Whew, ready? I read 224 books in 2024. Yes, that’s the most I’ve ever read in one year. And yes, it’s ridiculous. So?
You can also check out my previous reading lists: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, and 2001.
You can also check out my top 10 fiction, top 10 nonfiction, and my reading stats.
If you want to read more, check out my booklet 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading Again.
Reading Themes for 2024
- I read a lot. That can just be the theme, right? Previous record was 203 in 2014. Last year was 184. So just a lot. I’ve written extensively about how I manage it, so let’s not get into that again.
- I’ll save further commentary for my stats post. Let’s just go with I really enjoyed books this year, so that’s how I spent my time.
The Books I Read in 2024:
- Fangirl, Vol. 3: The Manga by Rainbow Rowell and Gabi Nam – 4 stars
Midway through Fangirl is a difficult place to pick up this graphic novel adaptation, but it’s still a quick read and fun. Fangirl is such a fun story. - Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn’t Work and How We Can Do Better by Maya Schenwar – 3 stars
A mix of personal experience and research into the prison industrial complex, which can be a pretty depressing read. Among the many brutal stories, what stood out the most to me was the ridiculous books that were banned in prisons. - Pet by Akwaeke Emezi – 4 stars
A short but darkly haunting YA novel about monsters, the real and the metaphorical. - A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and Their Quest to See It All by Luke Dempsey – 4 stars
The voice dripping with deadpan British humor almost put me off, but I stuck with it and enjoyed a delightful bird nerd reveling in the birds. - Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian’s Guide to Engaging Politics by Eugene Cho – 4 stars
A good and hopeful exploration of how Christians can engage politics and disagreement in this divided word. Good examples, but like other books of its type it doesn’t really engage the issue of what to do when people think you shouldn’t exist (though the example of a Black man befriending KKK members was interesting). It was also written in 2020, so it’d be interesting to see the reaction to January 6 and more. It does frequently descend into Christianese, which got tiring. - Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti – 3 stars
A space story exploring societal expectations of working/deserving things. - Home Town by Tracy Kidder – 4 stars
A fascinating look at a smallish town, primarily through the eyes of a police officer. It’s amazing how it sucks you in with all the mundane stories. There are several random other characters we hear about that are tangental to the main story, but it’s still intriguing. - Heartstopper: Volume Five by Alice Oseman – 4 stars
More happy stories of Nick and Charlie. This installment probably has less drama as they struggle through college choices (long distance?!) and having sex for the first time. Big topics, for sure, but they’re not as emotionally fraught as previous volumes. - Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke – 4 stars
The entire story takes place in Slack, which is weird and probably gives this book a shelf life of three minutes. It has some absurdist moments, but otherwise it’s kind of fun fun. Weird, but fun. - Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi – 3 stars
This was a frustrating read. Akwaeke Emezi’s memoir is a series of letters to various people, though you have to figure out who they are from context. As such, the letters shift back and forth between various topics, hardly in linear order. Some of it was four-, even five-star worthy, especially the brutally honest portrayal of the publishing industry (I’ve never seen an author be so transparent about how much they make, how the industry works, etc.). Other chapters are painful descriptions of body dysphoria, surgeries, and suicidal ideation—hard to read, but good. But other chapters were two-star or less, where it was disturbing or incomprehensible. - Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers – 4 stars
It’s interesting how slow moving this series is, and this installment in particular, but it’s still engaging. The cover calls it “”quietly profound,”” and that’s about right. It’s tenuously connected to the first in the series, and even the various characters don’t have much contact. But it still tells a cohesive story. - Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – 3 stars
A quick little volume reflecting on grief, the loss of her father, and offering a remembrance of his life. - History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera – 2 stars
Ug, the teen drama. This started as a poignant story on wrestling with grief, but as it neared the end it became clear it was more complicated and we were just watching really poor decision-making and an unlikable main character. Would have quit, but I was so close to the end I had to see it through. I’ve enjoyed Adam Silvera’s other books, but this one seemed to lack a real connection with the main character and didn’t have the same intriguing twist. - Hard Questions, Heart Answers by Bernice A. King – 3 stars
A collection of speeches and essays by Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter. There are some good moments. The first chapter especially really echo’s King’s cadence and style. But it also shows its age. A couple chapters harp on the issue of violence in TV shows and movies, which felt beyond dated. - The Balloon Hunter: A Found Novel by Hugh Howey and Elinor Taylor – 4 stars
Bizarre novel told through a series of postcards. The idea could be kind of gimmicky, but it works pretty well and has a nice twist. - Death to Anyone Who Reads This: A Found Novel by Hugh Howey and Elinor Taylor – 4 stars
A continuation of the Balloon Hunter story, with a nice continuation of the format and more fun twists. Good post-apocalyptic stuff. - Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat by Patricia Williams with Jeannine Amber – 4 stars
An eye-opening memoir of growing up in poverty, becoming a teenage mother and drug dealer, and eventually a successful comedian. The most striking part of the story is Patricia’s willingness to care for kids like her no questions asked. But it does feel like poverty porn, something she even acknowledges that sharing her story felt like being a “”tour guide of for the ghetto,”” but she still saw value in sharing that story. - Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World by Noah Strycker – 4 stars
So a guy sets out to see the most possible birds in a single year and writes a book about it. What a weird concept that’s strangely intriguing and didn’t get old. There’s enough thoughtfulness and short diversions in between the travel and birds to keep it interesting. - Otaku by Chris Kluwe – 4 stars
It’s hard to believe this story is written by an NFL player. It’s at the height of video game sci-fi, with intense action and a thrilling story. I think the ending petered a bit, but it was a fun ride. - Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut by Mike Mullane – 3 stars
The eye-raising history of the NASA space shuttle, a reusable spaceship that was far from its safe, economical intention. I knew it was unwieldy to fly, but I never realized it was basically a glider. The story itself could have been 100 pages shorter. Lots of complaining about NASA brass (probably justified, but still), military branch dick swinging, and a general disdain for anything remotely politically correct. The author comes across as a bit of an ass. He eventually gets his misogyny in check and owns up to it, but not before you have to endure plenty of late 1970s male bravado. - Demon Coppherhead by Barbara Kingsolver – 5 stars
I read for the five-star books, the ones you just don’t want to end. And that’s exactly what Demon Copperhead is. The voice is pitch perfect, unique and real. Takes a little getting used to, but then it’s like syrup. It reads like a memoir, and I kept having to remind myself it wasn’t real. Incredible characters, powerful story. Even has a satisfying conclusion. Wonderful. - Faith Unleavened: The Wilderness Between Trayvon Martin & George Floyd by Tamice Spencer-Helms – 5 stars
Damn. This is the powerful memoir I needed, exploring the broken failures of the white church—most egregiously in their embrace of Donald Trump, but existing long before that. Rather than walking away from her faith, Tamice Spencer-Helms reclaimed it from “”White Jesus.”” It’s a quick read, but powerful, full of hypocrisy and abuse, but also history and theology and real-world living. Sometimes the personal parts feel too abbreviated, but overall I think we get just enough of her personal experience and don’t drown in the details. - Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self by Lori Gottlieb – 3 stars
This is the diary of an 11-year-old anorexic, which is about as terrifying as it sounds. There’s the obvious social commentary of the messages we send our children (and this occurred in the late 1970s), but there’s also the deranged perspective of a kid with a serious condition. Makes for a difficult read. - A Song Flung Up to Heaven by Maya Angelou – 3 stars
