Josh Krysak
*2.5 The writing and characters were strong but the plot meandered too much for me. I think that comparisons to Keillor are inaccurate, overall. In scope and prose, possibly - but not in structure and cohesiveness. Keillor bests Enger most times - apart from Enger's seminal and lyrical Peace Like a River - which remains an all time favorite.
What can I say. It was short and sweet. There is something about King's writing style that just always pulls me in. It's simple but elegant in that simplicity. An enjoyable little novella.
*4.5 stars. I love O'Nan's writing. He is just so clean in his approach and this vivid “speed queen” of a take is genius in its simplicity.
*4.5 stars. What a masterpiece. A meditation on loss, love, revenge and solitude. I want a cabin and quiet and walls of books.
The good before the bad? Sure, let's do that. There is some beautiful writing in here, when you can tamp down the noise of all the monotony and find it. The marsh is particularly vivid and I would love to visit and explore. There are a few passages that are lyrical in ways that don't seem forced. That's about it. So, the bad... The repetitive abuse of alliteration is obnoxious. Grinning as geese glided - critters, currents and cattails - fingers of fog flirted...three examples taken from just two pages of the book. Oh dear.
And, I think there may be palmettos and lagoons in the areas described – I think I remember reading that maybe once, or twice, or 5,000 times.
The characters are all caricatures of characters, all so predictable and some, down-right silly. I mean, Ed and Joe are just throwaways.
All of the main characters are all extremely predictable. Kya is simply unrealistic.
Owens descriptive writing almost becomes self-gratification and I won't even go into the poetry aspects because I don't want to spoil anything but, come on. Owens litters so much of this book with repetitive description that it not only becomes ridiculous but it makes any beautiful passages lose their authenticity and verve. What a shame. She undermines herself with what one can only assume is a desperate yearning to continue to hear her own rhythmic, rhyming monologue of regurgitation. See what I did there?
And the mystery was hardly a mystery at all. Sigh. This book was not for me and that is disappointing, as I have had it in my TBR for quite some time.
*3.5 stars. Gorgeous writing. An immersion in grief, loss and the small bits of the every day that shape around the momentous.
*2.5 stars. Kind of a swing and a miss for me. Tremblay is a gifted storyteller and this book had the promise of a fantastic premise, but it just fell flat. Not enough character development to care too, too much about what occurs.
2 stars for shear propulsion and for concept. I burned through it, but I was annoyed far more often than I was engaged at this contrived mess.
*3.5 stars. Another page-turner from Ware. Her books satisfy that hunger for a good whodunit but with a little literary care along the way.
Sinister and packed with escalating dread. Claustrophobic and descriptive. A great horrific read.
4.5 stars. Incredible writing and a razor-sharp torching of all classes and cultures. So good.
*3.5 stars There is a dreamlike quality to Cameron's writing, an accessibility coupled with an undercurrent of tension and questioning that propels the reader onward, with a sense of mild foreboding. I truly can't put my finger on what it is about all of his works which I have read that puts a misty haze to them, shrouding them just enough that when it's all over, you are left with questions and intrigue and feeling that you may have just read something consequential. Perhaps?
*4.5 stars. An incredible concept, great action and plenty of putrified gore. I flew through it and really enjoyed it. Mellick misses just a bit on his moments of emotion and human connection but his beautifully bizarre vision and breakneck pacing makes this a mere peccadillo in the end. Ridiculously fun.
Again, I'm disappointed. Bird Box is fabulous. The House at the Bottom of the Lake is very good. Black Mad Wheel is not good and Unbury Carol isn't much better. I loved the concept but didn't care for the story's execution, setting and tone. The most interesting parts are the least explored and what has potential for being a bizarre and interesting horror/thriller becomes a cheesy western with underdeveloped characters despite descriptive flourishes.
A beautiful collection of Palestinian food filled with tradition, memory and love and woven together by the connections found in those same foods and dishes, Kassis has written more than a culturally specific cookbook, but a memoir of family through food. With background stories and snapshots for nearly all entries and with simple and clean photos of prepared dishes to vivid images from markets in Jerusalem, this “cookbook” is exceptional. I can't wait to try my hand at some labaneh, some kafta and tomato bake and Teta Asma's tabuleh.
