Gio'
Underground – 5 Stars:
This is a massive undertaking from Murakami. I was very impressed to read about the background of the project—how it came together, why it mattered, and how it evolved over time.
Murakami brings together a wide range of perspectives, driven by curiosity and a deep social need to shed light on a terrible event. He’s at his most restrained here—professional, fair, and meticulous, inserting his thoughts in an open and non-sneaky way, never mixing opinion with fact, never playing politics.
One of the defining traits of Murakami’s work is his indifference to convention and expectation, and here he pushes that mindset to the limit, assembling a memorable, surprising, and thought-provoking book filled with wisdom and social awareness.
I’ve always found Murakami’s nonfiction deeply impressive. He has so many ideas and the bravery to explore them openly, even at the risk of being seen as a hyper-individualistic weirdo.
Keep up your weirdness, Murakami-san. The Nobel committee may not value it, but a lot of people around the world do.
After the Quake – 3.5 Stars:
These short stories are “cute” and carry a consistent theme, but for me, they’re missing that Murakami magic. I found myself a little bored and often distracted while listening.
The only story that really stood out was “Super-Frog Saves Tokyo”—it had the right energy and vibe I associate with his best work.
Not my favorite from the author, but not without charm.
The Elephant Vanishes – 5 Stars
Murakami’s writing in these stories is, as usual: free, unapologetic, unembarrassed, and politically incorrect.
The short story format fits his style perfectly, forcing the narratives to be sharp and focused, avoiding the hard-to-follow stretches that appear in some of his novels.
Some stories are downright fun, some are haunting, some evoke that nostalgic, dreamlike mood Murakami is known for, and some I didn’t understand—but enjoyed reading anyway.
Not every story is a 5-star masterpiece, but enough of them are to justify the overall rating.
The Message – 5 Stars
Before starting a book by Ta-Nehisi Coates, you have to sleep well, breathe deeply, and tense your abs—because you’re about to get punched in the stomach repeatedly.
The structure feels a little unconventional, not perfectly cohesive, but that doesn’t stop the book from delivering "the message" powerfully in multiple ways.
What makes the bitter pill easier to swallow is Coates' masterful prose and precise, controlled tone—not angry, not hyperbolic, just right. He is an extremely technical writer with a lot to say, and he says it with precision and depth.
This book left me emotionally drained, and while I can’t read books like this every week, I’m glad I didn’t miss this one.
A minor note: Coates narrates the audiobook himself, and while he does a great job making it even more real, he speaks a bit faster than professional narrators—I had to slow down my usual listening speed.
What the Dog Saw – 3.5 Stars:
This is a fairly disjointed collection of pieces. Maybe there’s a common theme, but it’s feeble, and the overall quality is definitely below what I expect from Gladwell.
The first part was excruciatingly uninteresting, but I pushed through and eventually found some good stuff in the later sections.
The usual criticism of Gladwell—handpicking evidence to prove his point—is less of a problem here, since the book lacks a big central thesis, instead offering small, loosely connected ones.
Not a terrible book, but maybe an unnecessary one.
Pirate Latitudes – Did Not Finish
I’ve always been a huge admirer of Michael Crichton—I still remember reading Jurassic Park in a single afternoon back in 1990. Unfortunately, Pirate Latitudes felt weak and a slog, lacking the tension and engagement of his best work. The plot just wasn’t interesting enough, and I had to let it go midway. One less book from a great writer for me to read.
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again - 4 stars:
After my third book by David Foster Wallace, I’ve come to a few conclusions:
- He loves tennis in a way that’s hard to overstate.
- He seems to deliberately restrain his sense of humor—perhaps because he found it distasteful or not “serious” enough.
- He uses 100 words where 10 would do.
- His nonfiction is great; his fiction, more hit or miss.
On the essays:
- “Derivative Sport in Tornado Alley”: Beautiful, honest, and evocative.
- “E Unibus Pluram”: I know it’s a well-known piece, but I almost DNF’d the book because of it. Exhausting, monotone, and seemingly endless. Just when you think it’s over, another tirade begins.
- “Getting Away from Already Being Pretty Much Away from It All”: Fun, well-written, and eye-opening—a glimpse into a part of America I had completely ignored.