Another installment of Maya Angelou’s ongoing memoir, this one covering the mid-1960s, including the deaths of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., and ending with James Baldwin convincing a publisher to get Maya Angelou to write her autobiography. It’s fascinating watching her experience life and interact with all these luminaries. - Whistling in the Dark: An ABC Theologized by Frederick Buechner – 3 stars
An interesting little book where Buechner shares his thoughts on an alphabet worth of common language. It makes for short snippets on a range of topics, many quote worthy, but no real coherence of the whole. - Flux by Jinwoo Chong – 3 stars
A confusing, sort of time travel story that fixates on a made up TV show from the 1980s. It has some interesting moments, and eventually it comes together and makes more sense, but it was a little frustrating. - Black Boy by Richard Wright – 4 stars
At times it felt rambling and slow, but then there were moments where a phrase or thought would break through and be transcendent. It’s a crushing history of growing up in the South and hungering to read and write. Richard Wright eventually migrates north, ending up in Chicago where his struggles continue and he embraces then becomes disillusioned with the Communist Party. - Shooter by Walter Dean Myers – 4 stars
Story about a school shooting that takes an interesting format with records, interviews, and a diary rather than a straight forward narration. I thought it’d be kind of hokey, but it made for a more engaging approach. - This Creative Life: A Handbook for Writers by Sara Zarr – 3 stars
A helpful general guide with plenty of practical advice, but nothing earth-shattering or ground-breaking. Might be more helpful for beginners. - The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama – 4 stars
Political memoirs are always an interesting creature, especially when you look at them in the scope of history. Nearly 20 years after it was published, this pre-presidential perspective is insightful and illuminating. Of course it was likely written with an eye toward that presidential run, but it’s interesting seeing the ridiculous hopefulness of 2006 Barack Obama compared with where things went. He talks a big talk here about a better kind of politics and bringing Americans together, and I wonder how he’d reflect on that now (I’m curious to read his newer work, but the immense size is intimidating). Plenty of the soaring Obama rhetoric you’d expect, though at times it gets a bit too in the weeds or feels repetitious. - Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland – 4 stars
That 4-star rating is more about potential. The book is maybe 3.5 stars. I love the concept. Justina Ireland proved with Dread Nation that she can do historical fantasy really well. But much like that series, this book is a little unfocused. It’s about 100 pages too long and pulls in too many concepts that aren’t fully fleshed out (there’s a whole thing about photography with about 20 photos throughout the book, but they have no bearing on anything). It’s an interesting story and set up, but the follow through needs some work. - Sula by Toni Morrison – 2 stars
Didn’t care for it. - The Untelling by Tayair Jones – 2 stars
I guess it’s right there in the title that this is a story about someone unable to tell what they need to, but it doesn’t make the motivation clear. It’s maddening when a character makes dumb choices, even more so when it’s not clear why. - Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead – 3 stars
This is a continuation of the Ray Carney story, though it’s more like three novellas slapped together in one book. They’re interesting capers, but they ramble and get distracted, which is kind of Colson Whitehead’s style. - A Walk Through Darkness by David Anthony Durham – 4 stars
An escaped slave story with an interesting twist. - Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler – 5 stars
Good year to re-read this one—it starts in 2024. I really enjoyed this slow-burning apocalypse story. Octavia Butler does such a masterful job of weaving different ideas together and keeping the plot engaging and moving. - Miles Morales Suspended by Jason Reynolds – 3 stars
This is an interesting, poetry-infused approach to a superhero novel. As usual, Jason Reynolds has a way with words. Unfortunately, it’s pretty cerebral and short on action. - Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler – 4 stars
Such a fascinating second chapter in this series, thematically rich and deep, but also frustrating. The struggle and pain is so frustrating—watching the Crusaders at work, seeing the mother-daughter relationship, not having the same satisfaction as the opening chapter. It’s wild that Octavia Butler put the “”Make America Great Again”” slogan in the mouth of tyrant back in 1998. It also would have been fascinating to see a third chapter in this series. Butler thought about doing it, and it’s a shame she never got the chance. - What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown – 3 stars
This exploration of the life of theologian and mystic Howard Thurman is part biography, part spiritual guide, and part memoir. If anything, it suffers from trying to do too many things and not exceeding at any of them. It does offer a good overview and introduction to Thurman. - Hush Harbor by Anise Vance – 4 stars
After white police offers kill a Black teen, a resistance group takes over a town and declares independence, setting off a standoff and launching a community. It’s interesting, though explores a lot more of the thinking than the action you’d expect in such a setup. There is action, but not as much as you’d expect. - The Reformatory by Tananarive Due – 5 stars
Damn, what a story. I’m not big on ghost stories, but the way this one intermingles history and story is just chilling. It’s also a slow burn. Even two-thirds of the way through I wouldn’t have given it five stars, but the last hundred pages I couldn’t read fast enough. - Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism by Wanda Lloyd – 3 stars
This is an interesting chronicle of a black woman growing up with Jim Crow and advancing to the height of the journalism world. But like so many memoirs, it takes a pretty dull chronological approach. There are some helpful lessons on the value of diversity and the importance of mentoring those who come behind, but it feels like it misses an opportunity to do more. - Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke – 4 stars
This is a tough one to read. Of course the origins of the #MeToo movement would be wrapped up in pain. But it’s fascinating to hear how it came to be, how Tarana Burke was doing the work long before a hashtag. Unfortunately, there’s a long way to go. - The Liars’ Gospel by Naomi Alderman – 5 stars
A retelling of the gospel from four different perspectives, heavy on ancient cultural context and probably a bit irreverent, but I really enjoyed the take. - Music to My Years: A Mixtape-Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up by Cristela Alonzo – 4 stars
Interesting memoir with a breezy style. I like that it mostly didn’t follow the standard chronological style and told us important stories as we needed them. Fun voice, wasn’t often laugh out loud funny, but had good vibes. - Grimspace by Ann Aguirre – 3 stars
The characters and the writing are engaging, but the plot was all over the place. Felt a little too scattered and didn’t have great pacing. - A Severed Wasp by Madeleine L’Engle – 2 stars
I didn’t care for Katharine Forrester in The Small Rain and my opinion isn’t much improved here. As a character, Katharine is better this time around, though the story is a mess. The mystery is a bit ridiculous, some of the motivations are hard to believe, and most of the plot is talking. - Tegan and Sara: Junior High by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin – 4 stars
A graphic novel, junior high version of the story of Tegan and Sara. It’s a lot bit middle school drama, but it still nicely captures the emotions of it all and hints at their music. - Calamity by Constance Fay – 4 stars
An enemies to friends space adventure that’s fun enough popcorn. - Keeping Watch: 30 Sheep, 24 Rabbits, 2 Llamas, 1 Alpaca, and a Shepherdess with a Day Job by Kathryn Sletto – 4 stars
A weirdly simple memoir about a Minnesota farm raising a bizarre mix of animals. At times it’s a bit hokey, but mostly it’s just an interesting glimpse into this family making a go of raising animals in rural Minnesota. - Liberty’s Daughter by Naomi Kritzer – 5 stars
A fascinating sci-fi world and a pragmatic teen finding practical solutions to big problems. It’s a pretty quick read, but engaging and fun. - Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon – 5 stars
A quick read, but kind of methodical, slow thriller. Good stuff. - Glimmer by Marjorie B. Kellogg – 5 stars
Really enjoyed this drowned New York City post-apocalyptic story. It had an engaging voice and a lot happening. - The Vampire Slayer, Vol. 1 by Sarah Gailey, Michael Shelfer, Vanentina Pinto – 3 stars
Interesting alternate universe Sunnydale setup, but not the Willow the Vampire Slayer series I was hoping for. At least not in the first volume, and the story barely has time to get moving. - Overdue: Reckoning with the Public Library by Amanda Oliver – 4 stars
