06 June 2025
03 June 2025
02 June 2025
The Names ~ Florence Knapp
A sliding doors story.
A baby, named after his father, Gordon.
A baby, named by his sister, Bear
A baby, named by his mother, Julian
01 June 2025
06 May 2025
Fever Beach ~ Carl Hiaasen
It wasn't as satirically funny as Squeeze Me. This one was a parody centred around Proud Boys wannabes. It was overlong with too many subplots and jokes worn thin.
05 May 2025
The Children of Eve ~ John Connolly
Usually a new Connolly is like slipping into a comfortable pair of slippers. This was not.
It was way too wordy with useless trivia that did not enhance the plot, did not add to the sense of place, did not bring characters to life.
This was like one of those "filler" episodes in a TV series ... just setting groundwork for what is to come.
04 May 2025
03 May 2025
Malibu Rising ~ Taylor Jenkins Reid
NO (make that NoNoNo)
What a load of shite writing. Totally "tell not show". Just bland exposition storytelling, probably aiming for a tv takeup. Shallow has too many letters in it to describe it.
02 May 2025
Mercy (Dept Q #1) ~ Jussi Adler-Olsen
****
OK, so I picked the perp very close to the beginning (and felt it was a clumsy insertion) but that was easily overlooked because of the excellent writing, great fleshing out of characters, fast pace of the plot.
01 May 2025
The Frozen River ~ Ariel Lawhon
DNF
OMG ... this rated so well but was totally irksome.
Once I had the image of Snidely Whiplash in my head, I couldn't shake it. The Villain was sooo bad. The Husband was soooo good. She is so brave and full of herself. It was all soooo sanctimonious and shallow
10 April 2025
07 April 2025
06 April 2025
05 April 2025
04 April 2025
03 April 2025
02 April 2025
01 April 2025
08 March 2025
07 March 2025
The Snow Child ~ Eowyn Ivey
Grrr ... thought this seemed cliched ... and it was ... but also familiar because I had read it before (and wasn't impressed the first time)
06 March 2025
05 March 2025
04 March 2025
03 March 2025
02 March 2025
Artificial Condition (Murderbot DIaries #2) ~ Martha Wells
Like #1, a reading palate cleanser ... a quick and enjoyable read, immersive sci-fi world. Fun Murderbot
01 March 2025
The Incarnations ~ Susan Barker
Only just hit **OK
Really shouldn't have bothered finishing ... it was just that I so loved the previous work of hers (Old Soul).
It rated an **OK because of the snippets of Chinese history but the packaging was too long, mostly boring
06 February 2025
04 February 2025
All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries 1) ~ Martha Wells
Rogue Robot
Enjoyable, engaging, snappy sci-fi
I was just looking for a little palate cleanser and this was perfect. A short book, a quick read ... and have ordered the next in the series!
03 February 2025
Let Us Descend ~ Jesmyn Ward
This really should have been a DNF.
What was meant to pass for magic realism was more like continuing dream-sequences followed by and-then-I-woke-up
Don't know wtf I kept reading
02 February 2025
01 February 2025
06 January 2025
03 January 2025
02 January 2025
The Sequel ~ Jean Hanff Korelitz
Fun, fast paced sequel to The Plot : a novel about a novel.