Lisa
Sometimes you just need an easy read and this fits the bill. Plus who doesn't need a solid Swede in their life who drinks their coffee black and knows how to get shit done right the first time?
My rating would have been closer to 4 stars had it not featured a man child as another main character. Replace every chapter focused on him with more Marcellus the octopus and this would have been a favorite winter read.
I read the first half, then my library loan audiobook (you do know about the Libby app, right?) showed up and I listened to the rest.
The narrator was so talented that it made the 2nd half of the novel even more enjoyable than the first. I really want to listen to Blood Meridian now to have an entirely new experience.
Some diehard fans may be disappointed as it is not following suit of the last 6 plus novels. There will be unanswered plot lines and to some, perhaps a lack of a start to finish plot. Take the time to look beyond those expectations and experience something new and as usual, masterfully written.
FYI: We all need a Bobby Western in our lives at some point.
Merged review:
I read the first half, then my library loan audiobook (you do know about the Libby app, right?) showed up and I listened to the rest.
The narrator was so talented that it made the 2nd half of the novel even more enjoyable than the first. I really want to listen to Blood Meridian now to have an entirely new experience.
Some diehard fans may be disappointed as it is not following suit of the last 6 plus novels. There will be unanswered plot lines and to some, perhaps a lack of a start to finish plot. Take the time to look beyond those expectations and experience something new and as usual, masterfully written.
FYI: We all need a Bobby Western in our lives at some point.
Merged review:
I read the first half, then my library loan audiobook (you do know about the Libby app, right?) showed up and I listened to the rest.
The narrator was so talented that it made the 2nd half of the novel even more enjoyable than the first. I really want to listen to Blood Meridian now to have an entirely new experience.
Some diehard fans may be disappointed as it is not following suit of the last 6 plus novels. There will be unanswered plot lines and to some, perhaps a lack of a start to finish plot. Take the time to look beyond those expectations and experience something new and as usual, masterfully written.
FYI: We all need a Bobby Western in our lives at some point.
Merged review:
I read the first half, then my library loan audiobook (you do know about the Libby app, right?) showed up and I listened to the rest.
The narrator was so talented that it made the 2nd half of the novel even more enjoyable than the first. I really want to listen to Blood Meridian now to have an entirely new experience.
Some diehard fans may be disappointed as it is not following suit of the last 6 plus novels. There will be unanswered plot lines and to some, perhaps a lack of a start to finish plot. Take the time to look beyond those expectations and experience something new and as usual, masterfully written.
FYI: We all need a Bobby Western in our lives at some point.
Merged review:
I read the first half, then my library loan audiobook (you do know about the Libby app, right?) showed up and I listened to the rest.
The narrator was so talented that it made the 2nd half of the novel even more enjoyable than the first. I really want to listen to Blood Meridian now to have an entirely new experience.
Some diehard fans may be disappointed as it is not following suit of the last 6 plus novels. There will be unanswered plot lines and to some, perhaps a lack of a start to finish plot. Take the time to look beyond those expectations and experience something new and as usual, masterfully written.
FYI: We all need a Bobby Western in our lives at some point.
Merged review:
I read the first half, then my library loan audiobook (you do know about the Libby app, right?) showed up and I listened to the rest.
The narrator was so talented that it made the 2nd half of the novel even more enjoyable than the first. I really want to listen to Blood Meridian now to have an entirely new experience.
Some diehard fans may be disappointed as it is not following suit of the last 6 plus novels. There will be unanswered plot lines and to some, perhaps a lack of a start to finish plot. Take the time to look beyond those expectations and experience something new and as usual, masterfully written.
FYI: We all need a Bobby Western in our lives at some point.
This lost me when the author compared the way someone looked to Amy Winehouse's corpse. Grasping for a hip reference falls more than flat and lands firmly in the the that's just a shitty thing to write category.
