Does listening to audiobooks count as reading? Here it does. Let’s discuss your favorite reads — or listens.
All tagged ARC
There’s only so many ways a “person hellbent on dying finds a reason to live again” plot can feel fresh. For the first quarter of the novel it felt very familiar (I couldn’t help but think of Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library”), but Espach quickly drew me into the lives of Lila and Phoebe, two women navigating a week of unexpected soul-searching.
“No Road Home” is a good read, but it’s not groundbreaking. Fans of religious-themed horror and dastardly families (think “Ready or Not”) will appreciate this more than most. Readers picking this up hoping for a queer-focused story, like “The Bright Lands,” may be let down. Shortcomings aside, I’d still give Fram another shot.
Expectation: An offbeat novel with commentary about misplaced outrage.
Reality: Elements that could’ve lifted this out of typical coming of age territory weren’t mined to completion by the author.
Expectation: A racially-charged exploration of college life in the Southern United States.
Reality: A dissection of capitalism from the perspectives of different students, professors and resident advisors delivered with biting commentary and razor-sharp dialogue.
Expectation: A sweeping story of hardship and survival set against major conflicts of the Vietnam War.
Reality: Informative and engrossing, if a tad long, Kristin Hannah once again delivers an historical fiction epic but continued trauma dumping on the main character lessens her credibility.
Expectation: A decades-spanning exploration of lust, love and monogamous monotony.
Reality: Smart, funny and heartfelt, Hill brings his characters to life in vivid detail while translating macro ideas about society into intimate, meaningful moments.
Descriptive writing — delivered through his one good finger — paired with well-placed curse words and Ndopu’s flair for the flamboyant, brought his journey at Oxford to life in vivid detail. While he presents scenario after scenario of him being treated as less than by “Uprights,” this isn’t about sour grapes.
Expectation: A horror-tinged murder mystery that celebrates queer love.
Reality: Fantasy-heavy and a bit convoluted, as a non-genre fan it became too much, but the fantastic audiobook kept me enthralled.
Expectation: An epic journey through the horrors of Appalachia.
Reality: Funny, poignant and utterly engrossing, it’s a blockbuster book that delivers - even if the last third feels a tad trite.
Expectation: A supernatural thriller with historical fiction elements.
Reality: The supernatural is only hinted at in this overstuffed police procedural.
Throughout, Chesnut is likable and real. I kept thinking he would be a fun guest at a dinner party. If you’re the type of reader that enjoys memoirs exploring the lighter side of life with some heavier elements, this would be a good read for you.
Expectation: I expected a light story about celebrating the future while acknowledging the past.
Reality: A moving portrayal of the transgender experience, but the book-in-verse format didn’t translate well as an audiobook.
Mysterious worldwide gatherings devolve into the end of times in this short-story horrorfest.
“The Houseplant” proves that you can pack as much story, character development and emotion into a 5,000-word standalone story as some full-length novels.
