Pineapple Street, Jenny Jackson

 

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

Started: 3/26/2023
Completed: 3/28/2023
Recommendation: Mild recommendation
Recommended By: A New York Times review

Review:

As I started to read this book it seemed like this was a semi-autobiographical account reflecting the author's life.  That may be, or at least the lives of her friends.  The protagonist opens as a vapid trust fund woman who develops into an ethically challenged woman by the middle of the book.  This book is definitely an inside look at high society New York and the dialog sounds just like gossip.  This was a gossipy book until about 2/3rds of the way through when it finally developed into more of a story.  I had almost put it down.  It feels like the rave reviews come from Jackson knowing everyone in the industry.  This book wasn't awful.  I would never pick it up again (but that is true, for me, of a lot of books).  I think it is unlikely that I will look for more books by this author.  You could read it.  Maybe not.

The Book of Koli, M.R. Carey

 

The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey is the first book of the Rampart Trilogy.

Started: 3/24/2023
Completed: 3/26/2023
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommended By: Kobo

Review:

I really enjoyed this book.  Most dystopian books are depressing and this one is not without its downside, but Carey does a good job of making lemonade out of lemons.  I liked the development of the characters in the book--the main characters seemed like real people.  In general, decisions resulted in logical consequences although there is one glaring example of a Batmanesque escape.  If the escapes weren't at least somewhat implausible, then the book wouldn't be very exciting, would it?  I like the avenues left open to a new story while still allowing this book to end on its own and feel like a good read without a necessity to read the next in the trilogy (although I plan to do just that).

The Immortal King Rao, Vauhini Vara

 

The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara was on a list of international best sellers.

Started: 3/18/2023
Completed: 3/24/2023
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommended By: A list of international best sellers

Review:

I just really enjoyed that Vara started with Thomas Piketty and ran with it.  What a cool look at all the different ways that restrictive capitalism effects companies, populations, and society.  There is so much left undone, it feels kind of like a Handmaid situation.  Vara offers a glimpse into something that is familiar and yet completely alien.  Vara does not go into great detail in any particular area, but offers a sweeping look at the vista leveraging interacting characters who one would not anticipate actually interacting.  This is a well written book with lots of unresolved characters.  In one sense, it is nice that everything is not resolved and in another it leaves so much room for imagination.  Very impressive book.

The Nazi Conspiracy, Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch

 

The Nazi Conspiracy:  The secret plot to kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch

Started: 3/12/2023
Completed: 3/15/2023
Recommendation: Not Recommended
Recommended By: Nikolay

Review:

About 85% of this book is World War II history.  I did learn one thing I didn't previously know about WWII:  Stalin was 5'4".  I was not aware of this conspiracy and the authors worked hard to piece together what they could, but there just isn't much there.  There is a lot of disputed information, a fair amount of reasonable speculation, but that is about it.  As for the conspiracy itself, it may or may not have happened (probably did), but it clearly didn't work.  So, that is mostly what you know walking in the door and walking out, there is not a lot more.  I know a little more about some obscure figures in Nazi government and a little bit more about the Russian KGB (which, it appears, actively worked to protect everyone involved just like you would hope).  Beyond that it is a refresher on America's involvement in WWII from Pearl Harbor to FDR's death.  It felt like there was a single paper that got blown up to a book.

The Pariah, Anthony Ryan

 

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan is the first book of the Covenant of Steel

Started: 3/7/2023
Completed: 3/12/2023
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommended By:

Review:

This book kept me on my toes with twists and turns I just did not expect.  The characters are all interesting and most develop over the course of the story.  The story itself sort of starts with a trope and then develops into another trope, but neither goes the way that the normal trope does.  Both male and female characters are strong and are individuals.  Nobility and churls behave as expected.  I really like knowing that this character is going to be alive near the end of the story and by opening the book with the protagonist telling his retrospective story to a scribe.  I cannot wait to get the next book in the series!

The Rabbit Hutch, Tess Gunty

 The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

Started: 3/4/2023
Completed: 3/6/2023
Recommendation: Not recommended
Recommended By: Several best books lists

Review:

I think that this novel just had too many major characters.  It seems like there was so much story only partially told.  In one sense, I think it is supposed to be a character analysis, but in the end it sort of became an extended look at a few days with lots of flashbacks.  The flashbacks helped explain some motivations but the way the story unfolded left me confused about which piece went where.  It felt to me like the author took one quotation from Hildegarde von Bingen about the presence of a glowing man and then tried to write a novel around it.  I just had trouble following the book and was not invested in any of the characters.

River of Teeth, Sarah Gailey

 

River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey  I had read Upright Women Wanted and found it to be less than I had hoped, but I love the premise of this book and really hope it is more enjoyable.  This is the first book in the River of Teeth series.

Started: 3/3/2023
Completed: 3/3/2023
Recommended: Mild Recommendation
Recommended By: Nobody, but I did read a review which described the plot

Review:

I think that there was a lot more space to work with this story, but it sort of became an LGBTQ+ western.  I'm not all that interested in westerns, so it kind of lost me there.  It did talk about some of the nature of revenge and there were interesting character reveals.  In short, it is a short read and worth the space, but not the great read for which I was hoping.

Lost and Found, Orson Scott Card

 

Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card

Started: 3/1/2023
Completed: 3/3/2023
Recommendation: Not recommended (because of the author, the book is great)
Recommended By: Nobody, this is a classic author and I tagged this book for my list when I saw it came out.

Review:

I was unaware that Card was anti-homosexual.  Everybody agrees that anyone can have any point of view and my point of view is that if you are anti-homosexual, you don't get my business or my recommendation.  I did not know that was his position (he has made it abundantly clear) until I was about half way through the book.  I finished it and the book is great.  I will not recommend it to anyone.  I will not be reading any more of his books.

Babel, R.F. Kuang

 

Babel Or, The Necessity of Violence: An arcane history of the Oxford translators' revolution by R. F. Kuang is a book by the author of the Poppy Wars.  I really could not stomach those novels, so I'm hoping this one is not as gory.

Started: 2/24/2023

Completed: 3/1/2023

Recommendation: Not Recommended

Recommended By: almost everyone

Review:

I liked the idea, the world building, and the writing.  The gore was more than I could handle.  There were sections of this book that were unputdownable.  There were sections that I simply did not want to read.  I doubt I will pick up another book by Kuang.