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All tagged Literary Fiction
This was book was not only totally engrossing, but also so incredibly smart. I couldn’t put it down. I inhaled it in 36 hours. I absolutely loved it and you must read it!
What a genre-mashup delight this book was! Part antihero western, part dual-timeline family saga, with a sprinkling of magical realism (including a very mysterious book), The Bullet Swallower has something for everyone.
A Spell of Good Things was longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize. I think it does what it sets out to do effectively. Unfortunately, I just didn’t personally jive with the book. But you might!
While I still think The Tiger’s Wife was Obreht’s masterpiece, I really enjoyed this one too. I’m also just a sucker for any literary fiction that promises hints of magic.
Everyone’s already calling James — Percival Everett’s reimagining and extension of Huckleberry Finn — a favorite for next year’s Pulitzer Prize. I’ve got to agree.
Wandering Stars isn’t as propulsive as There, There was, but don’t worry; it twists the knife. I thought the way it highlights the generational trauma forced upon Native Americans was really effective, and it broke my heart. Highly recommend.
Beautyland is one of those books that will sneak up on you and hit you right smack in the feels. My favorite kind of book. (The audiobook was also excellently performed, and the story was easy to follow in that format!)
My latest Booker Prize longlister, and while I see its merits, I’m not super surprised that we didn’t see this one on the shortlist. Sometimes I felt super engaged and sometimes I felt the opposite. All in all, I think I am slightly to the positive side of neutral on it.
All vibes/no plot in outer space. Harvey has given us a breathtaking meditation on what makes us human, what connects us, and our beloved planet Earth.
I loved this book!! I don’t think it will be exactly everyone’s cup of tea, but it was definitely mine, and I think everyone will still find something to love in here regardless.
Somehow, this book is completely engrossing and also felt sooooo slow to me. But at the end of the day, this is a devastating, scary, very moving book that absolutely achieves what it sets out to.
If you like unreliable narrators, beautiful writing, and a touch of mystery, this one may just be for you.
I can’t quite say that I ENJOYED this book — it’s tense and uncomfortable and heavy — but it’s also unputdownable, and there’s no denying that Eleanor Catton is an incredible talent.
There’s something just so cozy — and yet satisfyingly literary — about an Ann Patchett novel. And the cherry on top (no pun intended)? Meryl Streep reads the audiobook. I loved it.
Ultimately, this ended up in a “liked a lot” instead of a “loved” category for me. I think it was just a little too much “and then, and then, and then” held away at juuuust a little too much distance. But also, the prose was excellent, and I’ll definitely be reading more from Yiyun Li.
I read Western Lane because it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and I enjoyed it. It’s a very quiet, interior novel that packs a punch much bigger than its slim size might suggest.
See, now this is what I want every literary historical fiction novel to be for the rest of time. More books like this please!!
Study for Obedience is an unsettling and challenging read that also feels like witnessing literary witchcraft. It won’t be for everyone, but I enjoyed it even more than I expected to.
Night Watch is written with lovely prose, but unfortunately, it was just not my cup of tea. Stomach-turning scenes and an unsatisfying ending left me unhappy with it.
Sensory and immersive, brutal and beautiful, Let Us Descend is another masterpiece from our queen Jesmyn Ward.
