2026 #31 Artificial Condition - Murderbot Diaries #2 (Wells)

 

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to the Graphic Audio version, and unlike others, I didn't care for it. The underscoring felt very gratuitous, although some of the foley and fight sequences reminded me of old radio shows (in a charming way).

Murderbot seeks out the mysteries of its past and finds a friend-bot ("ART"). I liked the premise, and the human characters are more dimensional. We also finally get to meet a "Comfort Unit" (aka sexbot). Definitely a bit more culture-building in this one, so I'm in. There's a lot of techno-speak, which I found tiresome in certain places and probably would have skipped over pages had I been reading it in hard copy.

While I did not enjoy the reading as much, I thought the story overall was more interesting and we certainly get a better sense of all that Murderbot is negotiating as it tries to hone its own identity and autonomy. 3. 75 stars


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2026 Reading Goals 31/60

#192030 Challenge: 2018

#2026 #29 All Systems Red - Murderbot Diaries #1 (Wells)

 

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I absolutely see why this popped up in my algorithms after I finished (and LOVED) Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary. I'd heard good things about this series outside of that, so I figured I'd give it a try here at the end of when I actually have a life before school begins. I won't judge it against PHM, especially since it is a novella. Both do share a similar sense of humor.

It is entertaining! I was disappointed in the ending only because I was enjoying what developed between the bot and the crew. The short length was a bit of a let down in that regard. It is a very interesting negotiation of non-human sentience, and I applaud that. Kevin R. Free's reading was quite excellent, and Dr. Mensah became my favorite character. I definitely enjoyed it enough that I've already started no. 2 Artificial Condition, but the only one available via Libby was the Graphic Audio production and I'm already not excited about the abundance of underscoring...

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2026 Reading Goals 29/60

#192030 Challenge: 2017

2026 #13 The Guilty Feminist (Frances-White)

 

The Guilty Feminist: You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Overthrow the Patriarchy by Deborah Frances-White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm going to start with one ofthe drawbacks (for me -- specifically in regard to the audiobook), as much of the book is really great. I'm not sure, but many of the "interviews" seemed to be read (rather than the recorded originals), with Adjoa Andoh acting as the guest (?), but it was honestly hard to tell, and the credits on Audible are no help. Regardless if it is the actual guests reading their answers or not, it seemed rather artificial and I missed the organic quality of an interview. That aside...

I was not aware of Frances-White's podcast when I bought this book on Audible, so I came in with few expectations beyond liking the premise of "I'm a feminist, but..." One thing the author really drives home is how WOMEN can be so damn judgmental of each other and she decries the gatekeeping that happens in the name of "feminism." I appreciated that Frances-White seems to recognize that feminism is a broad term that can encompass a wide range of CHOICES (and that having the autonomy and agency to exercise those choices is REALLY the point).

Raised as a Jehovah's Witness, and now a comedian and podcaster, Frances-White comes at this topic with the exact lack of apology and forthrightness that needs to be there. She does love a metaphor, to be sure, but growing up as she did, I think driving a point home became an ingrained practice--sadly I'm sure much of it was internal for a good long time. Her ultimate goal seems to be to unite the different "sub-genres" of feminism against patriarchy, and I think that's a noble endeavor.

I'd quibble with some things, and what I'll say is that she seems to welcome dissent and argument. For her, women SHOULD disagree with each other (respectfully) but not to the point where our infighting undermines the larger goals. I felt there was a strong bias toward women being sexually repressed as a result of the patriarchy, and very little acknowledgment that some women may just not want sex, and might engage with it purely to share something with a beloved partner. There was also a subtext sometimes that "real" feminists behave badly, and I don't necessarily subscribe to that, but I certainly appreciated her points about how often women can sugarcoat their own anger because we are beholden to the social conditioning of being nurturers. I don't think shock value is always the right method, particularly if you carry white privilege-- it often comes at the expense of taking space AWAY from intersectional voices. Frances-White makes a concerted effort to be intersectional and that is a strength of the book -- particularly useful for white women who consider themselves feminists but travel exclusively in white packs of feminists or use various facets of their identity to play the "oppressed Olympics."

Sometimes the audio from the podcast where she mouths off on a particular topic made me feel a bit cynical. Delivering a speech on stage for a podcast where the audience is primarily full of fans is not quite the same as testifying before Parliament and some of these moments felt a bit self-congratulatory.