- “Greatly Exaggerated”: Didn’t leave much of an impression.
- “David Lynch Keeps His Head”: Deep, original, and thought-provoking. Made me see Lynch in a completely new light.
- “Tennis Player Michael Joyce...”: The true standout. A brilliant dive into the soul of tennis, written with deep knowledge and an open mind.
- “A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again”: The most accessible piece. Finally, some less constrained humor and a lighter tone—a well-deserved breather at the end of a remarkable, if often exhausting, collection.
12 Rules for Life – Did Not Finish
I found this book terrible—preachy, based on nothing, and unjustifiably patronizing. The author presents weak, unsubstantiated arguments in a tone that feels more like a lecture than meaningful insight. One of the worst things I’ve ever read in my life.
South of the Border, West of the Sun – 4 Stars
What is Murakami’s superpower? His stories are so similar, and yet his writing pulls you in every time. Over the years, all of his books have blurred together in my memory, yet they remain mesmerizing.
His depiction of women and sexuality is not exactly smooth—at times even disturbing—but Murakami doesn’t seem to care. He writes unfiltered, presenting his world with all its beauty and flaws, which is oddly disarming.
This novel is, of course, well-written, with a structure that moves episodically through time yet feels clean and linear. There are autobiographical elements, making you question whether certain events actually happened to Murakami himself.
As always, his characters aren’t likable or unlikable—they simply exist for the reader to be drawn into their world. A unique author, flaws and all.
Sphere – 3.5 Stars
Wow, this book loses serious steam in the second half.
The first half is exactly what you’d expect from Crichton: a tight technothriller, with enough science to pull you in and a robust but controlled pace. It’s innovative, creative, and close enough to reality that you can vividly imagine what’s happening.
Then comes the second half, which is a slog. The characters become more unrealistic and insufferable, and the story loses its grip. That said, there were still a few scenes that completely absorbed me.
The Egg and Other Stories – 4 Stars
This short audiobook surprised me in many ways—its length, the brevity of the stories, and their content.
While you can catch glimpses of Andy Weir’s signature wit, these stories are more about unexpected twists and clever turns. The result? Lots of fun from a talented writer.
A quick, enjoyable listen for those who appreciate tight, surprising storytelling.
The Night Swim – 5 Stars
Wow, this book is exceptionally good.
Goldin’s prose is beautiful, and she has a great command of pace and structure. The characters are well-developed, and the cast is just the right size—enough to paint a vivid picture without becoming overwhelming.
I even worried that the author might not be able to tie everything together in a satisfying way, but she absolutely did. The quality held strong to the very last paragraph.
I’m impressed.
Across the Sand – 3.5 Stars
This book is an improvement over https://hardcover.app/books/sand, with tighter world-building and more developed story arcs. The setting feels richer, and the narrative has a solid direction.
That said, the plot felt a bit small in scope, which kept it from reaching a higher score. Still, it’s a solid continuation, and I’m interested to see what happens next.
This book was much better than I tough and filled a lot of gaps. I was 18 in 1992 and went crazy about Nirvana, like other millions of people. Since then I have not changed my mind, they were one of the greatest bands ever existed.
While I like some of the songs from Foo Fighters and I owned their first few CDs, I never really became a fan and so I never delved too much in Dave Grohl's life.
This book was a much needed, for me, education on how an artist can grow up, with perseverance, to achieve their goals.
On the minus side, I don't personally agree with some of the nature vs nurture opinions that the author has and also, I think that he used a little too many times the "how did a guy like me get here" structure.
These are minor things, the book is good.
Radical Candor – Solid Leadership Advice, But a Bit Too Broad
4/5
I thought Radical Candor was a really good leadership book with a simple but powerful idea—be direct with feedback while also genuinely caring about the people you work with. Kim Scott explains this well, using personal stories and practical examples to make the concept clear.
What I Liked:
- Useful, real-world advice – The idea of balancing honesty with empathy makes a lot of sense, and the book gives solid tips on how to apply it.
- Engaging and easy to read – Scott keeps things conversational, with lots of relatable anecdotes.
