Simone2 in 2021

Hi all, I am Barbara and have been keeping track of my reading in Club Read for a few years. I like to follow what others are reading and during the years my tbr has exploded.
I used to be much more active on LT but now I prefer Litsy also because English is not my first language and writing reviews is always a challenge. On Litsy you are only allowed short ones! Looking forward to another year of reading with you!

JANUARY - MARCH

JANUARY
1 - Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami: 4*
2 - Jamilia by Chingiz Aïtmatov: 3.5*
3 - Memorial by Bryan Washington: 4.5*
4 - A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki: 4*
5 - Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld: 3.5*
6 - Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saawadi: 3.5*
7 - The Topeka School by Ben Lerner: DNF
8 - The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: 4.5*
9 - Perfect Days by Raphael Montes: 4*
10 - The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson: 5*
11 - The Interpreter from Java by Alfred Birney: 3.5*
12 - Maybe the Horse Will Talk by Elliot Perlman: 4*
13 - Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica: 5*
14 - The Tale of Aypi by Ak Welsapar: 3*
15 - Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss: 2*
16 - The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer: 2*
17 - The Group by Mary McCarthy: 3*

FEBRUARY
18 - Stick Out Your Tongue by Ma Jian: 4*
19 - Deacon King Kong by James McBride: 4*
20 - The Wonder by Emma Donoghue: 4*
21 - The New Me by Halle Butler: 3*
22 - The Plot Against America by Philip Roth: 3.5*
23 - The Headmaster’s Wager by Vincent Lam: 3*
24 - A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet: 3*
25 - Death is Hard Work by Khaled Khalifa: 3*
26 - Shuggie Bain by Dougals Stuart: 3.5*
27- Transcedent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi: 5*
28 - The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-Eun: 4*
29 - The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers: 4*
30 - The Beach by Alex Garland: 3.5*
31 - The Victorian Chaise Longue by Marghanita Laski: 4*
32 - West by Carys Davies: 3*

MARCH
33 - Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell: 4*
34 - Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia by Samuel Johnson: 1*
35 -Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler: 3.5*
36 - Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer: 3.5*
37 - QuixotiQ by Ali Al Saeed: DNF
38 - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: 4.5*
39 - The Absolutist by John Boyne: 4.5*
40 - Fair Play by Tove Jansson: 4.5*
41 - The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector: 3*
42 - The Morbids by Ewa Ramsey: 4.5*
43 - The Blue Sky by Galsan Tschinag: 3.5*
44 - The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington: 3*
45 - In the Language of Miracles by Rajia Hassib: 3.5*
46 - Basti by Intizar Husain: 3*
47 - The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson: 3.5*
48 - The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: 4*

APRIL - JUNE

APRIL
49 - Little White Lies by Philippa East: 2.5*
50 - 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff: 4.5*
51 - The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker: 2*
52 - Pain by Zerua Shalev: 3.5*
53 - De fundamenten by Ramsey Nasr (Dutch): 5*
54 - The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan: DNF
55 - The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse: 3*
56 - Treasures of the Thunder Dragon by Ashi Dorji Wangmu Wangchuck: 3.5*
57 - My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee: 3.5*
58 - The Farm by Joanne Ramos: 3.5*
59 - Skylark by Dezsö Kosztolányi: 3.5*
60 - Written in Black by KH Lim: 2.5*
61 - No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood: 4.5*
62 - If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha: 4*
63 - Nothing But Blue Sky by Kathleen MacMahon: 4*

MAY
64 - The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam: 3*
65 - We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker: 4.5*
66 - Lot by Bryan Washington: 3*
67 - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett: 4*
68 - Miss Buncle’s Book by DE Stevenson: 4*
69 - Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat: 5*
70 - The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad: 3*
71 - All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage: 4*
72 - Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy: 5*
73 - Wild by Cheryl Strayed: 4*
74 - Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski: 3.5*
75 - The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie: 2*
76 - During the Reign of the Queen of Persia by Joan Chase: DNF
77 - Expecting Adam by Martha Beck: 3.5*
78 - Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Mijaojin: 2.5*
79 - Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler: 3*

JUNE
80 - Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano: 3*
81 - Orkney by Amy Sackville: 3*
82 - Want by Lynn Steger Strong: 3.5*
83 - I Remember Beirut by Zeina Abirached: 3*
84 - In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado: 3.5*
85 - Wat wij zagen by Hannah Bervoets (Dutch): 3*
86 - Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters: 3.5*
87 - Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner: 2.5*
88 - The Bradshaw Variations by Rachel Cusk: 4*
89 - Gatecrashing Paradise by Tom Chesshire: 2.5*
90 - The Corpse Exhibition by Hassan Blasim: 3*
91 - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro: 3*

JULY - SEPTEMBER

JULY
92 - A Collection of Uzbek Short Stories by Mahmuda Saydumarova: 3*
93 - The Push by Ashley Audrain: 4*
94 - Celestial Bodies by Jokes Alharthi: 3.5*
95 - The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe: 3.5*
96 - Naked Lunch by William S Burroughs: 1*
97 - Kroniek van een overtocht by Luís Cardoso: 2.5*
98 - The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne: 3*
99 - Brother by Ania Ahlborn: 4*
100 - Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri: 4*
101 - Mother’s Beloved by Outhine Bounyavong: 4*
102 - Good Behaviour by Molly Keane: 4*
103 - Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton: 3.5*
104 - Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: 4*
105 - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: 3.5*

AUGUST
106 - The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels: 5*
107 - Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan: 4*
108 - Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi: DNF
109 - True Story by Kate Reed Petty: 4.5*
110 - Other People’s Children by RJ Hoffmann: 3*
111 - Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan: 2*
112 - Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan: 3.5*
113 - Isabelle by Tessa de Loo: 4*
114 - Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby: 4*
115 - Exit by Belinda Bauer: 3*
116 - The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence: 4*
117 - Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen: 3*
118 - The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib: 3.5*
119 - The Garden Where the Brass Band Played by Simon Vestdijk: 3*
120 - Free Day by Inès Cagnati: 4*
121 - Arabia by Levison Wood: 4.5*
122 - Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi: 4*
123 - Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy: 5*
124 - 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard: 4*

SEPTEMBER
125 - A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne: DNF
126 - The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng: 5*
127 - The Good Life by Jay McInerney: 3.5*
128 - The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence: 4*
129 - What Doesn’t Kill You by Tessa Miller: 3.5*
130 - Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder: 3*
131 - A Passage to India by EM Forster: 4*
132 - Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane: 3.5*
133 - The Trick to Time by Kit de Waal: 3.5*
134 - Monogamy by Sue Miller: 4*

OCTOBER - DECEMBER

OCTOBER
135 - Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney: 3.5*
136 - The Woman in the Purple Skirt: 4*
137 - Bewilderment by Richard Powers: 4*
138 - The Leavers by Lisa Ko: 3*
139 - Summerwater by Sarah Moss: 4*
140 - A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence: 3*
141 - Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick: 3*
142 - The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud: 3*
143 - Sovietistan by Erika Fatland: 3.5*
144 - The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw: 4*
145 - The Promise by Damon Galgut: 3.5*
146 - Beloved by Tony Morrison: DNF
147 - The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard: 4*

NOVEMBER
148 - No Exit by Taylor Adams: 3*
149 - At Night’s End by Nir Baram: 3.5*
150 - Pillars of Salt by Fadia Faqir: 4*
151- Een goede moeder by Jan van Mersbergen (Dutch): 5*
152 - An Untouched House by WF Hermans: 3*
153 - On The Road by Jack Kerouac: 3*
154 - Wittgenstein’s Mistress by David Markson: 2.5*
155 - School for Love by Olivia Manning: 4*
156 - He Started It by Samantha Downing: 3*
157 - Real Life by Brandon Taylor: 4.5*
158 - My Life in Doha by Rachel Hajar: 3*
159 - Intimacies by Katie Kitamura: 4*
160 - The Trees by Percival Everett: 4*

DECEMBER
161 - The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris: 3*
162 - Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen: 3.5*
163 - America is not the Heart by Elaine Castillo: 4*
164 - Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge: 3*
165 - Matrix by Lauren Groff: 2.5*
166 - Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin: 5*
167 - The Ten Thousand Things by Maria Dermoût: 3*
168 - Infinite Country by Patricia Engel: 3.5*
169 - In Concrete by Anne Garréta: 3*
170 - Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah: 3*
171 - Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard: 4*
172 - People from my Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami: 3*
173 - Hell of a Book by Jason Mott: 4*

1 - Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

Although dragging in the middle, I ended up loved this book. Natsuko is an asexual woman with a child wish. Her journey in finding answers regarding this wish, its possibilities and society’s opinion leads through the heart of Japan and Japanese culture and values. I’m both sad and happy after finishing it.

4*

Happy New Year, Barbara! I'm glad that you liked Breasts and Eggs, as it's received a good amount of attention in the United States. i'll be on the lookout for it.

Happy New Year! You're off to a good start already.

Happy 2021 Barbara! Quick two books. Breast and Eggs sounds terrific. I've had a copy of Jamilla since 2012 (based on a review by avaland), but I haven't read it.

>6 Simone2: I've ordered this book, but it's on backorder. I'll jump on it as soon as it arrives. It's the most interesting-looking book of the Tournament of Books shortlist.

>10 RidgewayGirl: it is definitely interesting but my favorite is still Interior Chinatown. I have some promising ones to come though!

2 - Jamilia by Chingiz Aïtmatov

When the wounded soldier Daniyar arrives in the Kyrgyzstan village, everything changes. His songs of love, the earth and the steppe are in sharp contrast with the circumstances under which the people in the village live and work. His songs are mesmerizing to those who listen. The narrator does and so does Jamilia. A beautiful love story.

3.5*

Hi, Barbara, stopping by to drop off a staff, and wish you happy reading this year.

>13 sallypursell: thank you! Happy new year!

3 - Memorial by Bryan Washington

While Mike leaves his boyfriend Benson to stay with his dying father in Osaka, Benson stays in Houston with Mikes’s mother who just happened to visit from Japan.
While getting settled in a new situation, both explore their not so perfect relationship.

What is perfect is the balance between plot and character development and the way Washington describes the melancholy love between Mike and Benson. Their dialogues, the awkward silences, the questions left unanswered, it is all so good.
Memorial is the love story about these two men but also about parents and children. I am impressed deeply.

4.5*

>15 Simone2: This sounded interesting so I started reading a preview online and got sucked right in, so onto the wishlist it goes.

>15 Simone2: Houston? And its small Japanese presence... and maybe it’s gay scene? I’m embarrassed to say that’s a draw. But also it’s a book that sounds good and that you enjoyed. Noting.

>15 Simone2: Oh yes, that does sound great.

>16 rhian_of_oz: >17 dchaikin: >18 wandering_star: I know it got some mixed reviews and maybe it’s a cliche setting (gay scene in Houston? I wouldn’t know), but the dialogue and the silence between is superb! I hope you’ll enjoy it if you get to it!

4 - A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

The time being is deep time, as opposed to linear, chronological time. The time being is a kind of eternal present. A time being is also a being who lives in time, who is alive, and who will therefore die.

The time being leads too at least three different storylines, and a mix of history, contemporary fiction and magical realism. It could have been too much but Ozeki knows how to bring it all together into a wonderful story of coming of age, love, and war. And of Japan.

4*

>4 Simone2: I started this and put it down for some reason, which I can't remember now. So many folks whose reading tastes I share have liked it, though, I feel like I should give it another shot at some point.

