My Top Ten Books I've Read in 2024:
#10: The Most Dangerous Thing By: Laura Lippman
This was so not what I expected! In reading it I felt it was an interesting story of childhood friends growing older and apart. This lulled me into a sort of complacency so that the ending of the story sucker punches you in the worst and best ways! Tautly written and told from several point of views this thriller is as deceptive as it is simple.
#9: The Midnight Library By: Matt Haig
A dark novel that takes on depression and life through the lens of the themes of The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life in a unique and wholly original way. Quite stunning in it's beauty and simplicity.
#8: The Art Thief: A Ture Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession By: Michael Finkel
An unbelievable tale of a real-life art thief, who is unlike any art thief you could imagine. Stealing in broad daylight from occupied museums, auction houses, art faires and churches simply to admire the art. Not to fence it and make money. Reading about his crimes is truly extraordinary. Finkel's way of presenting the information without judgement is an amazing feat of reporting and writing.
#7: A Little Life By: Hanya Yanagihara
A very difficult book to get through. A great number of unlikable or difficult characters to have to sit with, and yet completely engrossing. A story of a decades long friendships, love and loss. This novel is not for the faint of heart. There is massive trauma discussed (in great detail) which makes for uncomfortable reading. The psychological issues at play are deep and complicated, for the characters, and the reader. Yet at it's core this is a story of love-deep love, that goes beyond friendship, that goes beyond romantic love, beyond parental love. Quite a stunning book!
#6: Lionhearts By: Nathan Makaryk
This is the second book in the Nottingham series, and there had better be a third book!! This continuation of the re-imagining of the Robin Hood myth is better than the first book, which by the way, was amazing! The writing is sharper, the human and humane aspects of the characters are more focused and the action is stunning. The sociological points interwoven into the narrative are wonderfully and subtly done. Pay particular attention to the writing in Chapter 61-it is the most brilliant, haunting and harrowingly beautiful depiction of what it's like to be in the midst of a war from the viewpoints of the people in the field. AMAZING!!!
#5: The Winners By: Fredrik Backman
The conclusion of the Beartown series, is just as brilliant, as the first two books. Backman has an extraordinary ability to create not characters, but people. The populations of Beartown and Hed are living, breathing, feeling flawed and wonderful people, and we, the reader, have been lucky enough to visit with them. We've been moved by their tragedies, we've been amazed by their selfishness and immaturity, horrified by their lack of humanity, and awed by their humanity. Backman is an astonishing conduit of the human condition and we are all the better for his work.
#4: The Candid Life of Meena Dave By: Namrata Patel
Oh, what a delight it was to spend time with Meena and the residents of the Engineer's Building! If you haven't read this charming, moving and delicious novel about coming into one's own and the meaning of family, then you have missed out on one of the great joys in life!
#3: The Snow Child By: Eowyn Ivey
Not what I was expecting at all! This should have been a depressing, and bleak story, and it was anything but! A retelling of a popular Russian fairy tale, The Snow Child is written with such tenderness and love that despite the action in the book, the reader always feel light, joy and hope. A tender and loving handling of beautiful characters in challenging circumstances make this a wondrous read!
#2: All Sinners Bleed By: S.A. Cosby
This deserves 10 stars!!! Cosby's beautiful choice of words and phrases are a perfect counterpoint to the very real darkness, anger and violence in his stories. Titus is a protagonist everyone can, and should get behind. Like all of Cosby's other works, you'll want to read straight through to the end, while at the same time resisting the urge to do so, because you don't want it to end. Cosby's work is necessary, real and all around perfect!
#1: Falling and Drowning By: T. J. Newman
Falling: I can't even express how brilliant this book is! Original in it's premise, this is a thriller that will stay with the reader for a long time. Exceptional characters that you will fall in love with, tension that will ratchet up your blood pressure, moments or levity, terror, suspense, hope and overwhelming joy (sometimes all within the span of two paragraphs), will make you want to read quickly to find out what happens next, and yet will make you want to put the book down so you an calm yourself and catch your breathe. I haven't read a thriller that has affected me so much in quite a long time. If you haven't read this book, do so!
Drowning: Damn, T.J. Newman can write a story!!! No Sophomore slump here. As with her first book , this second one starts off with a bang... a literal one as a plane's engine explodes, and Newman keeps exploding her plot as the reader gets sucked into the story. Relentless in it's pacing, Newman's story is populated with everyday people, who become extraordinary because of the circumstances with which they are forced to deal. With only two books under her belt, Newman has mastered the art of creating vivid characters and her imagination and storytelling ability are outrageously brilliant!
