Brittany

It doesn't supply the answers, but it does expand the possibilities.

relatable

Succinct and accessible; a homage to the best of us that makes us even better

Favorites: • “The Weakness of Strength” • “Suffering and Meanness” • “What is the Purpose of Friendship?” • “Why Affectionate Teasing is Kind and Necessary” • “Why Flirting Matters”

Personally attacked by: • “Politeness”

Favorites: • “Litany in Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out” • “Visible World” • “I Had a Dream About You” • “You Are Jeff”

We talk a lot about the plot of a book but less about the mood of a book, and atmosphere is the real vehicle behind this one. Even now, it makes me feel like I know something I shouldn't.

Remember LiveJournal?

Favorites: • “Viewfinder” • “I Could See the Smallest Things” • “So Much Water So Close to Home” • “The Third Thing That Killed My Father Off” • “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”

A sci-fi story so relevant it could be misconstrued as nonfiction, but it's obvious that Eggers' searing desire to warn his audience about the consequences of an overly connected society upstages his capacity to craft a plot-dense, character-rich narrative.

Quirky, edgy, perceptive, perverse

I'm a sucker for stories that, in one way or another, end where they begin.

Focusing on how Facebook is transforming us into a hyper-digital society, Losse supplies an alluring glimpse into the early days of the startup. And though I enjoy her nontechnical perspective of the company, I would have preferred a more critical, self-aware examination of the culture since she, too, is a constituent of the same well educated, whitewashed, upper middle class that she ridicules.

More about the incessant drama surrounding the founders than the actual creativity that went into building the social medium, this book is definitely well-researched and thorough — albeit slightly biased — when viewed through the lens of “money, power, friendship, and betrayal” as the title suggests. Bilton offers fascinating insight, and the talk of venture capitalists, successful entrepreneurs, A-list celebrities, and deft hackers are enough to keep the book's tension at an all-time high. But I could have done without the plethora of groan-worthy metaphors and egg puns.

Worth it for the chapter called “If the Orange Tree Could Speak” alone

A love letter to both books and technology and the dichotomy between them