On accessibility. The interview with Becca (someone --- I wish she would have mentioned who the interviews were with at the end as well), made an excellent point about competing access needs, and that it is important to just be transparent about what your event is doing to be more accessible and try to mix it up so that you are moderately accessible to as diverse a crowd as possible. That seemed like really great advice and useful for those who instead throw up their hands in the face of "can't please all of the people all of the time" and end up choosing the status quo rather than even trying.

Reframing saying "yes to the dress" fell a bit flat for me, but in the same vein as the idea that being a b*itch is validated in the name of feminism (I'm overstating her point a bit here, I realize). Her point that some women become bridezillas because it is the only time of their lives that they are in complete control of everything didn't resonate...I think it is also a huge privilege and if you are going to be sh*tty to people when you are a bride, it just makes you sh*tty, feminist or not.

Her feminist readings of films (so-called "chick flicks"/rom-coms)? Dirty Dancing worked for me--it was a fairly compelling argument, and something of which I was probably semi-aware when I saw it as a young teenager. Pretty Woman on the other hand...Frances-White does acknowledge that it is still problematic and I get that her larger point is that rom-coms often center female autonomy within the context of whatever class level that is present. But as someone who often doesn't enjoy rom-coms, I guess I feel a reframing or re-contextualizing isn't necessary (but importantly, nor is an apology).

In other ways, however, her nuanced parsing of rude cat calling versus genuine complimenting was appreciated. Where it is difficult is that the metric is different for every woman: one person's compliment is another person's harassment.

Essentially, she really trying to message that women have choices and can make choices, and that the fighting among us is really underserving us, and can be as pernicious as the patriarchy. Having gone to a women's college, I'm particularly sympathetic to this viewpoint, and I wish that the women who could really benefit from hearing what she has to say are going to be the ones to pick up a book called "The Guilty Feminist". I've had fellow feminists, whom I consider friends, tell me I was "losing my identity" when I chose to take my husband's name. I've seen that evidently I am serving the patriarchy by preferring to shave my legs. I had a man YELL AT ME once because I held the door open for him when I sensed that he was following me into a coffee shop. "You shouldn't do that!!" he yelled, failing to grasp the irony of mansplaining to me about the patriarchy.

There are a lot of nuggets of wisdom here and some thoughtful reflection and even when I didn't always agree, I welcomed the space to think about these things. One last bit that I'll close with is a quote: "Hope without a plan of action is the doorway to depression." It is, most definitely, time for a plan of action, and I hope that we can find a way to embrace each other, with all our imperfections, to gather our collective hope and make a bold move.

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2025 #51 The Great Believers (Makkai)

 

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is stunning to me how visceral my memories of the 1980s are due to the AIDS epidemic. As a young person/pre-teen, I certainly didn't understand all the nuances, but I knew my gay stepuncle was losing friends. I remember well when Ryan White was barred from attending classes due to fear of exposure. My stepmom, who was a supplements editor for the L.A. Weekly, brought me home a print of Robbie Conal's "Artificial Art Official" poster of Jesse Helms.

I was not prepared for how all of these memories would come flooding back in reading this book. In the first few minutes of the audiobook, I listened to Michael Crouch and I thought, "Ugh. This is going to be a long haul." I'm so glad I stuck with it, because I was proven wrong. Michael Crouch's distance is absolutely perfect. It removes sensationalism and replaces it with sincerity--a certain pragmatic matter-of-factness that makes the horrors real, rather than extraordinary.

But it also Yale, who might end up being one of my favorite protagonists ever. What a splendid human in his frailty, his courage, his loyalty. He is written so well and so believably, that he is both inspirational and relatable--and it has little to do with his sexual orientation or even his gender. That's the mark of an amazing character, when identity is in the background of what connects to the reader. That's not to say that his identity as a gay man isn't important -- it is huge, and I'd say he's a very important gay character in that he moves in and out of circles that are often narratively exploited as stereotypes, but in a way that reminds us that we are all human beings trying to find our place in the world, seeking out others who will see us.

Nora Lerner is also another favorite character. She holds the torch -- not just for her lover, but for love itself. The entire book is more about love than anything else. And for something to be about love, it must also be about death, because that's the reality of it, isn't it. Makkai drives home the essential aspect of what makes us human. May we all have the someone we love enough to advocate for them long after they have died.

This book does not shy away from the gruesomeness that is AIDS-related death, but it is never for the shock value. It is related with tenderness and honors those that have suffered it. It isn't an easy book to read, nor should it be, but it is also a wonderful book to read. Any book that reaffirms life through a frank and bold look at death (and love, and joy, and suffering), deserves a place of honor.

