Books Read in 2024 — Quick Reviews
First a quick Thank You to the Second Saturday book club for keeping me reading.
Now, in no particular order:
The Snow Child
By Eowyn Ivey
A tale of grit and determination, of loss and hope set in the 1920s Alaska. A childless couple, slowly drifting apart, have just arrived in Alaska to carve out a homestead, a living, a life. What happens next is the plot of the book. Beautiful, detailed descriptions of the wild Alaskan landscapes, the flora and fauna, and the hard way of life. The story is a bit predictable, and the characters could have been developed a bit more, but the plot keeps moving along nicely.
Quick Rating — 3/5
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
By Ocean Vuong
A beautifully written devastating book about the aftermath of war on an American-Vietnamese family. The war is long over, but is it really over? Each sentence is beautifully crafted and tugs at your heartstrings. You cry for each war raged, each family torn apart, each mind destroyed, and each body ravaged. The language, the subject matter and the
stream-of-consciousness style of writing make it a bit difficult to read in long stretches, but this is a book that will stay with you for some time.
Quick Rating — 4.5/5
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First Lie Wins
By Ashley Elston
Read a really solid thriller after a long time. Evie Porter has everything including a loving boyfriend. But of course, things are not what they seem. Her past walks into her present. How does she handle that? A crisp thriller, with an intriguing plot that is full of surprises. It reminded me of the Sidney Sheldon’s pulpy novels.
Quick Rating — 4/5
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
By Stephen King
I haven’t read many Stephen Kings or much of horror fiction for that matter but picked up this book as I have heard a lot about this over the years. I wasn’t expecting the first half of the book to be about his life, but apart from that the book lived up to my expectations. It has a lot of good advice, presented in simple and clear language. I am not sure if all his advice will work for me, but the book is engaging.
Quick Rating — 3.5/5
Child 44
By Tom Rob
Set in 1950s Soviet Russia, the book follows the journey of a Russian State Intelligence officer Leo Demidov as he realizes the truth about the Russian State and hunts for a serial child murderer much against the wishes of his seniors. This is the first book I have read that is set in Soviet Russia and it was an eye-opener regarding the living conditions and political realities. You will thank your lucky stars that your ancestors didn’t lead that life. The book is a page-turner, but the climax could have been better.
Quick Rating — 4/5
Beautiful World, Where Are You?
By Sally Rooney
After Normal People, I had a lot of expectations from Sally Rooney but this book was disappointing. It felt indulgent and I wasn’t sure of what it was trying to say, if anything at all. It follows the lives of four young people, navigating relationships, work and their own insecurities and desires. On Goodreads, someone described this book as “purposeful awkwardness” and I fully agree. I was bored reading this book, but there is something about this book (I can’t figure out what) that I ended up reading the whole thing.
Quick Rating — 3/5
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention
By Johann Hari
I couldn’t complete this book and that is ironic given the title of the book. But, in my defense the book is poorly researched and badly written. There is a lot of talking around in circles and we don’t really reach anywhere. Also, I must confess that I really don’t like non-fiction and its always a struggle for me.
Quick Rating — 1/5
Currently Reading
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez (re-reading)
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
Atomic Habits by James Clear
