clover's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:05:24 -0700 60 clover's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214331246 When you¡¯ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch¡¯s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He¡¯s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who¡¯s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he¡¯s been set up to fail. But there¡¯s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 382 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 clover 4 4.64 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: clover
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves:
review:

]]> The Kite Runner 77203 371 Khaled Hosseini 159463193X clover 3 fiction 4.34 2003 The Kite Runner
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: clover
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 2: Research (Gunnerkrigg Court #2)]]> 6908180 Annie and Kat begin their second year at Gunnerkrigg Court! Parts of Annie's past are revealed, as well as mysteries that tie back to the origins of the Court itself. Finding a secret tomb of ancient robots beneath Kat's workshop leads the two friends to question how they are linked to the mysterious ghost that attacked Annie the year before. And as a new Medium-In-Training, Annie is able to visit the powerful trickster god Coyote in Gillitie Forest, a visit that reveals more than she ever imagined!

Contains chapters 15-22 of the webcomic.

]]> 296 Thomas Siddell 1932386777 clover 5 4.40 2010 Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 2: Research (Gunnerkrigg Court #2)
author: Thomas Siddell
name: clover
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 1: Orientation (Gunnerkrigg Court #1)]]> 2915026
Contains chapters #1-14]]> 296 Thomas Siddell 1932386343 clover 5 4.22 2007 Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 1: Orientation (Gunnerkrigg Court #1)
author: Thomas Siddell
name: clover
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #1)]]> 40916679
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.]]> 433 Holly Jackson 1405293187 clover 2 4.30 2019 A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #1)
author: Holly Jackson
name: clover
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Hello Beautiful 61771675
But then darkness from William¡¯s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia¡¯s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters¡¯ unshakeable devotion to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?]]> 416 Ann Napolitano clover 2 4.14 2023 Hello Beautiful
author: Ann Napolitano
name: clover
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Wild Dark Shore 211004089
Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world¡¯s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, eighteen and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, seventeen, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; nine-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can¡¯t stop turning back toward the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.

Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn¡¯t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it¡¯s too late¡ªand if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.]]> 303 Charlotte McConaghy 1250827957 clover 0 to-read 4.30 2025 Wild Dark Shore
author: Charlotte McConaghy
name: clover
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gone Rogue (Wires and Nerve, #2)]]> 34930815
The world of the Lunar Chronicles comes alive in this thrilling continuation of Wires and Nerve. Iko--an audacious android and best friend to the Lunar Queen Cinder--has been tasked with hunting down Alpha Lysander Steele, the leader of a rogue band of bioengineered wolf-soldiers who threaten to undo the tenuous peace agreement between Earth and Luna. Unless Cinder can reverse the mutations that were forced on them years before, Steele and his soldiers plan to satisfy their monstrous appetites with a massacre of the innocent people of Earth.

And to show he's serious, Steele is taking hostages.

Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, and Winter and Jacin all feature in this epic new battle. But it is Iko who must face her deepest fears when she uncovers the truth about her own unusual programming. Questions of love, friendship, and mortality take Iko on an emotional journey that will satisfy and delight fans of this bestselling series.]]> 324 Marissa Meyer 1250078288 clover 4 4.20 2018 Gone Rogue (Wires and Nerve, #2)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: clover
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 (Wires and Nerves, #1)]]> 33906101 The first graphic novel from #1 NewYork Times and USA Today bestseller Marissa Meyer!

In her first graphic novel, bestselling author Marissa Meyer extends the world of the Lunar Chronicles with a brand-new,action-packed story about Iko, the android with a heart of (mechanized) gold.When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers' leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder, Cress, Scarlet, Winter, and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the bestselling series.

]]> 240 Marissa Meyer 1250153549 clover 4 4.01 2017 Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 (Wires and Nerves, #1)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: clover
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity]]> 11869272
In this brilliantly written, fast-paced book, based on three years of uncompromising reporting, a bewildering age of global change and inequality is made human.

Annawadi is a makeshift settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport, and as India starts to prosper, Annawadians are electric with hope. Abdul, a reflective and enterprising Muslim teenager, sees "a fortune beyond counting" in the recyclable garbage that richer people throw away. Asha, a woman of formidable wit and deep scars from a childhood in rural poverty, has identified an alternate route to the middle class: political corruption. With a little luck, her sensitive, beautiful daughter - Annawadi's "most-everything girl" - will soon become its first female college graduate. And even the poorest Annawadians, like Kalu, a fifteen-year-old scrap-metal thief, believe themselves inching closer to the good lives and good times they call "the full enjoy."

But then Abdul the garbage sorter is falsely accused in a shocking tragedy; terror and a global recession rock the city; and suppressed tensions over religion, caste, sex, power and economic envy turn brutal. As the tenderest individual hopes intersect with the greatest global truths, the true contours of a competitive age are revealed. And so, too, are the imaginations and courage of the people of Annawadi.

