Really 3.5 stars - you don't read Dan Brown for great literature, but a quick read with conspiracy theories, obscure religious sects, art, and symbolsReally 3.5 stars - you don't read Dan Brown for great literature, but a quick read with conspiracy theories, obscure religious sects, art, and symbols. There are many internet rabbit holes a person could go down if she wanted to.
This time around, the setting is Spain, with a discovery made by an Elon Musk type tech master. The discovery is supposed to change everything for the world's religions, so he meets with three religious leaders before making the announcement, as a courtesy. This puts him in danger, and of course Robert Langdon ends up at the center of all the action, forced by events outside his control to go on a big adventure/escape/pursuit with the closest intelligent and beautiful woman, this time the director of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. She also happens to be engaged to the prince of Spain, and is it possible all of this is connected to the royal family and the church?
As far as character development goes, it is minimal. Back story of some characters is only used to make the reader question if they are good or evil, and there are only two camps. The plot actually wasn't of much interest to me, but I liked reading about the art and the various places of intrigue around Barcelona and other regions of Spain. Sometimes that's enough in a book like this.
Thanks to the publisher for providing access to the audiobook, although I got to it kind of late. The narrator did a great job.
Merged review:
Really 3.5 stars - you don't read Dan Brown for great literature, but a quick read with conspiracy theories, obscure religious sects, art, and symbols. There are many internet rabbit holes a person could go down if she wanted to.
This time around, the setting is Spain, with a discovery made by an Elon Musk type tech master. The discovery is supposed to change everything for the world's religions, so he meets with three religious leaders before making the announcement, as a courtesy. This puts him in danger, and of course Robert Langdon ends up at the center of all the action, forced by events outside his control to go on a big adventure/escape/pursuit with the closest intelligent and beautiful woman, this time the director of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. She also happens to be engaged to the prince of Spain, and is it possible all of this is connected to the royal family and the church?
As far as character development goes, it is minimal. Back story of some characters is only used to make the reader question if they are good or evil, and there are only two camps. The plot actually wasn't of much interest to me, but I liked reading about the art and the various places of intrigue around Barcelona and other regions of Spain. Sometimes that's enough in a book like this.
Thanks to the publisher for providing access to the audiobook, although I got to it kind of late. The narrator did a great job....more
This was longlisted (but not shortlisted) for the Booker Prize in 2021 but is just now coming out in the United States later this month. I had early aThis was longlisted (but not shortlisted) for the Booker Prize in 2021 but is just now coming out in the United States later this month. I had early access from Random House in audio.
Karen Jennings is a white South African writer, and I only say this because the narrative voice and audiobook narrator (Ben Onwukwe) are definitely Black. The narrator in the story is African but the country of origin is unnamed. This made me a little squirmy for sure - Africa is a varied and complex place and I don't think it hurts anyone to just go ahead and place the story relating to a specific time and place. Perhaps the author was angling for universal themes.
The story is about Samuel, who has been tending a lighthouse on an island off the coast of "somewhere in Africa" for two decades. He has regular deliveries of supplies but lives mostly on his own. Some kind of conflict has sent the occasional dead body to his shore, and he always buries them. One day, one of the bodies is still alive and it puts his small life and his personal history in a spin. ...more
This book came out May 3 and some book sites (*cough* Goodreads *cough*) have been screaming at me about it with bright pink banners so I decided to rThis book came out May 3 and some book sites (*cough* Goodreads *cough*) have been screaming at me about it with bright pink banners so I decided to read it - actually I listened to the audio read by Rebecca Lowland. It's about a woman who is stagnated in her relationships with women and gets involved with a couple who pushes her thinking and experience. I think it's supposed to be shocking and maybe I'm just unshockable but I didn't feel there was a lot to it. (People want things society tells them they shouldn't, sometimes they'll meet others willing to go there, sometimes this can damage other relationships but it doesn't need to, etc.)...more
Before I review this book, I want to say I think the blurbs and cover are misleading - "laugh out loud funny" was definitely not my experience and it Before I review this book, I want to say I think the blurbs and cover are misleading - "laugh out loud funny" was definitely not my experience and it is not campy the way it looks. First of all the first few chapters should come with content warnings for violent rape, suicide, and death of a partner/grief, well and the entire novel is drenched in sexism because of the subject matter and times.
