A very likable anti-hero figure, who reminds me a lot of Walter Mosley's character Leonid McGill. Non-stop action, with a sprinkling of graphic violenA very likable anti-hero figure, who reminds me a lot of Walter Mosley's character Leonid McGill. Non-stop action, with a sprinkling of graphic violence. The heists depicted are very imaginative in their planning & execution....more
This is a cute romantic comedy about a young woman struggling to make ends meet & a centuries-old vampire who wakes up from a 100-year coma & is tryinThis is a cute romantic comedy about a young woman struggling to make ends meet & a centuries-old vampire who wakes up from a 100-year coma & is trying to navigate the present day....more
Another mediocre thriller: I don't know if I have much to recommend about this one. The first person narrator is kind of unlikable, despite having surAnother mediocre thriller: I don't know if I have much to recommend about this one. The first person narrator is kind of unlikable, despite having survived a childhood trauma of multiple stabbings. The mystery springs from who really committed this crime, as it becomes questionable as to whether the serial killer who was convicted due to her & her friends' eyewitness testimony that he did it. Then there's the skeleton the three friends find in a cave during their childhood & perform elaborate rituals to it. There are a few twists, like hidden identities & people turning out to be bad, not good, etc. This one just didn't hit the right notes for me & I found myself really not listening to the last quarter of the book. Maybe that's where all the good stuff was.......more
**spoiler alert** This was a fascinating story of not just art forgery, but also of how the art world operates as a business. It is also set in the no**spoiler alert** This was a fascinating story of not just art forgery, but also of how the art world operates as a business. It is also set in the not-so-distant past, just before the Internet, because as the author/artist admits, this whole story could not have happened in the Internet age. Tony Tetro got away with making forgeries of many different artists & many different styles. He speaks at length on how he forged the optical illusion print of Lincoln by Salvador Dali. He also talks about the techniques he used to age paintings, and how much research he did on specific artists so that his technique would be the same as theirs. I wondered a few times how great an artist Tetro could have been making his own art or paintings. As with many criminal enterprises, a lot of research and testing is employed in order to succeed in the grift and not get caught. Tetro is for sure a smart man, but could have used these talents to educate, or make his own art. He also speaks at length of all the money he made on some of these forgeries, the cars, the drugs, the vacations: he led an extravagant life at the height of his business.
Maybe the craziest ending of this story is that Tetro has gone legitimate & creates high-quality reproductions for wealthy people (and I imagine he makes a pretty good salary doing it too!)...more
This book was just OK, considering I finished it a few weeks ago & then thought, "did I listen to that?" and realized I did. (Shrug.)This book was just OK, considering I finished it a few weeks ago & then thought, "did I listen to that?" and realized I did. (Shrug.)...more
With any collection, some essays/stories are better than others. I loved the essay about Irby attending a wedding amidst a Civil War reenactment, and With any collection, some essays/stories are better than others. I loved the essay about Irby attending a wedding amidst a Civil War reenactment, and her application to be on the Bachelorette. Some of the others were maybe a little too TMI & raunchy for my tastes. I do appreciate Irby's conversational style....more
My Friend Anna tells the story of the author's friendship with supposed millionaire heiress Anna Delvie, who ends up being a fraud. I learned about thMy Friend Anna tells the story of the author's friendship with supposed millionaire heiress Anna Delvie, who ends up being a fraud. I learned about this book after watching the Netflix series based on this story, Inventing Anna. The Netflix show gives a more broad view of the story, with many different points of view, especially the journalist who delved into the story & background of Anna. This book focuses on Rachel's relationship with Anna.
The book hinges on an incident that happened in Morocco. Basically, Anna promised her friends (4 people total) that she would pay for a trip to Morocco: airfare, activities & the accommodations at a 5-star resort. Problems arose when Anna's credit cards were declined & the hotel staff threatened to hold them all there (or call authorities) if a working credit card was not provided for the $38,000 bill they had accrued. Rachel uses her personal credit card + her work's credit card (namely, the magazine Vanity Fair). The hotel tells Rachel that it is merely a hold, not a charge. Anna promises to reimburse Rachel. The hotel charges Rachel's cards & Anna never pays Rachel.
