February Reading Recap

Hello, fellow book lovers! I can't believe it's almost the end of March. February was another good month of reading. I had quite a few books I enjoyed and a few I disliked as well. 

Foster by Claire Keegan 

Quick Synopsis: A young girl is sent to live with foster parents in rural Ireland. Not knowing when she’ll return to her family, she is given the love she desperately seeks from her own family. It was originally published in Ireland in 2010, but is finally gaining momentum in the US. 

Strong Points: Keegan has done it again! At 89 pages, the story is so simple yet so rich, with well-developed characters and enough detail to make you feel the setting through the characters' eyes. The writing is so tight. Each sentence adds to the story without any extra fluff. 

Weak Points: I wish it was longer. The story was perfectly packaged, but I would have loved to live longer in this world with these characters. 

Writing Style: 5/5 

Characters: 4.5/5 

Plot: 4.5/5

Flow/Pacing: 5/5 

Overall Rating: Strong 4.5/5 

Highly Recommend

The Violin Conspiracy by Brandan Slocumb

 Quick Synopsis: Ray McMillian is a skilled violinist. Unable to afford private lessons or a fancy violin, he still manages to rise to the top of his class and eventually plays in world-renowned orchestras. The old violin that once belonged to his grandfather turns out to be worth millions and has suddenly gone missing. With the biggest violin competition of his life fast approaching, Ray feels hopeless without his violin. 

Strong Points: I enjoyed how the book was formatted. It began with Ray’s violin going missing and then switched back to Ray’s childhood, bringing the reader to the present day. I’m not sure I would have been as invested in the story if the author started the story when Ray was young. I appreciated that the author himself was a violinist who also had similar experiences as the main characters encountered. There’s a part in the story where Ray plays at a wedding, but the father of the bride won’t let him into the venue because he thinks Ray is the help. The author had a similar situation happen to him. It felt so frustrating and real.

Weak Points: Ray’s character was a bit unbelievable at times. He never felt nervous when performing, even at huge venues with large crowds. 

Writing Style: 4/5 

Characters: 4/5 

 Plot: 4/5 

Flow/Pacing: 4.5/5 

Overall Rating: 4/5 

Recommend

No One Left to Come Looking for You by Sam Lipsyte 

Quick Synopsis: The story takes place in grungy Manhattan in the 90s and follows Jack, a bassist in a band. In search of his stolen bass, Jack discovered unsettling things about the people around him.

Strong Points: Well, not a lot of strong points other than that it was fast-paced, which made the book end quickly. 

Weak Points: Where to begin? The writing style was purposely grungy and dirty. It was fast-paced rock and roll, but it did not work for me. There is also a detailed description of a bowel movement... I’ll leave it at that. I found the plot unoriginal and the “oddball” characters so unenjoyable. I found myself not caring what happened to them. 

Writing Style: 0.5/5 

Characters: 0.5/5 

Plot: 2/5 

Flow/Pacing: 2.5/5 

Overall Rating: 2/5 

Recommend

The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep by Guy Leschziner

Quick Synopsis: Dr. Guy Leschziner, a neurologist at a clinic in London, has seen many patients over the years with strange sleep conditions. In this book, he explores these peculiar cases and the diagnoses behind them. 

Strong Points: If you’re a fan of Oliver Sacks-type books, you will love this. Leschziner did a great job of breaking down complex medical conditions into what the average person could understand. 

Weak Points: Honestly, nothing. 

Writing Style: 5/5 

Plot: 5/5 

Flow/Pacing: 5/5 

Overall Rating: 5/5 

Highly Recommend

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi 

Quick Synopsis: As COVID-19 takes over New York, the new jobless Jamie Gray goes looking for a job. He meets an old friend who tells him about a high-paying job that involves a top-secret animal rights organization. Only after taking the job does Jamie realize the animals in need of protection are outside of this world and dimension. 

Strong Points: Scalzi did a great job of world-building. I could picture the Kaiju Preservation Society and the team of people in it. 

Weak Points: It felt like it was written with the intention of being made into a screenplay. Maybe not exactly a weak point per se, but it did drive me crazy after a little while. It felt very Hollywood in the action scenes and dialog. It took me out of the story quite a few times. 

Writing Style: 2/5 

Characters: 4/5 

Plot: 4/5 

Flow/Pacing: 3/5 

Overall Rating: 3/5 

Eh, recommend

Make It Nice by Dorinda Medley 

Quick Synopsis: Do we need another “celebrity” memoir? No, probably not. 

Strong Points: I enjoyed hearing about her marriage with Richard and her first husband. Man, this woman been through a lot in her life. If you’re a RHONY fan and enjoyed DoRINDA, then check it out. 

Weak Points: Well, she’s not a professional writer. We’ll leave it at that. 

Writing Style: 3/5 

Plot: 4/5 

Flow/Pacing: 3/5 

Overall Rating: 3/5 

Recommend

Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet 

Quick Synopsis: After assuming psychotherapist Collins Braithwaite had a hand in her sister’s suicide, a young woman takes on a fake identity and becomes Braithwaite’s patient. She records her findings in a notebook, which the author sprinkles throughout. Soon, the young woman loses all control over her real identity and the identity she is presenting to Braithwaite.

Strong Points: This book was an extremely enjoyable read. I liked the 1960s French feel. It was a moody little book, and I loved it. 

Weak Points: I did not enjoy the passages about Braithwaite his biography. They took on a different tone from the rest of the book. It felt very disjointed. 

Writing Style: 4/5 

Characters: 3.5/5 

Plot: 4/5 

Flow/Pacing: 3/5 

Overall Rating: 4/5 

Recommend

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth 

Quick Synopsis: Abby has been living with and caring for her overbearing and sickly mother-in-law, Laura, for years. After Laura dies, Abby is ready to move on with her life. This can't happen because Laura is haunting the house and sinking her claws deeper into her son. How will Abby convince her husband to leave the house and his mother behind?

Strong Points: I would describe this as a fun hang. Easy to read, nothing life-changing or exceptional writing, but I had fun. 

Weak Points: The dialog got a little cringy. It really grinds my gears when an author makes the dialog between two characters too witty and clever. This is nitpicky, but I hated how Abby’s drink of choice was a wine cooler. She would down wine coolers to get drunk. Felt strange. 

Writing Style: 2.5/5 

Characters: 3/5 

Plot: 3/5 

Flow/Pacing: 3/5 

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 

Eh, recommend

The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier 

Quick Synopsis: A flight from Paris to New York had to make an emergency landing after going through some bad weather. Only this exact flight with the same passengers actually landed safely several months beforehand. 

Strong Points: Interesting story. What would you do if there were two of you? Which one is entitled to be the “real you”? The one who landed safely? Or the one who landed months later? If a child is involved, is there split custody between both. Moms and dads? Do you both live together? There were so many questions that I had never considered before. 

Weak Points: I did not like the author’s choice to introduce each character sporadically throughout the book. By the time we were introduced to all of the characters, I had forgotten the characters’ back stories. 

Writing Style: 3/3 

Characters: 3/5 

Plot: 3.5/5 

Flow/Pacing: 2.5/5 

Overall Rating: 3/5

Eh recommend

"Nobody lives long enough to know just how little interest anybody takes in anybody." - The Anomaly By Herve Le Tellier