Other than some strange decisions in marketing, the story is interesting enough, about a lady chemist who also becomes a rower and a single mother, then goes on to surprising tangential career. So many books about scientists in recent years!
I had a copy through NetGalley but ended up listening to the audio in the Volumes app. It was well narrated by Miranda Raison....more
I'd always meant to read this and the years went by, and finally it came up in Hoopla and I downloaded the audio version, narrated by multiple voices.I'd always meant to read this and the years went by, and finally it came up in Hoopla and I downloaded the audio version, narrated by multiple voices. This comes in handy since several of these stories have multiple points of view, often the male and female in a relationship with both of their perspectives. (I specify male and female since the stories only have heterosexual relationships.)
Kathleen Collins is a strong voice and we are lucky her daughter went through her papers to pull together this collection of stories. (Since I'm reading this 6 years after publication, I also note that there is a book with her diaries and more stories that has come out since - Notes from a Black Woman's Diary: Selected Works of Kathleen Collins.) According to her daughter, who writes the forward to the collection, the stories are highly autobiographical, to the extent that she the daughter recognized the people in the stories.
I liked how these stories are very much about black women and the people in their immediate periphery, with their own lives and cultural queues and internal dialogues between expectations they feel placed on them and what they actually desire. Most are set in the 1960s in fairly urban/city type settings, with characters who are intelligent and not overly religious. I would read more of these stories, I would watch the film adaptation, and I also want to go watch the only film she ever made - Losing Ground....more
If you're like me and struggle to read history, make it a cultural history like this one, where the history is told sideways through the life and workIf you're like me and struggle to read history, make it a cultural history like this one, where the history is told sideways through the life and work of an artist, in this case the composer Dmitri Shostakovich and his hometown of Leningrad, up until and during the Siege itself. The publisher is also YA and while this book is considered YA, I didn't find it overly simplified in its discussion of the music or the history. The author does a fantastic job narrating his own work, bringing a vibrance to the political and musical worlds of Shostakovich.
One of my goals this year was to better understand how Russia moved from WWI into the 1950s and still remain a powerhouse despite - or as I'm learning on top of - the devastation to the country and its people. The background of this story displays many of the missteps made by the Soviet government - really mostly Stalin - on the German front in particular, but also in dealing with their own citizens. One somewhat sordid argument this author uncovers is that it was Stalin's history of food deprivation that may have trained the citizens of Leningrad to survive what should have been an impossible solution. I don't want to give him that much credit, but it was an interesting tangent.
And who will now go on a Shostakovich listening spree? It's me!...more
Those of us who have read Vuong's previous works will be familiar with his mother, and she died of cancer in 2019. So some of these poems deal with grThose of us who have read Vuong's previous works will be familiar with his mother, and she died of cancer in 2019. So some of these poems deal with grief, also recovery, rural realities, family (including members of his partner Peter), and more. I listened to the audio of the poet reading them while reading the eARC and Ocean is a very small statured person with a quiet voice, but it's deceptive because his words always pack a punch. I also feel like he sees into the reality of people and circumstances past the facade. He isn't like anyone else, that's for sure.
Happy National Poetry Month! This collection comes out April 5....more
This is the third (and assumed last) STEMinista novella from Ali Hazelwood where Hannah the aerospace engineer is rescued in Svalbard by someone who hThis is the third (and assumed last) STEMinista novella from Ali Hazelwood where Hannah the aerospace engineer is rescued in Svalbard by someone who has tried keeping her from the mission. But why? ... I assume this is the last because at the end the three heroines from the novellas have a gathering.