>21 lisapeet: if you tried and put it down than read something else. It is good but may not be your kind of book. It’s not a must-read in my opinion!!

5 - Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

In an alternate universe, Hillary doesn’t marry Bill Clinton but remains Hillary Rodham. Liberated from his ambitions and sexual extremities, she can create her own path and follow her own ambitions.

I kept wondering what was true and what was fiction. Hillary felt so real! The one downside for me was the namedropping (a lot!) of politicians I never heard of.

However, for a book about two people I am not that interested in about domestic politics in a country that’s not mine it really was a very engaging read!

3.5*

6 - Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi

Not all men are evil and in continuous need of forcing themselves on women. I am sure of that. So I was actually a bit annoyed by Firdaus’s story, in which literally all men she meets take advantage of her body. She is raped and touched again and again until prostitution feels like the only way out and to be in control of her life and body. Yet her story, set in Egypt in the 70s, is a true one. In the Preface of the book, El Saadawi summarizes the book as ‘the story of a woman driven by despair to the darkest of ends.’ And that’s what it is. Dark and shocking.

3.5*

7 - The Topeka School by Ben Lerner

I tried but not very hard. This just isn’t for me. At least not now.

>25 Simone2: I tried very hard to read that too, Barbara, and just couldn’t do it.

>26 arubabookwoman: that is kind of a consolation, to know it’s not just me!

8 - The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

I loved this graphic novel about Iran’s recent history told by a rebellious girl. The format works so well! During the pointless war against Iraq are and while the government restricts individual freedom - especially women’s - Marjane is able to hold on to what she stands for and to keep being true to herself. She has her witty sense of humor and her wonderful and wise family to thank for.

4.5*

>20 Simone2: time being book - Ozeki reads it and ... she’s a terrible reader. So i hated it. Oops

>23 Simone2: Rodham - entertained by your last sentence. This book has never appealed, but now I’m interested.

>24 Simone2: Woman at Point Zero - huh. Interesting

>28 Simone2: Persepolis is a graphic novel classic, one of the absolute best. I adore it. Glad you enjoyed.

>29 dchaikin: Thanks for your comments! I never read graphic novels but adored The Complete Persepolis too.
Funny you mention Ozeki. I liked that she spoke English in a way easy for me to understand, but I can imagine that when English is your first language it may be a bit annoying.

9 - Perfect Days by Raphael Montes

This is the lovestory Raphael Montes promised his mother 😱😱 Let’s say it was a hell of a ride - literally.
Teo is a medical student, unbeknownst to human feelings. It’s all ratio with him. So when he gets obsessed with Clarice, a girl he hardly knows, he just takes her with him, across Brazil. He keeps defending what he’s doing and it’s creepy yet fantastic to be in his mind. The end was disappointing but I had a great time! It reminded me of the great The Collector.

4*

10 - The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

This book gives such a clear impression. A story set in snow, told in as few words as possible. Below the surface it’s dark though. Ice and snow melt, the earth becomes visible again, as do the deeper layers of Katri’s and Anna’s characters. Are they building a friendship or were they always opponents? It’s hard to decide who to trust and who’s the deceiver. Especially when you’re not sure if you can trust the narrator. So much packed in one little book 🤍

5*

>32 Simone2: Ah, such a special author. Noting this particular title.

>33 AlisonY: It is a gem, I hope you'll give it a try one day.

11 - The Interpreter from Java by Alfred Birney

This is a book about the colonial past of the Netherlands, a subject that is close to my heart, especially regarding Indonesia. This book is set in the former Dutch East Indies under the Japanese occupation in WWII and afterwards, during the struggle for independence. The story is told by a man who grows up in the Netherlands but whose father was Indonesian and fought on the side of the Dutch. The father's memoirs are full of violence, the murders and torture innumerable. When the father comes to the Netherlands (where he had never been before) after independence, he is severely traumatized, which shows in the upbringing of his children. This second generation is often also very damaged. The son's story is an indictment of his father and the country in which he was born but has never felt at home. I don't know if the book is as interesting for people who have nothing to do with this part of history, but for me personally it was very touching and recognizable.

3.5*

>35 Simone2: sounds fascinating.

>36 dchaikin: It’s tough. It’s not even written that well but it’s a story that needed to be told.

12 - Maybe the Horse Will Talk by Elliot Perlman

I had such a good time with this book. Perlman did deliver again. Set in a legal corporate setting this book is witty and funny and even touching. “Ordinary” lawyer Steven Maserov and his wonderful entourage challenge the giants and tackle some big corporate issues like the so often ignored MeToo claims in these environments.

4*

>35 Simone2: Thank you for this review. I've saved The Interpreter from Java on scribd: I'm interested in colonialism, but I know next to nothing about the Dutch colonial empire, and it looks like this book might remedy this.

>39 Dilara86: If you read it you’ll know more about it than most Dutch since it’s a subject (the gruesomeness of it) that is too little acknowledged here.

13 - Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

How can I be able to say I loved this book? Yet I did. With all its horror it felt more real and plausible than many other dystopian books. Agustina Bazterrica described the end of humanity extremely well. And that ending. I didn’t see that coming. But looking back and giving it some more thought it probably was inevitable.

5*

>40 Simone2: Yes, it's like the majority of people in former colonising countries actually *want* to push the impact of colonisation out of their consciousness.

14 - The Tale of Aypi by Ak Welsapar

The inhabitants of a small fishing village in Turkmenistan will soon be relocated to a nearby urban center so that their land can be used for construction. They feel their culture and heritage disappear, replaced by modern times and don’t understand why. Their story is interwoven with the fable of Aypi, who haunts the novel. Her presence assumes a greater importance as the story evolves which I found annoying because I was more interested in the story of the villagers.

3*

15 - Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss

The novel begins with the disappearance of Epstein, a rixh Jewish-American in his sixties who one day, after giving away all his earthly possessions, disappears in Israel.The passages about Epstein are interspersed with chapters in which we follow a female writer. Plagued by a writer's block and her disintegrating marriage, she too travels to Israel, looking for inspiration.

Both become increasingly detached from normal life in the course of the novel, which leads to endless musings on life, Judaism and Kafka. I am very interested in all three subjects but this went way over my head and I found myself lose interest.

2*

You’re cruising through so many books. I struggled with Forrest Dark too (on audio), although I managed to stay intrigued. I should try again...

>45 dchaikin: I wouldn’t hurry to reread it. Unless you are deep into Judaism and philosophy.

16 - The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer

Instead of having a plot, this book is an analysis of the racist policy of Apartheid personified into the life of a white man, Mehring. This character is South Africa in miniature: entitled and privileged and almost completely ignorant of everything around him. He doesn’t understand the black laborers who run his farm and underestimates their foreman who hides his superior intellect whenever the boss is around. While Mehring’s white wife, mistress and son all flee the country, he himself represents the inevitable collapse of Apartheid.

2*

17 - The Group by Mary McCarthy

The last few chapters saved this book for me.

It felt very scattered, I still don’t see why the story couldn’t focus on some of the characters instead of the whole group. Some of the girls were so interesting but a lot of pages dealt witch stuff I didn’t care for. Yet the ending made sense. Suddenly the pieces fell into place. And the group.

3*

18 - Stick Out Your Tongue by Ma Jian

“In Tibet, religion permeates every grain of earth. Man and God are inseparable, myth and legend are intertwined. People there have endured sufferings that are beyond the comprehension of the modern world. “

This quote describes perfectly what this little book is about. After 90 pages and 5 short stories, I can smell the earth, see the mountains and feel the harshness of living on the Tibetan plateau. A banned book worth reading!

4*

>41 Simone2: I'm glad you liked this one. I've got it sitting in my ToB pile and I have been reluctant, but you've made me more eager to get to it.

>50 RidgewayGirl: It’s actually one of my favorites! Can’t wait to see what you make of it!

19 - Deacon King Kong by James McBride

If this had been a movie and I saw the trailer I’d never watch it, but reading about this mixed bag of people who make up the characters around Sportcoat, (an old drunk who shoots drugsdealer Deems), is wonderful. There is so much more behind the obvious and the prejudice. The setting in the Cause Housing Project in Brooklyn adds a lot to the story, as does McBride’s gift for storytelling. Another ToB win!

4*

Of course, you’re also doing ToB. I follow it through you and Kay.

>49 Simone2: this sounds good!

20 - The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

Emma Donoghue brings to life the deeply Roman Catholic Ireland of the 19th century. Anna has been fasting for four months and Nurse Lib comes in from England to watch over Anna for a fortnight - just to notice if the girl takes any food at all and to find out if she is indeed a miracle or a fraud. Lib is cynical about everything: Ireland, religion, Anna’s poor family. She is sure the girl is a fraud. She stands by while the girl is slowly dying. The book reads like a thriller in which you want to interfere and warn the involved. I kept thinking “ Eat! Make her eat!”

4*

>54 Simone2: That book really put me off of Donoghue. The ignorant Irish saved by the English nurse. I refuse to believe there wasn't anyone among the Irish in that town who had at least an ounce of intelligence.

>55 dianeham: I know! She was feeling so superior! I was really annoyed by her during the first half of the book and then suddenly turned around about the moment when she met the (Irish!) journalist who has more sense than she does!

21 - The New Me by Halle Butler

Milly has a depressing temp job in a depressing office. The rest of het life is depressing too. She lives alone, with no friends or hobby’s. So Milly has the right to whine. And whining she does. The comparison with Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation comes up, but that one is much better. Although I did feel sorry for Milly, especially because she wrote such sincere job application emails and was treated unfairly.

3*

22 - The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

The Plot Against America describes an alternate history in which Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 US elections. It seems plausible enough: Lindbergh was a national hero at the time. However, he sympathized with Hitler and the panic among the Jewish population is told by the young Philip.
The menacing euphemistic talk from the White House, the divided population, the Jewish resistance: Roth’s story is not only easy to imagine, the comparison with contemporary America is unavoidable either.

3.5*

>57 Simone2: I loved The New Me, but I'm well aware that my love of novels about disastrous women makes me a biased judge.

The Plot Against America was chilling when I read it years ago, when the United States was nowhere near as divided and menacing as it is now.

23 - The Headmaster’s Wager by Vincent Lam

This book shows a colourful, suspenseful depiction of Chinese living in Vietnam during the war. Chen Pie Sou (Percival) is a Chinese headmaster of an English school in Saigon. He is able to ignore the war most of the time because with his money he is able to live undisturbed most of the time. However when the hostilities of the war threaten his family, Percival learns that his fortune cannot has its limits.
Lam’s writing about intrigue, political collusion and the clash of cultures is good, his characters are frustratingly one-dimensional.

3*

>61 Simone2: Oh, that's too bad. I really liked his book of short stories.

24 - A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet

During a multi family vacation a bunch of kids is frustrated by their extremely self centered parents. Parents who have ruined the planet and don’t care at all about the well-being of their kids. With a lot of humor Millet writes about the kids creating their separate reality until an environmental disaster reaches them. Millet seems to get lost in her own story. New people and situations are introduced halfheartedly and leave me with many questions and a bit disappointed.

3*

>63 Simone2: Sorry to hear that. Taking it off my TBR.

25 - Death is Hard Work by Khalid Khalifa

Abdel Latif’s last wish is to be buried next to his sister in another village. His three adult children take him through the ruins of war torn Syria. The siblings reminisce about their lost hopes and dreams. So many lives lost. Friends turned opponents.

Unfortunately the book didn’t touch me as I thought it would. I’ve read better books about current Syria.