This is quite possibly my favorite read this year.


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2025 #44 The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois (Jeffers)

 

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars
Alright -- I'm going to start with a disclaimer. I did not know that it was 816 pages when I decided to listen to it as an audiobook. I'm not always as attentive when consuming literature as an audiobook, and my experience is sometimes too influenced by the voice actors, particularly if I don't enjoy their reading. That out of the way....

This is immense and epic, and digs deep into themes of addiction, racism, colorism (within Black communities too), historical relations between indigenous peoples and African Americans, sexual abuse, generational trauma...and more. It is a LOT for one novel to hold, and I wonder if it would have benefitted if trilogized (I just made up a word, I know). I can see, on the other hand, where that might have been a disadvantage -- threads would have been lost, as well as momentum.

The historical narratives resonated the most for me (hi, historian here!), and I appreciated the juxtaposition of Ailey reading about Samuel Prichard in the archives/ interviewing her relatives against the historical narrative so that we weren't just getting Ailey's perspective. The story is brutal in so many ways, and more importantly, it is true in its brutality. What the book has to tell us regarding generational trauma and how it can play out in a variety of ways, is invaluable. The novel is so massively interwoven, it is hard to say where cuts could have been made, but I do have a few things that diminished my experience of the book.

First, I really didn't care for the excruciating detail in describing Ailey's graduate studies. This may be totally personal. I have a PhD, and I'm a history professor, so perhaps I was having my own issues with grad school trauma, but I really didn't want to hear about footnotes versus endnotes. There were a lot of WHO CARES moments for me here. I get that not everyone is acquainted with the process of archival research, but I found these details a distraction from the more important substance of the research she was doing, as well as what she was processing. I also get that there was some mentoring happening with the cleaning of Dr. Oludara's office, but again -- I didn't need the details.

Second, in a case of the details were important but I only needed them once: Gandy. I had no issue with revisiting the situation generally, but playing out the scene, with similar descriptions, over and over and over? I don't generally need trigger warnings, and I am privileged I have never had to deal with that kind of trauma, but I started to feel so beaten down by the *description* (it is painful and disgusting) that it started to feel more about the shocking rawness of the image, rather than the shockwaves of the trauma. I can't imagine that my fatigue, however, is anything like the fatigue suffered by Lydia, Ailey, and Coco. This may be a very different experience from those who have lived through similar experiences, so I tread lightly considering this criticism. It may be more of a personal response to something that might be essential for other readers. For contrast, with a similar situation, we hear about Samuel's sins repeatedly (and effectively), but its always in the service of understanding the fuller picture of the tragedy--the forced silence (when life is on the line), the choices no human being should ever be forced to make, and the overarching theme of power.

My favorite character was Uncle Root, and I loved how he was voiced in the audiobook. You could hear his care, his intelligence, his pride in who he was, and his pride in Ailey. He served an important purpose for me as well -- occasionally I just didn't like Ailey very much. I needed Root's unconditional love of her to remind me how flawed we all are, and that like it or not, I probably had some real "moments" myself in my twenties. I struggled with the voicing of Ailey in the audiobook-- I felt her "little girl" voice/narrative never really left and I think that was part of my problem. I don't know if it was intentional, but it grated a bit.

I want to recognize my positionality here (white woman), because I think it is important. There's a lot in this book that I've never experienced, and likely never will experience. But that may be exactly the reason to read this book. The criticisms I mention above are quibbles relative to how this "epochal saga" (as Kirkus Reviews would have it) operates on SO MANY different levels: multi-generational history, coming-of-age story, family dynamics, polemics of perspectives (e.g. Du Bois v. Booker T. Washington)...just to name a few. There are stories wrapped in stories wrapped in stories, demanding an attention and care from the reader that few books even dare to achieve these days. The archival epilogue is a must read/listen for its beautiful array of sources -- do NOT skip it.



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2025 #33 The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (Hannah-Jones, ed)

 

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

No book or project could ever be comprehensive when it comes to exploring and capturing the history and legacy that began in 1619, when enslaved Africans set foot on the shores of North America, a year prior to the arrival of the Mayflower. The book is an enlargement of Hannah-Jones's foundational The 1619 Project, published in the New York Times Magazine. However, as a reclamation of American History, this book is a chronicle, a celebration of poetry, art, and writing, and a call for understanding and moving forward. "A truly great country does not ignore or excuse its sins, it confronts them and then works to make them right," Hannah-Jones says in closing.

