Cute but a little cliche, which I guess was the point. Overall enjoyable though.

I absolutely loved this novel from the author of In The Distance, which I also loved. This one explores the way we are remembered through time and how this can be changed by others accounts of us. It came together wonderfully at the end and I thought all the risks Diaz took paid off. 5 ⭐️ read for me.

Although I don‘t normally read memoirs, even from authors whose fiction I enjoy, I was quite enthralled by this #translated #memoir about Ditlevsen‘s life in Copenhagen. It was really interesting to hear about life in Copenhagen during the 1930-50s and Ditlevsen is a very talented writer. I would really like to check out her other works that are being translated to English.

Finished my first #audiobook of 2022 with the biography of Angela Merkel on #scribd. I knew very little about this world leader before this book but based on what I read I am a total fan girl now. I think this biography was written for an average reader and did not delve very deeply into what were complex political issues, but overall I learned a lot and enjoyed learning more about this woman.

Finished this fantasy novel that won the Woman‘s Prize last year. The story centers around a character named Piranesi, who inhabits a strange world filled with many rooms, each filled with statues. Only one other person inhabits this world, which is all Piranesi has ever known. The world has more to it than meets the eye, and Piranesi starts to piece together the secrets of the place through clues from the other inhabitant and from his own journal

I really want to love this novel. Virgina Woolf is such a well regarded author that I feel stupid by not really jiving with what is supposed to be her most accessible novel. But I started this book on the first and I have only read 50 pages in almost two weeks, most of which I have skimmed half heartedly. Is it time to give up and move on? Does it get better? Maybe if I tried audio??

After seeing rave reviews on this Man Booker International shortlister, I had high hopes going in. I think this book was well done, just not for me. It follows the imagined lives of several pivotal scientists as they make the discoveries that made them famous and how they go mad trying to understand the world around them. Parts were interesting and parts were boring, but even though I am in the minority, I am just glad the book was short.

Literary thriller about a Native American reservation during the end of the world. I liked the concept of the book but it didn‘t feel fully developed at times and was a bit predictable. The story jumped around and the characters felt a bit underdeveloped, but it held my attention and I enjoyed reading about some of the culture on the reservation, based on the authors own life experiences.

This was an incredibly impactful novel that traces the history of an African American family in Georgia from their Native American ancestors, through slavery and sharecropping, up to modern day. Many people will be put off by the length (around 800 pages), but it was worth the time and was very absorbing, if emotionally difficult to read at times.

Loved this one! I wasn‘t a huge fan of All The Light but this one was amazing. It follows three story lines, one in the past during the medieval fall of Constantinople, one during the present while a library with children is held hostage, and one in the future on a spaceship with the last of humanity. All three are linked by an Ancient Greek story that plays central in all three timelines. This was well written and gripping, I definitely recommend

Short novel about the life of woman born in the 1920s, following her from childhood to the end of her life. It was at times sad and other times funny. I enjoyed reading it but doubt I will remember much about it a year from now.

I think it‘s safe to say I am officially a Sally Rooney fan. I know she is not for everyone, but something about her quiet novels where characters reflect on life and relationships really resonates with me. I normally try to only listen to plot based books as #audiobooks since I feel like beautiful prose is a little lost on me in audio format, but this was available on #scribd so I went for it and loved the audio version! Highly recommend!

Really enjoyed this historical novel about the fictional life of Marie de France. Banished from court as a 17 year old girl, Marie is sent to a nunnery where she eventually becomes the abbess and builds the abbey up from impoverishment to a rich and mostly well loved abbey. This atmospheric novel focuses on what life would be like in an abbey in the 12th century and imagines the relationships between the nuns who work there.

Very quirky #translated #novella about a societal misfit who has been working in a convenience store for 18 years and revolves her whole life around it. She meets another misfit and the decide to move in together and pretend they are dating to seem more socially acceptable. I enjoyed this book but not as much as I might have thought based on the buzz. Would like to read more from this author though. Read on #scribd

Checked this #booker shortlister out from my local library and was not disappointed. It is a deeply introspective book about post civil war Sri Lanka and the resonating effects of the war on its citizens. The book centers around Krishan, and follows his inner monologue on a trip to the war torn north to attend the funeral for his grandmothers companion, Rani, who had never recovered from the loss of her two sons during the war. Highly recommend.

DNF this audiobook on Ch.16, the story had failed to grab me and the prose was pedestrian. Liked the concept but the execution just wasn‘t there.

Really enjoyed this lyrical story about the imaginary archipelago of Popisho, where everyone is born with a magical power. We follow four characters mainly over the course of a single day. The language is written almost as one would tell an oral story passed down through generations, but the book also tries to touch on big societal issues, and is at its heart, a love story.