There were parts of this book that were fantastic. A great glimpse into the inner-workings of libraries—not just book worship, but the people, often homeless, who rely on them and the ways these community centers are shifting to a first responder/social worker stance. Really interesting stuff. But then there were parts of this book that felt like rabbit holes, sharp left turns away from library-adjacent insights into esoteric rambling. The good parts get 4 stars, the rest get three or even two and keep this from being a no-buts recommendation. - Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson – 4 stars
Well that was a tough read. Anorexia, suicide, cutting. These stories are tough because for a character to be dealing with those issues, they’re hard to relate to. Laurie Halse Anderson did an admirable job and kept me reading, but it’s not exactly one I’d recommend. - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin – 5 stars
Such a wonderful read. It’s quick, but deep. It shows a deep love for the printed word. And keep insight to the human soul. Makes for a happy day to re-read such a favorite. - Devil’s Gun by Cat Rambo – 3 stars
The continuation of this series, but it’s really a let down. The opening installment has really interesting characters, but it opened with such fast-paced fury it was good. This one has much less action, and took more than a third of the book before anything happened. Meh. - China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh – 4 stars
In the introduction, Jo Walton calls this style of book a “”mosaic novel,”” where multiple barely connected vignettes make up a larger whole. It helped knowing that going in, and there is more of a through thread, but it’s definitely more about the larger whole. It’s a little slow, but the style is interesting and engaging enough to keep me going. - The World Ends in Hickory Hollow by Ardath Mayhar – 3 stars
This is one of those post-apocalytic stories where they slap a thin plot on what’s really a wishlist of prepper’s delight. There’s some not-so-subtle commentary on ridiculous people who can’t be self-sufficient and the wastefulness of government. Some of the survivalist bit is fun (which is why I kept reading), but the weak plot devolved to ‘how we going to kill these murderers’. - Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale – 4 stars
Time travel romance, I guess, featuring a neurodivergent main character that takes a while to get used to. Honestly, I could have seen quitting this book early on. At one point it felt like Groundhog’s Day, but when it moved past that, and started to get beyond the dating schtick, it started to get a lot better. - The Invisible Thread by Yoshiko Uchida – 3 stars
A straightforward middle grade memoir about life for a Japanese American girl in the 1930s and 1940s, growing up and then spending years in a concentration camp during World War II. These are always shocking and sobering stories. Of all the ridiculous tragedies and humiliations faced by Japanese Americans, Yoshiko Uchida describing having to give away her dog sticks out. - The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James – 3 stars
The whiny emotionalness is why I read less and less YA these days. It’s an interesting story and setup with a wicked twist. But it’s also sickeningly emotional and often beyond the believable (for an interstellar space story). - Triptych by April Vinding – 4 stars
This is an awkward review to write since I know the author. No pressure. It’s especially awkward since it’s a rather personal memoir. The writing is incredibly poetic and lyrical, gorgeous to the point that it takes a little bit to get into. The imagery is sharp and vivid, with crystal clear descriptions. While the imagery is perfect, the actual explanation of what’s happening is often vague, forcing the reader to connect the dots and hope they understand what’s happening. There’s a balance in memoir—you don’t want it to be too voyeuristic, but you want to know what’s happening. This felt too slanted to the vague, though I also tend to want more direct writing. - A Hole in the World: Finding Hope in Rituals of Grief and Healing by Amanda Held Opelt – 4 stars
An interesting exploration of grief from the sister of Rachel Held Evans, who passed away suddenly from the flu. - The Happiness Hack: How to Take Charge of Your Brain and Program More Happiness into Your Life by Ellen Petry Leanse – 4 stars
Quick read about how the brain works and ways to rewire your brain or take advantage of how it works to magnify your happiness. - God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. – 3 stars
Comically absurdist is perhaps a good read for April Fool’s Day. I like the style, but the absurdist part was a little much. - The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird – 5 stars
This story has a real World War Z vibe to it, where we follow separate stories through a global pandemic. In this case, we stick with maybe a half dozen and follow them from the outbreak to several years later. The first chapter or so took a little bit to get into, but once the pandemic takes hold it’s pretty gripping. Might not have been able to read this closer to COVID-19, but it was a little easier now. - The Cherokee Trail by Louis L’Amour – 3 stars
Typical Louis L’Amour Western, maybe a little more muddled and slow to get to the acton that some of his better ones. Still enjoyable though, with decent characters. - Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes – 4 stars
This story has real Alien vibes, though exploring a derelict luxury liner is a lot more interesting. Took a while to get into it though (I gave up the first time). - How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones – 3 stars
Kind of a weird memoir. Lots of struggling with identity, then lots of experimentation with sex, then (spoiler alert) dealing with the death of his mother. No attempt at pulling meaning or attempting to solve the issues. Bit of a let down that it didn’t build to anything. Written well, just doesn’t go anywhere. - Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson – 5 stars
Holy hell. This is the most phenomenal book making sense of race I’ve ever read. It’s a lot. It’s long (a tiny bit repetitive, my only quibble), in-depth, full of examples and proofs, and addresses so much of the pushback, dismissal, and questioning over racial issues. Given the topic, it’s kind of a downer. The description of the 2016 election, while frighteningly accurate, is depressing. Going well beyond the history of Warmth of Other Suns, this time Isabel Wilkerson is doing more diagnosis. It’s spot on and riveting. - The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University by Kevin Roose – 5 stars
A 19-year-old Brown student transfers to Liberty University—the most evangelical of evangelical institutions—for an undercover semester. It’s remarkable that this book isn’t just a send up of wacky Christian behavior. If anything, it’s respectful and even honoring. The author finds a lot to appreciate (which was part of his goal—he didn’t want to take pot shots) and shares an honest and encouraging take on Christian sub-culture. If you’re looking for something to laugh at, yes there is some of that, but there’s a lot he appreciates that you might a little off putting. More than anything, I’m amazed a 19 year old could pull this off. It required a lot more maturity than most 19 years olds would have. - How to Protect Bookstore and Why: The Present and Future of Bookselling by Danny Caine – 4 stars
This is a fun little book that highlights unique bookstores, what they’re doing, and how you can support them. It’s especially fun because it includes two nearby bookstores in Minneapolis and a heavy emphasis on the Midwest. It’s also well designed. Some good thoughts here and some helpful encouragement for a reader to support local bookstores. (And now I’ll ignore his advice and post this review to Goodreads.) - Aftermath by LeVar Burton – 3 stars
An interesting post-apocalytic, U.S. in turmoil story. While the story was gripping enough, it did feel a little muddled with multiple concepts that maybe weren’t fully fleshed out. LeVar Burton anticipating the first Black president more than a decade before he was elected is interesting, and while an assassination didn’t happen a backlash certainly did. Burton’s 2021 author’s note adds some interesting thoughts on the timing. - On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist by Clarissa Ward – 3 stars
As the summary of the life a foreign correspondent, this book is enthralling. As an engaging memoir with something to say, it’s less so. It’s incredibly well written and we get lots of insight and firsthand accounts of life in some of the most dangerous places. But the actual education and lessons of how to do the job? Less so. The ongoing life lessons, even less. - The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger – 5 stars
A really engaging mystery full of flawed, interesting characters. William Kent Krueger tries awfully hard on these, but it’s still really good. - Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz – 4 stars
A quick middle grade story with a strong voice about an escaped fugitive and family. - The Road Back to Sweetgrass by Linda LeGarde Grover – 3 stars
The story is slow and a little hard to follow. It keeps shifting perspectives and times. There are interesting vignettes, but they’re hard to connect. - God Is a Black Woman by Christena Cleveland – 3 stars