3*

26 - Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

It is impossible to rate this book negatively. It is so well written and Douglas Stuart deserves all the praise to be able to write this story.
I am glad it won the Booker and if the author is anything like Shuggie himself, he deserves all the luck in the world.
Having said that, I didn’t enjoy the book. Its repetitiveness was exhausting: the ongoing misery, never a break or some humor. I was even a bit annoyed by it (just one example: the one time Shuggie takes a taxi, the driver abuses him; what are the odds?).
I am glad I read it and glad it’s done.

3.5*

>66 Simone2: Hmmm... did you read Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life? I've got Shuggie Bain on the shelf but your review made me think of the other book, which I found incredibly manipulative and could never get past that aspect. I'll still probably try for Shuggie for myself, though, to satisfy my curiosity.

>67 lisapeet: I have to admit I loved A Little Life though it is a lot of misery too and quite exhausting too. This one reminded me of Angela’s Ashes although better.

27 - Transcedent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Gifty is someone’s sister and someone’s daughter. But who is Gifty herself? She is a scientist so she tries to make sense of it all: death, religion, grief, addiction, her sexuality, het Ghanaian descent. However some things are too transcendent to make sense of. Knowing this, how hard is it to become yourself.

I loved this book and it might be my favorite for the ToB21. Again I am in awe how Gyasi can write.

5*

28 - The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-Eun

“Jungle” is a Korean travel agency specializing in tourism to destinations devastated by disaster and climate change. Employee Yona goes on a
business trip to the fictional island of Mui, to determine whether or not to keep it on the program. The islanders’ stories of trauma and grief raise nothing but a feeling of boredom in Yona and her fellow travelers. The disaster Mui has experienced is just not that shocking. This is the beginning of an original and entertaining eco-thriller.

4*

>63 Simone2: I liked A Children's Bible a lot, and am a huge fan of Lydia Millet but there is no question that she's an acquired taste.

>67 lisapeet: Lisa, I felt manipulated by A Little Life, but not by Shuggie. There was enough hope and bits of joy in Shuggie.

>69 Simone2: Oh, it's just such a fantastic, rich book.

29 - The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers

“Goodbye Sana’a, Mokthar thought. He was sure it would be there when he returned but there was no guarantee what the Saudis would do, what the Houthis would do. Yemen could become Syria.”

This book taught me so much. About coffee, about Yemen and about companies with a purpose. Mokthar is such an inspiring person and really a man with a mission.

4*

30 - The Beach by Alex Garland

Searching for adventure and for a place not yet spoilt by other backpackers, narrator Richard and some other backpackers strand on an unknown island off the coast from Thailand. Other people are already living there, all in search of some kind of Utopia. Things go smoothy for a while but then Lord of the Flies meets Lost and things start falling apart. Fun read, nothing special.

3.5*

31 - The Victorian Chaise-Longue by Marghanita Laski

Young wife Melanie falls asleep on a Victorian chaise-longue she and her husband picked out in a junk shop and wakes up 80 years earlier in 1864, unable to rise from the couch or to make anyone understand who she really is. Melanie is now Milly, a dying TB sufferer.

She recognises things, and feels instinctively emotional towards people, all of which, if she were Melanie in someone else’s body, she shouldn’t recognise or feel at all. In 99 pages this is a small book with a powerful message and an interesting and terrifying plot.

4*

>74 Simone2: I have a memory from my childhood where I was watching something on tv about a girl who woke up in a Victorian past. My brother changed the channel to watch sports and I never found out what happened.

>74 Simone2: I think this is what the show I watched was based on. I looked it up on imdb.com and there was a tv play on studio 4 in 1962. I've carried this in my head for almost 60 years. I've even thought of writing it myself. I am very excited.

>76 dianeham: That is so cool, to finally discover what you were watching all those years ago!! You should try to see the tv play again or at least read the book!

>76 dianeham: I think I found the play on YouTube!! https://youtu.be/OL6jR9ZucLc

32 - West by Carys Davies

n 1815 a widower leaves behind his home in Pennsylvania, to travel west in search of the giant animals he heard about.
He leaves behind his 10 years old daughter who is certain he’ll return and keeps waiting for him.

This is quite an atmospheric read about the early days of the US. I felt for the daughter, not the silly father.

3*

>74 Simone2: Is that a persephone title? I know they publish some of Marghanita Laski's books.

>74 Simone2: That is a book I really want to read!

>80 japaul22: Yes it is. A very slim one!

>77 Simone2: I read the book last night. Thank you so much. Will check out the video.

>83 dianeham: And was it the story you remembered?

>84 Simone2: yes, it was! I am so amazed. Might have been good I didn't see it in 1963.

33 - Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell

Despite its ugly cover this is another wonderful story by Maggie O’Farrell and exactly what I needed. It’s a family drama at its best. A mother and her three adult children come together when their father goes missing. Each has their own secrets and stuff to deal with. An intelligent pageturner. Loved it!

4*

34 - Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson

Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia, lives in complete happiness in an Ethiopian valley and discovers that is boring. ‘You find it boring because you have never known misery’, someone says to him and this leads Rasselas to go in search of the meaning of life, misery and happiness.
These two sentences sum up the content of this book pretty good actually. Samuel Johnson needed a lot more pages though. Very boring, however it’s another one of the 1001 books list ticked off.

1*

35 - Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

In a near future America has collapsed into a state of anarchy with danger everywhere. Lauren Olamina is a young girl leading a group of people across California, meanwhile inventing a new religion, Earthseed. It’s an unpopular opinion but I didn’t like this book as others seem to. It reminded me of The Stand, The Road and Station Eleven, and didn’t stood out amongst them.

3.5*

36 - Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

I read parts of this book but mostly listened to it. Krakauer himself reads his account of the infamous 1996 Everest expedition that resulted in a tragedy. Through most of the story he remains the journalist and although that’s admirable at times felt a bit too much like a report instead of a NF novel. Too many facts and figures to my taste but other than that a sad and fascinating story.

3.5*

>89 Simone2: Hmm - shame. I've had this on my TBR shelf for so long it's not even on the TBR shelf, but I expected it to be a great read when I eventually got round to reading it. Maybe no rush just yet.

>90 AlisonY: Most people love it I think so please don’t avoid it because of me!

37 - QuixotiQ by Ali Al Saeed

The grammatica of this book, written in English by an author of #Bahrain, is so bad even I (as a non native English speaker) can’t miss it. Worse - I can’t even concentrate on the storyline while the language keeps distracting me. I’m sorry to say I bailed and learned nothing about the country - where the story isn’t even set...

>90 AlisonY:

I thought Into Thin Air was amazing. I read it when my daughter was little and I remember caring for a baby with one hand, and carrying the book with my other and reading it all in one go. It was a day when she had her needs met, but nothing extra! Thankfully, I didn't find another book like that until she was much older. :-D

Another vote for Into the Air from me

>86 Simone2: Maggie O'Farrell writes what I can only describe as escapist novels for people who usually read literary novels. She's moved on to more substantial work and so I'm doling out the few I haven't read as slowly as possible.

>95 RidgewayGirl: That is exactly it. I cherish the ones I haven’t read too. I do coincidentally the same about Sarah Waters (see my review below). Have you read her? If not I can absolutely recommend it!

38- Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

What a read. I already knew Sarah Waters is quite the storyteller but this one surprised me again and again. The suspense, the twists, the cleverness, the atmosphere of 19th century London. It left me breathless. Such a satisfying read!

4.5*

39 - The Absolutist by John Boyne

That ending. Books about WWI are always sad (the trenches, No Man’s Land 🥲) but I could have known John Boyne would add a little extra. This is the heartbreaking story of Tristan Sadler, gay and soldier and ever lonely.

4.5*

>93 Nickelini:, >94 baswood: Thanks. I must give Into Thin Air a go then. Tragedy aside, I do like books about people taking on immense physical challenges anyway.

>97 Simone2: It's been a while since I read Fingersmith, but I do remember loving it too.

>98 Simone2: John Boyne's another of those authors that I can't believe I've not got to yet. I need to up my reading game to get to all these titles.

>93 Nickelini: I read Into Thin Air more than twenty years ago. It was great story of a horrible event.

>100 gsm235:
Yes, over 20 years ago for me too -- that baby is now 24 years old and has been living on another continent since 2018. But I still remember what a good read it was.

>89 Simone2: I loved Into Thin Air, but it was a bit of a trauma to read. Trying to share some of it vicariously was a serious one for me, anyway, but I'm so glad I had the experience. And I learned a lot about Everest. I think it would be hard to visualize the details of the journey without the map of the approach.

>102 sallypursell: I remember Into Thin Air making me feel weirdly short of breath a lot of the time I was reading it. :)

40 - Fair Play by Tove Jansson

It takes some time to get used to the relationship between two artists, Mari and Jonna (mainly because of the sparsity of words Jansson uses) but when I did, I loved it. They have lived and worked together for so long, and are not always loving towards eachother and yet they are - so very much.
Nature, art, aging, jealousy, repetitiveness, death: each story touches upon subjects that add to their joint journey. Together apart. Or apart together.

4.5*

41 - The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Liespector

This is a hard book to read. G.H. is a Brazilian artist who is experiencing a breakdown after discovering a big cockroach in the otherwise extremely clean room of her maid. What follows is a monologue about this mystical crisis. Eliz_M already warned me for the ending and I felt sorry I was just having breakfast when I came to it. This book will linger in the back of my mind forever I think and I’m not exactly happy with that.
Not a recommendation thus, but I completely see the reason for it being one of the 1001 books to read before you die.

3*

42 - The Morbids by Ewa Ramsey

This book… I am so fortunate that I have never known the kind of anxiety described in this book. Caitlin is afraid of dying. She is sure she will, anytime now, because she made this one mistake in life: being careless. Out of guilt she now tries to cope by being careful, always careful.

The Morbids captures the experience of severe anxiety with nuance and skill and so much empathy. There is friendship and love and fun too in the book. I cried and I smiled and I’ll recommend it highly.

4.5*

>106 Simone2: I've never heard of this one. Where did you find it?

And I also loved Fair Play and Into Thin Air (wildly different books!)

>107 japaul22: It’s new and Australian. It is hard to get a copy in Europe and I think the US as well. I was fortunate to receive one from a Litsy friend. You could try Amazon or BookDepository but for me it was too expensive to order from them.

I loved Fair Play too - almost as much as The True Deceiver. My favorite Krakauer still is Under the Banner of Heaven.

43 - The Blue Sky by Galsan Tachinag

This is the first instalment of Galsan Tschinag’s memoirs and it shows a peek into the lives of the nomadic Aruban people, living in the high Altai Mountains of Mongolia. It is a hard and ancient way of life, determined by the seasons and the ubiquitous blue sky.
I learned a lot and was touched by the story.

3.5*

44 - The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington

This is a wild tale about an eccentric old lady living in an eccentric home for the elderly with a bunch of eccentric people. Marian with her hearing trumpet is hilarious, as are her best friend Carmella and the winking Abbess. I could have spend hours with them but suddenly there was the apocalypse. I know of Carrington’s love for absurdity and surrealism but personally I preferred the first half of the book.

3*

45 - In the Language of Miracles by Rajiv Hassing

The Al-Menshawys are an Egyptian immigrants family living in a small New Jersey town. They’ve lived there for twenty years when tragedy strikes. Their eldest son kills his ex-girlfriend and himself. The community’s prejudice is relentless. It’s ever there but Hassib’s story mainly shows how grief and guilt isolate one from another.
The point of view switches between the father, the mother, the brother and sister and the grandmother of the dead boy in a beautiful way. Set in the year following the tragic event, this is an emotional and very nuanced debut.

