Christine
Good time travel story. I listened. Fun and imaginative. Writing is okay. Characters are thoughtfully drawn.
This was so well written and fascinating. I learned a lot. I felt frustrated not knowing what was memoir and what was fiction, but this is brilliant.
I enjoyed the reviews almost as much as the book, which was hard to put down (or, actually, stop listening.). It was just too scary and bleak, given the current state of our country and the world. But clever premise and interesting themes.
I listened on a road trip. Fascinating. Heart breaking — but not depressing. Will be recommending to friends.
I know a lot of American history, and wanted to build on that knowledge with this book. There were pieces that were interesting, but mostly anecdotal for me. I didn't know the plays well enough to sink into the analysis and narrative there. I like the premise of the book a lot. 3.5
A sweet and clever story — just what I need these days to restore hope in, and love for, our fellow human beings. FB understands people. There is humor and pain here.
I enjoy time travel, so this was great for me. I listened as I regular-traveled and gardened this weekend. I appreciate the encouragement to think about my parents as young people, and to contemplate the parent child bond. Of course, there is a fair amount of willing suspension of disbelief, but I enjoyed the story a lot.
I was listening to this this summer, and I also have a hard copy. I appreciate how it shows me how much the Puritans were constantly negotiating with, interacting with, and vulnerable to their indigenous neighbors. I did not realize until I started that he began by looking at Metacom‘s war. He realized that he needed to go back to see what went wrong. I stopped listening on the verge of the war, but feel that I have enough to improve my lectures.
This one was just a bit slow for me and I kept finding other things to read or listen to instead. I may try the second one. MD comes highly recommended, I know. DNF
Anne Tyler captures the little things that make up a life. Her astute observations, believable dialogs, and satisfying characters make this a pleasant read — an escape at a time of such anxiety.
I see why this series is so popular. It's funny and smart. I love the characters. This story got a bit convoluted at the end, and I have an outstanding question about the resolution, but I'm eager to listen to #2.
I enjoyed the first quarter of this book. Then I unhappily came across the Goodreads discussion of the author's controversial genesis for the story, something I wish I didn't know. Having to wrestle with the whole question of “cancelling” art or artists took much of the pleasure out of it. (I had just finished Monsters, a Fan's Dilemma, so I guess it was good timing?) In any case, I took a break, and then returned .... and decided I just had to skim to the end because I was getting a bit stressed out overall – not wanting bad things to happen to the child-characters – and trying to put the author out of my mind. The story itself is funny and playful, a sort of Harry Potter story of extraordinary children whose existence threatens the ordinary adult powers that be. It reads like a Young Adult or Youth story. I listened, which was nice.
5 stars bc it is what it is. In other words, this isn't great literature, but as a Hollywood memoir to make you laugh and give you this one person's perspective, it was great. I especially enjoyed hearing about his Jewish identity, his ideas about drug use, and the stories of movies he has made. I listened to it (his reading), and I think that made it better too.
I always enjoy her books. This was not my favorite, as I felt that the twists and turns were too forced, but always a good escape. One thing that bothered me was the way she kept having the male characters imagine bad things happening to their daughters or wives. The female characters did not do that, so it felt a bit dated; when men are supposed to care about women's issues only when, or especially when, it affects their daughters or wives.
I really enjoyed this book. Started listening, but had to switch to reading so I could see what happened faster. Now I'm sad it over. Satisfying love story. Good history. Strong women characters. Funny moments. A couple very sad parts.
Very slow, but it worked like a 19th century novel. I liked the back-and-forth to the present day. I do feel as though I have a stronger sense of Marian- George Eliot and those around her now. I'm grateful. Glad I read it!
Beautiful and poignant. His command of language and human nature and relationships — sublime. It is a slow story, though, and I was listening in small sips This is a salve for the weary. And if you enjoy the Irish brogue, it's a fun listen.
Really, this is probably a 3.5 for me. I gave up half way through, but after reading about the rest of it on Goodreads, I came back to finish. I wanted to see how things got worked out. The reason I almost gave up was that it was a lot of sadness. As someone else said here, every bad fate for 20-21st century American women is here. But I have to say, Weiner is making an important point about our choices & “progress.” The references to HRC toward the end were the final punch. I wanted a fun summer read, and this wasn't that. But the female characters are staying with me, and I'm glad I saw them through their journeys.
Creative and full of life. I enjoyed this, and started listening. Then I switched to skim the rest of the book because I find I need more of a regular narrative these days. I would read more by Evaristo.
I enjoyed this story, which rang true to life. The dialogue felt real and lived. I did grow impatient with the on again - off again frustrated love affair, so I skimmed the last third to a good (enough) ending.
Very detailed, nicely chronological, clever. II is a good review of the lives of these abolitionists. I appreciate that she makes obvious the intersection of women's rights and abolitionism.
This was a fun mystery recommended by a friend, and I enjoyed it. It's not a Louise Penny or even the Thursday Murder Club. There were a few too many coincidences in the narrative. But I liked Flavia a lot. She's a fun and clever young detective, and some of her dialog is laugh out loud funny.