So, I'm trying to listen to more audiobooks and the ones I've enjoyed have been memoirs read by the author. (Mainly, Tina Fey's Bossypants and anything by David Sedaris.) When the description of Lawson's memoir started with 'for fans of Fey and Sedaris' - I immediately downloaded it from Overdrive. The early parts of the book about her crazy rural childhood I found the most compelling, and there are definitely laugh out loud moments throughout. But, I kind of lost steam at the umpteenth story of angst between her and her husband, where the hyperbole goes into overdrive. Her writing is great, but for me it works best in small doses - like maybe best suited to....a blog? So, I will continue to check in occasionally at The Bloggess, but I don't think I'll be picking up Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things. Also, I DO think Lawson did a great job narrating her own story with great humor and I loved that she sang each chapter title.
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

I was impressed with this debut from Jane Harper. Oftentimes, I dislike thrillers because they can become all about the 'whodunit' and little else. The writing, character development, world building, etc. is left by the wayside. This was NOT the case with The Dry. The story of investigator Aaron Falk returning to his small farming hometown to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, after years in exile, has all the good stuff in spades - AND great suspense. It's reminiscent of Tana French's In The Woods, where there are two mysteries we are trying to pin down at the same time: one from the main character's past, and the current murders. It looks as if this was the first in a series featuring Falk, and I definitely look forward to more from Jane Harper!
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

It's been awhile since I read any YA fantasy, and I have been meaning to read Bardugo's work. This started off a little confusing for me, as there are a LOT of gangs, characters, locations, grudges, hierarchies piled into the first few chapters. I also felt as if she started the book by investing me in some characters that never resurface, and it took awhile to get invested in the main characters. But, once I did, I was hooked! I especially loved the dynamic between the female leads, Nina and Inej - this book passes the Bechdel test, for sure. This was an exciting, and also gut wrenching, romp that was like a mashup of Mistborn, Dune, and Gangs of New York. I will for sure queue up the sequel, Crooked Kingdom.
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

I'm a sucker for literary fiction with a science-y story, especially one that involves the contemplation of our humanity and the vastness of space. This had a similar feel to Station Eleven in that it takes place during the time immediately following an apocalyptic event, but it's not really about that event. Two seemingly separate stories follow a group of astronauts stranded in space and, ostensibly, the last man on earth. The slow burn of how they make sense of, and come to terms with, their situation was gripping and poetic until the very last sentence.
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

This was my choice for vacation read and it was exactly that - perfect for a light diversion by the pool. It wasn't exactly fluffy, as it's an emotionally charged read: basically Castaway told from the perspective of the woman left behind. It was a little predictable, a little saccharine, but an overall quick and engaging read. Of the two books I've read by this author, I'd say Maybe in Another Life was a slightly better novel.
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

The hype and marketing surrounding this book has served it well. I don't know if I would have been curious enough to read it without all the social media chatter over the hashtag #WTFthatending. Trying to figure it all out was rather fun! Had I gone into it not expecting something crazy, the main character's unending stupidity and repetitive destructive behavior would have probably driven me to give it a one star rating. Alas, it was entertaining and definitely a surprise ending. Although so completely outlandish that I can see someone throwing the book across the room upon completion...
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

I'm beginning to wonder if memoirs are just not my jam... I have been trying to get into more audiobooks, and I think memoirs are well suited for listening, especially when read by the author. There were a few parts where I chuckled, and certainly felt a gut punch of sadness for the losses Levy faced. However, calling it a tale of overcoming loss seems misguided. I'd say 75% of the book is her life story: about her upbringing, career and love life - certainly interesting material. The self realization and 'overcoming' after she loses her baby and, eventually, her spouse seems hurried at the end. Though there were a handful of searingly accurate and beautiful bits of writing, overall I felt it detached and clinical.
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

It's been a while since I read a sweet, heartwarming YA story and this fit the bill. I liked that it wasn't a love story where the hot guy takes the length of the book to figure out how great the main character is - he's got her number from the beginning. Ostensibly, she also seems accepting of her body from the beginning. Yet, clearly she deals with insecurity about her body and how it affects the way she sees her relationship with her best friend and said boy, as well as dealing with her mother's own insecurities. I thought Murphy created complex characters and relationships that rang true of teen-hood. I'm eagerly anticipating the movie version, and will likely read the sequel.
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

This was probably the most complex fantasy world building I have ever read. A futuristic planet plagued by seismic activity is controlled by people with the gift to move earth, yet they are reviled and revered in equal measure (kinda like X-Men). It took me awhile to get my bearings and immerse myself in it, but I'm glad I put in the work for the payoff of masterful narrative plotting. Jemisin also infuses the novel with much to think about on themes that affect us in the real world: motherhood, slavery, feminism, LGBTQ, and the environment Now that I understand this world, I think the subsequent books will go down a little easier. Though, I'm guessing she's the kind of author that will always make you work for the payoff and it may be awhile before I'm ready - definitely not summer reading material...
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

This was my Newberry honor pick for this month (among many other honors that have been bestowed upon it), and honestly, there isn't much I can add to the plethora of already glowing reviews. I have never read a book written in verse, and it was jarring at first. Yet, once I got the rhythm of it, I couldn't put it down. I could FEEL that South Carolina air, the splash of water from the 'johnny pump' in New York and taste allll the food - so beautiful and evocative in so few words. And I will leave my review at these very few words, other than to add - READ IT.
(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)