3.5*

46 - Basti by Intizar Husain

This is a very difficult book about the early days of Pakistan as an independent country. The story switches in time, narrator style, POV, and between dream and reality. What I’ll remember is how cruel reality is for Pakistani in those days.

3*

47 - The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson

This was the intriguing story of Jun Do, aka Commander Ga, the son of the orphan master and the husband of opera singer Sun Moon. Oh, and a close ally of The Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il too. It’s a good story with lots of twists. Yet I do prefer non fiction in a book about a country as isolated and unknown as North Korea.

3.5*

48 - The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

My problem with short stories is always that I don't take enough time to let them sink in. I usually go straight on to the next one and forget about them soon.
This time too, I kept on reading, but I weren’t able to forget about the ones I’d finished. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wouldn’t let me. She’s is so good! I think they’ll linger in the back of my mind forever.

4*

49 - Little White Lies by Philippa East

Another disappointing thriller. A weak plot, too slow paced, and too predictable. I kept hoping for something clever or unexpected in this book about a girl who escapes after 7 years from the man who kidnapped her. In vain.

2.5*

I caught with you on Litsy first, then came here. Amazed how many books you read...how many great ones too.

>116 dchaikin: We are still in lockdown so I am
either working or reading most of the time. I feel blessed that I always have a book to escape in! I hope you are doing well. Vaccination is going fast in the US, I hope you can go back to normal soon.

50 - 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

I flew through this delightful read. It’s the correspondence between the bold American author and the super polite English bookstore employee. In the sober fifties she starts ordering special books from Marks & Co and he is always trying to please her. Their letters and relationship is hilarious at times, polite at others but always touching and filled with love and respect for books and the love of books. A must read for all book lovers.

4.5*

>118 Simone2: Loved this book and I'm due for a reread!

>118 Simone2: I've been meaning to read this for the longest time. I love epistolaries, and I've heard nothing but good about this one.

Adding this one to my list too. I've not heard of this author before.

>129 AlisonY: I love epistolaries, too, and I actually found a good contemporary romance of that type that I loved. I don't read many of that genre. This was written by Meg Cabot and was called The Boy Next Door.

>120 lisapeet: >121 AlisonY: >122 sallypursell: I can wholeheartedly recommend it. It is lovely and very short made for us booklovers!

51 - The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

This book started interesting because it felt so similar to the start of our very own pandemic Written in 2019, it seemed as if Walker had had a premonition of what was about to happen to the world. She wrote about a virus causing people to fall asleep in a Californian university town, complete with face masks and quarantine. However, the plot soon became a mess and not an interesting one. No need to read it, if you want my opinion.

2*

52 - Pain by Zeruya Shalev

Zeruya Shalev writes so well about love, marriage and family. In this novel there’s also pain. The narrator was involved in a terrorist attack on a bus in Jerusalem. Ten years later, the pain returns. So does her first love. An intense book.

3.5*

53 - De fundamenten by Ramsey Nasr (Dutch)

Not often do I read a book I want everyone to read. My friends, my kids, my co-workers, our clients. You all. But it’s Dutch. Ramsey Nasr wrote three essays in the past year. About Corona, about time to reflect, about out national politicians who are extremely liberal but ignore that they should lead us towards a sustainable future. Dutch kids are the happiest in the world but the clock is ticking. And we know it but don’t change it. We should look at the world in a radically different way. Like the Dutch painter Van Gogh did. Ramsey Nasr writes what I’m thinking of so often but couldn’t find words for. He should be our leader but he is an artist. A great one.

5*

54 - The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

I feel ashamed of myself but I can’t focus on this book at the moment. Too much going on in real life to be able to concentrate on the horror of Australian POWs working the Burma Railroad in what’s now called Myanmar. I don’t bail, I want to read it one day. Just not now.

55 - The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

I loved the setting (a deserted sanatorium in the Swiss Alps turned into a top-end design hotel) but I didn’t care for any of the characters and I wasn’t blown away by the plot. It was all a bit obvious although I am not sure what the Epilogue meant. An okay thriller.

3*

>128 Simone2: Ah, shame. I agree that setting had so much potential.

56 - Treasures of the Thunder Dragon by Ashi Dorji Wangmu Wangchuck

A fascinating read about Bhutan. It reads a bit like the Lonely Planet (it really is a travelling guide) but the author knows so much about local nature, traditions, spirituality and politics: she opens a world I knew nothing about. This book should be obliged for everyone travelling to this mysterious and isolated country in the Himalaya where national progress is measured by gross national happiness instead of gross national product.

3.5*

>127 Simone2: FWIW I liked The Narrow Road to the Deep North, although I wasn't blown away by it.

>131 kidzdoc: That is definitely worth a lot, thanks!

57 - My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee

The young Tiller is mesmerized by businessman Pong. The feeling seems mutual and Pong takes him on a business trip to China. A second storyline is set afterwards, while Tiller is living with a woman under witness protection and her young son. Unfortunately the book didn’t grab me as much as I expected to. In parts it’s brilliant but it is sooo much. The endings of both storylines are memorable though!

3.5*

58 - The Farm by Joanne Ramos

When I managed to get by the seemingly endless chapters about breastfeeding I did enjoy this book. The Farm is an interesting concept - it could be out there somewhere - where poor immigrant are payed to be pregnant for rich career women who don’t have time to get pregnant. A lot of ethical topics are are touched upon but that’s about it. A fun read, no more no less.

3.5*

59 - Skylark by Dezsö Kosztolányi

Full of guild and hesitation father and mother Vajkaj discover there is a life without their daughter Skylark. She 36 year old, unattractive and unmarried and they love but above all pity her.
Skylark leaves them for a week to stay with family and instead of missing her terribly, her parents sort of flourish. Yet they feel ashamed and wait eagerly for Skylark’s return to retreat in their joint loneliness.

Once again an unpredictable and satisfying NYRB book.

3.5*

60 - Written in Black by KH Lim

Not sure what was the point but I did learn a bit about Brunei along the way. Jonathan is a 10-year old boy and is on a mission to find his estranged brother for the funeral of his grandfather. That’s about it.

2.5*

61 - No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

“Why were we all writing like this now? Because a new kind of connection had to be made,” the narrator mentions in this book, while being some kind of influencer, ever present on “the platform” and travelling the world to talk about it. And then the world turns silent in the second half. A world without social media and with a completely different kind of connection. A very emotional book. It touched me deeply.

4.5*

62 - If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

In South Korea plastic surgery seems almost necessary among young women to build their careers. Under this kind of pressure four women try to succeed in modern day Seoul where misogyny and class tensions still are common. Shocking and grim.

4*

63 - Nothing But Blue Sky by Kathleen MacMahon

David and Mary Rose are happily married and are completely in sync, at least that’s what David thinks. When Mary Rose tragically dies he revisits their favourite holiday spot on the Costa Brava in Spain. He tries his best and his grief is heartfelt. So is his acknowledgment that things weren’t always as good as he thought. I understand that this book didn’t made the shortlist of the Women’s Prize but it is a wonderful novel about grief, marriage and regret about things that happened along the way. Words that were said or left unsaid.

4*

>139 Simone2:
I'm more interested in Nothing But Blue Sky than most of the books that made the Women's Prize short list.

>140 Nickelini: I was too and it’s really good. I can definitely recommend it. I think it was just too conventional in its style to make it to the shortlist. There are some real experimental novels selected now. I can see why but personally I enjoyed this one a lot.

64 - The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam

Its independence war leaves Bangladesh torn apart - the country and its people. Maya and her brother Sohail have become estranged during the years. He has become a devote Muslim, she a fighter for justice and freedom. Their mother tries to keep the family together.

I enjoyed the glimpses into the Bangladeshi way of life and I learned a bit about the country. An okay read.

3*

65 - We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

Exactly the book I was looking for to spend a lazy Sunday with. It’s so much more than a crime novel. Outlaw Duchess is such an amazing character, as are police officer Walk for that matter. And grandfather Hal. And Vincent King. They are bound together in an amazing plot, filled with twists that made me hold my breath and shed a tear.

4.5*

Just another stop to catch up here and in Litsy, and wave hello. Hope you’re well.

>144 dchaikin: That is so kind of you Dan! I am doing well. Reading keeps me sane in sometimes crazy times but that goed for most of us I think. I do hope you are well too and that we can read Lolita later this year!

66 - Lot by Bryan Washington

Me and this book, we were not a good match. I didn’t get the structure. Short stories alternate with the coming of age of a young man in Houston (drugs, sex, violence, poverty, a broken family, racism, you name it, it’s there). I would have preferred a book just about the narrator and his family. Parts were so promising and then didn’t deliver.
I guess I wanted Bryan Washington to do what he did in Memorial!

3*

Sorry about Lot and thanks and yes it definitely does go for a lot of us and - yeah, Lolita. I should come up with a date suggestion for that.

I like the title Lot for a book in Houston, surrounded by salt domes.

>147 dchaikin: I didn’t make that connection but it’s a good one!

67 - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

I’m not a real fan of Patchett. That might be why I waited so long to read this. Now I wonder why. It’s a unique book about a group of people taken hostage in a Latin American villa. After a while the lines between the terrorists and the hostages fade and unusual relationships arise. The ending is one that’ll stay with me for a while. My favorite Patchett so far.

4*

68 - Miss Buncle’s Book by DE Stevenson

This is the delightful read about Miss Buncle who writes about the people in the English village she lives in. When the book is published most recognize themselves and are not amused to say the least. Miss Buncle may not look very sharp, her pen is.
Comfort reading at it best!

4*

69 - Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat

Loss and grief are the central themes in each of the stories that make up this book. Loss of memory, of a homeland (Haiti), a life, a loved one, an illusion, a dream. Followed by the grief of how to deal with this loss, this book really tells everything there is inside. And as if that’s not enough, Edwidge Danticat knows how to bring her characters to life in just a few pages. I literally came to love them and felt like I understood each one of them. What an achievement. All the stars for this wonderful book.

5*

>151 Simone2: I have been meaning to read something by Danticat for years. Thanks for the reminder!

>152 RidgewayGirl: If you do, read this one, it's definitely worth it.

70 - The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

I am very interested in Afghanistan and normally love a journalistic approach to read about a country. This book however, didn’t quite work for me. It can be because the book is from 2002 and brought little that I didn’t already know of Afghanistan’s 20th century history, Islam or family life. I’m not sure, but I was bored a bit.

3*

Stopping by to catch up. Lots of really interesting fare.

>155 sallypursell: Thank you for catching up!

71 - All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage

Catherine is murdered and the focus of the book is more a whydunnit than a whodunnit. It’s the story of the events leading up to the murder. It’s the story of an unhappy woman doing the best she can, lonely in a rural community in upstate NY. It’s the story of her husband who reminds me of Mr Ripley. And it’s the sad story of the family who lived in their house before them. A riveting psychological and literary thriller. With a few ghosts.

4*

>157 Simone2: I also love ghosts ... but not real ones, I hasten to add.

>158 sallypursell: Their presence in this book is very subtle yet it adds to the story!

72 - Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

This book broke my heart again and again. For the state of the world, for one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read, for Franny, the narrator.

She sails on one of the few remaining fishing boats from the Arctic to the Antarctic to follow the last Arctic terns in their final migration in a world where wildlife’s extinction is everywhere. The journey, the wildness, the loneliness. I can’t praise this book enough.

