I read some good books this month-- and some real stinkers (Elizabeth Gilbert I am looking at you. Seriously, I disliked this book so much I stopped following her on IG, even).
My top book this month is, perhaps, my BOOK OF THE YEAR (although there are some excellent reads still to be published this final quarter, and the Booker Prize longlist books are excellent)
Random snap of one week's ambitious TBR (and then I got Katabasis on my kindle and returned the hard copy-- I am getting the hang of my Libby Kindle requests!!)
Here's the list from worst to best:
BAD
All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert: No thank you. **2025
MEH
Tilda Is Visible by Jane Tara: A bit heavy-handed with the metaphor. **2025
The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight: Liked this but did not love it. *Audio **2025
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren: Cute but very very very predictable. **KINDLE
My Friends by Fredrik Backman: I usually love him, but this was too Hallmark movie for me. **2025
The Guncle by Steven Rowley: Liked it so much, I snagged the sequel immediately. But then I listened to one million podcasts instead of it... *Audio
Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin: I liked this, but I would have liked it 100 pages lighter, too. **2025
Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson: YIKES YOU GUYS. *Audio **2025
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston: This was sweet and sad and cute. I liked it! *2025
You should read these if you haven't already
Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam: This was fascinating and made me want to read everything she's written. *Audio
I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time by Laura Vanderkam: This was terrific-- I loved all of the advice and the reframe. I do have time to do the things that matter to me. If I don't have time, then maybe if was not a real priority. *Audio
I'll Follow You by Charlene Wang: DARK. LOVED IT. **2025 **KINDLE (Amazon First Read-- these are rarely awesome, but this one is).
Life and Art: Essays by Richard Russo: There is a whole essay where he talks about writing Straight Man (my favorite book ever written) and the character of Hank Devereaux (my favorite character in all of literature), and I was RIVETED. **2025
THESE ARE REALLY REALLY GOOD
Maggie; or a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee: THIS IS WONDERFUL. A BOTY contender for sure-- great story, wonderful narrator, funny and sad-- loved it. *KINDLE **2025
Flashlight by Susan Choi: Booker Prize longlist book-- so good. Sad, harrowing funny-- thick. A delight. Not a pool book, though, but that's where I read it. **2025
I'll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman: This is one of the best books I have read this year-- such a simple plot but such wonderful characters. I highly recommend it. (Also the cover was not appealing to me, so I checked it out and didn't read it and then re-requested it and did';t read it and then finally listened to it). *Audio **2025
Stats
BTM 16
Book books: 7
Kindle books: 3
Audio books 6
2025 books: 11
BTY 140
Book books: 79
Kindle books: 9
Audio books: 59
2025 books: 88
