1. Tin Man by Sarah Winman
This felt like a sonnet or something - loosely woven but beautiful and poignant. It didn't land for me like I know it did for others. It's great writing but the tone is one that takes itself very seriously without first drawing me in to trust the voice - if that makes any sense. I stuck with it, and I felt very privileged to be let in on what seemed to be a very private affair of these characters, but it's not one that stayed with me.
2. The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides
I wasn't quite sure if I would like or finish this one (I picked this one up because it was available on Overdrive and I recognized the author from Middlesex, which I haven't read) but I was sucked in because the main character is an English major and there is one line in there at the beginning that says something like, "she became an English ajor reason for the worst reason imaginable - because she liked to read"- which I obviously totally related with. None of the characters are really likeable, the book highlights a lot of the unappealing things about prestigious liberal arts education, and overall feels a little inconsequential, but! I was invested in the journey because of the sharp writing, intellectual insights into the meanderings of college and post-college life, and the description of one of the character's experience with mental illness and its effect on the relationship. I didn't love the book, but I'm intrigued enough to want to pick up Middlesex.
3. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
I listened to this one right after "The Marriage Plot" and while they both had "marriage" in its title and as its theme, it was a very different book, and I liked this one much more. I think I actually said "wow" aloud after I finished it (other audible wow moments from this past year include Mother Tongue, A Little Life, and Educated). It's almost better if you don't know what to expect going into it, which is how I dipped in, so I'll leave it at that, but I liked it so much, I immediately went to go find her other book, Silver Sparrow, which I'm in the middle of now.
4. I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson
This was a memoir-type collection of essays by Jacobson as she traveled across the country and I really loved this one because of her voice, her humor and the specificity of her writing. It feels like a written tightly woven series of blog posts, and I say that as a positive attribute - its honest and vulnerable, making it very relatable. She provides insight into her past and how she came to be the writer, creator and actor of her own show, Broad City, and you get a sense of how hard she worked and how real she is. It was a quick and refreshing read; I recommend it if you appreciate the show!
No comments:
Post a Comment