5*

>160 Simone2: I keep eyeing this book. I may have to just go ahead and snag a copy.

Just spend some time reading through your last couple of months of reading. Thanks for all the reviews and perspectives on a whole stack of fascinating books. Cheers!

>160 Simone2: I thought I had this one on my wish list already, but I can't find it. On it goes now anyway.

>161 RidgewayGirl: >162 rocketjk: >163 AlisonY: Thank you all for stepping by. I can wholeheartedly recommend Migrations, it might very well end up being my favorite of the year. So good!

73 - Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I am in awe of how Cheryl faces the challenges in both her personal life as well as while hiking 1,700 kilometers along the Pacific Crest Trail. She is wild and naive but also so tough. She dares to do something that I can only dream of. I enjoyed this book a lot.

4*

>165 Simone2: I enjoyed this a lot too. I find these types of books very inspirational; even though I remain firmly sat on my own armchair, I like the idea of taking on an epic challenge like this.

>166 AlisonY: Lol, me too! Especially in times of covid, armchair travelling is the best!

>160 Simone2: You've sold me on this book. But you seem to have the wrong touchstone.

>168 sallypursell: Thanks for noticing Sally, I changed it. I hope you’ll get to it!

74 - Little Boy Lost by Margarita Laski

Hilary travels to post war France to look for his 5 year old son, who he has last seen when the boy was just a baby. In an orphanage he will meet a little boy who might be his son. Shall he recognize him? Shall he know whether the boy is indeed his son when he sees him? Shall he be able to love the child?

A portrait of France in ruins and of a man who thinks he can’t love anymore after the years of the war.

3.5*

Definitely adding Migrations to my list - sounds fantastic!

>171 japaul22: You’ll love it. I hope you will get to it one day!

75 - During the Reign of the Queen of Persia by Joan Chase

I’m sorry to say I didn’t like this one at all. After 50 pages I was so bored I decided to put it away for now. It’s my impatience I’m sure. I often can’t deal with this kind of book. So homey. Am not a fan of Marilynne Robinson either for that matter. Oh and the dense type didn’t help either.

DNF

76 - Expecting Adam by Martha Beck

Martha Beck and her husband John live according to plan, led by the rules of Harvard and the implicit ones of growing up in Mormon Utah. Everything changes when Martha gets pregnant with Adam. All ratio must make room for angels and miracles. Everyday magic, as Martha calls it is this memoir, alternates by extreme anxiousness I don’t know what to believe but it’s a unique story about love and motherhood.

I Googled Martha afterwards and she is quite a special woman, controversial even maybe, but I enjoyed getting to know her. And who would ever want to go to Harvard after reading this book?!

3*

77 - Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin

A crocodile hides most of itself underwater, with only eyes and nose breaking the surface. University student Lazi and her queer friends live like crocodiles, as their sexuality forces them to present a face to the world that looks nothing like their entire selves.

That is a great starting point for a book about coming of age, queer identity and self-loathing in Taiwan in the 1980s.

The writing style is very aloof and the snippets that made up the story are lacking coherence.

I think this is exactly what Qiu intended but for me it was hard to connect to the book and its message.

2.5*

78 - The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Just no. I was such a fan of Agatha Christie in my teens. Now It just is meh for me. Especially Miss Marple. I am willing to give Poirot another chance though.

2*

>176 Simone2: I also loved Agatha Christie in my teens. I'm always tempted to reread some and my mom owns them all, but I never get to it. I wonder what I'd think now!

>176 Simone2:, >177 japaul22:

Me too! I loved Agatha Christie in my teens, especially Miss Marple. And then when I was 19 I was in Papua New Guinea mostly just hanging out, and I read what feels like a hundred Agatha Christie novels from the library. The library was made up 100% of donations from missionaries, so there wasn't a lot of selection. I loved the AC at the time though. I've been thinking of rereading some of them. NOT The Murder of Roger Ackroyd or Murder on the Orient Express though. Those two annoyed me.

>177 japaul22: >178 Nickelini: I shouldn’t reread them now if I were you. In my memory they were so good. I am really sorry I tried again! Hanging out in Papua New Guinea when you’re 19 sounds so cool! There’s a story there! The ones you mention I never liked either, nor And Then There Were None.

79 - Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler

The Guardian states in a review of this book: ‘This is a self-involved novel, for self-involved readers in a self-involved age.’ That is so true, and it’s the strength of this book while also tiresome.
It started out strong with a lot of social media, a fake account of course, Trump’s inauguration and the women’s march the next day. Unfortunately then the novel lost pace: the sharp observations made place for random meetings in Berlin that didn’t add much to the story- because the narrator is ultimately just self-involved. Not sure how to rate this.

3*

80 - Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

An okay read about a 13 year old boy who is the only survivor of a plane crash. The book is a bit too YA to my taste but it suited my bit-of-a-reading-slump. It’s easy to read and the emotions were oddly satisfying.

3*

>181 Simone2: My bookclub is reading this one next month.

81 - Orkney by Amy Sackville

He is 40 years her senior and while they honeymoon on an Orkney island he watches her every little detail while she’s standing by the sea and he pretends to work. Each day seems the same. Waiting for something inevitable to happen, waiting for the storm.

This book could have been so good and I LOVED the setting. Yet it became a bit too much of the same in the second half.

3*

>182 WelshBookworm: I hope you’ll like it!

>183 Simone2: That's a shamed. This one sounded like it could have been right up my street.

>185 AlisonY: It is quite atmospheric and I loved the setting and the story building up. It just became a bit too repetitive for me but I can easily see why you’d love it!

82 - Want by Lynn Steger Strong

This slim book contains a lot. Motherhood, depression, bankruptcy, friendship, marriage, job stress: it could easily have been too much but I felt for the narrator, a woman in her thirties, making the best of it. She felt like a temporary friend to me and I loved spending some time with her. The ending was awesome, I felt happy for her.

3.5*

83 - I Remember Beirut by Zeinia Abirached

This graphic novel set in wartime #Lebanon was an okay read. The concept of the book is good, despite the subject the book is more fun than educating.

3*

84 - In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

The Dream House is all but a dream house. It is used as a metaphor to describe the toxic relationship between Carmen Maria Machado and an ex-girlfriend. The Dream House is a construction that enables the author to tell her story. It’s such an inventive form of storytelling, I was deeply impressed, both by form and the painful content. Machado maken perfectly clear how hard is it to escape from an abusive relationship.

3.5*

>187 Simone2: I really liked Want -- there's something about stories about women's ordinary lives where finances and childcare are issues, that feels authentic and worth reading about.

>189 Simone2: I have a copy of this and hope to get to it soon. Other books keep jumping in front of it.

>190 RidgewayGirl: You'll love In the Dream House.

85 - Wat wij zagen by Hannah Bervoets (Dutch)

Kayleigh works for an online platform as a ‘content moderator’. She has to watch shocking content for hours a day and decide if a post should be removed or not. She and her co-workers are monitored by a strict system that measures their productivity. Not surprisingly they cling together somewhat desperately in their spare time. They drink and play tough but can’t avoid being influenced by the content they are watching all day. Conspiracy theories take over their conversations. An okay read.

3*

86 - Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

How little did I know about trans feminine culture? I learned so much reading this book about gender and the vulnerability of trans women. The eye opening makes this book a pick for me, but the plot didn’t add much to be honest.

3.5*

87 - Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

The First World War wiped out a generation of young English men and left behind young women, both widows and spinsters, who went in search for a life of their own. So does Lolly Willowes, who escapes convention by becoming a witch. Doesn’t this sound great? I think it does but the book was (some great quotes aside) mainly booooooring.

2.5*

88 - The Bradshaw Variations by Rachel Cusk

Like no other Cusk knows how to write about life. Just living life. In the Bradshaw family everyone deals with life in their own way. They are adults and know how it works and yet they all are looking for something more. Or for something to make aging bearable at least.

4*

>195 Simone2: I remember really liking this! I've read three of her books and this was my favourite.

>195 Simone2: Well, naturally this one caught my eye! ;-)

>197 WelshBookworm: It’s good 😊

89 - Gatecrashing Paradise by Tom Chesshyre

I now know so much more about the Maldives than I ever wanted to! So it was informative and entertaining. That’s about it. If it weren’t for a reading challenge on Litsy I never would have read it, I’m sure!

2.5*

90 - The Corpse Exhibition by Hassan Blasim

These short stories form a raw depiction of Iraq in its darkest years. The stories are filled with death, bombs, torture, beheadings, betrayal and pain. It’s unimaginable this was Hassan Blasim’s reality before he fled to Europe - and that of the many who stayed. How little do we know.

3*

91 - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

I‘m not sure about this one. The first half feels YA, the second half dystopian. Some great thoughts in between. Setting and scenery are fantastic as to be expected but in general for me it is not really memorable and not Ishiguro‘s best work. Not by a long shot.

3*

92 - A Collection of Uzbek Short Stories by Mahmuda Saydumarova

This book gives a nice insight in Uzbekistan society. From this collection of short stories I liked “The Bride from the City” best.

3*

93 - The Push by Ashley Audrain

Is her daughter a psychopath or is she herself just unfit to be a mother, like her own mother was? And the mother of her mother?
This psychological thriller about nature and nurture kept me guessing and turning pages. Good!

4*

94 - Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi

Al-Awafi is a small village in Oman. Time seems to have passed without any changes. People live their lives as they have for centuries in this desolate part of the country. But this is the 20th century and things ARE changing. This book tells how various people from the village deal with current times. The story is a combination of folklore and magic realism, of fiction and journalism.

3.5*

95 - The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe

Bunny and Michael are two outsiders growing up, due to their personalities as well as their past. They become best friends and are two unique characters in this book that loses its focus a bit halfway through, in my opinion. So much happens, not all is worked out well. That’s why I liked it but not loved it.

3.5*

96 - Naked Lunch by William S Burroughs

I should have known by now I don’t like books about drugs. This one adds a lot of bodily fluids and genitals and, I give you that, some wonderful sentences. Poetry maybe. Raw poetry. I can see why Burroughs was an inspiration to many back in the days but to me it was a struggle to finish.

1*

97 - The Crossing by Luís Cardoso

East Timor gained independence from Portugal in 1975, only to be invaded by Indonesia less than a week later. The colonial rulers paid little attention to the education of the Timorese. Anafalbetism was high and when the country finally became independent in 2002 (and chose the Portuguese name TimorLeste) their language was mainly an oral one. This is one of the first books written about the country. That's what makes it interesting.

2.5*

>207 Simone2: Yeah, I generally feel the same about drug novels.

98 - The Ice Twins by SK Treymane

This was a very unrealistic psychological thriller with a very unrealistic mother as the main character. One of het daughters dies, her twin sister is grieving and the mother keeps making all the wrong choices. Annoying and unrealistic. Oh and the father? Annoying too.

3*

99 - Brother by Ania Ahlborn

I just spend a perfect sunny day reading this extremely unsettling book. I can’t say much about it, it’s impossible te recommend but wow, did I have a good time with this fucked-up family. And under the violent surface this is a very sad novel as well. Not my regular cup of tea but I see why Ania Ahlborn is so popular.

4*

100 - Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri:

We’re introduced to the life of a woman who lives a quiet, solitary life. She has her routines, her work, her friends, her lovers and her past. And then, after 157 pages, we leave her to it.

A completely different Lahiri then in her other books. With a language so sparse it reminded me of authors like Offill, that style that’s so popular right now. But Lahiri knows how to add exactly that that makes this book unique, maybe even lyrical, in as few words as possible.

