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rpweber15's reviews
250 reviews
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
2.0
I joined a creepy book club and so far none of the books are more than 3 stars. This one had potential but the author really did not capitalize on the isolation of a resort in the snowy Alps nor the backstory of the sanatorium. None of the characters are particularly likable and the plot is terrible. I’m reading the second book next (not a sequel, just the same protagonist) and am hoping it is better than this one! Sigh. I have a hard time DNFing mysteries/thrillers because I am always too curious, but I probably should have DNFed this one! In fact, it was reasonably ok until the climax of the story, which really just made me roll my eyes in a dramatic fashion.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
4.5
What a delightful debut novel! I read the entire book on a cross-country flight and it kept me entertained the entire time, which is difficult to do in a tiny, uncomfortable plane seat packed in like a sardine. I really enjoyed Ms. Garmus's witty writing style and how she voiced the characters...especially the dog. I think the very serious and traumatic aspects of this book (sexual assault and power) actually balanced out the sometimes over-the-top cheekiness that leaned in the direction of caricature. I really look forward to whatever Bonnie Garmus writes next!
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
4.0
After not finishing the HBO series of Station Eleven because I was bored out of my mind, I was very afraid of reading any of the author’s novels. I don’t know that her style is for me but this was a very well-done story and I’m glad I read it. I enjoyed the time travel piece of the plot and like how the author sort of pulled everything together. With that said, the number of timelines and narrators was sometimes a little confusing…and the author’s writing style really did not help. Overall, this had a strange ethereal factor to it that you don’t normally get in sci-fi! Or at least I don’t think you do…
The Musician by Heloísa Prieto
4.0
Thank you to #NetGalley for the e-ARC of #TheMusician. I was concerned when I began this book that there were too many (seemingly) unrelated characters and that with the chapters so short, I wouldn't really get to know them very well. While that is still somewhat true, the book did come together in the end in a beautiful way. Prieto's prose is lovely, especially when describing the Guarani people (indigenous to to South America) and culture; it is with these characters that the book really shines. In contrast, the other characters seem a little flat and their dialogue a bit stilted. I can't tell if that's a result of the translation (which I believe the author did) or if they were meant to be written that way. The "villains" of the book were unsettling and scary, in the way that cults usually are. The magical realism in this book is lovely, but I wanted more. This was an easy, short read that I definitely recommend to others. Just know that by the end of the book, you'll be disappointed you didn't spend more time with the forest dwellers.
Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness by Lyanda Lynn Haupt
3.5
Since moving to the PNW I’ve become quite enamored with crows. In fact, we’ve been feeding “our kids” daily and I treat them with a lot of respect. This book should have been a home run given my new interest in crows. It was nice enough, I suppose. The author’s writing is pleasant but oh my goodness does it meander. I’m not a big non-fiction reader and I made the mistake of reading half of this book, taking a half-year break to read fiction, and then deciding to finish this book. I had lost the groove and instead felt kind of annoyed by the lack of cohesion in the few chapters I read. The book felt like a peaceful walk through a forest…a walk that might have been slightly more enjoyable without so much unnecessary chatter by the hike leader.