I enjoyed listening to Rachel talk about her relationship with Anna, and how she eventually came to realize that Anna was not who she represented herself as. It was slightly off-putting to hear her complain about how she was in financial straights because she could not pay the credit card, and her battle with the credit card company in trying to convince them that she should not be liable for the charges. It felt naive that she would go on these trips and to these dinners without an expectation of her financial responsibility. She willingly participated in these experiences and enjoyed the luxuries of them. I felt slightly bad that she was tricked, but I didn't agree with some of her arguments. A good supplement to the Netflix series....more
One doesn't have to be a fan of U2 to love this audiobook; Bono weaves together stories from his personal life, as well as his professional life by frOne doesn't have to be a fan of U2 to love this audiobook; Bono weaves together stories from his personal life, as well as his professional life by framing it within the titles of 40 U2 songs. This book is as lyrical as well, the lyrics he writes for the band, and his narration is as melodious as his singing voice. Some of the memories he recounts feel dreamlike, while others are told in a straight-forward manner. Bono is a very interesting individual, with talents in a few different areas, and a passion for social justice and change.
As an added bonus, Bono does sing and perform poetry on the audio version. One of the best audiobooks I've listened to (and I listen to a lot!)...more
If one is looking for a thrilling thriller, this is not the one. Unlikable characters, an implausible set-up & some questionable plot points. This is If one is looking for a thrilling thriller, this is not the one. Unlikable characters, an implausible set-up & some questionable plot points. This is one of those that I felt compelled to finish because maybe it would get better, but it didn't.
The premise is: 2 women & 1 gun in an elevator. 1 woman is shot with that gun. The question is whether it was a suicide, or a murder. The main character/suspect is not very sympathetic, so I really didn't care if she was convicted or not. The murdered character ends up not being a nice person, so I didn't care about that either. The rest of the story is kind of a blur because it's easily forgettable....more
While I enjoyed this book & it is a relatively quick read, there was something missing from the story and/or the characters. I felt like the story wasWhile I enjoyed this book & it is a relatively quick read, there was something missing from the story and/or the characters. I felt like the story was very surface, or artificial, when I knew there had to be more depth to these characters. This seems especially strange to say considering that there are multiple 1st person narrations in this book. Some parts of the plot were very compelling, but got glossed over. I feel like maybe the author was trying to tackle too many social issues in one book....more
This book was an eye-opener & is a great companion/complementary read to Isabel Wilkerson's Caste, in that White Trash focuses on the lower-class whitThis book was an eye-opener & is a great companion/complementary read to Isabel Wilkerson's Caste, in that White Trash focuses on the lower-class white people's experience. The lowest of these were (and maybe still are) referred to as "garbage people" in some circles, seen as disposable & only useful to provide cheap/free labor to the upper classes of American society. This is one of those "untold" histories because maybe it hasn't impacted major events when looking to the Past, but is having repercussions now in the present. Very enlightening & is told in an engaging way....more
I remember Waco happening when I was a child as a news story, but not much else. I watched one of the shows about Waco on Showtime & was interested inI remember Waco happening when I was a child as a news story, but not much else. I watched one of the shows about Waco on Showtime & was interested in learning more of the origins of this cult. Koresh fits in with all of the other known Christian cult leaders, in that he wanted power & sex, and got it by invoking Biblical translations to support his desires. It's puzzling how he got people to follow him, as he is not described as an overly appealing man, but I guess there was something about him that led people to ruin relationships & die for his preachings.
I thought the book was weighed down once the Waco siege started because some of the negotiators transcripts were included, and it felt like maybe that should have been in a book about Waco as an event & not about Koresh as a person....more
I enjoyed this book of essays & the authors delivery of the humor. Some of the essays were a little raunchy for my taste, so it was easy to skip over.I enjoyed this book of essays & the authors delivery of the humor. Some of the essays were a little raunchy for my taste, so it was easy to skip over. I really enjoyed her Sex & the City reboot! I will probably go back & listen to some of her earlier books....more
As one with a passing familiarity with the band Rush, as in I can identify when I hear one of their songs, this book was fine. I enjoyed listening to As one with a passing familiarity with the band Rush, as in I can identify when I hear one of their songs, this book was fine. I enjoyed listening to Geddy Lee tell his own story. I probably liked the first half of the book much better, as he explores his family's history & his younger years. Most of his older family members survived the Holocaust, and afterwards emigrated to Canada. I like a good origin story & the formation of the band Rush is no exception. I guess I started to get mired down about halfway through the book when Lee goes in-depth on some of the Rush albums and tours that I am unfamiliar with & spends a lot of time talking about the lives of his bandmates. I believe this is all interesting to superfans, or those more familiar with Rush. To me, it was just OK....more
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