4*

>212 Simone2: I really liked Whereabouts.

>213 RidgewayGirl: For me it’s the winner against Klara in CampToB. What do you think?

101 - Mother’s Beloved by Outhine Bounyavong

These collection of short stories provide a commentary on the changing values of Laotian society. The author himself is critical of the industrialization and modernization of Laos at the cost of traditional values, which he portrays in many ways through these stories.

I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed this book a lot.

4*

>214 Simone2: I loved Whereabouts and didn't like Klara and the Sun, but who knows what the ToB voters will choose.

>216 RidgewayGirl: I felt the same. My two favorites now are Whereabouts and No One is Talking About This.

102 - Good Behaviour by Molly Keane

Meet Aroon St Charles, a girl too tall, too plain, too ungainly. She is the only and lonely daughter of Mummie and Papa, of Temple Alice, a once grand, now decrepit, country house.

It’s a long and complicated story Aroon shares - without ever understanding what that story is about.

That makes this book both funny and sad, and quite brilliant.

4*

103 - Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton

A fun read about an eccentric family, consisting of five daughters, a father who writes detective novels and a very anxious mother who everyone takes care of in their best way. Growing up however, the daughters start to think of themselves and their future. Told by one of them, Morgan, a great and humorous character, this is an enjoyable read.

3.5*

104 - Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

We’re having a lousy summer here in Holland. But this book made up for it, it’s such a fun read. No need to tell you what it’s about as I’m the last person to read it but I loved to get a glimpse of the crazy rich way of life in Singapore and I rooted so hard for Nick and Rachel! Only the ending felt a bit rushed but I didn’t mind. Perfect summer read 😉

4*

105 - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

This was a cozy and witty whodunnit. I enjoyed it and laughed out loud during the part where police officer Chris appears to drown in the sofa 😂
I also liked the characters of the Murder Club members and would love to live in such a community one day. Not sure I’ll read the sequel though.

3.5*

106 - The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

This book made me cry so hard. Each time I read a book about all young queers dying of AIDS while the world turned its back I can’t believe these were the 80s as well. Were was I? I was a teenager doing the same things they did and I didn’t have a clue.

This story is another heartbreaking account of those dark times, set in a rural religious community were a boy, dying of AIDS, not just meets ignorance but also pure hate. Not just by strangers, also by his family. His story is not an unique one unfortunately. All the stars for this book and for author Carter Sickels for writing it.

5*

107 - Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan

They were boys in the 80s and they lived life to the max. A highlight was Manchester’s Festival of the 10th Summer. That weekend marked the end of their shared youth. Reality hits hard thirty years later when they’re men with jobs and marriages and responsibilities. It makes them yearn for the days when they were young and invincible.

4*

108 - Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi

I read the first half of this book for CampToB and to be honest I am not sure if I’ll read the second half. It’s so weird. There is a storyline I like but it’s hidden among so many others. And I do like the concept of a train existing of weird wagons but it’s just too much. I lost track.

DNF

109 - True Story by Kate Reed Petty

What a book. You should know nothing about it, just dive in, and get lost in a story that mixes horror, suspense, confession, epistolary and noir in a fantastic way. And the final twist is a great one. Such an original debut and highly recommended!

4.5*

>226 Simone2: Great - will be noting that one.

>224 Simone2: Mayflies brought a lot of my own memories of concerts and road trips with friends back.

>225 Simone2: Had it not been for the Tournament of Books Summer Reading, this would have been a DNF for me, too. You missed nothing by stopping early.

>226 Simone2: I loved this book!

>224 Simone2: Oh I am so psyched to read Mayflies. That's my generation, and it sounds very much like my cuppa tea—youth, aging, yeah.

>228 RidgewayGirl: We are so similar in our taste, I must check out your thread to find some inspiration for next reads!

>229 lisapeet: Me too, it’s quite relatable!

110 - Other People’s Children by RJ Hoffmann

What seemed to be a cheesy story about motherhood in suburbia turned into something completely different. My lack of sympathy for the main characters (except Carli) however, and the a bit too simple storyline make this a book I’ll soon forget about.

3*

111 - Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan

I read every first page of every story. When I liked it I read on. But there were so many I didn’t like. Too absurd. The main theme however, is very poignant. The stories are all about the many migrants who come to the United Arab Emirates from countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines. They look for ways to make money to take care of their families back home. They are the people without rights. Temporary people.

2*

112 - Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

This book is written well and there’s no plot to speak of so I think many will judge it on how it resonates with them. I could relate to the narrator in how her body is responsible for her self esteem. In the toxic relationships I recognize the stories of many a friend and reading about it l made me think that I’ve heard it all before (I’m really getting old!)

3.5*

I just finished Migrations, which I'm pretty sure I heard of first from you. I loved it! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

>234 japaul22: I hoped you would! It’s my favorite of the year so far. I can’t wait to read her new one: Once There Were Wolves.

113 - Isabelle by Tessa de Loo

An artist is fascinated by painting dead animals in various states of decay. The next step is kidnapping a local beauty and paint her while she’s starving. A great synopsis, well worked out in this Dutch novella.

4*

114 - Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby

Not my usual kind of book but this fast-paced story of two ex-con fathers looking for the murderers of their gay sons is real good. They both are tough guys with a lot of prejudices and beside the killing and the violence they learn a lot about respecting people for who they are. Excellent read.

4*

Isabelle looks very interesting, but doesn't seem to have been translated (at least not on Amazon). I read the book by Tessa de Loo that's on the 1001 List. I can't remember the name offhand, The Twins??

>237 Simone2: I have this one as well, not my thing usually either but something sounded interesting :) Probably should get to it rather sooner than later.

>232 Simone2: This was a book I didn't love when I read it, but although it's been a few years, and I've read quite a few books since, this one is still with me. The cockroaches in their outfits, the precariousness of life on the building sites, the many, many cockroaches.

>233 Simone2: This was one of the better exemplars of that sub-genre about women who ruin their own lives. I liked that she got out.

115 - Exit by Belinda Bauer

This is a fun read about an elder man, who incidentally commits a murder and wants to deal with that in a decent way. Completely different from Snap, which I liked better, but an enjoyable read nevertheless.

3*

>238 arubabookwoman: How good you remember the author’s name! That was The Twins indeed!

>239 AnnieMod: It’s a fast paced read and a good one in its genre. I think you can’t go wrong.

>240 RidgewayGirl: Those cockroaches indeed! Regarding Acts of Desperation I notice I am a bit fed up with Young woman ruining their lives. I think I read too many of them lately.

116 - The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence

“Odd. Only now do I see that what’s going to happen can’t be delayed indefinitely.”

In her refusal to live in a home for the elderly and the wish to hold on to her own independence, 90+ years old Hagar is as rebellious as she has been her whole life. A life that she now revisits to keep the future at bay. Hers hasn’t been easy and she hasn’t been the best mother. Pride and stubbornness withheld her from being as close to her children as she wanted and before she knew it, it was too late. The confrontation with aging and her own mortality is a hard one for Hagar. And the way Laurence describes her fear and rebellion makes it so real, I can almost feel it myself.

4*

117 - Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen

I can’t pinpoint why I didn’t enjoy this book more than I actually did. The subject (based on real events), the different voices and pov’s, the style, the wittiness of Katharina herself: all appeal to me. And yet it didn’t really work for me.

3*

118 - The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib

This collection of short stories set in Kuwait really grew on me. At first it took some getting used to but from ‘Playing with Bombs’ (one of my favorites) onwards, the stories and the characters gave me a unique insight into life in Kuwait. I’m glad I read it.

3.5*

119 - The Garden Where the Brass Band Played by Simon Vestdijk

Nol Rieske is a boy who is very sensitive to the emotions of the people around him. At a garden party, he meets his piano teacher's daughter, and he is lost forever: he will never be able to get her out of his mind. Their mutual love and admiration for music (for example Bizet’s opera Carmen) isn’t enough however: Nol's desperate love for her inevitably leads to a catastrophe.

3*

120 - Free Day by Inès Cagnati

Galla is 14 and the daughter of Italian immigrants in France after WWI. The family lives very isolated and under extremely poor circumstances. Galla is able to escape by getting into high school in a nearby town but every other weekend she returns to her unloving home.

The book is mostly about her solitude. She is utterly alone throughout the book. It is a very bleak and sad read and it really touched me.

4*

>247 Simone2: Why is it that bleak makes me think "ooh, I might enjoy that"?!

Still, adding it to the list. The setting sounds appealing.

>248 AlisonY: It is really, I mean REALLY bleak. Consider yourself warned.
I didn’t know many Italians emigrated to France after WWI. They came with nothing. So sad. And bleak :)

121 - Arabia by Levison Wood

British author and photographer Levison Wood travels the Arabian Middle East. Ravaged by war, and tormented by terrorism he takes a lot of risks. But he does make it and he learns that prejudices are often just that. With respect for each country and its people he takes the reader along on his adventures and encounters. I hung on his every word.

4.5*

122 - Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi

In 10 letters an Israeli author reaches out to his Palestininan neighbours on the other side of the wall. As nuanced as possible and trying to see the conflict between the two nations from both sides - with much empathy for all Palestinian trauma but also demanding an understanding of what Israel, and its people stand for. It is an admirable and profound effort and although I think it is (inevitable probably) biased at times, I understand much more about the Jewish story and the significance of Israel in Jewish identity. I am happy to see the letters did reach people in the Arab world who are responding to in on a to the project dedicated website: https://www.letterstomyneighbor.com/reader-responses/

Steps are small but maybe they'll help towards a better understanding and, who knows, a two state solution. As the author ends his last letter: Insjallah.

4*

123 - Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

After finishing Once There Were Wolves I can partly repeat my review of Migrations, Charlotte McConaghy’s debut novel:

“This book broke my heart again and again. For the state of the world, for one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read, for the narrator.”

In this book the narrator is Indi, who comes to the Scottish Highlanda to rewild them with wolves. With her she brings her damaged twin sister and the memories of her
most unusual upbringing by a father who lives in the forest and a mother who’s a detective in women abuse cases. And then there is the local community, who cares more for their sheep than the climate crisis.
Again, all the stars for this author.

5*

124 - 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

This author suddenly is all over the place and I couldn’t wait to see for myself, especially since I’m always looking for good thrillers. This one, set in Dublin during the first COVID-19 lockdown, is certainly a decent one. More psychological than scary but filled with twists and very plausible. The corona restrictions give the book a bit of a dystopian feeling while we all know by now this has been our reality. I am looking forward to reading more by Howard!

4*

>252 Simone2: Oh good! I loved Migrations and will definitely read this one too!

>253 Simone2:
Oh good! This one is definitely on my radar.

>254 japaul22: I messaged you on Litsy to recommend this. I’m sure you’ll love it too!

>255 Nickelini: It’s a pageturner, I hope you’ll enjoy it!

I need to read both those McConaghy books. They look to be right up my alley.

>257 lisapeet: I hope you will. They are so good. Very depressing too, I have to warn you.

125 - A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne

I’m sorry to say this Boyne didn’t work for me. The premise did sound interesting but it felt so repetitive.

DNF

126 - The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

I knew about the Japanese occupation in South East Asia during WWII mainly from a Dutch POV. I learned so much reading this book. About the war, about the communist guerrilla in Malaysia afterwards, about Japanese gardens and about horimono tattoo art. And all this written in the most wonderful style. So serene - if that’s possible - and so authentic. I am grateful I finally read it.

5*

>258 Simone2: OK, forewarned. But I still think I'd rather read a depressing book than something chirpy or a romance.

