Hey! I did the BritPac, the celebrity biography version of Barbenheimer. Today’s review is of Britney Spears’s The Woman in Me; Friday’s review of Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography, by Staci Robinson.
On Saturday I’ll be posting a trip report on reading both the same day!
BRITNEY SPEARS’S LONG-AWAITED memoir is unsparingly candid and surprisingly sweet. There’s grief here, but little grievance in this thoughtful look at the truth behind an overwhelmingly hyped image. A MINUS
My new post is a summary of my October reading and was it was a good month for the books. They ranged from a suitably eerie collection of short stories to a fascinating book on how needlework has been viewed through the centuries and has communicated rarely heard stories. One novel is a gentle story set in Quebec, while another takes place in the creative energy of NYC. Two outstanding novels feature men who take their own paths, but are set worlds apart, and a look at a trailblazing woman artist and writer.
Lucy Mason has a new FF fantasy mermaid romance out: The Endless Sea Between Us.
Five years ago, Faeryn Moss lost her family and home to a plague that swept her village. As the sole survivor, she was rumored to be a witch—a rumor she never denied because it was the truth...
I finished Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison, and I think it doesn’t touch as much on #lgbtq issues as these people who challenged it think. Yes, there’s the whole notion of sexuality and trying to figure out what feels “right,” but there’s more of an emphasis on social class structures and how those who are rich and privileged are always gonna be rich and privileged while those who are poor and disenfranchised will probably always be poor and disenfranchised. Yes, some may be able to climb their way out of the crab bucket through a combination of perseverance, luck, and a bunch of other different factors, but the rest won’t be afforded the same opportunities.
There’s also a lesson about not being a bystander to your own life—that if you want to succeed at something or make a change, you have to become the driver/pilot of your own life. You have to stand up and fight for yourself; otherwise, no one will do it for you.
#BookReview Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer
Read on audio
Narrator: Andrew Petkoff
Hachette Audio
Pub. 2017, 263pp
Wow, I had a blast reading this book which kept me entertained on a long flight home from holiday. the character of Arthur Less is so vividly realised and he gets up to some great misadventures throughout the story. in fact he reminded me of a friend who I admire as she gets into all kinds of scrapes by throwing caution to the wind in a way I rarely dare to do!
This is a hard book to review because I went into it knowing only that the main character is a middle aged American writer who goes on a book tour of sorts and I’m glad that was all I knew about it. Sometimes it’s best not even to read the blurb.
what I will say is that, despite mixed reviews, I believe Less totally deserved to win The Pulitzer Prize in 2018. it’s brilliantly quirky and I loved the way language is played with. Here’s a little taster:
“Less wears a pair of natural leather wing tips, a paint stroke of green on each toe, black fitted linen trousers with a spiralling seam, a grey inside out t-shirt, and a hoody jacket whose leather has been tenderly furred to the soft nubbin of an old eraser. He looks like a Fire Island super villain rapper.”
Another highlight was that at one point Less thinks he’s fluent in german but the translation of what he’s actually saying to people shows otherwise!
it’s true that the story meanders somewhat so if you like a tightly plotted novel this may not work for you, but I was totally on board with the writing style from the start. This is a very funny book but it’s balanced with poignant and reflective moments that many readers will relate to. And the audiobook narrator was particularly good, easily switching between languages and accents.
Less definitely appealed to my sense of humour and I highly recommend this refreshing book. Witty and insightful, it’s up there in my top 5 reads of the year! #bookstodon@bookstodon
"Full of secrets, lies, surprises, sex and rock and roll. I love the "Road to Rocktoberfest 2023" multi-author series. I would not miss one book (and I didn't) - and neither should you."
THE GREATEST ELIZABETHAN MYSTERY—who killed Amy Robsart, wife of the Queen’s favorite, Robert Dudley?—explored in this intriguingly framed novel that breathes new life into a much-told story. Richly envisioned. B PLUS
📚 Took me a little bit, but I've finished reading the second book in the Grishaverse trilogy: Siege and Storm.
Decent series for fantasy fans, although this is a rare occasion I thought the TV series was better than the novels so far mostly due to them blending Six of Crows characters in which were more interesting than those here.
DELIGHTFUL, UNLIKELY SLEUTH Mrs. Pargeter—widow of an English crime boss—gathers her late husband’s crew to solve two linked mysteries. Entertaining cozy is author Simon Brett at his best. B PLUS
Today's review! Rocking Karma by Kaje Harper, Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 multi author series:
"This is the story of the band Corvus Rising and two of their members, whose lives will be changed forever... A wonderful addition to the "Road to Rocktoberfest 2023" series. Five stars."
Small Gods is a masterful fantasy comic satire on religious institutions, religious fundamentalism, philosophy, and the weaponisation of religious fanaticism for political power, set in the Discworld. It explores how religious beliefs and faith shift and change over time, from being centred on the deity to being centred on the religious institution itself. Rereading this was an absolute joy! @bookstodon#SmallGods#terrypratchett#bookreview#reading#books#discworld https://bookwyrm.social/user/Narayoni/review/2879341