I listened to the audio in the Volumes app, narrated by Savannah Peachwood. It comes out April 5....more
I listened to the audio edition of the only short story Toni Morrison ever wrote, narrated by Bahni Turpen. If you get the audio, which is under two hI listened to the audio edition of the only short story Toni Morrison ever wrote, narrated by Bahni Turpen. If you get the audio, which is under two hours, the story doesn't start until 59:21, because the entire first half is an essay on the story by Zadie Smith. I'm of the personal opinion that one should read the work before reading commentary on said work, and continue to skip intros, prefaces, and more.
The story is "an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial" - so either the reader knows this going in and goes looking for clues, or doesn't know this and makes a lot of assumptions and then is forced to confront themselves with their biases.
Twyla and Roberta meet as 8 year olds at a school for orphans, and then several more times as they move through time....more
As the author points out, there seems to be a focus on the Asian diaspora that leaves out English-speaking Asian people who still live in Asia. She shAs the author points out, there seems to be a focus on the Asian diaspora that leaves out English-speaking Asian people who still live in Asia. She shares what it was like to grow up in Hong Kong, to continue to live there during graduate school and early adulthood, to try to write and find space to live, up through the multiple protests and the pandemic.
I'm not sure I would call this the most riveting read, just one person's normal life in a very specific place, but I learned a lot more about Hong Kong and what it's like to live there, so at least I can cross it off of my Around the World reading list!
And yes I know technically HK is part of China, but has a unique political history and deserves its own attention. ...more
The second novella in The STEMinist series by Ali Hazelwood is possibly the first lovers to enemies story I've read, and moves between two days, one wThe second novella in The STEMinist series by Ali Hazelwood is possibly the first lovers to enemies story I've read, and moves between two days, one which also has a forced proximity situation.
This comes out March 8 and I listened to the audio read by Meg Sylvan....more
When I look for audiobooks, I tend to go for anything 9 hours or less, and this was a sixish hours audiobook well read by Catherine Ho.
I've had Weike When I look for audiobooks, I tend to go for anything 9 hours or less, and this was a sixish hours audiobook well read by Catherine Ho.
I've had Weike Wang on my radar but never read Chemistry. This is her second novel, about Joan, a successful ICU doctor in New York, child of Chinese immigrants who actually moved back to China once Joan and her brother no longer needed them. The story introduces Joan in normal times as a slightly isolated person, but this seems to bother her family and neighbors more than it bothers her. Then covid hits and it changes some of these dynamics....more
This year, thanks to Erin and Dani's Book Club, now Indigenous Reading Circle (you can join in Patreon) - I got to read her earlier book of short stories and songs as they spend the first half of the year focusing on story collections. The stories deal with similar themes, all featuring Nishnaabeg characters close to home for Simpson (apologies if my spelling is incorrect for this form of the word, sometimes I see it starting with an A and don't know the rules. On her website, this spelling is used.)
My absolutely favorite story features two friends or lovers who have waited so long to meet in person and when they do find their suspicions correct - and it has to do with what we call "sasquatch" but they would not. (It harkens back to The Sentence which had a chapter called "Tender Sasquatch" as a joke self-pub title.)
Several reviews say the book comes with songs recorded to accompany the stories but I listed to the audio version in Hoopla and it did not have any performances included, and the one publisher site that claims to have them to listen to for free doesn't seem to. I'd welcome any guidance there as I'd love to hear them. I really enjoyed this book in audio! So much I listened to it back to back twice!