>261 lisapeet: Me too. Anytime!

127 - The Good Life by Jay McInerney

In the wake of 9/11 Luke and Corinne meet. While the city mourns they fall in love, working in a Soup Kitchen near Ground Zero. They feel guilty about their feelings in the light of what happened and towards their spouses and kids.
It’s a complicated love story amidst worlds falling apart.

3.5*

>263 Simone2:
That sounds interesting. Today is the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and I'm typing from the same spot I was sitting when I first heard about it. It feels like a long time ago and yesterday, both together. I immediately thought that it was going to be huge source for novels (My first thought was about someone disappearing from their lives and restarting again if they were close enough to have possibly died at the scene). Your novel has an interesting premise too.

>264 Nickelini: That must feel strange, to be in the same spot as when you first heard about it. This book is good, it describes life as I think is must have been in NYC following 9/11 - for rich white people, that is.

128 - The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence

“I used to think there would be a blinding flash of light someday, and then I would be wise and calm and would know how to cope with everything. Now I see that whatever I‘m like, I‘m pretty well stuck with it for life.”

Stacey is growing older and taking care of everyone around her takes its toll. Shouldn‘t there be something more? Set in the 1960s, in many ways it feels so similar to living and aging and motherhood right now. Thought provoking.

4*

129 - What Doesn’t Kill You by Tessa Miller

This is a hard book for various reasons. I am immensely sorry for the way the author has to deal with Crohn’s Disease. I had no idea it could be this bad. She is so courageous.

Also, it is a VERY American book, many things are hard to relate to. The use of antibiotics, the many therapists and support groups but most of all the healthcare system. The author continuously has to worry about insurance and costs. I am grateful that healthcare is a basis human right where I live, not a privilege.

Now I am a bit wiser and sadder.

3.5*

>267 Simone2: I'll be on the lookout for this book, Barbara, as one of my dear friends in Atlanta suffers from a particularly severe form of Crohn's disease and requires hospitalization every couple of months. I'll ask Hillary if she has read it yet.

>267 Simone2: It's a horrendous disease, Barbara. A good friend of mine has suffered with it since her late teens, and on holiday in Mexico in her 20s her colon burst as a result and she almost died. Following a difficult road to recovery (removal of part of her colon and a temporary bag) I'm glad to say she's been much better in recent years, but that better health comes at the price of taking very strong medication which in itself has been linked to cancer.

A grim, grim disease.

>268 kidzdoc: >269 AlisonY: My daughter was just diagnosed with Crohn’s. She is doing and feeling good now thanks to medication and to be honest I had no idea it could be this bad. Your stories sound so hard too. I wish your friends the very best.

130 - Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

I loved the premise of a stay at home mom who hates being at home and despises the perfect moms in the park who seem completely happy with their lives. This mother was an artist, having a dream job, she was meant to DO things and now it’s just her and her son. At home. She is bored and angry, and one day all that anger expresses itself in becoming Nightbitch.
So far so good. But in the end I lost it. Performance art and bunnies?!

3*

>271 Simone2: I was interested in the premise of this book, but I just couldn't get past the cover. I'm usually not squeamish, but I am a vegetarian and that provokes such a visceral (literally I guess, heh) reaction for me. I guess I could read the ebook, but I would know it was lurking in there somewhere... So maybe not for me.

>270 Simone2: Well if I'd known about your daughter I would definitely not have relayed the experience of my friend. But every case is different, and I'm glad your daughter is doing well.

>272 lisapeet: I guess that’s the right choice since the book is about meat a lot. Yet if you are willing, try the English edition. It has a beautiful cover 😉

>273 AlisonY: I want to learn and know about this disease so please don’t feel sorry!

131 - A Passage to India by EM Forster

A very anti colonial book told by the story of two English ladies who travel to India and want to get to know ‘the real India’. When a the befriended doctor Aziz takes them on a trip all possible prejudices turn the trip into a nasty situation and the effect seems to be that until India will a free state, friendship between the two nations is not possible. Not yet.

4*

132 - Effi Briest by Theodore Fontane

This book is written weirdly detached and without much emotion. Style and plot are very rational and in line with how things are supposed to be and go among the aristocracy at the end of the 19th century. Only Effi Briest is not behaving according to principles (although she tries). She marries a much older man. Her character reminds me of Emma Bovary, Anna Karenina and Eline Vere. Not surprising but a very satisfying book.

3.5*

133 - The Trick to Time by Kit de Waal

Mona and William are two Irish immigrants in their early 20s whose love-at-first-sight story gives way to a tender tale of grief, suffering and devotion.Decades later, Mona has turned 60 and pieces together the memories of the years that seperate them.

I enjoyed this sad book but I really must read some books now that don’t deal with aging and regret! I’m way too young to identify with these characters all the time!! Maybe the new Rooney is just what I need!

3.5*

134 - Monogamy by Sue Miller

Monogamy offers a perceptive view into the long lasting marriage of Annie and Graham. Bound by love, fun and understanding, surrounded by family, careers and a wonderful home: they have it all, and a lot to loose. Sue Miller describes love, grief and anger like James Salter would and I loved it.

4*

>278 Simone2: I really liked Monogamy, too. It was such an insightful and well-crafted novel.

135 - Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

Four friends, I liked them all, felt for them all. I remember my 30th birthday vividly. The responsibility of being a real adult. The expectations coming with that age.
I loved their wise conversations (even the emails) and yet the book didn’t to much for me. I still love Conversations with Friends best.

3.5*

136 - The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura

The woman in the purple skirt is continuously being watched and followed by the woman in the yellow cardigan, the narrator of this quirky Japanese novel. In a light tone of voice this is really a dark novel about loneliness.

4*

>280 Simone2: See, I've avoided Sally Rooney's books for that very reason, and I'm interested in whether it's a justified reason or not. I'm past the age group she writes about, and feel like I don't want to read about the general life woes that are appropriate to that 20s / 30s age group.

Am I doing her a disservice?

>282 AlisonY: Same, plus I'm feeling a little allergic to all the hype she's gotten for the most recent book. I do have a galley of Normal People, and I kind of like the premise as my sister related it, so I might give it a go at some point. But yeah, 20-somethings navigating their lives in general isn't high up on my list of subjects in general (though I'm always happy to be proved wrong).

>282 AlisonY: I read about a third of Conversations with Friends before deciding that it wasn't for me, for precisely this reason.

>282 AlisonY: >283 lisapeet: >284 wandering_star: Agree with you all. I did enjoy Conversations with Friends and read Normal People too but now I am done with Rooney. Millennials problems can be a bit tiresome lol. And I am also allergic for the hype, I see the book everywhere - normally a reason not to buy.

137 - Bewilderment by Richare Powers

For me, this is a book about survival. In order to survive, a father and his young son need to connect to each other in new ways after the mother dies. And it‘s hard to survive anyway in a world falling apart due to our own neglect of it. They find consolation in each other‘s company, the boy being highly sensitive, the father a scientist. Beautiful written, with a big sense of urgency.

4*

>285 Simone2: I loved the BBC series of Normal People, though. Completely binge watched it!

>287 AlisonY: That is funny! So yould relate to them on tv!

138 - The Leavers by Lisa Ko

I didn’t like this book as much as most people did.It is a long book and as heartbreaking as Polly’s and Demin’s story is (and the foster parents for that matter), I didn’t feel close to either of them. The author writes in a rather boring, chronological way, without much room for my own interpretations – if I express myself correctly.

3*

I'm glad that you liked Bewilderment, Barbara. I'll probably read it next week.

>290 kidzdoc: I really did. I am now looking forward to The Promise. Do you have any favorites yet?

139 - Summerwater by Sarah Moss

Another rainy day in a Scottish holiday park. In short stories we learn how twelve persons staying there, deal with the rain.
Some go out, some have sex, some want to die, some go to the pub: to all of them I could relate one way or another. And then out if the blue there was that ending…

4*

>291 Simone2: Yes; A Passage North is my favorite so far.

>292 Simone2: I've heard good things about this book - I need to get to Moss.

>293 kidzdoc: I am looking forward to that one too. I loved his debut novel.

140 - A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence

Margaret Laurence has an extraordinary way of creating characters, dialogues and expressions. This book consists of interweaving short stories about a girl coming of age in Manawaka. It was good again but I prefer her books about women taking charge of their lives.

3*

>295 Simone2: That's great to hear. I'll certainly plan to read The Story of a Brief Marriage.

>295 Simone2: I'm glad to hear his first book is a also good as I've added it to my books to look for list.

141 - Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

I know about the horrors in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. And I do agree everyone should hear the awful truth of child soldiers like Arn’s, who now lives in the US. I just wonder why the whole book should be written in pidgin English… because it’s YA? Because Patricia McCormick thinks it adds something to the story? The National Book Award apparently didn’t mind but I found it pretty annoying and it only distracted me from Arn’s important story.

3*

142 - The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud

Nora is 37, single, a school teacher who wanted to be an artist. She feels not good enough most of the time. Unworthy. ‘The woman upstairs’, for all to see and judge. But she mostly judges herself. Until the Shahid’s come into her life. Father, mother, 8 year old son. They make her feel like who she wants to be. A friend, an artist, a woman and a mother. Before she knows she depends on them for her happiness and self esteem.

The book began and ended with a bang, but dragged a bit in the middle. Still an enjoyable read.

3*

143 - Sovietistan by Erika Fatland

“The Stans are at a crossroads. Should they forge closer links with Russia or China, or look to the West? Which interpretation of their own history should they trust?”

Squid Games keeps distracting me but I managed to finally finish this book!

Lack of democracy, struggling economies, suppressed ethnic conflicts: these are the similarities between the Central Asian ‘Stan’ countries. There are many differences too as Erika Fatland experiences while traveling through the five countries. She shares her experiences in this book along with a lot of historical information. I enjoyed following along and will definitely read it again if I ever go there myself.

3.5*

144 - The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

There's so much more than the church in the lives of the women in the nine stories that form this little gem of a book. I enjoyed all nine of them and felt strangely proud of these women, their strength, their choices, their fears and their passion. A great read!

4*

>144 dchaikin: That sounds great, Barbara. Going to add that one to my list.

145 - The Promise by Damon Galgut

I did enjoy this story of a white family in South Africa. I liked the style, the many points of view. The atmosphere felt raw at times, magical at other times. A book well worth the Booker Prize but somehow it didn’t touch me as much as I expected.

3.5*

>301 Simone2: I think my own fascination for the Stans is that I'm pretty sure I'll never visit any of them, although I really want to go to that one museum.

>302 Simone2: Yes! I loved this one.

>304 Simone2: I generally enjoy Galgut's writing, but I find it quickly quit forgettable.

>305 RidgewayGirl: So many places there I’d love to see because they seem so strange and misplaced - among which that museum indeed! I watched An episode of The Dark Tourist on Netflix about The Stans… really good!

Glad you loved Church Ladies too. We’re mostly in sync:).

>306 AlisonY: I had never heard of him before… what does that say about me?!

146 - Beloved by Toni Morrison

Me and Toni Morrison, we’ve never been a good match. I know it’s an unpopular opinion but this was the fourth of her books I tried and again it didn’t work. Beloved asks too much from me. I can’t seem to follow along and all time jumping and magical realism feels forced to me. Maybe some other time…

DNF

>308 Simone2: Oh really? I wasn't blown away by The Bluest Eye, but I really loved Beloved. Life's too short to read authors that aren't a match for you, though, so you're right to abandon if it wasn't working for you.

