Books reviewed in 2021

1. Three Bags Full, by Leonie Swann (January); 3.5
2. Love Warrior, by Glennon Doyle (January); 3
3. The Resisters, by Gish Jen (January); 4
4. The Book of Longings, by Sue Monk Kidd (January); 4
5. Red Pill, by Hari Kanzru (February); 2
6. We Ride Upon Sticks, by Quan Barry (February); 5

Book review guidelines

 Book review guidelines:

• 1 star: I actively disliked this book, and would not recommend it under any circumstances.  The writing was poor, the plot was predictable, and this book had nothing new or interesting to say.  It was difficult for me to finish.
• 2 stars: Better than a 1 star, but still possessing many of the same problems.  Likely had a better or more interesting/engaging perspective, but still hampered by poor writing or plot.  I found the main character to be unengaging or unsympathetic in a way that was distracting (i.e., I did not want to spend more time with them, or more time inside their head).
• 3 stars: Solid read that kept me (mostly) engaged from start to finish, but nothing to write home about.  Alternatively, this book engaged with subject matter that I am personally interested in (e.g., Tudor history, the Arab-Israeli conflict), and was therefore interesting to me.  However, there were issues with execution, style, or plot.  Could also be a good book that was undermined by a poor ending or a book that drew me on based on gimmick that didn't quite deliver.  If I bought this book, I am probably slightly disappointed I spent money on it.
• Would I recommend this book to someone else?  If so, this book will be rated at least 4 stars.
• 4 stars: Very good or engaging read.  Shed some light on an old issue/subject matter/genre, or challenged me/my perspective in a way that encouraged me to learn and grow.  Writing style and turns of phrase are enjoyable.
• 5 stars: Excellent and enlightening read.  Transporting.  Couldn't stop thinking about it, and wanted to compulsively recommend it.  Changed my perspective on the world around me.  Stellar writing that lifted me out of my world and into the world of the book that I am reading.  I wanted to read more from this author/in this universe.

Books read in 2018

1. Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders (June)
2. White Tears, by Hari Kunzru (July)
3. Fever Dream, by Samantha Schweblin (July)
4. The Believers, by Janice Holt Giles (August)
5. The Idiot, by Elif Bautman (September)
6. Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward (September)
7. The Book of Joan, by Lidia Yuknavitch (September)
8. Daredevils, by Shawn Vestal (September)
9. Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee (September)
10. Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan (September)

Books read in 2017

1. The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt (January)
2. The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead (January)
3. All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders (February)
4. The Sport of Kings, by C. E. Morgan (February)
5. High Dive, by Jonathan Lee (February)
6. The Throwback Special, by Chris Bachelder (March)
7. Black Wave, by Michelle Tea (March)
8. The Vegetarian, by Han Kang (March)
9. My Name is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout (March)
10. Version Control, by Dexter Palmer (March)
11. The Mothers, by Brit Bennett (March)
12. Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi (April)
13. Sweet Lamb of Heaven, by Lydia Millet (April)
14. Mister Monkey, by Francine Prose (April)
15. The Nix, by Nathan Hill (May)
16. We Love You, Charlie Freeman, by Kaitlyn Greenidge (May)
17. Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid (June)
18. A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles (November)

Books read in 2016

1. Christmas Pudding, by Nancy Mitford (January)
2. Wigs on the Green, by Nancy Mitford (January)
3. Pigeon Pie, by Nancy Mitford (January)
4. The Pursuit of Love, by Nancy Mitford (January)
5. The Spinning Heart, by Donal Ryan (January)
6. I am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak (January)
7. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (January)
8. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde (January)
9. The New World, by Chris Adrian and Eli Horowitz (February)
10. Bats of the Republic, by Zachary Thomas Dodson (February)
11. The Tsar of Love and Techno, by Anthony Marra (February)
12. Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff (February)
13. Reuben Sachs, by Amy Levy (February)
14. The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen (February)
15. The Book of Aron, by Jim Shepard (March)
16. Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf (March)
17. The Story of My Teeth, by Valeria Luiselli (March)
18. The Turner House, by Angela Flournoy (March)
19. The Man in the High Castle, by Philip Dick (March)
20. Vivian Apple at the End of the World, by Katie Coyle (March)
21. High as the Horses' Bridles, by Scott Cheshire (March)
22. Love in a Cold Climate, by Nancy Mitford (March)
23. Horrorstör, by Grady Hendrix (April)
24. Wolf in White Van, by John Darnielle (April)
25. Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon (May)
26. The Paying Guests, by Sarah Waters (May)
27. Mr. Fox, by Helen Oyeyemi (May)
28. Sex Criminals: Vol. One, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (June)
29. Sudden Death, by Alvaro Enrigue (June)
30. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, by John Le Carre (July)
31. Margaret the First, by Danielle Dutton (July)
32. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, by Anthony Marra (July)
33. A Breed of Heroes, by Alan Judd (July)
34. Forty Rooms, by Olga Grushin (August)
35. The Dead Republic, by Roddy Doyle (August)
36. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by J.K. Rowling (August)
37. Dragonfly in Amber, by Diana Gabaldon (September)
38. Purity, by Jonathan Franzen (December)
39. Voyager, by Diana Gabaldon (December)
40. When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan (December)

Books read in 2015

1. Oh, Play That Thing!, by Roddy Doyle (January)
2. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, by Susannah Cahalan (January)
3. The Bees, by Laline Paull (January)
4. Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (January)
5. Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel (February)
6. A Replacement Life, by Boris Fishman (February)
7. Wittgenstein Jr, by Lars Iyer (February)
8. Redeployment, by Phil Klay (February)
9. The Bone Clocks, by David Mitchell (February)
10. Dept. of Speculation, by Jenny Offill (February)
11. Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer (February)
12. Silence Once Begun, by Jesse Ball (March)
13. Adam, by Ariel Schrag (March)
14. A Brave Man Seven Storeys Tall, by Will Chancellor (March)
15. Authority, by Jeff VanderMeer (April)
16. The Sellout, by Paul Beatty (April)
17. Acceptance, by Jeff VanderMeer (April)
18. I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith (May)
19. Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh (May)
20. At Night We Walk in Circles, by Daniel Alarcón (May)
21. All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (May)
22. Miss Ranskill Comes Home, by Barbara Euphan Todd (May)
23. The Blondes, by Emily Schultz (June)
24. The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern (June)
25. Yes Please, by Amy Poehler (July)
26. Serena, by Ron Rash (July)
27. Go Set A Watchman, by Harper Lee (July)
28. Boy, Snow, Bird, by Helen Oyeyemi (August)
29. Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng (August)
30. The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson (August)
31. Fortune Smiles, by Adam Johnson (August)
32. Frog, by Mo Yan (September)
33. The Luckiest Girl Alive, by Jessica Knoll (September)
34. Very Good Lives, by J. K. Rowling (October)
35. The Sleeper and the Spindle, by Neil Gaiman (October)
36. Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell (October)
37. The Heart Goes Last, by Margaret Atwood (October)
38. The Transcriptionist, by Amy Rowland (October)
39. Room, by Emma Donoghue (November)
40. Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (November)
41. Beirut, Beirut, by Sonallah Ibrahim (December)
42. Something Fresh, by P. G. Wodehouse (December)
43. The Field of the Cloth of Gold, by Magnus Mills (December)
44. Jeeves and the Yule-tide Spirit, by P. G. Wodehouse (December)
45. Highland Fling, by Nancy Mitford (December)
46. Diary of a Provincial Lady, by E. M. Delafield