Reviews and Comments

3.5 stars. I read this after seeing it recommended in Alissa Wilkinson's Syllabus for a new world. For the most part, I thought it was good. There were things I really liked, such as the protest scenes, and I enjoyed spending a while on the pages in order to appreciate all of the little details. But there were other things I wasn't too crazy about, especially the scene in which Hannah and Johnny end up hitting each other. I read through a lot of other reviews and finally found someone else who commented on this, calling it a strange moment of domestic violence. I agree.

A+ political/environmental thriller about a guerilla gardening group that gets in over its head. Flawed, complicated characters, multiple perspectives, and interesting observations about New Zealanders and their country. Takes a sharp look at morality, working to change things, self-awareness/self-mythology, and relationships/power struggles. I thought the dialogue was particularly good. At one point, the group has a meeting where an argument starts, and it felt like I was in the room witnessing the verbal sparring. Kind of a crushing read overall for me, despite (or because of?) the satire/sense of humor. I did about 50-50 between actual reading and listening to the audiobook - great narration by Saskia Maarleveld.

Imaginative and thoughtful "hard" science fiction. Fingers crossed that Netflix will do a good job with the series. The setting in China was interesting. Some parts were excellent, while others were a little tiresome (e.g., some of the military/police conversations), but I enjoyed it quite a bit overall. The chapter with Newton, Von Neumann and the human-formation computer was a fascinating and humorous highlight for me.

3.5 stars. I just happened to be in the middle of reading Great Circle, about fictional aviator Marian Graves, when I saw a reference to Bessie Coleman's birthday and decided that I should learn more about her. Considering what this book is - i.e., a youth/student-level biography - I think it's pretty good. Among other things, it includes a thoughtful discussion of systemic racism.

This started to lose me in some of the middle chapters, but it came back with a strong finish. Connected stories: some were compelling, others were clunkers. Some of the plot lines were pretty ridiculous (the general, the fake boyfriend) and/or annoying (I really disliked chapter 9). Some of the style/format choices were interesting (e.g., second-person narration in chapter 10). I think the PowerPoint presentation was my favorite chapter, although the final chapter was great also.

3.5 stars. This covered a number of things I was somewhat familiar with (for example, the Pussy Riot arrests, the poisoning of Yushchenko, the Chechen school siege at Beslan, and the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight over Ukraine), but it put all of that -- and many other events -- into context, providing a better understanding of Putin and Russia. A lot of helpful background information about the country's history and Putin's rise to power. I read somewhere that it was supposed to be funny or witty, at least to some extent, but I saw almost no humor in this (which is probably not really surprising, considering the subject matter).

Mostly bleak and brutal, but very good. I didn't think I was in the mood for anything dystopian, but I basically couldn't put it down once I started it. Really interesting to watch Lauren Olamina discover/develop her worldview and then share it with others and advocate for it as the book progresses.

Another powerful and touching story from Keegan, beautifully written and with striking attention to emotional detail. I saw someone describe it as a triumph of narration from a child's perspective, and I have to agree. I was really looking forward to reading this, after recently finishing Small Things Like These, and it did not disappoint. I wouldn't look at these until after reading it, but there's an informative review from NPR here, and some very interesting thoughts from Keegan about the story specifically and fiction/writing/reading in general here (in response to students' questions about the book).

This was a lot of fun, although at times I did feel a bit like I was watching someone show off with a clever wordplay performance. Quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. I mostly listened to the audiobook, and Amir Abdullah did a great job. His characterizations helped me appreciate the hilarious writing and conversations. This was the first of Everett's books that I've read. Next I think I'll try The Trees.

Wow, hopeful and eye-opening (and short!) science fiction. I read this after seeing it recommended in the New York Times Climate Forward newsletter. If you can't find the standalone version, it's also contained in The Year's Best Science Fiction, Vol. 1 (2020), which I was able to pick up at the library. Now I need to track down the audio version, which is read by Jason Isaacs.

I was not fully hooked until Part 2, but then it really took off and I became completely engaged. It's a harrowing story about some of the extreme effects of racism on the country in general and on one family specifically.

I was going to say that it was too easy to imagine some of the things depicted in the book happening in the U.S. - but then, of course (as addressed in the book), many of the awful things have already been part of our country's history for a long time.

The book is also a rumination on the power of art, e.g. exploring the ways in which some of Margaret's poetry takes on a life of its own and a meaning beyond what she initially intended when writing it. Further, it's an exciting adventure story, from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy.

A tough but important work, and I'm glad that I finally read it. Unflinching is the adjective that keeps popping into my head when I think about the story. It was interesting to read this recent (2022) Atlantic article about the book and its continuing relevance.