Because I have to keep track of this somewhere, right?
- Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain (4.5 stars)
- Paris Stories by Mavis Gallant (5 stars, no question. BEAUTIFUL short stories)
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (4.75 stars- really, really close to a 5 star book for me, and it might get there yet)
- Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (a/k/a "The Bloggess")- It's profane, it's inappropriate in many places, and it's really quite good. 3.5/5, but not for the easily offended.
- Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely (3 stars). Some interesting ideas, and I have particular respect because Ariely's interest in this area grew out of his experiences as a burn survivor. Some of the stories and concepts, however, get a bit repetitive.
- The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng (3 stars). This was a Man-Booker long list book in 2012, and I'm not entirely sure why. I suspect it's for the beautiful, lush writing. The story, however, never resonated with me, and I didn't care for the sense of being at arm's length from the characters at all times.
- Man Walks into a Room by Nicole Krauss (3 stars). I know, another 3 star book- I seem to be on a run. I don't think it's just post- John Greene let-down, though it could be. There's something in Krauss' writing that makes me a little crazy, and I've never been able to articulate what it is. The characters here, again, never resonate with me. There are some thoughts and ideas, however, that are beautifully stated in here. I'm eagerly awaiting our book group discussion of this one.
Labels: 46 by 46, things to read