The premise was interesting, but if ever someone needed an editor, it's this guy. 1/2 the amount of pages would have likely made this a more effective novel.
What I liked the most about this novel is the way someone believing in you can be life changing. I also liked how strangers can come together and form deep friendships. The kind where you accept each others eccentricities but are brave enough to call each other on your shit. Who doesn't need a friend like that?
I do think the novel could have taken on less to make room for depth. However, I feel like the main characters were well developed.
I enjoyed getting insight into the teen trans experience, and I did for myself wondering how authentic the novel would feel to the students I work with.
I was looking forward to this one for awhile and even broke my rule about reading via Libby or the library before purchasing a copy for my home library. The home shelves are starting to get tight and I'm trying to be better on spending too.
The concept was interesting enough, but I could not connect with the characters themselves. The most interesting was the author on book tour and mainly because a friend recently launched her tour for The Crocodile Bride and it was like gaining a behind the scenes peek into what's to come for her in the next weeks/months.
The least appealing was the first character, a third son of a wealthy England family exiled to Canada. I just don't jive with incompetent, clueless, entitled men (or women for that fact). Had I not been trapped in the hospital while reading I wouldn't have made it past the first section and then pushed myself to the end.
Normally I'm not a fan of this style of writing because unless you're a master, it easily comes off gimmicky. It was so well done by Michael Ondaatje in Coming Through Slaughter and the Collected Works of Billy The Kid that I never really needed to read another book in this format.
This was perfect for listening to 20 minutes at a time before bed via Libby (best app discovery ever). I am curious to see an actual copy of this book to see if the photos referenced in are present or how it was put together in general.
Well, If you have been impacted by suicide / attempts at suicide, this can be a very tough read. I don't know how long it will take for this topic to quit feeling too soon for me, but I'm not there yet.
That being said, this novel was so well written and the audio book narrated by JK Simmons was perfection. Ove is a character straight out of my family, set in his ways, dedicated, hard working , thoughtful, no filter, gruff and loving all at the same time. You know, the Swedes.
This novel is about love, loss, integrity and being a self made man. It's about marriage and the loss of the love of your life. It's about neighbors and chosen family. It's about humility and letting go of being right. It's hilarious, touching and heartbreaking.
Crosby pulled me in with Blacktop Wasteland, a genre of writing that was thus far unexplored for me. Razor blade Tears continues the pacing, character development and dialogue that pulled me in previously.
If I had to guess, this will get optioned for a film... Denzel and Dafoe?
Listened to this one on audiobook thanks to my Libby App, perfect format for my “reading” experience.
Was pleased to find this on 1/2 off hardcover day, though I would have gladly purchased it at full price. The art is dreamily brutal and the story a small snapshot of what could be developed into a novel, but that's not Stalenhag's style.
If only I could find copies of his previous works without “now a series on Amazon” stamps destroying the cover art. I wish authors would put their foot down about that. Perhaps a sticker that could be removed so we can still have beautiful copies for our libraries? But I digress.
I feel really conflicted about giving this book a star rating because of its level of violence - it's extreme towards women and that between the Texas Rangers and the indigenous peoples of Texas and Mexico. That being said, was a lot of it likely based on historical fact, yes.
The best part of the book is not just the continuance of Gus and Call's lives, personal and as now Captains of the Texas Rangers, but also the end of eras for the natives and the Rangers. The book ends just as modernity's door cracks open leaving everyone on the precipice.
I think many people will love this one, it just wasn't for me. All of the slasher 101 kept me from really seeing characters develop or understanding their significance/background story. I felt much the same way about the new Tarantino novel as well. Too mired film history for me to connect with the characters.
Do you know about Libby? Perfect library app to listen to for bedtime story fun. I know I saw this movie, but didn't remember anything other than Sandy B being mean to her kids and wondering why she didn't name them anything other than Boy and Girl. Apparently they need to fear you to do what you say. All said and done, totally acceptable bed time story via audiobook.