I was working on a year-end roundup, and realized I never did the month-end roundup. Whoops.
Stephen Florida. 1 star. This was like reading about the asshole borderline-stalker jock who lived across the hall from me in college. Is that a good thing? No, it is not.
The Changeling. 2 stars. I’m surprised at how dull this was more than anything. There is a lot of story, and fantastical elements, so I’m not sure what went wrong here.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies. 4 stars. This is good for when you want to get completely immersed in a saga. Some flaws, but great writing and characters.
Dunbar. 4 stars. Update of King Lear, part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series. I’ve never actually read King Lear but it seems pretty twisted.
The Summer I Met Jack. 5 stars. I knew going in that this almost became two books, and I was a little wary that maybe it had gotten away from her. Now I get it, and I wish it had been two. What a fascinating character! I could have read about her forever. You can’t go wrong with Michelle Gable.
Landscape With Invisible Hand. 4 stars. Very cool, and I’d especially recommend it to teens, though I wouldn’t necessarily call it YA.
This Is How It Always Is. 2 stars. It’s very annoying to dislike a book that’s about a controversial topic because of the writing, not the topic. I hate her writing style and hate the main character, but I totally support trans kids and gender expression, and I’d love to read a thoughtful, well written novel about it.
Poison. 3 stars. I must have been feeling really generous because this was terrible.
The Dark Flood Rises. 4 stars. This was a bit slow and short on plot. I am always looking for fiction about older women, so there was enough to keep me reading. But this was no Emily, Alone.
Conversations With Friends. 5 stars. Loving this makes me feel kind of defiant, because I could see a valid case for hating it. Sue me, I loved everything about it and I can’t wait to see what’s next from her.
The Women In The Castle. 5 stars. Perfect. Historical fiction is often meant to both depict an era in history, and serve as an indictment of our current times. With that in mind, will the WWII well ever run dry? Probably not.
The Windfall. 5 stars. Ended the year on a huge high. This was a real charmer! Recommended to: everyone.
Top picks: The Windfall, The Summer I Met Jack, Conversations With Friends.