I am finally cancelling my audible membership so I bought several easy listening best sellers with my remaining credits. This book was one of those, and while I enjoyed this book overall, I found it a bit cliche and predictable for my taste. The premise of getting to live lives where you made different choices was interesting, but the author could have done a lot more with it than he did. #audible #audiobook

Quick #translated read about a young women in a toxic, abusive relationship and her declining mental health. It‘s written in short first person vignettes that come together to show the narrators decline into self harm and extreme depression. Overall this was a disturbing but strangely gripping #novella. Read on #scribd

The second in Mitford‘s well known series and written with the same witty style as the first, the novel tells the story of heiress Polly and how she marries her uncle by marriage after the death of her aunt, much to her parents dismay. I was torn reading this because the novel is so amusing and some of the characters really wonderful, but the pedophilia and grooming that occur are rather cringe worthy when read through a modern lens.

Just finished watching Downton Abbey on Netflix and wanted more British aristocracy in between the wars. This novel was really really funny and witty and I very much enjoyed it. It follows the romantic adventures of Linda, who marries twice and then finds the love of her life in Paris, only to be separated from him a few months later when Germany invaded France during WWII. This novel was hilarious and I can‘t wait to continue on with the series.

I have really enjoyed everything I‘ve read by Kazuo Ishiguro and this novel was no exception. It reminds me a lot of Never Let Me Go and Remains of the Day in that there is an undercurrent of unease and a hint of more than is being told. The book tells the story of an artificial intelligence and the teenager she is assigned to watch over and raises a lot of things to think about #booker2021

I read this because as an ICU nurse, I found the premise of an old woman kept alive by machines in the hospital long past what anyone would consider a meaningful life per the family‘s request to be all too familiar. This book had a lot of big ideas on death, destruction of the planet, social media, and what makes a life meaningful, but it just didn‘t come together for me.

Really enjoyed this novel that follows four women in modern day Seoul, and through them contemporary life in South Korea. I enjoyed all of these women‘s stories, told by alternating narrators each chapter. Unlike some other books of this style, I found it easy to keep track of each narrator‘s backstory and found their voices unique. I‘ll be keeping an eye out for this author in the future.

Strong #debut about a young man, traumatized by his past growing up gay in the evangelical church and conversion therapy, moves to NYC to write plays and falls into a very abusive relationship with a famous playwright. #Triggerwarning for sexual assault & suicide. This book was raw and at times very hard to read, addressing how a past of sexual assault can leave an impact on the rest of someone‘s life #lgbtq

Super sad but moving novel about a university professor whose 12 year old daughter is diagnosed with a terminal neurological degenerative disorder. This is the second novel I have read from Everett and I think he is a really underrated author. His writing is beautiful and poignant and I want to start to read some of his immense backlog. Highly recommend this one, be prepared to cry a little.

A #classic British novel about the upper class in Britain between the world wars. Major themes are Catholicism and, oddly enough, homosexuality. To be honest I‘m not 100% sure what I just read, but I think I enjoyed it? 🤷‍♀️

Loved this novel about an Irish girl living in Hong Kong and her romantic endeavors there, first with an aloof English banker and then with a female Hong Kong lawyer. This reminded me a lot of Ottessa Moshfegh, another author I really enjoy, except the main character Ava is a bit more relatable and likable. I loved Ava‘s inner voice and observations, and that‘s really what made this book great. #lgbtq

Finished this a few days ago for a #pridemonth read. This is a powerful #lgbtq classic about an man who has an affair with another man while his fiancé is out of town in 1950s Paris and must decide between a life of stability with her or being with his true love. A powerful, sad novel that makes me want to pick up the rest of Baldwin‘s work soon.

Read this one on #Scribd , a membership I am really enjoying but overwhelms me with the amount of content they have. Anyways, this book was good, tracing a Jamaican family from slave era to present day, but skipped around in time, perspective, and style. I don‘t think it ever came together as one cohesive novel, but I enjoyed the individual parts and so this was a pick for me.

Finished this month‘s #BOTM pick just in time for next month‘s picks to come out. Really enjoyed this novel about a Muslim girl who is accused of helping commit a terrorist act after being in the wrong place at the wrong time. An interesting look at class in modern day India, this book is not for someone looking for a happy story. Highly recommend!

Finally making my way through some of my #BOTM #backlist. I enjoyed this novel about the rape of a 14 year old Hispanic girl in small town Odessa, TX in the 1970s and focused on the reactions and consequences as well as the daily lives of some of the women in the town. I thought this focused on too many characters, we never really spend more than two or three chapters total on any one character, but overall an interesting novel.