Provocative, daring, and a bit muddled, this one is a hard read. Parts of it soar and parts of it are frustrating. - Beowulf’s Children by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes – 4 stars
Kind of a slow start and definitely some rambling moments where it could have been sharper, but overall a fascinating story of trying to colonize an alien planet and vastly underestimating the native fauna. - Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, Eric Ozawa – 4 stars
It’s easy to love a book set in a bookshop. The story is simple and focuses on relationships and love, with some books thrown in. A lovely little story. - Birdgirl: Looking to the Skies in the Search of a Better Future by Mya-Rose Craig – 3 stars
This book attempts to be the memoir of a birder and a teenage climate activist. I’m not sure it does either well. It’s slow. And the first half of the book she’s under 10, and it’s kind of weird reading a memoir with an adult’s perspective of a childhood trip. - All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka – 5 stars
Well that was a banger. Groundhog’s Day for the alien war novel, and just a quick, fun read. I liked the movie, but this was better. Wish I’d read it first. - Love May Fail by Matthew Quick – 4 stars
Brilliantly realistic characters and a nearly absurdist plot combine for a pretty good story. It’s a little fantastical and tries to be too good and also realizes what it’s doing. - We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly – 3 stars
A middle grade story about siblings leading up to the Challenger tragedy. It had some moments, but wasn’t quite what I expected. - Orbital Cloud by Taiyo Fujii – 4 stars
Incredibly technical scifi thriller that probably spends more time explaining how things work in exhaustive detail than anything else I’ve read. At times that got in the way of the story, and it’s probably longer than it needs to be. But still interesting and engaging. - Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham – 4 stars
Teen love and family drama. Excellent storytelling and characters. - The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly – 3 stars
A middle grade story about a time traveler going back to 1999. Had some moments, but not as intriguing as I hoped. - We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter by Celeste Headlee – 5 stars
Insightful, concise, thought-provoking. I’m going to need to buy this one and read it again so I can underline away. - A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen – 4 stars
An interesting take on the time loop story. It’s fun the way Mike Chen is always tackling a different standard within the sci-fi genre. My only complaint is the pacing felt off. - Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice – 4 stars
A quiet, sparse apocalypse story that’s fairly chilling. - Homelessness Is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns by Gregg Colburn , Clayton Page Aldern – 3 stars
This book is great for bringing clarity and answers to the problem of homelessness, and challenging and dispelling many of the common misconceptions. That part gets five stars. But it’s dull as dirt. It’s academic and dry. Pretty hard to get through. That part gets three stars. - Girl Gone Missing by Marcie Rendon – 4 stars
It felt like a fairly pedestrian mystery and we didn’t learn much until it really gets going, but I find Cash’s character oddly intriguing no matter what’s happening in the story. - Babel by R.F. Kuang – 4 stars
This is really quite a work of fiction. It does a masterful job of addressing privilege, colonialism, and white supremacy. It’s just really long. It took me a week or two to finish, which is an eternity for me. Never dull or boring, but just long. I can’t help compare it to Harry Potter—it’s nothing like Harry Potter, but there are some interesting similarities and striking differences. Babel tackles deep issues in a way Harry Potter could only play with. A worthy read. - An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle – 2 stars
Meh. Slow and the characters were frustrating. - Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby – 3 stars
Just interesting enough to follow along, but it’s so deep in the weeds of England football that it’s hard to stick it out. - Zone One by Colson Whitehead – 4 stars
I love the zombie premise and post-apocalyptic world. I hate the directionless plot that jumps around so badly it’s hard to follow where we’re at in the story. - Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. – 3 stars
Kind of a bizarre and random story here. Maybe the best part is Vonnegut’s just readable style. - Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice – 5 stars
This is a really wonderful post-apocalyptic story, one that’s more positive and uplifting, though it still has plenty of tension and evil. It’s fairly slow moving, with not a lot of action in the first half. The second half really gets moving. - Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman – 5 stars
A really bizarre and juvenile story about humans forced into a Running Man style death match reality TV show that’s kind of like a real live multiplayer game. It’s dumb and funny. The only downside is there’s not a lot of resolution by the end of the first installment and there are currently six books in the series (likely more coming). - Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger – 4 stars
This is the seventh book in the Cork O’Connor series and maybe the best so far. It’s an interesting mystery and pretty well paced. - The Rainbow People of God: The Making of a Peaceful Revolution by Desmond Tutu – 3 stars
It’s fascinating to follow Desmund Tutu’s remarks through the history of South Africa. There’s helpful historical context so you can understand what was happening at each moment in time. - Pedal Zombies: Thirteen Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories by Elly Blue – 4 stars
This book is wacky—a short story collection centered around themes of zombies and biking. What?! Yes. It’s fun. It’s a quick read—most of the stories are short (too short?). I’m not usually a fan of short stories, but the whole idea has enough whimsy to be endearing. The stories didn’t blow me away, but they were intriguing. What more can you ask for? At times it felt a bit like radical biking propaganda, and I’m here for it. - Andy Catlett: Early Travels by Wendell Berry – 3 stars
Another Port William story from Wendell Berry. This is an older man reflecting on a childhood trip. It’s pretty quick and has some interesting moments. - The Lonesome Gods by Louis L’Amour – 4 stars
A much longer and more sprawling story that most from Louis L’Amour, but it’s also one of his best. - Bellwether by Connie Willis – 3 stars
An interesting little satirical novel about trends and science and pop culture. It’s a little too cynical for my taste, though Connie Willis has an easy, engaging style I like. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have much rising tension (a problem I remember in one of her time travel stories that I really liked but gave up because it didn’t seem to go anywhere). - Fires of the Faithful by Naomi Kritzer – 4 stars
I’m not a fan of fantasy, but I am a fan of Naomi Kritzer, so I figured I’d give this a try. I like her easy style and it kept me engaged despite my dislike of fantasy. In this case, the fantasy elements are kind of backburner and the focus is more on music and religion. It ends up being more a rebellion/dystopia story (if it had been published a decade later and was a little darker, it would have been a killer YA novel). - Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country by Adam Kinzinger – 4 stars
Seemed fitting to read this book on the Fourth of July. It’s a fairly quick read and summarizes Kinzinger’s time in Congress and giving a relatively quick overview of the Republican party’s slide into Trump from the Tea Party on. I appreciate Kinzinger’s perspective and I noticed him as a sane GOP voice even before the January 6 Committee (I profiled him in my Better Politics Please book, published in 2020). I disagree with him fairly often and was disappointed in some of the unnecessary digs he seemed to take at Democrats (some were fair, others seemed meant to shore up his conservative credentials). I also felt like he skipped over important moments, though that did serve to keep the book moving (unlike most political memoirs, this one is not a painstaking recounting of his entire life, which is a mercy). He seems to be done with higher office for now, but he’s the kind of guy I could see serving more. He’d make a hell of a presidential candidate. - Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman – 4 stars
This is a pretty fun series and this installment is more of the same. It felt a little slower moving though, especially since the whole book is on one level. It’s a fun read, but with seven books in the series I’m not sure if I’ll keep going if they’re all like this. - Turning the Storm by Naomi Kritzer – 4 stars
A pretty satisfying conclusion to this duology. A nicely done fantasy world focused on religion and music, driven by the political intrigue but with a heart focused on love. - Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey – 3 stars
