Recent Reads (in order of preference)

Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue is a read-it-in-one-seater. I loved this book; this is one of those books you think about when other people are trying to talk to you, get you to work, etc. 

Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey is another readable book. Peter Carey is great, if you've never read anything by him this is an amusing place to start. His writing is just fun, and clever, and I do love a book set in olden times . . . this book explores the tale of two unlikely friends, art and democracy in 1830s America.

Faithful Place: A Novel by Tana French is a good old fashioned page turner of a mystery, even if I did guess who done it a bit early and at times was reminded too much of French's first book In the Woods (which I also liked).

Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen was a compelling read, although I did regularly feel like punching any number of the characters. I also enjoyed learning about the native song birds of the US, what plagues them and how cats wearing bibs is not only good for laughs.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan read like a movie to me; I guess HBO has picked up the rights and is going to turn it into a TV show instead. In any case, this book was a sparse and modern look at a loosely connected crew of characters coming of age and getting old; an interesting meditation on the passage of time and friendship.

Skippy Dies: A Novel by Paul Murray is a great book; it was a little slow to absorb me, but absorb me it did. The dialogue between the adolescent characters is indeed hilarious, but the fact that this novel is pitched as comic really threw me off. In the end (actually on the first page), Skippy does die, and it's a sad, messed-up story.

Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel by Gary Shteyngart is not memorable. Literally, I can not remember much of it, only that I liked it enough to finish it but not enough to form an opinion I guess. No, on second thought . . . it was a bit annoying, but made me want to visit New York.