I'll attempt to discuss it a bit more on upcoming Episode 240 of the Reading Envy Podcast....more
This is one version of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story for kids, both centering slavery in the historical narrative but also discussing what cameThis is one version of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story for kids, both centering slavery in the historical narrative but also discussing what came before and after. It starts with a young person assigned a genealogy project, which most kids will be able to relate to. I listened to the audio and it's told in verse with some repeating/emphasized phrases. I plan to read the adult version this year. It also goes nicely with Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, which was one of my best audiobook experiences last year....more
This novel is in the play-in round for the Tournament of Books and is by far my favorite to continue on. It is a bit different from the other books I'This novel is in the play-in round for the Tournament of Books and is by far my favorite to continue on. It is a bit different from the other books I've read by this author, although I'm relatively new to her and haven't read everything by far. But it does one of my favorite things a book can do - take me on a journey. It starts with a woman stealing a dead body for a friend and ends in a hospital during pandemic times. In between is a bookstore owner named Louise Erdrich, several indigenous characters and others who wish they were, a bookstore ghost, one memorable customer, the protest landscape of Minneapolis, and more. It felt like a book that let the author talk about books she loves without that being the central plot point. And narrated by the author - what a treat. ...more
I loved The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood even if I completely missed that it was Star Wars fanfic. Under One Roof is the first of The STEMinista NI loved The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood even if I completely missed that it was Star Wars fanfic. Under One Roof is the first of The STEMinista Novellas that will come first to audio (February 8) and then to print (not until May.)
This is a forced proximity tale between two people on opposite sides of the environmentalist debate, and I don't know if it is fanfic, I'll leave that for the people who care. Her stories are solid and enjoyable without knowing that context.
I like the idea of audio first but this narrator (Emma Link) is one of those female narrators who ends every sentence in a whisper and it's so annoying! ie: not to my taste. It looks like each novella has its own voice.
Thanks to Random House Audio for an early copy, which I consumed in the Volumes app....more
But I'm looking forwaard to the Tournament of Books discussion of this book.
Moments of pause: (view spoiler)[ -when she staI DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
But I'm looking forwaard to the Tournament of Books discussion of this book.
Moments of pause: (view spoiler)[ -when she starts talking silly with the researcher guy to make him feel better? bizarre -IS THIS YOUR CHILD OR NOT -oh wait the child is dead? horrifying -the puzzle changes? -the daemon badger creature? -the shoes at one point shared a description with her personal device's material description, but both kept changing WHY - and at the end the device is a bird? (hide spoiler)]
I listened to this book read by the author, which of course is the way to go! These are very current essays (this is her third book in four years afteI listened to this book read by the author, which of course is the way to go! These are very current essays (this is her third book in four years after all!) including some pandemic related topics. One highlight is an examination of being a Black and Female boss, a topic she struggled to find much about when she became one herself (and with her new production company and publishing imprint, she is arguably killing it!) One of the later essays continues her examination of her experience with her hair, which was the topic of a previous book. ...more
Whoops this doesn't come out until March but you will want this poetry collection. You think you don't recognize the poet's name but most of the wordsWhoops this doesn't come out until March but you will want this poetry collection. You think you don't recognize the poet's name but most of the words in Beyonce's Lemonade were penned by Warsan Shire.
Poems in this collection range from the refugee experience to the body to love. She's also well known for the poem "Home," which can be found online and starts with this line: "no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark"
Shire is British, born to Somali parents in Kenya, so many of her poems ponder belonging and place.
I will recommend the audio, read by the poet. Thanks to Random House Audio for an early listen through the Volumes app....more
This book was on my radar after Ed discussed it on episode 227 of the podcast, but I was still surprised to see it on the Tournament of Books long lisThis book was on my radar after Ed discussed it on episode 227 of the podcast, but I was still surprised to see it on the Tournament of Books long list.
I'm not sure it has aged well. The women are all described body parts first, and the narrator for the audiobook has an old-fashioned voice that made me keep upping the speed. It's like Patricia Highsmith Ripley novels without the high stakes or sociopaths. I'd choose Highsmith first every time!
So this was a miss for me. I had a copy of the audio from the publisher of the new translation....more
Jenny (Reading Envy)
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