A memoir by acclaimed Christian author Philip Yancey about growing up in a broken family, in fundamentalist churches, and in the South. All three seem to have a significant impact on him and create barriers he needed to overcome. It was interesting, particularly the depth of racism in churches in the South, but felt like he’s able to put up with a lot. Maybe that’s grace, but it just felt like here’s a horrible upbringing, but it could be worse and it’s all right! - Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton – 5 stars
Really fun, original concept, and well executed. The main character is unique in that he’s not some amazing, top of class hero. But it really works. - The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei – 3 stars
Kind of a space adventure story chasing down alien artifacts, but it gets a little frustrating with all the unexplainable alien technology. - Unf*ck Your Anxiety: Using Science to Rewire Your Anxious Brain by Faith G. Harper – 4 stars
A helpful and funny guide to anxiety that doesn’t weigh as much as a brick. It’s entertaining and practical, which is a big win considering the topic. - Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson – 3 stars
Kind of a rough teen LGBTQ memoir that delves into self harm and suicide. It gets better, but the book glosses over most of that process, instead focusing on the teen years that led to a suicide attempt. It’s eye opening and raw, but I wish more had focused on the ‘now what’ part of overcoming suicidal thoughts. - Storm Front by Jim Butcher – 5 stars
A wizard private detective on the streets of Chicago? Yes, please! This was fun and quick. - The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle – 2 stars
Historical fantasy—meh. There are H.P. Lovecraft connections that I’m clueless about, so I’m sure that colors my lack of enthusiasm for this one. - The Cestus Deception by Steven Barnes – 4 stars
A solid Star Wars novel, the best part is the clone trooper who takes on the name Jangotat and really questions his place in the Grand Army of the Republic. The bits with Asajj Ventress are pretty good too. - Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones – 3 stars
Weird, dark, and a little unsettling. - Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas – 5 stars
A real fun, snappy, space adventure story. Some double crossing, some human-adjacent AI. Good stuff. (There is a #2 in the series, but this stands on its own nicely; that’s a nice change of pace.) - Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Phuc Tran – 5 stars
Really great memoir that focuses on growing up as a Vietnamese refugee and trying to find identity and acceptance as a teenager in small town America. He goes the way of punk rock and literature, with plenty of wrestling with 1980s racism. Has a fun way with words, as the title shows. - Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A. Olivas – 5 stars
Wow, nice retelling of Frankenstein as a political satire. I read it one sitting. Has a few bits that seemed weird and off key, so maybe a 4.5 instead of 5, but really intriguing idea and good read. - Reporter: A Memoir by Seymour M. Hersh – 3 stars
I really didn’t know much about Seymour Hersch before reading this. I was just looking for a journalist memoir. It’s certainly that. Lots of interesting insights on how Hersch had to doggedly pursue a story, especially in the decades before the Internet. His hustle on the My Lai massacre is impressive. But his story feels like it rushes over important moments in history (he talks about reporting on Watergate, but says very little about Nixon resigning). I was also a little shocked by the shift in values—he recalls telling a story about Nixon abusing his wife at a conference in the late 1990s and being surprised when the audience was horrified he didn’t report on it. He admitted they were right, but he acted like it was a minor thing. - Dracula Daily: Reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula in Real Time With Commentary by the Internet by by Matt Kirkland and Bram Stoker – 4 stars
This is a brilliant idea—sending out the original Dracula as a daily digest via email, then packaging it together with Internet comments on the text. It’s the perfect mashup. Of course the source material is rough. I give Bram Stoker’s Dracula three stars (maybe 2.5?) and Matt Kirkland’s project five stars, so we’ll call it four stars. The story itself is so over-written. I never would have made it through if not for the comments poking fun at the story. If anything, it needed more, especially in some of the long, dull sections. But overall a wonderful project. - Mort by Terry Pratchett – 3 stars
A fantasy satire about Death. A short read and had its moments. - The Shore of Women by Pamela Sargent – 5 stars
A fascinating far-future post-apocalyptic/dystopian story about a society where men are exiled to pre-industrial tribes and women live in futuristic cities. It’s an incredible setup and then the story centers on the edges and fractures between those two worlds. The voice is kind of unsettling and reminds me of Pamela Sargent’s Earthseed series and a bit of Octavia Butler. Both authors have a way of describing characters and their motivations and thought processes that feels so real—so honest and brutal—that I can only describe it as unsettling. - The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller – 2 stars
Fun idea, meh execution. It reads like it can’t decide if it should be funny or serious. The plot is pedestrian with stock villains and iffy action scenes. - A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter – 2 stars
I wanted to like it, but it just never came together. I kept reading for Carter’s story, but I probably should have given up. - How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told by Harrison Scott Key – 5 stars
Just a jaw-dropping story of a marriage broken by infidelity but saved by mercy and persistence and humor, I guess? It’s a bizarre story, something you’re tempted to read for the salaciousness of it and you keep reading it because it’s sadly, gut-punchingly funny. There’s plenty of faith in the story, but it’s honest and approachable enough that it feels fairly universal. - Lion’s Blood by Steven Barnes – 5 stars
I first read this 10 years ago, and it’s still just as captivating. More than a simple alternate history where Africans enslaved Europeans, it’s a powerful story of freedom. - Whalefall by Daniel Kraus – 3 stars
Pitched as an incredible survival story in the vein of The Martian, this story about a diver surviving after being swallowed by a whale is a bit much. Unlike The Martian, Whalefall has a more intricate, character-conflict backstory. It makes the conflict more interesting, but still doesn’t quite capture the ingenuity I was hoping for in a comparison to The Martian. And perhaps that’s an unfair comparison, but those were my expectations. - Zulu Heart by Steven Barnes – 4 stars
This sequel to Lion’s Blood starts a lot slower than the original and is weighed down with a lot of talking and politics. But it weaves together an impressive story, and the last 100 pages or so are hard to put down. - Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell – 5 stars
I love when a book feels effortless. The story, the act of reading, it’s just effortless. Sometimes even when a book is good, it feels like it takes effort get through it. That can still be good, but other times you want a book that’s just easy. It’s right. It flows. That’s Slow Dance. It’s enough to make me want to read more romances. - Madeleine L’Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life by Madeleine L’Engle – 3 stars
A collection of short thoughts on writing by Madeline L’Engle pulled from her many books and writing workshops. It’s good, but it’s better in context. Presented like this, it starts to feel repetitive. - The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa – 2 stars
Kind of a weird, magical realism type story. Reminded me a bit of the Phantom Tollbooth, but not quite as whimsical. - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – 4 stars
An engaging family drama story with an octopus thrown in. It’s interesting, but maybe not quite as good as the hype. - Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh – 3 stars
A lot of memoirs are written chronologically, which tends to drag. Thankfully this one isn’t chronological, but instead it’s a mishmash, jumping around between four different generations so much it’s easy to get lost. Five generations if you count the unborn (never born?) child the book is written to, a weird conceit that never gets comfortable. It’s a valuable perspective, but it’s not well organized and feels repetitive and out of order at times. - God’s Country by Percival Everett – 3 stars
A darkly satirical Western. - Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn – 3 stars
I remember reading this as a kid and just being star struck at the idea of more Star Wars. Who knew what a bounty we’d eventually have. Several scenes stuck in my mind from that first reading, but reading it now, 30 years later, meh. Grand Admiral Thrawn is certainly a compelling character, but the story is kind of boring. We get glimpses of intrigue (creatures that push back the Force, the Emperor’s right hand who wants nothing more than to kill Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo pregnant with twins and training to be a Jedi), but zero pay off. I don’t remember reading the next two installments (though surely I did?), which hints at them being forgettable, but hopefully all this setup builds to something worthwhile. - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal – 5 stars
