Tedious conversations with friends that I didn’t find particularly interesting, unlikeable characters, and a plot that doesn’t really go anywhere. Not sure that I get the hype? But I appreciated the authors casual prose and ability to build believable characters with all their idiosyncrasies.

4.5 stars. A writing feat. How Doer managed to write a book that transcends genres, eras, settings (from ancient Constantinople to future space), I cannot imagine. It is an ode to storytelling and the power of books. I enjoyed it all, other than feeling a bit unsatisfied with a few unanswered questions at the end.

Mixed feelings. I was intrigued at the beginning, but lost a bit of interest as the book went on. Felt like a short story drawn out into a novel, and I think I missed the overall meaning. On the other hand it was a nostalgic, melancholic tale with vivid storytelling.

Interesting look into the life of a food critic, though not in the way I was expecting. Less about the job itself, but more about the author’s transformation into various characters to avoid being recognized by the restaurants she tested. Though listening to the book made me perpetually hungry, the point seemed more about reflecting on how our outward appearance and persona affects how we are perceived, treated, and how we feel about ourselves.

4.5 stars. A mind-bending, time-twisting tale. Joe Tournier steps off a train in London in 1898 and has no idea how he got there. He is an alternate London (Londres), where the French won the Battle of Trafalgar and made slaves of the English population. From there, upon the arrival of a postcard from the past, the story takes you to a deserted lighthouse with a time portal where characters jump 100 years in time.

The premise can, at times, be confusing and hard to follow (a review on the history from this time would likely have eased my woes). But the mystery of the story is so fascinating that you keep reading. There is skill in writing such intervening stories over various timelines, and I appreciated that the author didn’t fear discussing the darker sides of time travel: lives erased, futures changed by meddling in the past, families that were made and lost. But in the end, the peculiar but deep relationships formed between those spanning eras of time are what makes it all meaningful.

The genre where a journalist tries a new, quirky habit for a year in order to write about it. However, I overall enjoyed delving into the subject of memory and memory competitions. The author demonstrates how an average person can train their memory to do great things; though also questions the utility of that in times when information is so readily available. The book was a little lengthy in some areas; I found myself getting distracted during a few chapters of detailed ancient history.

The main upside was that this was a quick, easy read. Otherwise, this is not a book I would recommend. The plot relied on Molly the Maid’s inability to understand social cues and how, as a result, she was used. But her character is inconsistent, and not necessarily that likeable. The situations the (stereotypical) characters find themselves in are also hard to believe, and much of the plot felt predictable. The epilogue was most bothersome, as it was the contrary to Molly’s character and prior actions.

Re-read a childhood classic (since Lewis says “one day you will be old enough to read fairy tales again”); only took about 1.5h! Just as magical as I remembered it.

3.5 stars. A fun Halloween-themed read to get you in the spirit.

3.5 stars. It took me a while to get into this story. The first half of the book I was lost in a sea of characters with similar sounding names and writing that came off as choppy, eccentric, and at times, mundane. But eventually, the relationship of the two best friends grew on me, and the torments and triumphs of their adolescence became more interesting. A tension seemed to build in the second half of the book, where the tedious turned into drama, violence, and inspiration. And of course it all had to end in a cliffhanger, urging me to consider continuing the series…