>309 AlisonY: I haven’t read that one and will read it because I hear so many good things. But this one is so confusing!!

147 - The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

I had a great time with this book about a serial killer who is addressed by the one girl who survived and has written a book about it twenty years later. I will find you, she promises. Quite the pageturner!

4*

148 - No Exit by Taylor Adams

This fast moving thriller reads like a movie. A woman gets stuck in a highway rest stop during a blizzard in the Rocky Mountains. She discovers one of the people she is stuck with, has abducted a child and is determined to save that child. Entertaining yet forgettable!

3*

149 - At Night's End by Nir Baram

Jonatan wakes up in a messy hotel room in Mexico to discover that he has told everyone that his best friend Joël is dead. However, Joël is still alive. We follow Jonatan’s chaotic thoughts and jumps in time to learn about their friendship growing up in Jerusalem, and their current, troubled relationship. Both are looking for security and desperately try to hang on to their shared past but can’t seem to find one another any longer. Hence the existential crisis that both are going through, far apart from each other.

3.5*

150 - Pillars of Salt by Fadia Faqir

Two woman confined in a mental hospital in Jordan share their life stories. One is a Bedouin, one a woman from the city. At first glance they seem different, but soon they discover that they have so much in common: life is hard for women no matter what.

4*

151 - Een goede moeder by Jan van Mersbergen (Dutch)

This book is written by a Dutch author whose kids went to school with mine. ‘A Good Mother’ is the story of his ex, the mother of their kids. Set in our neighborhood, I recognize almost everything and anyone but I never knew that living has been so hard for the mother. Her struggle with life, with doing all the things that come natural to most of us but to her are just too much. She just wants to lay down and rest. And be a mother. This book breaks my heart.

5*

152 - An Untouched House by WF Hermans

In the last months of WWII a partisan enters an abandoned villa in a luxury seaside resort, somewhere in Central Europe. Initially it is a peaceful place to stay. When a German regiment arrives for quartering, he pretends he is the owner of the house and leaves the ground floor to the Germans. Then the real owner returns unexpectedly.

This is a novella of a deceptive simplicity, behind which lies a particularly complex constructed story.

3*

>315 Simone2: How cruel - a 5 star read that's not translated into English ;)

Are you wondering what was going through that friend's head at the school gates now that you've read their novel?

>317 AlisonY: Yes, all the time. It’s as if the mother has written the book, while
the father has. I almost want to reach out to the mother but it wasn’t her who told her story and I haven’t seen her for years. I now know she’s probably at home all the time. So sad.

Most of his books are translated in English, I’ll keep you posted if you want!

153 - On the Road by Jack Kerouac

I liked this book more than I expected. I had been dreading it for years but I actually had a good time on the road with Sal and his crazy friends! The book is a tribute to America. The country, the scenery and the people. A bit cliché at times but still enjoyable.

3*

>319 Simone2: You did better than me - this book really got my goat. I found the narrator's self-absorption very wearying. Perhaps I'd have enjoyed it more at a younger age.

154 - Wittgenstein’s Mistress by David Markson

In this very experimental book Kate, presumably Wittgenstein’s mistress, tells in a continuing stream of conscience about life and art and loneliness. She seems to have travelled the world, even lived in museums. But I can’t be sure, her thoughts are so chaotic it was hard to keep track. Some wonderful insights though, like this one: “One of the things people generally admired about Van Gogh, even though they were not always aware of it, was the way he could make even a chair seem to have anxiety in it. Or a pair of boots”.

2.5*

155 - School for Love by Olivia Manning

During the closing stages of WWII recently orphaned young Felix has arrived in Jerusalem at the boarding house of a distant sort-of-relative, the hilarious Miss Bohun.
She is taking as much money as she can from her houseguests, while also pretending to be self-sacrificing and motivated entirely by kindness.

At first the reader picks up on much more of this drama than Felix does but then a new boarder arrives, the young widow Mrs. Ellis. While she keeps Felix at arm’s length, she does share her thoughts on Miss Bohun and the world with him. A poignant story about the loss of innocence.

4*

156 - He Started It by Samantha Downing

This book pulled me right in. I loved My Lovely Wife and had high expectations. Three siblings go on a road trip through the US to bury their grandfather’s ashes by which they will earn their inheritance. I soon discovered they are all unreliability and have their secrets. The tension builds up fine but in the end I felt let down.

3*

157 - Real Life by Brandon Taylor

Why do people hurt eachother so much? And themselves? Why being so hard on yourself and one another? This book is real life. Not mine, but it feels so real. Wallace does and my heart goes out to him. The loneliness of the black gay boy trying to fit in the the white Midwest. Hiding in science. All that anger and the feeling of not being worthy of love. All the misunderstandings, but also the tenderness. And that poor Miller. The book touched me deeply.

4.5*

>324 Simone2: I've got that one on the pile, and your review bumped it up a few more notches—thanks for that.

>324 Simone2: That was a very good book, very emotionally raw. If it makes you feel better, the author recently moved to New York where he is very much enjoying his life of a big city writer.

>326 RidgewayGirl: That does make me feel better. I expected the book to be quite autobiographical so I am glad he feels at home in NYC! Thanks!

>325 lisapeet: I hope you will get to it. It is really worth reading although quite emotional I think.

158 - My Life in Doha by Rachel Hajar

Rachel Hajar adores her husband and adores Qatar where he came from and where they moved to after their marriage. She came from the Philippines, raised Catholic, and met her Arab Muslim husband in the US where they both attended med school. It is fascinating how she found her way in this conservative country, staying true to her beliefs while integrating as well. It’s admirable, she made a career as a cardiologist while raising five kids. I just wish she would not just write lovingly about what definitely is not the most correct country in the world.

3*

>324 Simone2: Noting that one too - sounds great.

>330 AlisonY: So good!

159 - Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

I enjoyed this quiet novel quite a lot. Not really much happens in the narrator’s life. She has moved temporarily to the Netherlands to work as an interpreter for the International Court of Justice. She has got to know a few very different people and the story tells about her connection to them and the ethical implications of her job. She wants to belong, to the Court and The Hague, the city she now lives, but can she?

4*

>332 Simone2: I loved this book. I'm glad you liked it.

>333 RidgewayGirl: So much better than A Separation! Slowly making my way through the ToB longlist. Do you have favorites for the shortlist?

160 - The Trees by Percival Everett

This is a book about retribution for all the black people that have been lynched in the US. White men are being killed and mutilated. First in Mississippi, but soon all over the country.

Special agents come investigating what is happening. Everett’s dialogues are sharp and funny, as always. The plot is extremely violent. A challenging, brutal pageturner.

4*

>334 Simone2: I'm as certain as I can be that Hell of a Book by Jason Mott will be in the tournament, but my absolute favorite longlist book so far is The Trees by Percival Everett and I have a hard time believing that any book could top it. It's brilliant.

>336 RidgewayGirl: I just finished that one too. Very good! I’m off to read your review. And I haven’t read Hell of a Book yet but it seems unavoidable indeed.

161 - The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

I liked the concept but the book was so slow and there were so many details that didn’t add anything to the story that I didn’t even care anymore by the time I got to the end - even though it was cool and surprising.

I can understand why this book didn’t make the ToB22 shortlist yet I am very happy to have read it.

3*

162 - Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

This is Isak Dinesen’s memoir about about life on her coffee plantation in #Kenya, about the atmosphere of the African highlands, about the people she meets and about the indigenous Kikuyos people, who work the plantation and live with her on the grounds. It's barely possible to make a living off the coffee, but despite hard times, her deep love and respect for the country and the people becomes clear in every story.

3.5*

163 - America is not the Heart by Elaine Castillo

The intricacies of Filipino-American society are explored in this tender story about a woman’s journey from torture in the Philippines to a new life in California.
Hero is her name and she became my hero while reading. How she deals with her family and friends in the US, how she copes with her past and her trust issues. Her relationship with Rosalyn, the other Philippine people, the many dialects that separate them, the food that always unites them. A loving read.

4*

164 - Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge

This book started out strong with the arrival of Ben Daisy in Libertie’s live, a liberated slave who keeps searching for the lost love of his life. Libertie is small at the time. When she grows up she goes to college in Ohio. When she is grown up she marries the Haitian Emmanuel and follows him to his country. The story loses pace however and I found it hard to stay engaged. In the end I was just glad I was finished, I’m sorry to say.

3*

>341 Simone2: Totally agree. I had high hopes as well, and liked the beginning, but by the end I was skimming just to get to the last page.

165 - Matrix by Lauren Groff

I've heard many good things about this book but it didn‘t work for me. Not at all. I read the Dutch translation, that may be a reason but then again, I really missed a plot and I felt nothing for Marie.

Note to self: stop reading Lauren Groff (I felt this way more or less about all her books).

2.5*

166 - Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin

How I needed this book! It has all I wished for. The French atmosphere and elegance, the fantastic characters, the setting in and around a cemetery, the language, the storylines. It all comes together wonderfully and gave me all the feelings.

5*

167 - The Ten Thousand Things by Maria Dermoût

When my family came to Holland from Indonesia they brought with them their ghosts and mystique. The stories in this book are similar to some that have been told in my family for three generations. I think these stories are just a tool to create that Indonesian atmosphere. I understand what Dermoût is doing but had a hard time following along.

3*

>345 Simone2: Hi Barbara- Just catching up on your thread. I didn't realize your family came from Indonesia to the Netherlands. In the past couple of years I've read a couple of books by Louis Couperous about Dutch families coming from Indonesia "with their ghosts and mystique." Have you read them?

>346 arubabookwoman: Yes I did, he is a great writer although I loved his Eline Vere the most, which isn’t about Indonesia. If you’re interested in the subject I can also recommend Country of Origin.
Looking forward to next year’s buddyread with you!

168 - Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

It’s hard to review this book. It captures so well how it must be to live undocumented in new country with half of your family in the country you left. The dilemma: going back or staying? Both options have risks, both have advantages. So I was engaged by the theme but not so much by the storytelling.
I am happy to have read it though, especially for the parts set in Colombia, a country of which I have very fond memories.

3.5*

169 - In Concrete by Anne Garréta

I admire the word games in this book, it’s quite eloquent and I’m in awe of the translator. However the story was very thin and couldn’t hold my attention.

3*

I’ve added Fresh Water for Flowers to my wish list. Sounds so good!

> You’ll love it!

170 - Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

To finish a reading challenge I needed to read a book by Kristin Hannah. I thought I’d skip that prompt but the control freak in me made me want to complete the challenge so I have been listening to this one. Pooh. It felt way too chick lit for me. Two girls promise to stay friends forever but it’s hard at times when the beauty gets a glamorous career and no one to love, and the insecure one becomes a stay at home mother surrounded by love. Too cliche. And yes I cried at the end. Cheap emotions.

3*

171 - Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard

The perfect holiday read. I guessed the twist early on but it still was a great read about instagram influencers, journalists of gossip websites and people who’d like to stay below the surface. A satisfying read.

4*

172 - People from my Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami

The combination of Japan and a gorgeous cover was irresistible to me. The book is a collection of short stories about the strange and unique people that color this Japanese neighbourhood. Throw in some magical realism and you have a quick, fun but forgettable read.

3*

173 - Hell of a Book by Jason Mott

“But, in the end, as it is with all of us, he could not be protected from the world.”

This is a book about how hard it is yo grow up as a black person in the US. It is also satirical, different storylines. It’s a book in a book. It’s funny and sad, clever and fast. There is even some magical realism. Or is there? It’s a hell of a book and a good one to finish the year with.

4*