nomadreader

The backstory: The Lucky Ones  is longlisted for the 2017 Center for Fiction's  First Novel Prize . The basics:   "A literary jigsaw puzzle of a debut novel set in Colombia during the peak of its decades-long conflict, and in New York City."-publisher My thoughts: When this year's First Novel Prize longlist was announced, I'd already read two. The Lucky Ones  was the first one I picked up from the longlist, so I had high expectations. I started it on my lunch break. The first chapter left me breathless; it was extraordinary. It, and many of the other stories, were originally published as short stories, and it shows. Some chapters are stronger than others, and the order certainly matters. Pachico uses names sparingly, and I spent the first parts of most chapters trying to figure out who the narrator was and if/when I'd read about them before. I enjoy non-linear stories told in this way, and I enjoyed it (for the most part) in this novel. I was hoping for ...

July 2017 was a phenomenal reading month for me. It has given me hope that my reading and blogging mojo are back in full force. Now if I can only hang on to both once classes start at the end of the month! Here's what I read in July: Books Read: 15 Fiction: 12 Nonfiction: 3 Mystery/Thriller: 3 Not Yet Released: 4 (one came out this month after I read it) Audio: 2 New-to-me authors: 13 My Favorite July Read: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo  by Taylor Jenkins Reid Will I get around to reviewing them all? I don't know, but I have been really engaged with posting reviews as I finish books on Litsy. You can find me there as nomadreader, of course. Now tell me: what's the best book you read in July? As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Two years ago, I convinced my spouse to create a book club with me. I read more than he does, but he loves to read. I love discussing pretty much anything with him, and I am forever recommending books to him. We fizzled our pretty quickly, at least partially because Hawthorne wasn't even one yet, and finding a routine to anything was hard. Last week, Mr. Nomadreader suggested we start our book club back again in August. Of course, I agreed. Our book club is pretty fun, but we do have a few rules. Each month, we each pick one book, and we both read both books. 1. We're not allowed to pick books we've read before (I am not the creator of this rule, but it is a good one because it's terrible to hand a book to your favorite person and say, "I loved this book. I know you will love it too!" And then they don't. I also have so many books I want to make him read.) 2. No one may pick Infinite Jest  or a similarly long book. Here's what we picked for Augus...

The backstory: Deadfall  is the 19th mystery featuring Alexandra Cooper. I've read them all and reviewed a lot of them . The basics: Killer Look  ended with quite a cliffhanger, and Deadfall  picks up right where it left off, so spoilers of Killer Look  abound in this review. My thoughts: Over the years I've criticized Linda Fairstein a bit for how little things change in this series. There's comfort in that, sure, but as someone who has been reading this series for fourteen years, I would love to see more time pass in Alex's life. Fairstein upped the ante with the ending of Killer Look --the murder of Manhattan District Attorney Paul Battaglia. Battaglia's demise had been coming for a few books, but the surprise at the end of Killer Look  was a great one. Deadfall  seeks to solve his murder. As always, one New York City landmark serves as the focus of the book. In Deadfall , it's the Bronx Zoo. Fairstein infuses current issues about illegal animal tr...

Although I've (finally) stopped pretending I will ever actually read all of the longlisted titles, I still eagerly await the Booker Prize longlist each July. Okay, so I do still harbor ideas about reading the longlists once Hawthorne reaches a certain age. What age? It's still unclear. Regardless, the longlists are more fun since the Prize has been opened up to U.S. authors, but I also find it has fewer unexpected picks. This longlist reads like an all-star list, and I'm excited to see who makes the short list (and wins.) The One I've Already Read Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (3 stars)--I need to review this one, but I also feel like I should read it again. I listened to the audio because of the novelty of having 166 narrators. It was fun to hear so many voices, but the incessant repetition of op. cit.  drove me bonkers. I may try it in print, as everyone else seems to love it. The Ones Available in the U.S. Now 4321 by Paul Auster Days Witho...

The backstory:  Little Deaths , Emma Flint's first novel, is on the 2017  Baileys Prize  longlist. The basics:   "It's 1965 in a tight-knit working-class neighborhood in Queens, New York, and Ruth Malone--a single mother who works long hours as a cocktail waitress--wakes to discover her two small children, Frankie Jr. and Cindy, have gone missing. Later that day, Cindy's body is found in a derelict lot a half mile from her home, strangled. Ten days later, Frankie Jr.'s decomposing body is found. Immediately, all fingers point to Ruth." My thoughts:  When the Baileys Prize longlist was announced, the title I was most excited to see was  Little Deaths . It got a lot of pre-publication buzz, and it was billed as feminist literary crime fiction based on a true story. I love all of those things. It was the first longlist title I picked up, and as eager as I was to read it, I found the pace very slow. The title alerts us that Frankie and Cindy die, yet the...

The backstory:   Marlena  is Julie Buntin's first novel. The basics:   "The story of two girls and the wild year that will cost one her life, and define the other’s for decades." My thoughts: Marlena  consumed me as I read it. It opens in the present day, where we meet Cat. This glimpse into the present felt brief, but I soon realized the real action of this novel is in the past. Initially, I found myself hungering to return to the present, which is at least partly do to my fascination with knowing how things end because figuring out how characters move from the past to the present (or future) fascinates me. But as this novel went on, I found myself much less invested in present Cat, which surprised me. Buntin is a gifted writer, and she made me love reading about teenage angst in a way I haven't enjoyed in years. She made me prefer a teen storyline to an adult storyline. At times, she even made me remember my teen years with fondness, "Everyone has a se...