The contributors to the book are many and varied, with some of the most profoundly powerful and influential voices of our time: Claudia Rankine, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Michelle Alexander, Ibram X. Kendi, Henry Louis Gates, Terry McMillan, and so many more.

In the audiobook, some readers are more compelling than others, but the words are potent, well-researched, and a true call for understanding how conventional narratives of American history have been whitewashed. Turning points, such as Abraham Lincoln's assassination, are reframed so that we understand that when Andrew Johnson took over the presidency for a brief two-month period, he tried to rescind wartime Order No. 15 (known as "Forty Acres and a Mule") and that these original reparations never truly materialized in a way that provided widespread and sustained land ownership to Black Americans. The connection of this (and preceding events) to the current wealth gap between Black and white Americans is made clear.

Ibram X. Kendi's truth-telling is particularly powerful, especially as it targets and demolishes narratives of "post-racial" America. The criticisms may be hard to hear for some, but the cycle of attempts to declare any and all "wins" as progress has largely clouded the narrative in its failure to recognize the persistence of neglect and abuse toward Black Americans, and the systemic infrastructure that perpetuates it.

It is not an easy book to read/listen to -- nor should it be. There is deep and painful beauty expressed in the poems. Few facets of modern life are left un-addressed, whether it is healthcare or mass-incarceration. The book can be (and has been) excerpted to great effect, but sitting with it from start to finish has its own benefits. As a white American, it was invaluable to be reminded of the things I have learned, to be invited to de-center white historical narratives, and to critically consider how much we truly owe to the legacy of Black Americans and how we have failed (and continue to fail) to honor it and fight for it. There has been a lot of backlash and vitriol aimed at the project. I recommend engaging with the book instead of allowing the controversies to subsume the content.


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2025 #23 The Martian (Weir)

 

The Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I may be in the minority, but I actually enjoyed Project Hail Mary just a bit more than The Martian. I violated my general "rule" that I don't see movies before reading the book, but I barely remember seeing the movie (vague recollections of Matt Damon and a lot of potatoes), so it is almost as if I was tabula rasa.

The "sciency" monologue is far greater in The Martian and frankly, it is hard to beat Rocky from PHM. Mark Watney and Ryland Grace share a similar sense of humor, and while that was comforting in some respects, I had hoped the two protagonists would be more different. Still, the overarching theme of human endurance and the will-to-overcome makes both books great palate cleansers for our current state of affairs.

I'd like to recognize Mindy Park for best supporting character -- Weir does this really well. The strongest parts of the book for me were when characters were interacting with each other, and everyone loves the narrative of the "un-noticed" becoming a hero in their own way. So, cheers to Mindy, for sure. That she actually gets character development too, is a nice contrast to Mark, who joke-nerds his way through his predicament basically throughout the book, until we get the post-narrative diary entries.

And...as with PHM...yes, I cried, dear reader. Even having seen the movie, I cheered along at the parts worth cheering. The Martian and PHM are both studies in human isolation in their own way, and I think that the vastness of space invites this inward inquiry: when faced with an expanse beyond our complete comprehension, we indeed might question our life's purpose if we are just blips on the radar screen of the cosmos.

Wil Wheaton's reading is excellent, and to be fair, I'm sure its similarities with Ray Porter's delivery in PHM made the two books seem even more similar to me. I will say that Porter pulled me in to more of science, however, whereas Wheaton had more of a "yada yada yada" delivery for those of us not invested in the intricacies of surviving in space.

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2025 #21: Her Last Moment (James) - Jake Cashen #5

 

Her Last Moment: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 5 by Declan James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I seem to be invested in Worthington County, although I think Alexander Cendese's readings are half of it. Poor Jake still doesn't have a longer story arc to save his soul, but we get a clearer sense that he is a ticking time bomb in terms of his pent-up trauma and anger regarding his father. As I listened to the preview when I finished Red Sky Hill: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 4, I was prepared for who the victim was. It felt a bit of a shame -- it isn't like a TV series where they have to write someone off the show. We hardly knew ye...But truly, it made me care less about her secrets since we had to get her entire backstory posthumously.

