Ben Rosner

This book started off kind of slow, and I wasn't sure I was going to like it enough to finish. Thankfully, I did finish, and by the end I was totally sold. Tree of Smoke is one of the best books I've read so far this year.

While some of the political correctness of the book might be dated, the overall effect Snow Crash has still holds up. Truly mind blowing, completely original, a masterpiece down to the last word.

It's rare that I read a book that I truly do not like, but The Grapes of Wrath fits that description. While I did mildly enjoy the “descriptive” chapters, as I call them, the more narrative chapters that follow the Joad family were a chore to read. The ending was truly bizarre and felt like it had completely out of nowhere. 

Really dug this, much more than I thought I was going to initially! Kell and Lila are both very likable characters. By the end I was pining for more, and kind of wished I had picked up the sequel instead of Project Hail Mary to read next.

As a hardcore escape room/immersive experience enthusiast, this was right up my alley. Beautifully written and just like any great form of immersive entertainment, it kept me hooked until the very end.