Expectation: A modern “Great American Novel.”
Reality: A captivating and gorgeously written novel that, at times, asks too much of the reader.
Who Is Maud Dixon? – Alexandra Andrews
Expectation: A twisty, wicked story of ambition with shades of Stephen King’s “Misery.”
Reality: A slow burn page turner that mostly delivers with implausible originality.
The Bridges of Madison County – Robert James Waller
Expectation: A heartbreaking and memorable story of forbidden love.
Reality: A well-written but incredibly male-centric romance with laugh out loud dialogue that detract from the novel’s stronger elements.
A Children’s Bible – Lydia Millet
Expectation: A moody, intelligent apocalyptic tale for modern times.
Reality: A mess.
Leaves of Grass – Walt Whitman
While I’m glad to have read a small portion of this very American collection, I wouldn’t recommend most readers start with this unabridged version of “Leaves” unless you’re prepared to seek out the must-read poems from the often confusing and repetitive filler.
Can You Still Handle Pandemic-Focused Novels?
From the Bible to “World War Z,” humanity has turned to art and literature to help understand pandemics, which, in reality, are a not infrequent occurrences when you look at world history. And part of that healing and processing comes from being entertained.
Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel
Expectation: A high-brow thriller set in the post-apocalyptic Midwest.
Reality: A richly drawn character study that expertly balances multiple, intersecting plots and timelines.
The Book of Accidents – Chuck Wendig
Expectation: An Americana-hued ghost story.
Reality: Heavy on ambition, light on originality. You’ve heard variations of this story before – and by stronger authors.
Great Circle – Maggie Shipstead
Expectation: An historical fiction epic focusing on the early days of aviation.
Reality: Heavy on scope and scale, light on focus. It’s mostly enjoyable but also didn’t need to be 600+ pages.
Tin Man – Sarah Winman
Expectation: I honestly thought this was a young adult novel.
Reality: A contender for the shortlist of my favorite adult high-brow gay fiction.
Five Book Adaptations I Actually Want to See
Watching the “Fear Street” trilogy on Netflix got me thinking about the book adaptations I actually want to see.
Mid-Year Check-In: The Best (and Worst) Books and Audiobooks of 2021
Of the 43 books completed, most have been relatively mediocre with only five solidly five-star reads a few more strong recommendations.
The Sixth Wedding: A 28 Summers Story – Elin Hilderbrand
Expectation: “28 Summers, Part II,” also known as a quick cash grab by Hilderbrand.
Reality: An effective and rewarding mini sequel that honors the original while giving the reader closure to the rushed ending of “Summers.”
Wanderers – Chuck Wendig
Expectation: “The Stand” meets “The Walking Dead.”
Reality: A mostly solid end-of-the world story that is a tad too long to provide maximum impact.
Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins Reid
Expectation: Another character-driven crowd pleaser from Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Reality: A mostly solid endeavor that keeps you entertained, but outside of one character it doesn’t deliver the emotional depth of her previous work.
Swimming in the Dark – Tomasz Jedrowski
Expectation: A coming-of-age story about overcoming outside forces to live your life fully.
Reality: Another historical fiction gay love story that felt a bit recursive.
Felix Ever After – Kacen Callender
Expectation: A YA romance with a different point-of-view.
Reality: A disconnected effort with a strong plot focused on identity and acceptance brought down by the typical YA tropes of too smart, too woke kids being mad at the world.
Mama’s Boy: A Story From Our Americas – Dustin Lance Black
Part personal memoir, part family history and part cultural commentary, “Mama’s Boy” is nonfiction that follows the formula of quality historical fiction – a strong female character, intersection with landmark events and overcoming barriers both within yourself and from the world around you.
The Road – Cormac McCarthy
Expectation: A fast-paced apocalyptic survival tale.
Reality: A slow-burn family drama that packs a lot of understated horror and emotional attachment to the main characters into the rich prose.
All Boys Aren’t Blue – George M. Johnson
Three standout essays show the potential of what this memoir-manifesto could’ve been if only Johnson showed more focus.