Things felt a bit formulaic without the interesting characters of the previous installment -- deadbeat ex clichés abound. This one brings back wrestling, albeit in small doses, so I found it tolerable. While I'm glad Birdie and Jake haven't gotten together (I was worried after Kill Season), the former also hasn't had much of a storyline either. In fact, everyone in Blackhand Hills is pretty much where we left them -- Jemma is about the only one with something new and interesting in her life. Grandpa Max gets to be a bit more than grouchy, semi-senile, and obsessed with dinnertime in this one. Meg Landry doesn't shine as much. Zender is starting to bore me.

Still-- a fun read, enough of the usual suspects to feel a comfortable familiarity, and a few new ones that I would hope would return but probably won't (go Grandma!!).



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2025 #19 The Burning Island (Young) - Charlie Cates #3

 

The Burning Island by Hester Young
My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars


As with some other readers, I was surprised to find out that this was no.3 in a series of books that feature Charlie Cates, a journalist with gently paranormal abilities. Set primarily on the Big Island of Hawai'i (and a bit in Arizona), the story leads us to vulcanologist Victor Nakagawa and his family, as Charlie and her BFF Rae travel to Hawaii allegedly for some R&R and a bit of a workcation for Charlie, who is writing an article on Victor. Hester Young has a degree from University of Hawai'i at Mãnoa, so her descriptions are as lush and vibrant as the island itself.

There are a few red herrings, and the characters are generally fairly complex and multi-dimensional, which helps things stay interesting and not obvious. Charlie's inner dialogue occasionally felt tedious, but some of it helped provide backstory so the reader/listener doesn't feel the "series gap". Charlie can be a bit preachy, even just inside her own mind, but is generally strong-willed and a good protagonist. Rae, as the effervescent bestie, provides a good counterpoint without resorting to too much caricature. January LaVoy offers a solid reading, with a particular gift for voicing the surf-loving pothead bro.

I found myself a bit relieved to be wrong about how I interpreted one of Charlie's main visions--the one at the core of why she "takes the case"--although that relief was short-lived in that a related subplot covered the territory I was hoping to avoid. Still, it made for a dynamic story. I wasn't a fan of the ending, although I have to give Young major props for not tying everything up with a neat little bow. And while the ending does seem to hint at perhaps more to come in the series, it is not with a cliffhanger for the major plot points (thank goodness).

3.75 stars for me.

Serious About Series challenge 2025 (May)


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2025 #18 Red Sky Hill (James) - Jake Cashen #4

 

Red Sky Hill: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 4 by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars
Well, I guess I'm fairly invested in the citizens of Worthington County by now. Red Sky Hill gives us a better look at the Knoxes and the Bardos, the latter familiar from the previous book. The book opens with the grisliest murder yet in the series, and we soon learn that relativism looms large as we see a whole lot of "wrong place, wrong time" and "in over his head" sorts of explanations for bad behavior. There is a definite red herring, but it turns out to be a bit more interesting than usual, because it calls up some moral questions for our detective Cashen, as well as others. This one does not wallow in wrestling or hunting, so I'm impressed that James has managed to keep these things contained to their respective books (for the most part). There is some sloppy editing--for example, Jake says "We'll burn that bridge when we get there" instead of "We'll cross that bridge when we get there" -- which made me laugh, but I don't think it was meant to. As far as the audiobook goes, Cendese is still great, although I noticed an unevenness and some obvious retakes in the recording.
His voicing of Meg Landry is still my favorite part of the entire series (as is her character) and I'd welcome a Meg-centric installment (or spin-off series). Disappointing here is that we get a Meg-centric subplot that fizzles out, although we hope it will be continued in the next book (Her Last Moment). If you haven't read the synopsis of Her Last Moment yet, do yourself a favor and do NOT, until you've finished this book. That's all I'll say.

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2025 #17 The Last Town (Crouch) - Wayward Pines #3

 

The Last Town by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This really swings back and forth between 3.75 and 4 stars for me.
No real spoilers here unless you haven't read the other two books in the trilogy, in which case you really shouldn't be reading reviews (any reviews) of this one.

--------------------
Surprisingly, I liked the ending. I even liked the epilogue---I never like epilogues. But, I have questions.

What happened to the solitaire-playing lady and the abbie? Maybe I missed it. I really thought we were going to go somewhere with that--maybe connect it back to Margaret. That was a welcome respite to the relentless violence. I would have rather than have been developed than the saccharine conversation between Ethan and Ben about an idealized future where they'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.

The first quarter of the book was rough --- much like the endless fugitive scene in the first book (or was it the second?) this one spent way too long with the gory details--and they are truly that, gory.