This is a pretty great book. It’s got a wonderfully wrong family dynamic, stretches across decades without drowning us in detail, and is dripping in Minnesota. But. But it’s also not perfect. I found Diana’s motivation completely unconvincing (why does this kid want to brew a beer so bad?!). J. Ryan Stradal’s other book I’ve read, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, made me want to eat all the delicious food he described. Lager Queen describes plenty of beer, but never once tempts me to drink some. Maybe that’s my fault for never liking beer, or the fault of beer for just not sounding appetizing—but I can’t help but wonder if some of it is Stradal’s descriptions. And don’t get me started on Helen. That’s a lot of complaints, for what’s really a good book (I was tempted to give it four stars for my complaints, but really I’m just whining that it’s not perfect, so shut up and enjoy a damn good book, imperfections and all). - Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Read – 4 stars
An enjoyable read about reading. Seems like you have to be the right kind of nerd to enjoy that, and I am. There are some nice McSweeney-ish additions between essays that make it even better. The last few essays seem to peter out a bit, though the first two thirds is solid. - The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum – 3 stars
I enjoyed the Bourne Identity movies and thought it might be interesting to read the novel. I didn’t realize it was written in 1980, which really puts things in a different era. Other than the basic setup (assassin with amnesia), there’s not a lot similar. If anything, the novel is much more bloated and complicated. And that’s saying a lot, especially as the movies got progressively more convoluted. - All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Crosby – 5 stars
Really solid murder mystery/thriller. Strong lead character and engaging from beginning to end. - Armor by John Steakley – 2 stars
Almost quit this book. First nearly 100 pages is a fairly straightforward and mostly interesting military sci-fi novel. Then it changes character, voice, and tone for 150 pages without any clear connection to the first half for 100 pages. Then we go back and forth a bit with “”shocking”” reveals. The concept could have worked a lot better in half the length. - The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson – 3 stars
When it’s working, it’s really fun, but then the character makes these awful decisions and lies to her friends and makes the whole thing way too awful. - Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother’s Life by Kao Kalia Yang – 4 stars
A Hmong memoir story, from war in Laos to refugees in Minnesota. It’s kind of a depressing story, though illuminating about the life and struggle of refugees. - Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera – 3 stars
Quick read, kind of a sudden ending (not sure I followed it). - Red Dust by Yoss – 3 stars
An understated and weird robot/sci-fi/mystery, I guess. - We Were Here by Matt de la Peña – 4 stars
A tough story with an incredible voice. It’s reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye and Of Mice and Men (it references both), but with a modern tilt. - Trinity Sight by Jennifer Givhan – 2 stars
Post-apocalyptic with magical realism, it had Stephen King vibes where it’s weird but you still want to know what happens. Then it just got weirder and weirder. - Against the Darkness by Kendare Blake – 3 stars
I unwittingly read the third book in a trilogy without even knowing the other books existed, which made for a frustrating reading experience. Overall the new generation of Scoobies is an interesting concept, and kind of fun, though not sure I’m sold on it. - High-Risk Homosexual by Edgar Gomez – 3 stars
A queer Latino memoir that offers a unique perspective. It’s often a rough story, light on hope, and in some places just feels like reading about bad decisions. - Aliens: Vasquez by V. Castro – 3 stars
The backstory of Vasquez from Aliens? OK, I’ll bite. Though that backstory lasts maybe the first quarter. Then we follow her twin children. And, spoiler alert, it ends up a lot like Aliens. - Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza – 5 stars
A washed up reporter and a very pregnant homemaker team up to solve a murder. If it sounds ridiculous, it is. Gloriously so. What a fun mystery, wry and smooth. - Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – 3 stars
The opening scene pulled me in, but it didn’t go anywhere from there. It just felt boring. - Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection by Ximena Vengoechea – 3 stars
Some interesting ideas and techniques here for listening and forging connections. It’s really about how to have good conversations. Helpful stuff, but feels a lot like homework to really get the most out of it. - Silent City by Alex Segura – 3 stars
It’s an engaging enough mystery, but the main character it a let down. You want to root for the hero, but this guy is just a mess and never gets better. - The Self-Made Widow by Fabian Nicieza – 4 stars
I’m not a big mystery reader, so I don’t know how rare it is to be so upfront about who did it (it’s in the freakin’ title!), but it at least feels like a unique approach. Made it more complicated (maybe too complicated?), but still an interesting and engaging read. - Fool Moon by Jim Butcher – 4 stars
The second in a long-running series about a wizard detective. It’s so hard edged and grimy it’s a little ridiculous and that makes it fun. Though this one had a few missteps and suffered from the hero power problem. But still fun. - Warrior Princesses Strike Back: How Lakota Twins Fight Oppression and Heal through Connectedness by Sarah Eagle Heart and Emma Eagle Heart-White – 3 stars
Some interesting stories from these Lakota twins about fighting racism and injustice. It has some good moments, but also some less interesting things that felt more like airing grievances. - Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro – 3 stars
Vampire porn with a sideshow of conquistador history? The idea of the indigenous people striking back as vampires is interesting, but it just gets weirder. - One Day in December by Josie Silver – 4 stars
A thoroughly predictable yet enjoyable romance. A few moments had me questioning the characters, but overall it was fluffy and fun. - Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog – 3 stars
Kind of a meandering memoir that covers growing up native in South Dakota (!), the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1970s, and fighting the U.S. government and prison system. Some parts are shocking and riveting, while others are less engaging. - How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler – 5 stars
Oh that was fun! A hilarious fantasy romp that’s a bit unhinged and mostly inappropriate. Lots of pop culture fun and a good story too. Only downside is it’s the first in a series, so when do we get more?! - 54 Miles by Leonard Pitts Jr. – 5 stars
A compelling historical novel that follows the characters in the author’s previous work, The Last Thing You Surrender, picking up 20 years later during the civil rights movement (he does a good job summarizing, so I think this one stands alone OK). This book does a tremendous job connecting the historical threads of history and how different generations have lived through it. - Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus – 4 stars
Ended up enjoying this deconstruction YA love story more than I thought I would. The cover makes it look like middle grade (it’s not) and the skewering of ultra-conservative homeschool Christianity could have been over the top and unrealistic (it is over the top, but that’s the nature of the beast). Way less cringe than I thought it would be. Ironically, the book’s premise is exactly what far-right book banners are worried about. - Them: Why We Hate Each Other – and How to Heal by Ben Sasse – 5 stars
A really fascinating book that I enjoyed reading, but it falls short on a couple points. First, I’m not sure the title lives up to the content. It’s more about building community than it is overcoming hatred of each other. Community is a way to address that issue, but the book is more about community than it is our hatred for each other. Secondly, I think it does a great job spelling out the problem and a pretty weak job of prescribing solutions. The first half is relentless fact after fact, story after story, logic building on logic explaining his case. But when it comes to solutions, we get short chapters and mere paragraphs of suggestions. At one point he referred to a previous chapter as where we just covered X solution, and I literally flipped back to the chapter to see if I had missed it. Despite the seemingly let down, perhaps the best part is that Ben Sasse manages to be a politician without rubbing your face in it, without being grossly one sided, and without making you want to give up. He’s earnest and down to earth, he’s fair, he seems like a guy you could have a good conversation with. That’s why I included him in my book Better Politics, Please, and that’s why he was one of few Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump. (That likely also has to do with why he resigned from the Senate.) - Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History by Kurt Andersen – 4 stars