This one was okay. I felt the love affair was completely unnecessary and didn't add to the story. It was predictable in it's outcome, and I was rooting for the "bad" guys to triumph.
A treatise on the definition and meaning of bullshit. A bit tongue in cheek and ultimately total bullshit!
A poetic and achingly beautiful tale of what family means; what home means and finding oneself literally and figuratively in the most unlikely of lives. Just beautiful!
I can't believe I was sitting here sobbing over a mouse!! I keep coming back to the dignity and humanity in King's work-and i think it is beautifully on display in the last installment of The Green Mile. This series/story is one of King's best!
This installment is nerve wracking and heartfelt. King, once again demonstrates the dignity and humanity in his characters in this deeply moving story.
I don't think I've hated a character as much as I hate Percy!!! This harrowing installment is almost too much to take, but King deftly keeps you riveted while turning your stomach at the same time.
Each installment of this story, is gripping a little creepy, and yet very moving.
To pack such detail, character development and atmosphere into such a short span of pages, is amazing enough, but to do that and leave the reader wanting more is what makes King such a brilliant storyteller! Can;t wait to dive into the second book!
All the stories in this book are pulled from True Detective, so the writing of each story tends toward the sensational, but the cases are fascinating none the less. Could have done with less typos and an introduction from the editor as to why these partcular stories were chosen, a brief history of children and violence...something.
It seems odd to say what a fun read this is, considering it's about a murderer for profit, but, fun really is the only word I can use. Told in a light and jaunty style of reportage this book outlines the life and crimes of Thomas Griffiths Waineright. Waineright thought himself a gentleman and really did hobnob with the literati of the time, and Dickens saw him in his cell in Newgate Prison, and years later wrote a short story based on an aspect of this case. Really, a quick and fun read!
An unbelievable tale of a real life art thief, who is unlike any art thief you could imagine. Stealing in broad daylight from occupied museums, auction houses, art faires and churches simply to admire the art. Not to fence it and make money. Reading about his crimes is truly extraordinary. Finkel's way of presenting the information without judgement is an amazing feat of reporting and writing.
I'm pretty sure that I've read this book a long, long time ago, becahuse the short mysteries were very familiar. Regardless, theses shorts really showcase Sayers' mastery of the mystery genre. Brilliantly plotted and inventive with her signature wit these are the perfect introduction to two of her greatest characters. Lord Peter Whimsey and Montague Egg couldn't be more different yet the are both perfectly suited for amateur sleuthing. Lord Peter is the more well know, but Mony Egg is my favorite. How she ties in his job as a traveling salesman to his ability to sniff out clues is deliciously clever. I highly recommend this collection.
It took a bit for me to get into this story, but I think that was more making the mental switch from the previous book I read which was set in 1953 Hollywood, to this one which is set in 1980s Japan. A twisted set of mysteries, beautiful settings, fascinating insight into Japanese customs and a lot of sly wit made this a really fun read.
God I Love this series. The third in the Archer series, Dream Town takes place in 1953 Hollywood, with all of the glitz, glam, fakery and back-stabbing you'd expect, plus Baldacci's richly detailed characters and superbly plotted mysteries. A fantastic read!
I'm probably in the minority on this one, but I did not like it at all. I didn't care for any of the characters, I didn't care for how the story was structured (I don't know if that is a fault of the original or the translator), I felt it was way too long. It wasn't helped by bringing up plot points that were dropped and never discussed and/or resolved. What made this especially disappointing was the fact that I read and LOVED Someone to Run With by the same author.
Of all of Sondheim's works, Assassins is my 2nd favorite (Sweeney is my top one-what does that say about me?!). The truly sad statement about this show is that the feelings/thoughts/hurts expressed by the characters in this show, as still relevant, if not more so than when the show was originally done 30+ years ago!
I'm sure that when I bought this 30+ years ago it was for prurient reasons. Now that I have some age, life experience and what I hope is maturity and wisdom I can appreciate this collection of short stories for their literary merit. An extremely diverse, well curated collection of stories by gay men about gay men. Each story is unique in its perspective, it's angle of attack and its focus. Some really great reads in this collection.
A beautifully curated set of creepy tales to read late at night!! Some are completely creepy, others let your imagination do a lot of the work, and still others have a great deal of heart. There really is something for everyone in this collection.
This was so not what I expected! In reading it I felt it was an interesting story of chiildhood friends growing older and apart. This lulled me into a sort of complacency so that the ending of the story sucker punches you in the worst and best ways! Tautly written and told from several point of views this thriller is as deceptive as it is simple.
