What does an author read? Books, obviously. Here are some of my recent highlights! Follow me on Goodreads to see more of what I’ve been reading. Please rate and review my novels while you’re there!
Frogcatchers by Jeff Lemire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A moving, surreal graphic novel about life and death. Jeff Lemire shines again! It’s a short read, but very affecting. Twilight Zone with an emotional core. You’ll want to add it to your collection for later re-reading and to show your friends and family.
State of the Union: A Marriage in Ten Parts by Nick Hornby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sometimes it’s nice to have a quick, breezy read, and that’s what I got in Hornby’s latest.
The author has recently had much success with screenplays, and this novella (about 130 pages) certainly reads like one. It’s mostly dialog, with the few scene descriptions reading like the setups for a theatre production. Given the ad on the cover for a Sundance TV special, maybe a quick translation to screen was the intention.
If the above doesn’t put you off (it didn’t me), you’ll find Hornby’s usual British wit in full force here, this time focusing on marriage and the challenges of maintaining a relationship for many years. It’s easy to read and hard to put down until you reach the end.
Looking forward to seeing the screen version!
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m no scientist, but this book sure raises some intriguing physics conundrums! This was a bit more of a math book than I expected, but the main plot kept things moving.
What really separates this from other sci-fi is the historical detail about China’s Cultural Revolution. That’s not something I learned much about in school as an American student, and reading about it from a Chinese author’s perspective adds welcome authenticity.
I also appreciated the occasional comic relief from the policeman Da Shi to break up what could have been an overly heady affair.
Think I need a break before I get to Book 2, but I probably will continue with this thought-provoking series.
Other Kingdoms by Richard Matheson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was well entertained by this novel’s unreliable, somewhat senile narrator who delights in simple wordplay. Those seeking an epic fantasy should look elsewhere–I would put this more in the genre of Vonnegut or Joseph Heller. It’s a light and easy read that brought a hearty chortle from time to time.
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