Josh

An easy read, but…the robots weren’t robots. Even trying to accept the idea of HEEI (human-level intelligence robots), the author just made them fully human in every way other than having synthetic bodies.

In a small number of pages, it tried to tackle so many huge issues that it ended up just skating over all of them with magical solutions. This tiny story tried to address PTSD, racism, slavery/civil rights, poverty, how the economy is centralized around big tech platforms, American political tension, gender identity/the right to carve out your own identity, and more. It was just too much for a book this short, and ended up feeling trite rather than cozy.

An enjoyable read. I liked a lot about the depiction of Hell that was rooted so heavily in literature and culture. It was far less academic than Babel, and therefore an easier read. The love story was fine but not noteworthy - I feel like it could have been more satisfying to either give it more attention or take it out and have them just be friends.

A really compelling story - pretty rare for a memoir to be such a page-turner. Westover is a strong writer, capturing the underlying anxiety of growing up in a deeply unhealthy family environment, and the toll it took on her to come to terms with her past.

Absurd in the best way possible. It veers unpredictably from horrifying to hilarious. Incredible characters and a totally wild ride. Loved it.

Complicated feelings. I enjoyed reading this, but ultimately feel like it didn't add much to the original.

Newman has tried to add more color and context, and I genuinely enjoyed reading it. Seeing Winston's story from this perspective, and getting much more color and context on how Airstrip One really works day-to-day...to be honest it was a fun way to revisit Orwell's 1984.

But...it feels like a hollow sort of fun. I don't feel like it does the original justice, because where 1984 is a surprising and chilling political commentary, ultimately Julia doesn't make much of a point.

3 authors, 3 very different experiences.

The foreword is a mess and doesn't add much. The writing is overly flowery and feels like it's trying to be profound without much to say.

The main part of the book is interesting and occasionally poignant, but it's pretentious. It wasn't really my taste, but there's definitely something of value there.

The final part, by his wife, is the best-written. It's frank about the experience of watching her husband's final days and shows how she came to terms with their life together. It's a strong ending that gives more context to the rest and ultimately made me round this 3.5 star book up to 4 instead of down to 3.

A tough book to rate. It's extremely well written, with a unique voice and a compelling story. But it's deeply unpleasant to read.

Such a weird book, but a lot of fun. Endearing characters and an impactful ending.

This seems like a book you'd either love or give up on.

The Bee Sting has some of the best character development I've ever read - each section gives you surprising insight into the family members and shows how the their individual context, personality, and voice impact their interpretation of events.

At the same time, it's a slow read, even factoring in that it's a long book. The toughest part to read (but still genuinely interesting) is a section told in stream of consciousness with no punctuation. Even as the tension rises, events unfold painfully slowly. And the ending....oof.

But if you're willing to take your time and can accept the book's flaws, the good aspects of the book are so strong that I still feel like this warrants 4.75 stars.

The book was effective at what it was trying to be - a tense portrait of a deeply unlikeable mess of a character, who grifts her way into people's lives and then sabotages them. It was generally well-written and a fast read.

But perhaps because it was so effective, I really did not enjoy reading it. I had to physically put it down at times to get away from the tension.

I liked the story, but just couldn't get into the writing/storytelling.

Started off really strong, and I was very invested in the main character. But some of the later sections dragged, and I was relieved to finish it by the end.

Very dense and very weird. A challenging read with big ideas, explored in a unique way.

Time travel and the grandfather paradox are well-worn tropes, but it's rare for a story to gracefully handle this many overlapping timelines.

The ending was a bit of a let-down, but the ride was a lot of fun.

Couldn't get into the writing at all