Teresa gets to join Mae Holland (Dave Eggers's The Circle) in my winner's circle of obnoxious protagonists. The only time I liked her in this book was when she found the chutzpah to tell Ethan the truth and then told him to shut it when he started going all entitled macho man on her. But absolutely cringeworthy was the discussion with Hassler in the jail cell with Ben sitting right there. Have some self-respect, people. I guess maybe some people find that language romantic (Teresa's note, that we learned of in the previous book), but I don't (it isn't that I find it offensive...just doesn't make me feel a strong bond of love between two people...not sure what I was supposed to feel). Also, big UGH on her reasons for staying with Ethan.

I rather loved Kate and Hassler meeting up on the cliff, even if it did feel a bit cliché. David Pilcher's god-complex wore me down a bit, but I have to say that Max Meyers created such a picture in my mind--fantastic voicing.

This was a fun series -- it doesn't have the depth and sophistication of Dark Matter, Recursion, or Upgrade (admittedly, I didn't love the latter)--but it has a pretty good sense of beginning, middle, and end and enough moving parts to hold interest when the story gets too wrapped up in being an action movie.

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2025 #16: Strangers on a Train (Highsmith)

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not having had the benefit of seeing the Hitchcock film, I had no idea what I was getting into, only that I had heard great things about Patricia Highsmith.

What an interesting ride. It is yet another example of the victim-villain paradigm I talk about with my students that we see in twentieth-century opera. I think there are places that are a bit heavy-handed with the philosophical musing, particularly as Guy Haines's own grip on reality starts to loosen, but the book manages to be satisfyingly creepy, even though we are privy to almost everything that happens, as it happens. That Hitchcock took an interest in the novel makes me think he had a thing about boys and their mothers ---I'm not just talking about Charles Bruno, either. Guy Haines also had sort of a weird relationship with his mother. Neither quite at the Norman Bates level, but there does seem to be a theme... Maybe it was just the 1950s/60s...

I had trouble understanding how whiny psycho Bruno could so get under Haines's skin -- this was perhaps exacerbated by Bronson Pinchot's performance. It was, on the whole excellent, but every time Bruno would go into whining mode, I had to turn down the volume. I do get the implication--that we all have this evil switch inside of us that just needs the right set of circumstances to trigger, but I think I'm far enough removed from the social nicety of sharing a train car that I didn't really understand how the ball got rolling in the first place.

Still, it is a really intriguing book where you read with a constant knot in your throat because you know what's coming next, but you aren't sure when or how. In some respects, this is a more artistic type of suspense than the walk down the hallway with dark corners and spooky music. The hallway in this case is our own potential psychotic path.

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2025 #13 Last Night in Montreal (Mandel)

 

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Melancholy and poignant, Last Night in Montreal invites the reader into an exploration of "not all who wander are lost" by expanding the meaning of being lost, and the meaning of wandering. Lilia is a wanderer, lost in her own forgetting, but not moving without aim. Eli wanders aimlessly in his own life, until his journey takes him to Montreal in search of something he didn't know he was looking for. Abduction and rescue are blurred, as are concepts of lost and found. The book is centered around the development of the characters, and while the plot is slow (by traditional standards), that's not the focus of the book. That said, I found myself a bit frustrated at the predictability of some of the plot points, although the point is not about the happening, but the secrecy and the invisible hold these events have on different characters. The juxtaposition of the father-daughter duos: Lilia and her father, and Christopher and Michaela, is artful and the dipping in and out of the past lends a much needed diversity to the plot, which could otherwise be subsumed (in the second half) by a perceived stalemate between Eli and Michaela. The book is heavy, cast in a sense of longing and learning lessons the hard way, but also very beautiful in its language and the way it lays bare human frailty (and strength).

I quibble quietly with a few characterizations, e.g. Eli's incompetence in French --one does not get to the level of writing a dissertation on dead languages with absolutely NO familiarity with French (or at least its roots). It is a bit frustrating to have so little backstory as to Lilia's scars, only because the act of violence is offered almost as an afterthought. I wanted to know more about Simon, the quiet hero.

It might be called a mystery, but more a mystery of the soul, rather than of plot. The book does not resort to clichés in the end (thank you), but the end of the novel feels a bit like an epilogue that tries hard to "tidy up" some of the loose threads. Still, one is well-advised to read (or listen) without worrying about the destination, as it truly is about the journey (with apologies for my own cliché).

