Josh Krysak
Probably not quite a 5...but I can't go to a 4.5 because it was so much fun. Tense and exciting. An unreliable narrator that is easy to like, even with her flaws. Good classic movie references throughout. Just a very fun thriller in the tradition of Rear Window.
*4.5 stars. Man, I like the spare style and unique creativity of Iain Reid. Both of his books are intelligent, immersive and fast reads. Foe is a little Sci-fi gem.
Nope. Annoying and ridiculous main character. Repetitive inner monologues. Stereotypical and hollow side characters. Predictable twists. And, I damn well won't recommend it. ; )
This book was everything my wife alluded to and now I understand her enthusiastic, bordering on obnoxious, ceaseless recommending of it. Moving, sweet, beautiful, simple, sweeping - such a wonderful read. An ode to the joyous wonder of storytelling.
Hard boiled and immersive. French is a master crime writer. And I love all the Irish that comes out in her dialogue.
This is an exceptionally lyrical book and one that I loved in places and will think about for some time. Had to stay at a 4 for me for several reasons, including one diversion that didn't ring true to me and the unyielding crush placed on one child/family became too much for me to go any higher. Just a personal preference - sometimes, even in something fantastical as this has elements of, it is just enough. Still, I really liked this novel and look forward to more from McDaniel.
*4.5 stars. I now know why this book is so well-loved. I would be lucky to count the Count among my friends. I enjoyed slipping into this world and seeing history unfold in micro and macro and even though book club necessitated a marathon reading, I think this is meant to be pleasurable, slow read. It reminded me some of Brookner's Hotel Dulac and Cameron's Andorra, for obvious reasons but Gentleman maintains a voice and quality that are quite unique and beg for careful consideration. I know if I pick it up again, I will take more time and care and I will look forward to the meetings of the triumvirate and to escaping again into the Count's adventures.
*3.5 stars - probably. It had potential to be more. After a bumpy start, it hit a nice stride through the middle but fell off for me at the end. Too much convenience in the story arch and an underdeveloped main character and lacking relationship depth. Still an enjoyable read.
Insightful and vivid, as Boyle always is. Some stories in this collection - Are We Not Men, The Five-Pound Burrito, The Argentine Ant - were 5-star stories for me. But even when others didn't move the meter in the way that those did, they were still packed with Boyle's unique understanding of humanity and all the foibles that define characters and moments. Boyle is a master storyteller.
The Largesse of the Sea Maiden is phenomenal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Doppelgänger, Poltergeist is excellent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5. Triumph Over the Grave is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ effort. Strangler Bob and The Starlight on Idaho were both ⭐️⭐️⭐️. All in all, a great collection from a fine writer, capturing the melancholy of aging, our human frailty and the beauty in the smallest of moments.
4.5 stars. Stephen King-esque in scope and scale and with King's keen sense of the terrors of the human heart - Wanderers is a great novel. It's not without flaws and some things grated, including his very much on-the-page violence at times, but the overarching story is too good and the scope is too grand to dismiss. Wendig has become an auto-buy author for me.
*3.5 probably. This is a fun and thrilling book with enough solid writing and twists to keep me turning pages regularly. A few things left me wanting, but I definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced, menacing read.
*4.5 stars. I wanted to give this wonderful, quirky tale 5 stars. It's full of beauty and exquisite characters. Just one section toward the end kept it from that - that section just seemed to have a tonal shift that was off from the rest of the novel. It only lasted for about 40 pages or so, but was enough to hold me back from a perfect score. Still, what a fantastic book and one I will be recommending.
*2.5 stars. Nostalgia-driven. Boy this lost a lot of its luster for me. But I still see glimmers of what I loved as a teen.
*2.5 stars. Writing is descriptive and violently beautiful but the repetitious brutality wore me to the bone. The moments of redemption were just too few and far between and while it is clearly a meditation on mental illness, the celebratory nature of the blunted horror of it was just not appealing to me.
4.5 stars. Quietly heartbreaking. Structured uniquely - this meditation on the past and on trying to decipher the unknowable of those people we share moments or a season with is unexpectedly moving. Trigger warning for animal death (dog) that was not of natural or accidental causes and is unjustified.
This book. It is kind of indescribable. While it isn't perfect, I couldn't in good conscious give it less than five stars because for any lulls it may have the good majority of it was captivating and beautiful and wild and heartfelt. How is it possible to make a reader care for such things as Rawson does? I won't expound more because I don't want to spoil any of the magic that unfurls when reading From The Wreck. She just has a special sight and insight and it resulted in a strange and riveting novel.
*3.5 Had some high points but got lost in too much melodrama and too many characters.
This book is legitimately scary. The concept is great and the execution is there. I didn't care for these people all that much, outside of Bela, but I thought that Malerman was mining some pretty deep concepts through his stilted engagements between this oddly coupled couple while also doubling down on frightening sequences with just the right pitch and repetition. The ending wasn't perfect and not what I wanted, but was plausible, all things considered. Malerman's use of the word piqued about half dozen times in places that were suspect grated on me and piqued my interest about that artistic choice and what might have prompted it. Still, overall, the novel really marked a return to form for me with his work. Not since Birdbox have I found myself so invested.