With intelligence, humor, and deep insight into what connects human beings to one another in an era of tumultuous change, Behind the Beautiful Forevers carries the reader headlong into one of the twenty-first century's hidden worlds, and into the lives of people impossible to forget.]]> 278 Katherine Boo 1400067553 clover 4 3.97 2012 Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
author: Katherine Boo
name: clover
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life]]> 40607229 Being Mortal, physician and award-winning author Louise Aronson's Elderhood is an essential, empathetic look at a vital but often disparaged stage of life.

For more than 5,000 years, "old" has been defined as beginning between the ages of 60 and 70. That means most people alive today will spend more years in elderhood than in childhood, and many will be elders for 40 years or more. Yet at the very moment that humans are living longer than ever before, we've made old age into a disease, a condition to be dreaded, denigrated, neglected, and denied.

Reminiscent of Oliver Sacks, noted Harvard-trained geriatrician Louise Aronson uses stories from her quarter century of caring for patients, and draws from history, science, literature, popular culture, and her own life to weave a vision of old age that's neither nightmare nor utopian fantasy--a vision full of joy, wonder, frustration, outrage, and hope about aging, medicine, and humanity itself.

Elderhood is for anyone who is, in the author's own words, "an aging, i.e., still-breathing human being."]]> 464 Louise Aronson 1620405466 clover 4 3.94 2019 Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life
author: Louise Aronson
name: clover
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> Rough Sleepers 62328661 In Rough Sleepers, Tracy Kidder shows how one person can make a difference, as he tells the story of Dr. Jim O¡¯Connell, a man who invented ways to create a community of care for a city¡¯s unhoused population, including those who sleep on the streets¡ªthe ¡°rough sleepers.¡±

When Jim O¡¯Connell graduated from Harvard Medical School and was nearing the end of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, the chief of medicine made a proposal: Would he defer a prestigious fellowship and spend a year helping to create an organization to bring health care to homeless citizens? Jim took the job because he felt he couldn¡¯t refuse. But that year turned into his life¡¯s calling. Tracy Kidder spent five years following Dr. O¡¯Connell and his colleagues as they served their thousands of homeless patients. In this book, we travel with O¡¯Connell as he navigates the city, offering medical care, socks, soup, empathy, humor, and friendship to some of the city¡¯s most vulnerable citizens. He emphasizes a style of medicine in which patients come first, joined with their providers in what he calls ¡°a system of friends.¡±]]> 320 Tracy Kidder 1984801430 clover 4 4.34 2023 Rough Sleepers
author: Tracy Kidder
name: clover
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[All Our Relations US Edition: Finding the Path Forward (The CBC Massey Lectures)]]> 39971354

Based on her Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy series, All Our Relations is a powerful call for action, justice, and a better, more equitable world for all Indigenous Peoples.]]> 320 Tanya Talaga 1487005733 clover 4 4.46 2018 All Our Relations US Edition: Finding the Path Forward (The CBC Massey Lectures)
author: Tanya Talaga
name: clover
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted]]> 50743767
In the summer after graduating from college, Suleika Jaouad was preparing, as they say in commencement speeches, to enter "the real world". She had fallen in love and moved to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a war correspondent. The real world she found, however, would take her into a very different kind of conflict zone.

It started with an itch - first on her feet, then up her legs, like 1,000 invisible mosquito bites. Next came the exhaustion, and the six-hour naps that only deepened her fatigue. Then a trip to the doctor and, a few weeks shy of her 23rd birthday, a diagnosis: leukemia, with a 35 percent chance of survival. Just like that, the life she had imagined for herself had gone up in flames. By the time Jaouad flew home to New York, she had lost her job, her apartment, and her independence. She would spend much of the next four years in a hospital bed, fighting for her life and chronicling the saga in a column for The New York Times.

When Jaouad finally walked out of the cancer ward - after three and a half years of chemo, a clinical trial, and a bone marrow transplant - she was, according to the doctors, cured. But as she would soon learn, a cure is not where the work of healing ends; it¡¯s where it begins. She had spent the past 1,500 days in desperate pursuit of one goal - to survive. And now that she¡¯d done so, she realized that she had no idea how to live.

How would she reenter the world and live again? How could she reclaim what had been lost? Jaouad embarked - with her new best friend, Oscar, a scruffy terrier mutt - on a 100-day, 15,000-mile road trip across the country. She set out to meet some of the strangers who had written to her during her years in the hospital: a teenage girl in Florida also recovering from cancer; a teacher in California grieving the death of her son; a death-row inmate in Texas who¡¯d spent his own years confined to a room. What she learned on this trip is that the divide between sick and well is porous, that the vast majority of us will travel back and forth between these realms throughout our lives. