faded for me as Stoner's life played out.
Back to Remains of the Day for a minute: similarly, I was highly engaged in this novel that on the surface seems a dull story. But it was the subtle after effects that really took hold of me and I could not get that novel out of my mind. I still think about it. It was a brilliant five stars.
Stoner, on the other hand, really brought me down. This is not a happy story, nor is it a satisfying read, in my humble opinion. In fact, I have felt a dark cloud over my head since reading it yesterday (or perhaps this is simply due to Donald Fucking Trump). Whatever, I am going to be an outlier here and say that I wish I had found something else to read at this time.
Good writing, and this really should have been up my alley, but it wasn't.
I'm feeling two stars, but the writing did shine at times. So I'm bumping to three. ...more
The World Played Chess was one of my top reads a couple of years ago, so when this one came up, another wartime standalone by Robert Dugoni, I couldn'The World Played Chess was one of my top reads a couple of years ago, so when this one came up, another wartime standalone by Robert Dugoni, I couldn't pass it by.
Hold Strong is a fictionalized account of real events in the Pacific Theatre of WWII. Given the abundance of historical novels centering around this war, it's odd that there are so few that take into account the American POWs held in Japanese camps in the Philippines.
To say this one was harrowing is an understatement. Dugoni pulls no punches in his descriptions of the torture and misery endured by soldiers inflicted by the evil Japanese commanders who scoffed at the Geneva Convention's rules for the treatment of prisoners. The story follows two high school sweethearts finding their way as the effects of the Great Depression is still affecting their small town. Sam decides to join the National Guard to either make enough money to go to college, or learn a trade, and Sarah is a highly advanced math student who catches the attention of a highly secret war effort in need of her skills.
There were times in this novel I could not put it down. There were dilemmas at hand that were devastating. For this alone, I'm giving the novel five stars.
My only knock was the final part of the novel, in which the writing devolved into a simplistic style, with a lot of emotional territory told over and over again. At this point a lot of the suspense was over and I just wanted resolution done much quicker than he had done here. But the good parts of this novel were so good that I won't dock a star for it. This was an excellent story. Not for the squeamish, though. The worst things imaginable happen here and there are scenes I won't get out of my head for a while. Those poor men....more
My wife had read this a few weeks ago and she thought that I would also like it. She knows I enjoy character driven stories. Our tastes don't always alMy wife had read this a few weeks ago and she thought that I would also like it. She knows I enjoy character driven stories. Our tastes don't always align, but more often than not we enjoy the same books. Plus, this one was showing up on so many Best of 2024 lists that I couldn't ignore it.
Well, she was pretty right about this one. The story follows Phoebe, who, after dealing with being recently divorced, and more recently discovering her cat had died, checks into a seaside inn for one night where she plans to kill herself. Her arrival coincides with the arrival of a large wedding party, who have filled the rest of the inn. And the story takes off from there.
It really is a nice story with some laughs and some poignant moments, and I'm glad I read it. Will it be one of my top reads of the year? No. But I liked it enough to give it four stars. ...more
I was enjoying this somewhat for the first 30% or so, but unfortunately halfway through I was getting bored of the story. After reading some DNF at 55%
I was enjoying this somewhat for the first 30% or so, but unfortunately halfway through I was getting bored of the story. After reading some reviews that said the rest of the novel didn't change much from this point, I decided I was out.
I succumbed to the hype and lost $12. What got me were the comparisons to Sally Rooney's Normal People, which I enjoyed a lot, but unlike thaDNF at 43%
I succumbed to the hype and lost $12. What got me were the comparisons to Sally Rooney's Normal People, which I enjoyed a lot, but unlike that novel I just can't buy into any of these relationships and the characters. And I'm bored to tears. ...more
It's a bit surprising to me that I've let so much time go by before reading Liane Moriarty again.
Like a lot of people, my first read by her was the maIt's a bit surprising to me that I've let so much time go by before reading Liane Moriarty again.
Like a lot of people, my first read by her was the massively popular Big Little Lives, which I devoured. I then quickly went to The Husband's Secret, which I also devoured, both novels solid five star reads for me. After that, her other works didn't appeal to me, admittedly because I succumbed to mediocre reviews. Up until Nine Perfect Strangers, which unfortunately fell flat for me. And thus, Ms Moriarty fell off my radar for the time being.