An exceedingly long 500-year overview of American history that’s reassuring that our post-facts era isn’t new and we’ve been through this before (in fact, it’s what sets America apart). - Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez – 4 stars
Oh damn. Explaining the rise of Trump through the evangelical faith corrupted by a hyper-masculine, militaristic agenda is pretty wild. It’s a shockingly fair take. The evidence is marshaled into an overwhelming and hard to dismiss pile. Some of the claims and conclusions feel a little heavy-handed or even biased, but reading decades worth of examples, it suddenly becomes crystal clear why evangelicals shrugged at Trump’s moral lapses and wholeheartedly embraced him. That said, it’s slanted toward a more academic take and not exactly thrilling reading (never mind how depressing it is). - The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak – 4 stars
A teenage video game love story set in the 1980s? Yes, please. It suffers from a few YA tropes, but makes up for it with wonderful 1980s computer nostalgia and some twists and turns. - The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner – 3 stars
That title is really something, but I don’t think the book lives up to it. It’s like it can’t decide if it wants to be about demon hunting or a cliche mystery, and it leans way too far into the mystery and the demon part is just weird and kind of clunky. - Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones – 4 stars
Kind of an interesting werewolf story, following a kid growing up in a family of werewolves who have to constantly move to keep their secret. It has a weird framing I never quite got, but the story was engaging and interesting enough. - Sinister Graves by Marcie Rendon – 3 stars
This is a fascinating mystery series, but this one didn’t seem as good. The pacing felt off, the mystery was goofy, and the final confrontation was weird. - Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn – 3 stars
Not a very impressive middle installment to this now de-cannonized Star Wars sequel trilogy. The setup from the opening installment doesn’t pan out in any interesting ways. Luke finally connects with a Jedi master and it’s just weird. The most interesting parts of this are the ancillary things that are only interesting in the light of where Star Wars ended up going (i.e., the prequels and sequels), such as the Emperor cutting off Vader’s hand as punishment for the destruction of the first Death Star and the reference to more clones and a mysterious fleet that appears out of nowhere. - Enchantments of the Mississippi: A Contemplative Journey of Time and Place by Thomas Becknell – 4 stars
I had Thomas Becknell for a couple literature classes in college, and this book is quintessentially him. It’s a wonderful mix of history, reflection, literature and a deep meditation on place. It helps that I’m familiar with the Mississippi River through the Twin Cities, but even the unfamiliar places Becknell manages to bring to life with his historical footnotes, natural wandering, and introspection. - James by Percival Everett – 4 stars
A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s point of view, with an emphasis on the racial dynamics at play. It’s probably one of the most straightforward Percival Everett books I’ve read. - Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley – 3 stars
A collection of short stories following a single character, that works more like a loose novel. I think I was looking for a little more connection and it felt too disjointed, which is more a matter of my expectations. - What Does Justice Look Like? The Struggle for Liberation in Dakota Homeland by Waziyatawin Angela Wilson – 4 stars
Interesting read about the genocide of the Dakota people in Minnesota and actions we should take to rectify that historical and present day wrong. As you can imagine, there are some provocative ideas here—like land restoration and tearing down Fort Snelling. There’s also a lot of logical reasoning backing them up. It seems like Minnesota has made strides in some areas since this book was written (changing of place names, state flag, renaming Henry Sibley High School, etc.)—I’m sure that feels like too far in the eyes of some and barely a baby step in the eyes of the author, but I’m curious how those changes would impact the book. Are we on the right path? - The Bingo Palace by Louise Erdrich – 2 stars
This story felt scattered and never quite came together for me. - Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major – 4 stars
A Groundhog’s Day scenario romance that focuses on how a woman is too distracted by the busyness of her life to engage her family. It gets around to an interesting conclusion, though the first quarter shows the device addiction so well it’s a bit triggering (though listening to the audiobook at 1.5 speed probably didn’t help). - Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse – 4 stars
My second read in anticipation of reading the rest of the trilogy. A solid and compelling fantasy epic. I’d give it four stars this time, down a notch from my first read. Still good, but there’s a lot here to wade through. I’m curious how the other installments are. - Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse – 4 stars
The continuation of this fantasy saga, and it reads a lot like a typical middle chapter of a trilogy. Lots of setup and not quite a climax. Feels like it’s saving it all for the third book. It is an incredible amount of world building and an entirely unique fantasy world. - Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock – 3 stars
Some interesting ideas about working with employee from Google’s HR department (sorry, “”People Operations””). A few applicable ideas, though a lot that feels helpful only for big companies. - Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse – 4 stars
And the final sweeping conclusion of this trilogy. It’s an incredibly fresh fantasy story that explores new myths and stories instead of medieval ones. It started to feel awfully complicated though as it wound toward the end. I was relieved to see that there was enough of an epilogue to wind things down. - Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Crosby – 4 stars
Intense heist thriller centered on a wheel man who tried and failed to get out of crime. The main character is definitely not a good guy, which makes for a difficult story to root for. - (Un)Certain: A Collective Memoir of Deconstructing Faith by Olivia Jackson – 2 stars
The word “”memoir”” in the title is a bit deceptive. It’s not a continual story of anyone’s life. Instead the author did an online survey of 140 people, interviewed a bunch of them, and then strung together quotes under loose topics. It is interesting to hear the perspectives, but there’s no sense of learning about someone’s full experience or any sense of prescription or what do I do with this? Many times the author would reference a deconstruction topic, something that sounded interesting, but instead of explaining the issues at play would just share another quote and move along. - Youth Group by Jordan Morris and Bowen McCurdy – 3 stars
A church youth group that’s secretly demon hunter exorcists, I guess? It’s kind of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer lite, but with lots of 1990s youth group references. - Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese – 5 stars
What a difficult, hard, and honest story. It’s about the genocide of Indian boarding schools and hockey and searching for that sense of self. Powerful book. - All My Bicycles by Powerpaola – 3 stars
A nonlinear graphic memoir about, well, the bikes she owned. - In the Night of Memory by Linda LeGarde Grover – 3 stars
Kind of a rambling history of two native children abandoned by their mother and working their way through the foster system back to their extended family. It had moments where it started clicking, but then it had others where it started to drag. - Ember by Brock Adams – 3 stars
Slightly peculiar post-apocalytpic novel in a few ways. The cause is the dying of the sun and there’s a sort of far right revival militia group that rises up to take control. The narration follows a few different characters, which is kind of odd. Some interesting elements, but not as compelling as it could have been. - Hello America by J.G. Ballard – 2 stars
A weird post-apocalyptic story where an energy crisis leads to the abandonment and desertification of America. A century later an expedition from Europe returns to explore the empty continent. It’s a bizarre study of the American ethos, but the wheels come off maybe halfway in. Ironically, there’s a mad 45th president of the United States who wants to “”make American great again.”” Second pre-Trump novel I’ve read this year that references a tyrant using that slogan. - A Misplaced Massacre: Struggling over the Memory of Sand Creek by Ari Kelman – 4 stars