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2025 #11 The Between (Due)

 

The Between by Tananarive Due
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With excellent voicing by Kevin Kenerly, The Between manages to be chilling, touching, and thought-provoking. Hilton James is a bit of an Everyman figure in that he loves his family deeply, works hard, and is loved in return by friends and family. He survived a drowning accident as a small child, and that survival was both magical and tragic. In adulthood, Hilton's wife, the only elected African American judge in Dade County, Florida, becomes a target as she receives threatening and extremely disturbing hate mail. Hilton's dreams began to blur the line between fantasy and reality, and he is torn between the "shoulds" and the "coulds" of living life on two planes of existence.

Due expertly shapes Hilton's character , and we feel incredible tension between Hilton's lived experiences and how they are perceived by those around him. Hilton is an empathetic character, even at his lowest, but there is plenty of compassion for those in his orbit as well.

It would not be fair to say the ending is predictable, because that implies a sort of easy out, and this is not the kind of book where that matters much. It is very much about the journey, but there were moments when I could feel myself growing impatient (much like Hilton!) and wanted to get moving. That said, while the narrative has its slower moments, there are also times where the plot picks up speed and you can hardly put it down. It is truly a wonderful read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about contemporary issues intertwined with a dose of magical realism and even a bit of thriller.

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2025 #9 Bones of Echo Lake (James) - Jake Cashen #3

 

Bones of Echo Lake by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This had moments that are riveting, and another great performance by Alexander Cendese. By now, in the third installment of the series, James has settled in to some of the recurring characters, so they are less contrived and more dimensional --this particularly applies to Gemma, Jakes's older sister, who still occasionally becomes a caricature, but is definitely more likeable. Anya, on the other hand, is less sympathetic than I would have expected, especially given her role in this particular story.

Unlike the other two that have a niche area of interest at their core (wrestling for no. 1, and hunting for no. 2), this one feels a bit more like an old-fashioned mystery (in a good way) -- human remains are unearthed and we have a town with lots of secrets to hide. This one involved introducing considerable backstory and James does it fairly well, although it did get a bit tiresome trying to keep track of the victim's various "involvements." But throw in some juicy scandal and there's a great story.

As for the culprit? I was sure I had it figured out from the get-go, but let's just say I was very, very close. And that's good -- I don't like to be right in this case (and the actual murderer was plausible, as opposed to bringing in a bunch of material right at the end to justify it). I'm looking forward to Red Sky Hill up next.

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2025 #8 The Egg and Other Stories (Weir)

 

The Egg and Other Stories by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This quirky little collection of stories is entertaining and occasionally unexpectedly emotional, and every once in a while, groan-inducing (of the "response to a dad joke" variety). It would be hard to pin down a theme, and those who know Weir for his sci-fi will appreciate stories like the titular "The Egg," "Bored World" and perhaps "anti-Anthoxiant." I won't call out too many of the others because several rely on the somewhat-clichéd-but-you-will-still-smile PLOT TWIST! endings. But the humor in Project Hail Mary is here, and if you've got an hour of laundry to do and a bathroom to clean, this is a great listen to make the time less dreary.

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2025 #4 Wayward (Crouch) - Wayward Pines #2

 

Wayward by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really a 3.5 - 3.75 for me.
The second installment of the Wayward Pines trilogy is better than the first, as it is has more dimensions and sub-plots. While it is possible to read the second without the first, I don't advise it. The story is terrific, full stop. What isn't terrific is the weird amount of kink whenever it comes to most of the female characters (and their interaction with Ethan). The big "reveal" scene between Ethan and Teresa almost made me stop listening. Teresa's characterization is inconsistent, and Pam is WAY overwritten (the audiobook probably exacerbates this, but to no fault of Max Meyers, who does a great job).

The insertion of Adam Hassler as a character provides a lot of intrigue and tension, and Crouch deftly interwove that element into the book. I do have to say that I approach the third installment with some trepidation as I enjoyed the not-knowing when it came to Hassler, and I'm hoping that the third book does not rely on tired tropes.

The ending is an excellent cliffhanger and has the intended impact -- I will absolutely finish the series.

