Here are three more science fiction and fantasy mini-reviews, brought to you by the 20 Books of Summer Challenge. Since it’s pretty difficult to review books that are part of series, I’m keeping these short. I recommend all three if you’re looking for good, but not too heavy, summer reads. Good Omens: The Nice and … Continue reading
The Sympathizer is a first novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which won last year’s Pulitzer Prize for literature. It’s a fascinating look at the Vietnam War and its aftermath from the perspective of the Vietnamese. Right away it makes you realize how much Americans only see the Vietnam War from our own perspective, not those … Continue reading
746 Books is once again hosting Twenty Books of Summer, which is a good way to think about and organize my summer reading. I hope I’ll be able to cover more than 20 books by September 3, but it’s always hard to stick to a list when you hear about new and exciting books. My … Continue reading
I don’t normally write catch-up reviews, for two reasons. First, I read these books in the middle of July so I don’t remember them so well, and I wasn’t exactly taking notes. And second, I’m not a big fan of the mini-review. You know I like to go on and on about a book. But … Continue reading
Hello readers! My August wrap-up is also my 20 Books of Summer Wrap-Up, and it will tell you something about me that I ended up at exactly 20 books at the end of the month (hint: I’m a bit on the goal-oriented side.) I’m always sad when summer ends. As a kid, summers meant long, … Continue reading
One of my favorite reads of the summer, this book has it all: great characters and story; a fun, almost movie-like plot (it will be a movie this fall); and really thoughtful writing. It’s a book I’d recommend this book to both science fiction lovers and non-science fiction readers (similar to, say, The Martian). It’s … Continue reading
As August comes to a close, I’ve finished 18 books for the 20 Books of Summer Challenge, but here are a couple I didn’t make it through. I don’t really change my reading in the summer. I’m not a fan of the “summer page turner.” But if you’re on a plane or on the beach, … Continue reading
July was a fantastic month because of our trip to Hawaii. When I travel, I don’t necessarily try to tie my reading to my trip location. But on this trip I noticed a few interesting parallels. First, I read The Dictionary of Mutual Understanding, which is about the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, while we … Continue reading
For me, traveling requires a lot of preparation: closet-cleaning, shopping, list-making, and of course, stocking up on books to read. I often think about what makes a good travel read. For me, there’s no one definition of a good travel read. Some like to read about the place they’re going to, some prefer really light … Continue reading
This summer, I have a lot of travel planned, which means long flights and a lot of reading time. I want to make the most of my reading but still keep it fun. 746 Books is hosting a challenge called 20 Books of Summer. I’m pretty sure I can read 20 books over three months … Continue reading