I bought this history book when I visited the Sand Creek Massacre Historic Site in 2019. At the time, I wanted to know more and the book seemed ideal, but realistically the propect of wading through a hefty historic tome seemed unlikely. You need to read a book at the right time, and that was certainly the case here. While the book is more accessible than I anticipated, it’s also incredibly detailed and often goes into multi-page asides that don’t seem relevant. At times the book is merely hashing out the debates between various parties. That can be tedious, but it also shows how complicated the entire process of memorializing can be. - The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield – 4 stars
Another worthy installment in a long line of kick-in-the-pants tomes for creatives. I found the first two sections, focused on resistance and the professional the most hard hitting and helpful. The last section seemed more scattered and less helpful. In a nutshell, this book is about sitting down and doing the work. - The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer – 5 stars
Not sure how to describe this, but it’s sort of a romance and sort of a story of a children’s author, and sort of a game. It’s heartwarming and happy. - Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake – 5 stars
Well here I am, a science fiction fan, loving a romance. What a great story. Quirky and funny, surprising when it needs to be, poignant and deep. I’m maybe most impressed at the depth of the characters—every supporting character is fully fleshed out, believable, and going through their own drama. - Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez – 5 stars
Well damn. That was good. Really good. Funny and engaging and poignant and interesting. - A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer – 3 stars
A survival story, similar to Hatchet or Island of the Blue Dolphins, though in this case it’s Mozambique/Zimbabwe in 1980. It’s an interesting glimpse into a culture, though the author’s perspective feels a little problematic. - Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy by Cait West – 3 stars
This memoir is oddly distant, as if the author is trying to keep the reader from getting too close. It’s almost sterile and cold. The narrative is continually broken up so we don’t get into a rhythm of following the author’s life and becoming invested. It’s eerie. I couldn’t tell if that was intentional choice to mirror her upbringing or just not great writing. Either way, it doesn’t make for a good memoir. There are some moments, and she captures her patriarchial upbringing well, but it’s hard to feel connected to her. - Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church by Eliza Griswold – 4 stars
The story of a hippy church struggling with a founder transition and the double whammy of the pandemic and confronting racism in the aftermath of George Floyd. It’s really engaging inside story as four pastors of four locations struggle and fight and sort of grow. There aren’t simple and clean answers here. Bonus: It quotes both Five Iron Frenzy and MxPx (I think the only contemporary music quoted). - Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes – 3 stars
It’s fun to see a story on Mace Windu and to get some backstory on him, but the tale is overly complicated and doesn’t offer anything more than a one-off. - Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez – 5 stars
OK, really enjoying these rom-coms from Abby Jimenez. I think number two in the series was even better than number one, in part because the characters were a little more rough around the edges. Fun story, good stuff. - Velocity Weapon by Megan O’Keefe – 4 stars
So this starts off as a really engaging story about a woman who wakes up alone on an AI ship and thinks all of humanity destroyed itself. But then twist and a couple more twists and it’s turning into a sprawling trilogy. As if an 18-hour audiobook isn’t long enough, there are two more?! The story quickly gets away from that initially engaging tale, and it feels a little too complicated to sustain interest. Not sure if I’ll get to the rest of the trilogy. 4 stars for good storytelling and being engaging, but three stars for being too complicated. - Zombie Apocalypse Running Club by Carrie Mac – 4 stars
Kind of a unique YA zombie tale. The running club in the title is run by a kid with Down syndrome, though he’s more of a supporting character and the club is more secondary to the story. The real story is about a pair of queer homeschooled kids who grow up on an extremely conservative family compound and it takes a zombie apocalypse for them to run away. - Vera Bushwack by Sig Burwash – 3 stars
An imaginative and queer but kind of quiet graphic novel about Drew clearing woods and building a cabin while struggling with societal norms of gender. - The Future by Naomi Alderman – 5 stars
Incredibly fascinating story about rich assholes, the end of the world, AI, and more. Super intriguing, so many twists, good stuff. My only complaint is that the back and forth storytelling makes it hard to follow a linear timeline, but you can mostly sort it out. (BTW, While I read The Future, I was also listening to I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin and the two together create a wonderful bit of cognitive, um, ressonance (?) about the state of the world and technology.) - I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin – 5 stars
This is a weird, random, and kind of hilarious story of Internet rumor and modern day pathology run amok. I’m not even sure how to describe it. Cross-country road trip adventure? Apocalypse scenario? Indictment of Reddit? But I enjoyed it, so that’s all that matters. (BTW, I read Naomi Alderman’s The Future while I was listening to this one, and wow did the two together create some interesting cognitive ressonance. They have very different tones, but enough overlap to be really fascinating together.) - The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness – 4 stars
A quirky YA story about people who aren’t the heroes, just the regular kids who live in the aftermath of the superheroes. - Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe – 5 stars
Started a little slow, but wished it wouldn’t end. Fascinating seeing a ‘how to’ look at OnlyFans, and exploring fake realities in Only Fans, professional wrestling, and fiction was pretty next level. - The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates – 4 stars
I’m not even sure how to describe this book. Four essays about writing and various trips that are disconnected but sort of connected and all written in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ mesmerizing and bewildering style. The last and longest chapter about Israel and Palestine is the best piece I’ve read exploring the contradictions and challenges in that ongoing struggle. - Knucklehead by Adam Smyer – 3 stars
This book has a wry, engaging style that kept me reading, but it felt like it didn’t go anywhere. - Twelve Days by Steven Barnes – 3 stars
Intersting setup, but ultimately a frustrating and overly complicated story. - Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin – 4 stars
An engaging, slow-building mystery. It has some moments where it seems to stray a bit far from the plot, but it ends up being relevant. - Nowhere Wild by Joe Beernink – 4 stars
A gripping post-apocalypitic survival story with elements of Julie of the Wolves. - Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake – 4 stars
A fun little Christmas romcom about exes thrown together for Christmas. - People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry – 4 stars
Another happy fun romcom. I know the genre is all about playing into the drama, even when it’s dumb, but it gets a little frustrating in this one as they dance around their love. The witty dialogue is worth it though. - Things Are What You Make of Them: Life Advice for Creatives by Adam J. Kurtz – 3 stars
One of those kick-in-the-pants books for creatives. Super short and quick, and a little too fluffy. - The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter – 4 stars
A fun mystery/rom-com with a holiday twist. It’s funny and pretty quick moving. - Come Alive!: The Spirited Art of Sister Corita by Julia Ault – 4 stars
An interesting look at a nun creating and teaching art in the 1950s and 1960s with a heavily text focused pop style. - Learning by Heart: Teachings To Free The Creative Spirit by Corita Kent and Jan Steward – 4 stars
A book of art lessons and assignments, geared toward how to teach art, but really a primer on creativity. Some simple ideas, but really encapsulates the approach of Corita Kent. - Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones – 4 stars
This is one of those beautifully written books that’s just hard. It follows three children during a spree of child abductions and murders in 1979 Atlanta, so yeah, it’s dark. But there’s not a great sense of resolution. - The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – 3 stars
Interesting setup, but it slogs after a while and starts to lose interest. - The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Steven Barnes, Jerry Pournelle – 4 stars
A pretty great and tension-filled space colony survival story. I actually read part two of this series first, which spoils quite a bit of the surprise of this one, but it was still good. If anything, it was simpler and more straightforward than the sequel. Less fussy characterization and more straight on story.