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Serious About Series Challenge 2025 - January

2025 #2: Bird by Bird (Lamott)

 

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've read many books about writing. I honestly cannot remember how or why this audiobook wound up on my list, but I'm so glad it did. While much of Lamott's advice is geared toward writers of fiction, the book is invaluable for anyone who writes (or frankly, reads). And if you want to get caught up in the eccentricities of broccoli as metaphor, that's fine, but...please, allow yourself to enjoy the comedy. Some of it is fairly irreverent and may not land 100% in 2025 social mores, but most of it is a lot less offensive than a lot of what comes flying out of the mouths of stand-up comedians. If you've understood life's absurdity through grieving someone close, you'll get it. Lamott's reading is perfect--think Lily Tomlin's character "Frankie" without the woo-woo stuff. And in between the quips and the sometimes a-bit-too-long tongue-in-cheek tirades, lo and behold--there are some sound lessons about "...being militantly on your own side," and how you don't want to "look at your feet to see if you're doing it right--just dance!". Lamott learned through trial and much error perhaps the biggest lesson of all: "being enough was going to have to be an inside job." Mic drop.

Proponents of mindfulness will value Lamott's observations such as: "You get your intuition back when you make space for it and stop the chatter of the rational mind." That seems key to a lot of art and creativity, not just writing. Truly, one of my favorite read-by-the-author audiobooks (sharing company with Anthony Bourdain reading Kitchen Confidential and Stanley Tucci's reading of Taste), and Lamott keeps you laughing while you nod your head in affirmation of the book's wisdom. If you find yourself in a slump (of any kind), give it a listen. Lamott's tell-it-like-it-is isn't doom-and-gloom, but instead very life-affirming. I've got a post-it note on my monitor now that reminds me: "bird by bird!"

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Follow The Leader Challenge 2025 1A ---> Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis

2024 #45 Our Missing Hearts (Ng)

 

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Nonsense, mystery, and magic." The mainstays of childhood. Or so they should be. In Celeste Ng's dystopic not-so-distant-future novel, stories and poems figure heavily in the fight against tyranny. The novel is beautiful and distressing all at once. Rather than solely focused on the political, Ng crafts her tale around 12 year old Bird (aka Noah), whose mother has seemingly abandoned him in the wake of the Crisis, to live in a campus dorm with his father who works at the university library as a clerk, although he had recently been a professor. One is swiftly aware that life under PACT (Preserving American Cultures and Traditions) has come with many terrors and secrets, not least of which is children who have gone missing. Strange artistic forms of protest begin to appear, resistance in the form of yarn and hearts.

"They [the police] are equipped for violence, but not for this" the narrator tells us as the police stand around a tree that has been wrapped in red yarn.

The most impactful dystopias are those that are not a far reach from our realities--ones where we can say "It CAN happen here." While there are moments where the backstory of the poem (All Our Missing Hears), in particular, got a bit heavy-handed (hits you over the head with the message and drags on a bit), the book is full of grace and small acts of heroism that blossom into resistance. But it is also about people and relationships. For once, I loved the ending, as it was real in feeling and drove home the point of the book better than some of the more obvious attempts at a cautionary tale. And yes, librarians might save the world.

Lucy Liu's reading was near perfect -- without caricature, but just subtle enough to clearly define the individual characters.

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2024 #44 Yesternight (Winters)

 

Yesternight by Cat Winters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Slow in the beginning, but it picks up quite a bit of speed. What was refreshing in the audiobook (and the print version, I suppose, since some of it is the language) is that the characters have modern relevance--there is no false 1920s affect--they are just people living their lives. Rebecca and Michael, for example, could easily be a twenty-first century pair of exes. Voiced by Xe Sands, with only a bit of artifice when it came to the male voices, the story traces the journey(s) of Alice Lind, a young itinerant child psychologist whose assigned to administer psychological tests to school children. In the small coastal town of Gordon Bay, Oregon, she encounters seven-year-old Janie O'Daire, a math genius who holds secrets and truths that force Alice to confront her own assumptions and beliefs.

Certainly it is a haunting tale, and the subtext of Alice's challenges as a woman in male-dominated field sometimes comes crashing through without subtlety, but it does help shape her character. I found some of the descriptive detail superfluous, ranging from an obsession with the weather to a rather graphic encounter in a hotel room, made tedious because I didn't much care for either character enough to be privy to their intimacy.

That the ending is unresolved and we are left wondering what the future holds was actually refreshing. There are a few annoyances around the name "Nel" and at least one of the possibilities doesn't even seem to be an intentional red herring (Eleanor - "Nell"). That's not really a spoiler. There's also an exponential increase in speed in the last quarter of the book, which I found a bit aggravating. Having invested so much in Alice, her story moved far too quickly for me once Janie's was "settled."

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