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All in Fiction
Somehow, this book is completely engrossing and also felt sooooo slow to me. But at the end of the day, this is a devastating, scary, very moving book that absolutely achieves what it sets out to.
If you like unreliable narrators, beautiful writing, and a touch of mystery, this one may just be for you.
I was pretty lukewarm on Such a Fun Age, but I decided to give this one a go anyway. But ultimately, I feel pretty similarly about this one: not bad but not for me. If you really loved SaFA, I think you’ll probably like this one too, but I just don’t like train-wreck plots.
I can’t quite say that I ENJOYED this book — it’s tense and uncomfortable and heavy — but it’s also unputdownable, and there’s no denying that Eleanor Catton is an incredible talent.
There’s something just so cozy — and yet satisfyingly literary — about an Ann Patchett novel. And the cherry on top (no pun intended)? Meryl Streep reads the audiobook. I loved it.
Ultimately, this ended up in a “liked a lot” instead of a “loved” category for me. I think it was just a little too much “and then, and then, and then” held away at juuuust a little too much distance. But also, the prose was excellent, and I’ll definitely be reading more from Yiyun Li.
The Unmaking of June Farrow is part sweeping time-travel, part love story, part murder mystery, and fully unputdownable. It’s the perfect book if you’re looking for a fast, immersive read that you’ll want to gobble up in one day.
I didn’t think I’d really like a whole book about Nesta, but I was willing to be sold on a story that cracked open her icy front and took us on a big-time journey through trauma healing. And that’s exactly what this book did.
I’m happy to report that while this IS a pretty fluffy in-between story, it doesn’t feel like a waste of time. I enjoyed it, and I was definitely glad to have read it when I got to ACOSF.
I read Western Lane because it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and I enjoyed it. It’s a very quiet, interior novel that packs a punch much bigger than its slim size might suggest.
While it’s not perfect, overall I call this step away from Shadowhunters a success. It’s definitely different from Clare’s previous work, and she’s succeeded in showing that she can write much more adult books. High level, I enjoyed it and will surely be continuing with the series!
See, now this is what I want every literary historical fiction novel to be for the rest of time. More books like this please!!
I had such a good time with this book! I liked it even better than Legends & Lattes, which was cute but a little too cozy to fall into the “love” category for me. If you liked that one, even if it wasn’t a favorite, I think you’ll like this one too.
Study for Obedience is an unsettling and challenging read that also feels like witnessing literary witchcraft. It won’t be for everyone, but I enjoyed it even more than I expected to.
Holler, Child was exactly the kind of short story collection I’m always hoping every single one will be: emotional, hard-hitting, with excellent characters you root for despite their flaws.
The Empyrean (this series) is officially the Where the Crawdads Sing of fantasy: certainly fun, but also ultimately just fine.
Night Watch is written with lovely prose, but unfortunately, it was just not my cup of tea. Stomach-turning scenes and an unsatisfying ending left me unhappy with it.
Sensory and immersive, brutal and beautiful, Let Us Descend is another masterpiece from our queen Jesmyn Ward.
Blackouts is a genre-defying work of art, cerebral and emotional both. It’s impossible to not appreciate what a truly impressive work it is.
Quiet, immersive, and culturally rich, Drum-Time gives us a heartbreaking look at the intersections of both modernity and tradition and faith and identity.
