Harley

A great mix of horror, LGBTQ+ coming-of-age and family heritage. I had no idea what I was getting into with this one and I will be seeking out more by this author.

This one reminds me of book 2. It's slow, with minimal plot points, and reads more like historical fiction. But just like book 2, this feels like a setup for a great next book. Book 3 was one of my favorites of the series, so I have high hopes for book 4.

An amazing story of family, both given and chosen, and of culture and the immigrant experience. I really loved watching the main character grow and learn more about themselves and the world around them. A great coming-of-age story about learning your heritage.

I bought this one on a whim just because of the title. What I discovered was a unique writing style that was somehow both very campy and self-aware, yet very human. Several amazing one-liners and laugh out loud scenes, and at the same time, nearly had me in tears a couple times in the last quarter of the book. I really respect that this is a loose series in the way that you can start anywhere. It's not even mentioned anywhere on the outside of the book that it's part of a series, Very tempted to go back and read the first three.

A very compelling “What If” story that I almost abandoned in the second third. The first part had a good set up, the second part started to lull and feel a bit aimless. But be the end of the second part, and throughout the third, the story really pays off. 

Even though politics are central to the plot, there's never a point in which the book preaches any political points to the reader. It feels natural based on history.

Absolutely no notes on this one. I loved Yang's version of the classic “American” Superman. Watching Superman learn who he is alongside an immigrant was a great choice. Had my kids read this one too and they greatly enjoyed it.

Some really bad and outdated takes in this book. Including that ADD is an invented maladie created by marketers to make pharma companies more money. I do distrust a lot of what pharmaceutical companies do, but as someone who actually struggles with ADHD, and has found a lot of success in treating it with medication and therapy, this was quite the slap in the face.

There are nuggets of wisdom in here, but ultimately those same nuggets can be found in other books like Rick Rubin's The Creative Act, and I would recommend just about anything else over this one.

I went through a range of emotions reading this one. I was excited about the format as I grew up reading a few similar books. Then I started to feel like the writing just wasn't there. The characters felt one-dimensional for the first quarter of the book, and sometimes felt like the author didn't understand modern technology. But this changes greatly in the second half of the book. Multiple great twists that I didn't expect with an equally unexpected ending. Some of the scenes in the last quarter are movie-like and still give me goosebumps. Will be looking for more from Hallett.

A great ending to an incredible trilogy. This is a fantasy series unlike any I've read. The mix of science and magic really pulled me in. 

This is a loooong ride. I've grown accustomed to the pace of the Dark Tower books. It can feel slow, but comfortable. It continues to read like a long dream sequence with the world slowly changing and unfolding. I love exploring this world alongside King, and I'm committed to the rest of the ride. 

Not the memoir I expected from Serj, but it's so much more. I learned so much about Armenian history and SOAD's battle for US recognition of the Armenian genocide. There's only a little bit about SOAD throughout this book, which I expected more of, but Serj makes a good point early on that he has always been, first and foremost, an activist, and SOAD is a part of that story, not his only story. Serj is a much kinder, wiser, gentler soul than I ever expected. 

Great writing with an interesting story idea that ultimately falls flat. Even with its short page count, the pay off just wasn't there.

My first time actually reading this book. We all know the twist, but i had no idea how good this story was. Much more frightening than I expected, and wonderfully told.

This book was so weird and wonderful. I didn't expect anything in this. China has a very interesting way of writing and somehow bucks every genre he dips his toe in. This book is not for everyone, but I, for one, will be seeking out the other two books in this universe.

Interesting perspective and fun story, just not my thing.

Very inspiring lessons. Will be reading this one many times.

This was a stupid fun read. Scalia takes a silly concept and then sprinkles it with believable biology and physics. It was a delight to read as Scalzi says in his afterward, “Sometimes all you need is a pop song.” This was the pop song I needed right now.

This book made me hopeful for my future.

This book was incredibly slow through the second half. Coming from Cryptonomicon, which I absolutely loved, this book is just OK. 

As someone who is both a musician and a software engineer, I struggled hard with some of the topics in this book. It stretched my mind a bit when it comes to how technology is devaluing art. This is a really great read for just about anyone, but especially those in the arts or tech industries.

This book made me so angry. It was poetic and beautifully written. The plot wasn't anything at all what I was expecting and really surprised me. I'm not sure I've read a story with this kind of plot. This is much more than a coming-of-age story. It's a spiritual exploration of two sides of a bitter coin. This will haunt my brain for the next few weeks.

DNF @ 80 pages.

I had no idea who this person was going into this book. He seems really really funny. I enjoyed the first 20-30 pages, but the humor started getting repetitive after awhile. I also feel like if I knew his work, I may find it funnier.

DNF after 50 pages

DNF at 82 pages. I really enjoyed the first chapter of this book. I like the second chapter. The third chapter started feeling a bit bland. The fourth chapter really fell for for me.

Not really sure why, but the story didn't really capture my attention. However, I enjoyed the first few characters and their development. I couldn't stand Tipu. He just feels poorly written. I also enjoyed the history sections. I don't know that much about Indian culture, and I'm always fascinated by stories from other cultures.

I learned an incredible amount from this book. This is one I will reference and come back to, so that I can hold myself accountable.