- Applies beyond leadership – Even if you're not a manager, the book has good takeaways for how to communicate better.
What Didn't Work for Me:
- Covers too much – It felt like the book was trying to address every aspect of leadership rather than diving deeper into its core idea.
- A bit too corporate – Some of the suggestions, like printing out the framework and putting it on your desk, felt unnecessary.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, Radical Candor is a great resource for anyone who wants to improve communication and leadership skills. The key message is solid, even if the book could have been more focused. Worth a read, especially if you manage people or just want to get better at giving and receiving feedback.
Beautiful book. The story is original and allows exploring many aspects of young life in a difficult environment. The author has a gift in being able to make you understand the deep personality of each character in just a few lines. The main problem with this book is that it is way too short and it stops in the middle of the story. I understand that there's is no need to continue the story forever, but in this case I believe that the story has been cut excessively short.
What a bummer! The book was really good for about 70% of its length and then took a huge dive. Cop outs, cliches and crazy coincidences really destroyed the story. Unbelievable literary suicide. This is my second encounter with this author, the first one being watching the movie "La ragazze nella nebbia" that he directed and was adapted from one of his books. Similar problems... For me it's enough evidence that this author is not for me.
Undecided between 3 and 4 stars. I'm going with 4 stars and kneel humbly in front of the great Gabriel García Márquez.
This is a small story with a short timeline. The Spanish is amazing and the city and the people are described so vividly and intensely that I really felt like I was in a movie. He could write about anything and be mesmerizing.
We Used to Live Here – 4.5 Stars
A great debut that takes a familiar setup but avoids classic horror tricks, delivering a fresh, imaginative, and unsettling story. There are genuinely scary and anxiety-inducing moments, making it an engaging experience.
The writing felt a little bumpy, and the pacing uneven in the first half, but once the story found its rhythm, the second half was incredibly smooth and gripping—I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook.
Looking forward to seeing what this author does next!
I admire the author's courage in following up Le Otto Montagne—one of the most successful and well-regarded books in recent Italian literature—with a work of such small scope. However, I found this book quite dull and unengaging. It reads more like a personal diary where very little happens, and I’m certain there are more compelling books on this subject.
Golden Son – A Thrilling, Well-Written Sequel
⭐ 5/5
Color me impressed. While Golden Son follows a more traditional structure than Red Rising, it more than makes up for it with improved writing, relentless pacing, and expertly executed twists. The tension never lets up, and the story grips you from start to finish. The expanded world-building feels natural and full of things to explore, adding richness without slowing the pace. The combination of action, strategy, and character development makes this a truly exciting read—a rare sequel that surpasses the original.
Blood Meridian – Did Not Finish
I can see why Blood Meridian is considered a classic—the writing is strong, and the audiobook narration was well done. However, I found the story itself uninteresting and couldn’t connect with the characters. Maybe, at least for me, the book hasn’t aged well or doesn’t feel as relevant anymore.
Many reviews emphasize the book’s extreme violence, but in 2025, that aspect doesn’t feel particularly shocking or noteworthy. The violence had no impact on my assessment—my lack of engagement came purely from not being invested in the story or characters.
Galápagos – 3.5 Stars:
This is definitely a fun read, beautifully written by Vonnegut. There are some humorous moments, typical of his style, and the messages and reflections are fairly clear and easy to grasp.
It reminded me a bit of The Sirens of Titan in terms of scope and tone—light, enjoyable, but not much more than that. Vonnegut doesn’t always resonate with me, and while sometimes the connection is pure magic, this wasn’t one of those times.
Also, I’ve realized that this kind of light sci-fi—based mostly on speculation and humor without much science or world-building—has started to lose its appeal for me over the years.
Kill for Me, Kill for You – 4 Stars:
I'm a little torn on this one. It has stretches that are just silly, pushing the believability factor way down, even for a fiction thriller.
That said, it’s often very gripping. Some twists genuinely surprised me, and I really enjoyed getting pulled into the story—even if it was in a mindless and forgettable way.
The characters have just enough depth to hold the story together, but nothing more. Is this the definition of a guilty pleasure? Having fun with a book that’s not amazing and will probably fade from memory in a few weeks?
Either way, it was fun and never boring.