Embarrassed to admit that I've never read this piece of Americana-I'm glad I finally got around to it. Deceptively simple in its premise and staging this piece is rich in heart and depth. A slice of life piece that is so effective in its languid simplicity.
I realize I'm not the target audience for this book, nor would I have been the target audience for it back int he 40's when it came out, but I found this to be exceedingly charming! I can totally picture a young girl reading this in the 40's and being entertained, excited and empowered by the characters and the story. I have no idea how I ended up with this book in my apartment, but I'm glad I found it.
An absolutely hilarious and raunchy romp through the life of fictional tramp, Heidi Abromowitz. I defy anyone to read this and not hear Joan Rivers' voice as you read! Despite the smut and raunch, if you read closely, you will see that this whole book is an illustration of Rivers' whip smart intelligence!
I was privileged enough to read this novella in a serialized form prior to it's publication. Each chapter was emailed to me by the author; one chapter a week. As this was a thriller, the suspense and OMG moments were heightened because I had to wait a week. This seldom practiced form of storytelling telling/publishing should be brought back as far as I'm concerned. The heightened suspense, the having something to look forward too made this reading experience incredibly special!
I bought this for my husband who is a water aerobics instructor, and thought I'd give it a perusal. With easy to follow instructions it lays out some wonderful exercises to do safely and effectively in the water. Could have done with a bit more editing to fix the typos, missing and/or extra words, but still a handy guide for anyone interested in aqua exercising.
This is the first book in the Archer series. I actually read the second book before this one, so I was well aware that Archer survives. Its a sign of brilliant storytelling, that despite, knowing he makes it to the second book, I was on the edge of my seat and worried throughout this book!
I was expecting some gory horror version of a fairy tale, and there was far less of that in this fantastic tale than I was anticipating. Instead, what I got was an absolutely beautifully told story of a boy coming into his own. A redemption story of sorts, wrapped in its own fairy tale using famous fairy tales as it's not so subtle vehicle. Don't let the size of this book intimidate you, you. will fly through it, like a monarch butterfly on the wind.
Oof-at times difficult to read, but that's the point of this brilliant, sensitive and gut wrenching anti-war novel. Blending real people with fictional, Barker evokes World War I starkly and in great detail. The reader finds themselves rooting for all the characters and seeing the war through all of their eyes. Quite a remarkable and effective piece of storytelling!
This was an incredible read. The characters are so unique and perfectly sculpted. Hester, I have to say is such a kick-ass character, she needs her own series. The book doesn't end like one hopes it will, but it somehow works. None of the action goes where you think it will, and that's all that can be said about the plot without giving something vital away. This was so engrossing, and thrilling and sciting to read. I can't rave enough about this book!!!
A very upsetting, yet deeply moving and lovely piece, based on actual poems and writings from the children of Terezin as told by one of the handful of survivors. This one piece packs a powerful punch.
Have to admit, for the first several chapters of this book, I had no idea what was happening, I only knew that I was tickled by what I was reading. It turns out that this is a delightfully quirky mystery, full of humor, heart and squirrels. If you looking for a charming read to kill some time, you can't beat Clementine!
A second reading of this piece still packs a punch. It's still chaotic in the reading , but if you give yourself over to the chaos I found that the characters come more to life and the struggles are heightened. I didn't given myself over the first time I read it, so I'm glad I gave it a second read.
A reread of this riveting play surprised me. I found much more humor in it the second time around. That humor adds more poignancy and pathos to whole piece.
While I really appreciated the research involved and presented and liked some of the characters, this novel felt very messy to me. I couldn't find a focus for it, so my mind wandered while reading..not a good thing to happen. I felt it had too many story lines, and the ending was a bit precious. I think I got the overarching point of the invisibility of women and other marginalized populations throughout history (and the present), but the presentation of it in the book felt meandering, and disjointed.
A second reading of this tome of a play confirms my original review*. Akhtar can take the most complicated and layered of subjects and not only teach the reader something, but enthrall, entertain, horrify and feel. Simply put Akhtar and his work are brilliant!
*Original review can be found on this blog in 2018, April
https://bookhog2.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-play-about-finance-not-something-i.html
A second reading of this powerful piece, solidifies Akhtar's place as my favorite contemporary playwright. His ability to create characters that are complex and real from the get-go is extraordinary. In the Invisible Hand he makes the audience feel for all the characters which considering the setting and action of this piece is nothing short of super-human!