Until this one. I couldn't ignore reviews that touted this one as her best since Big Little Lies, and I am very happy to say that those reviewers were right. Moriarty's story takes an enticing premise: aboard a crowded airline flight, an elderly woman stands up and proceeds to tell every person on board how they are going to die, and at what age. This is all you need to know going in. Obviously, she revolves this story around several key passengers, so there are a lot of characters to have in mind. Not only them of course, but also the supporting players in their lives. This could have been a confusing mess in the hands of an amateur, but Moriarty weaves this story (these stories) like the seasoned pro she is, and for the most part it is easy enough to digest.
It's not a short read, 500 pages, and while I would have liked it a little trimmer, I was highly engaged throughout the whole thing. I liked it a lot, and really liked how she landed the ending (Dad joke intended).
I'm pleased to give this five stars, and it's put her back on my radar. Perhaps I'll read What Alice Forgot one of these days.
I really love Emily St John Mandel's writing. My favourites of hers has been The Glass Hotel and Sea of Tranquility, both of which had been in my top I really love Emily St John Mandel's writing. My favourites of hers has been The Glass Hotel and Sea of Tranquility, both of which had been in my top five reads the years I read them. Station Eleven I enjoyed well enough to rate four stars.
Unfortunately this one, her debut, Last Night in Montreal, left me cold. Which is too bad, because I was loving it while reading most of it. Her writing is exemplary: just enough lyrical prose style to make you marvel, but not too much that it gets in the way of an absorbing read. But as far as the resolution of the story goes, it was very unsatisfying for me, and I was left feeling that although the writing was great, and the story was great, unfortunately the sum of its parts left me feeling depressed and left adrift.
You can't win 'em all, and it obviously worked for a lot of other readers, but I admire this lady's recent works so much I am not the least deterred to read The Lola Quartet, because I need to read everything by her.
Ultimately a miss for me, but it was great for a lot of it....more
I've got a passing knowledge of Russian history, but as far as all the players of a hundred years ago, I could ceYet another fine read by John Boyne.
I've got a passing knowledge of Russian history, but as far as all the players of a hundred years ago, I could certainly be better versed. Tsar Nicholas II, Anastasia, Rasputin, all of these names I know of, but I have never taken the time to read up on history and how things played out when the Bolsheviks revolted. I had vowed to read everything by John Boyne a while back as he is one of my favourite authors (if not my favourite, now), and this one was next on my list.
Certainly, Boyne has fictionalized some of the unknowns in this historical tale, but it was great to learn the gist of what went down all those years ago, with a cast of nicely developed characters. And, as I said, a lot of the knowns were unknown to me, so this whole story was fresh! (Embarrassingly fresh...I got undeservedly annoyed with my wife the other night for "spoiling" the ending for me, which should have been common knowledge. Embarrassing, yes.)
I will say that the story did take a while to get interesting to me, but once it did, I could barely put the book down.
Even though I wouldn't rate it as highly as others I have read by him, I still can't give this any less than five stars for how deeply engaged I was for the final third of the novel. Even though it was "spoiled" haha....more
DNF at 28% It's been a long time since I've read Wally Lamb, over 20 years, and recently I wondered why he had dropped off my radar for so long. I loveDNF at 28% It's been a long time since I've read Wally Lamb, over 20 years, and recently I wondered why he had dropped off my radar for so long. I loved I Know this Much is True so much that I vowed I would read a telephone book if he wrote it.
So I decided to rectify this. So many over-hyped books come out these days and they are mostly met with disappointment from yours truly. Best to dig back to the tried and true and read authors I know are great.
Well, he is a great writer, there is no doubt of that, and I was enjoying this one quite a bit. But it began to weigh on me. I read for escapism. Good or bad, whatever is going on in my life, I do need to check out of reality and immerse myself into an imagined one. But these days, emotional trauma is not something I want to escape to, especially for the two or three weeks it will take me to read this big novel. I knew what I was getting into with this novel, and I didn't think it would bother me as much as it did, but it did. And, I've read a couple of very helpful reviews saying that the story meanders a lot in the second half with backstory that few people cared about, and I am already hitting the wall with the meandering even a quarter of the way in.
No regrets, moving on. Just not the right book for me now....more