The Most Dangerous Place on Earth. 3 stars. Very average, filled with stereotypes. Some nice writing and one very insightful chapter, this author could have potential.
Fractured. 2 stars. A total mess of a novel. Just read Big Little Lies instead.
Mothering Sunday. 4 stars. Slight, sweet little gem. Excellent female protagonist.
The Heavenly Table. 5 stars. I was not expecting to be into this at all and I ended up loving it. Grisly and hilarious and has heart. This really surprised me.
It Ends with Us. 3 stars. I’ll probably remember this more than a lot of books that I liked better. Not exceptionally well executed, and I wish the subplot had just been left out, but I appreciate the intent.
Nutshell. 5 stars. Hamlet told by a fetus. What more can I say?
The Futures. 3 stars. I must have been feeling generous when I rated it because it’s pretty bad. Decent writing but uninteresting plot and tone deaf as hell.
Children of the New World. 5 stars. These stories are everything I wanted Black Mirror to be. I loved this one and can’t wait to see what he does next.
The Sun Is Also a Star. 3 stars. “This teen romance is too sentimental and adolescent,” says someone who clearly should not be reading teen romances.
Another Brooklyn. 4 stars. An excellent example of “less is more” in writing. Another great main character.
The Vegetarian. 3 stars. I’m disappointed that I didn’t have stronger feelings about this. I loved the first half but it really fizzled out from there.
Difficult Women. 5 stars. I will continue to fangirl all over Roxane Gay for the foreseeable future. Stellar.
The Wicked City. 4 stars. I love her writing and I’m excited that this is the beginning of a planned series. That said, it was a little hard to focus on, and I’m still not sure if it was me or the book.
Eureka Street. 4 stars. I loved this 16 years ago, now I like it as a friend. Still has a crush worthy main character.
Lincoln in the Bardo. 5 stars. Oh my GOD did I love this. Very fast, and I will read it again before returning it. Such a fascinating premise and so beautifully done. This blew me away.
Top picks: Lots of good ones this month, but Lincoln in the Bardo, Difficult Women, and Children of the New World are my top three.
