Finished reading:
Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman
I liked one of his previous books, am keen to read translated novels, and one of the blurbs of this made me cackle. This was the sort of book felt like it was Being Clever, rather than actually being clever. That said, it made me laugh out loud on public transport, and then made me tear up on public transport, so it's also doing things right. The ending is rather pat, but I'm also giving it a pass for how much it made me smile. On balance, I rec it.
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home, by Jeffrey Cranor, Joseph Fink
I adored the modern-day sections, but the bulk of the novel (the historical sections) didn't hold my interest anywhere near as much as I'd hoped. I feel like it was aiming for Lies of Locke Lamora territory and fell short, which is a damn shame because I love the podcast even if I no longer listen. It might well be better as the audiobook, with Meg Bashwiner's voice to carry it through, but it's still sort of ( general spoiler )
Currently reading:
The queen's gambit by Walter Tevis. Library grab, based on the captivating TV show and![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chaosmanor's rec. I am just--fucking--what. How did he do that. Genuinely, this is tight-third-person, but also so tell-y, and HOW did he make chess games, where I have barely any idea what's going on, SO TENSE? HOW is his writing so compelling? I am staring at it in writerly baffled awe, and relishing the ...there's a name for it. Voice echo? where you write or talk in the mannerisms of whatever you've just been around. Thank you, Walter Tevis, my god.
Up next:
The good thief by Hannah Tinti. Paused a little way into it so I can go library book reading, but looking forward to getting back to its quietly lyrical language.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.rachelmanija's post about 'go into this as cold as possible', and a brief snatch of 'kindest protagonist' and I'm THERE. I've placed a reserve on it at the local library.
Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman
I liked one of his previous books, am keen to read translated novels, and one of the blurbs of this made me cackle. This was the sort of book felt like it was Being Clever, rather than actually being clever. That said, it made me laugh out loud on public transport, and then made me tear up on public transport, so it's also doing things right. The ending is rather pat, but I'm also giving it a pass for how much it made me smile. On balance, I rec it.
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home, by Jeffrey Cranor, Joseph Fink
I adored the modern-day sections, but the bulk of the novel (the historical sections) didn't hold my interest anywhere near as much as I'd hoped. I feel like it was aiming for Lies of Locke Lamora territory and fell short, which is a damn shame because I love the podcast even if I no longer listen. It might well be better as the audiobook, with Meg Bashwiner's voice to carry it through, but it's still sort of ( general spoiler )
Currently reading:
The queen's gambit by Walter Tevis. Library grab, based on the captivating TV show and
chaosmanor's rec. I am just--fucking--what. How did he do that. Genuinely, this is tight-third-person, but also so tell-y, and HOW did he make chess games, where I have barely any idea what's going on, SO TENSE? HOW is his writing so compelling? I am staring at it in writerly baffled awe, and relishing the ...there's a name for it. Voice echo? where you write or talk in the mannerisms of whatever you've just been around. Thank you, Walter Tevis, my god.Up next:
The good thief by Hannah Tinti. Paused a little way into it so I can go library book reading, but looking forward to getting back to its quietly lyrical language.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.
rachelmanija's post about 'go into this as cold as possible', and a brief snatch of 'kindest protagonist' and I'm THERE. I've placed a reserve on it at the local library.