2 ⭐️- Novel about a gay black man in a PhD program in the midwest and his relationships with the other students. I haven‘t seen a negative review of this book yet, but it just wasn‘t for me. Way too introspective. Some of the writing is nice and I would be willing to try Taylor‘s next novel, but this one just bored me through most of it. #pridemonth

2 ⭐️ I usually do not enjoy memoirs and this book was a perfect example of why. Too much introspection and self analysis, almost like a therapy session repackaged with literary metaphors. I loved Machado‘s book of short stories but this one did not work for me. Would have much preferred to read a fictionalized account of her abusive relationship. #pridemonth

5 ⭐️ This book absolutely wrecked me and I have been in a book hangover all night since I finished it. Set in two timelines, one in the 1980s during the beginning of the AIDS crisis in Chicago, and then in 2015 following the sister of one of the first few characters to die from the virus. This book is gut wrenching and deeply sad. Highly recommend if you can emotionally handle it right now. #pridemonth

“There is nothing uniquely evil in these destroyers or even in this moment. The destroyers are merely men enforcing the whims of our country, correctly interpreting its heritage and legacy. It is hard to face this. But all our phrasing—race relations, racial chasm, racial justice, racial profiling, white privilege, even white supremacy—serves to obscure that racism is a visceral experience, that it dislodges brains, blocks airways, rips muscle..⬇️

2.5 ⭐️ I had mixed feelings about this #classic #pulitzer winner about the rise of a southern politician in the 1930s. Some of the language was beautiful while at other times it dragged. The voice of the narrator was unique and well done. But the portrayal of characters of color was jarring to say the least, even keeping in mind when the book was written. Women didn‘t fair much better. By the end I was skimming, although the story was interesting.

Didn‘t love this one as much as I had thought I would, but it was a good read nevertheless. It‘s a coming of age novel about Ludwik, who is trying to figure out what he wants to do after graduating college in communist Poland. Being gay is still a crime during this time, and Ludwik had to hide his relationship with his lover or fear imprisonments. The writing was great in parts but in others fell a little flat for me. Overall a good book though.

4.5 ⭐️- Really loved this sweeping historical novel about a Palestinian man who studied in France during his youth then returns to his home town of of Nablus. We follow Midhad for several decades as the world changes rapidly and Palestine fights for its independence. Not heavy handed in its point of view, this novel gives a perspective of the conflict not often seen in Western literature.

2/5⭐️ Had read a collection of novellas by this author a while back and really enjoyed them, so I was excited for this new #translated #novella about a city under siege by 30-something feral children and the city‘s efforts to find them. This one didn‘t come together for me. I liked the writing style and the creepy suspenseful tone throughout, but struggled to really believe all the plot points. Read on #scribd

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Another excellent science fiction short story collection by Ted Chiang. Really have loved his work and hope he publishes another collection soon.

3.5/5⭐️ Loved the writing and the atmosphere in this literary mystery about the disappearance of 2 young girls in small town Russia and the effect it has on the community over several months. Each chapter switches character perspectives, and all of the characters ulitimily link to each other. However, often by the time a character was mentioned again, I had trouble remembering exactly who they were. Strong debut novel though overall.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Really enjoyed this horror/thriller about a housewife‘s book club in the 90s whose new neighbor happens to be a vampire. Despite the premise, this book has a lot to say about the way wives, housewives in particular, are treated and ridiculed. Very gripping #audiobook that I was able to get from my local #library

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ This is the story of John Brown‘s raid on Harper‘s Ferry, an important historical event that helped set off the Civil War. Despite being about such a fascinating topic and the interesting character of John Brown, this book was a bit boring at times. I read this for the #ToB ‘s winners tournament later this year. While it wasn‘t my absolute favorite, I am still glad I read it and am looking forward to reading more from McBride.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Interesting #novella about a teenage girl who is taken on a trip to south England with her parents to live as prehistoric Britains lived. Took a little bit to get into but it picked up steam. Trigger warning for abuse. Read on #scribd

Collection of science fiction short stories ranging in length from a few pages to over 100 pages. All the stories in this collection were fantastic, and I just picked up his previous collection to read straight away. My favorite story centered around the relationship between AI and the humans who raised and nurtured them. Highly recommend!

Read this #translated novel with my trial #scribd subscription. Not sure if I‘m going to keep Scribd but I am glad I got the chance to read this book. It‘s written in two parts, the first about the main character‘s sister coming to Tokyo to get breast implants, and the second about the main character‘s desire to have a child through sperm donation many years later. Reads almost like a memoir, excited to see the next translations out by the author

First ever #PulitzerPrize for the Novel winner back in 1918. It‘s a rather touching family drama about a widower and his three adult daughters. One is dedicated to domestic life and motherhood, one is a teacher and social reformer, and one is a socialite who just wants to enjoy life. Through these three women‘s lives Poole explores what it meant to be a woman in turn of the century New York. An enjoyable read overall. #litsyclassics

Listened to the #audible version of this one for my family book club with my mom, sister, and grandmother. I was really enjoying it but it sizzled out a little bit for me at the end. I thought the ending seemed rushed and didn‘t close some of the story lines very well. I am still excited to watch the Hulu show based on the book though.

Reread Wolf Hall and quickly moved on the rest of the series with Bring Up the Bodies and of course the newest out, The Mirror & The Light. Absolutely loved the whole series, and found my self dreading the end of the novels and wishing Mantel would rewrite history so I never had to say goodbye to Cromwell.