All books this month were from the public library. Some were great, many were good, and there were a few I just couldn't make it through.
Carry over from Sep
The books of Jacob by Tokarczuk, Olga
Abandoned Oct 12. Read about 100 pages and enjoyed it, but not enough to want to read 800 more pages.
Checked out Sep 29
Lucy by the sea : a novel by Strout, Elizabeth
Finished Oct 2. If, in a few years, anyone asks what the Pandemic Lockdown was like.....
Odinary grace : a novel by Krueger, William Kent
Finished Oct 11. Liked this much better than the Krueger I read last month.
Shrines of gaiety : a novel by Atkinson, Kate
Finished Oct 4. Overall a good romp, but a trifle slow at times.
The pastor by Ørstavik, Hanne; translated from the Norwegian by Aitken Martin
Finished Oct 4. Meh...but it did make me curious about the Sámi.
The slow march of light : a novel : inspired by a true story of resilience and hope by Moore, Heather B.
Finished Oct 10. Didn't care much for the mix of fact and fiction.
Checked out Oct 6
Invisible ink : a novel by Modiano, Patrick
Finished Oct 9. Of course I liked it; it's Modiano!
Jollof rice and other revolutions : a novel in interlocking stories by Ogunyemi, Omolola Ijeoma
Jollof rice and other revolutions : a novel in interlocking stories by Ogunyemi, Omolola Ijeoma
Finished Oct 8. Liked most of this one (except maybe the final story set in the future)
The Book of goose by Li, Yiyun
The Book of goose by Li, Yiyun
Finished Oct 14. Really liked this one!
The sixteen trees of the Somme by Mytting, Lars
The sixteen trees of the Somme by Mytting, Lars
Finished Oct 16. Really enjoyed this.
Checked out Oct 15
The Marriage Portrait by O'Farrell, Maggie
Finished Oct 29. Lovely writing but too much of it. It felt "padded." Also, I really get annoyed when writers of historical fiction change the names of historical characters to "...avoid confusion with other characters in the book." Seems a bit lazy--a good writer can write it so there is no confusion.
Nights of plague by Pamuk, Orhan
Finished Oct 23. Excellence!
The hero of this by book by McCracken, Eli
The hero of this by book by McCracken, Eli
Finished Oct 17. A slightly fictionalized memorial to her mother.
The village idiot by Stern, Steve
The village idiot by Stern, Steve
Finished Oct 27. Nice bio-fic of the artist Chaim Soutine.
We spread by Reid, Iain
We spread by Reid, Iain
Finished Oct 26. Excellent.
Checked out Oct 25 (last 4 carried over to November)
Art of the chicken : a master chef's paintings, stories, and recipes of the humble bird by Pépin, Jacques
Finished Oct 28. Love the illustrations! A delightful surprise every time you turn a page.
The cook by Kerangal, Maylis de
Finished Oct 30. This fictional story of a cook was no where as good as the Pépin book.
France : an adventure history by Robb, Graham
Girl at war by Nović, Sara
The enigma of Room 622 by Dicker, Joël
The marsh queen by Hartman, Virginia (may not read this one)
Online:
The Untold Truth Of Fig Newtons by Mikaela Bloom
Sharing Stories: A Brief Introduction to Sámi Literary History by Mathilde Magga