Man, that month went fast
The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion****
I might have a lot more to say about this one had I finished it weeks ago but I’ll be honest, I’m starting to hit my limit on books about tech geniuses that the public discovers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be only after they’re handed billions of dollars. Theranos, Uber and now WeWork all run by self-glorifying con artists. This book is as well done as the others but I may need a break from this story.
The Terra-Cotta Dog****
Reading this, I was trying to deduce why I’ve enjoyed the first two books in this series and then it hit me: it has the same rhythms, social exploration and humor of the legendary Martin Beck series. It’s not telling an overarching story about Sicily the way the Beck series did about Sweden. But it checks a lot of familiar boxes. Throw in some clever plotting and I’m happy to have found something new, since I seem to have exhausted so many other series as a mystery lover.
Eight Perfect Murders****
I zigged and zagged with this one. Not always admirably so; some of the twists made me roll my eyes. But it was a fun read and the unpredictability made it more exciting. I should have known from Peter Swanson’s body of work that this would be more of a genre-bending thriller than I had anticipated going in. I’ve read a string of “good” books in the last month (a long consecutive streak of 4-star reviews) but even if this doesn’t rise to the level of great, it’s certainly one of the more enjoyable books I’ve perused in 2023.
Tina, Mafia Soldier****
This isn’t a typical true crime mob story, more an exploration of how one young woman navigates mob life in a decayed countryside wracked by poverty and masculine violence. Maria Rosa Cutrufelli is as much of a character as Tina is and if you want to read this, you’ll need to accept that it’s as much her story as it is the woman she’s writing about. If you do that, you might enjoy it. Me? I was mixed, though Cutrufelli is a good enough writer to keep me interested.
The Writing Retreat****
If you, like me, have tried in vain to publish a book, then this story is probably for you. As a mystery/thriller, it’s just ok but I was enthralled by Alex’s perilous journey as someone who just wants to make a name for herself in the writing world. I wish the villain had been more developed and I wish the thriller aspects didn’t pop up as a convenience but as far as looking at the horror of the professional writing landscape, it does a fantastic job. I know because I felt it.
An Assassin in Utopia: The True Story of a Nineteenth-Century Sex Cult and a President’s Murder***
Doesn’t really match its premise but as a time capsule into the changing country of 1800s America, it works very well. A good mini-companion to What Hath God Wrought. Worth your time.
Every Man a Menace****
A decent Mosley read. Though it’s really tough to distinguish the structure and substance of these books from Mosley’s much more interesting Leonid McGill ones. King Oliver is an interesting character but at this point, I’d just as soon Mosley go back to McGill for his New York tales. Either way, if you liked the first, you’ll like this one too.
Triumph of the Spider Monkey**
A lot of people are always gonna be more impressed with Joyce Carol Oates than I ever will be. The first story made me want to tear the pages out. To say nothing of the obnoxious storytelling device of shifting consciousness, I’ve had more than my fill of the Evil Adoptee/Foster Child plot. At least she was up front with it from the beginning. The second one had an interesting concept and some well-conceived moments so I bumped this to a 2. But ugh. Her thing is not my thing.
Robert B. Parker’s Lullaby***
I am a dad. And as I get older, I’ve resigned myself to reading—and enjoying—more dadlit. But if I resign myself to this fate, at least let it be for something written by Ace Atkins, who breathes new, much needed life into the Spenser series. Plotting and pacing are as good as Atkins does but these books have a hard ceiling with Spenser’s insufferable-ness and the shallow natures of the supporting cast. Still, I’m probably gonna bowl through these.
The Godwulf Manuscript***
/stares at Darth Vader DadLit mask
Is this what I am to become? Is this my destiny?
/reads The Godwulf Manuscript
Maybe?
I actually enjoyed the plot and large parts of it were fun and then something in the middle happens that’s gross and wrong (you’ll know when you see it). That coupled with Parker’s try-hardiness on the Spenser humor and I think 3 stars is fine. Definitely the Spenser book of the Parker Spenser books I’ve enjoyed the most.
Play the Fool****
God bless a writer who writes a decent protagonist. Marley is a slacker, but also has the cool tarot thing, trying to find a space in her world, trying to live life when trouble finds her and she falls into the amateur sleuth role. Throw in good, non-snarky dialogue and I enjoyed her and this book. Didn’t need the cop romance angle but beyond that, it was an enjoyable read. Given that most of what I’ve enjoyed reading lately feels rote, I especially appreciated this one.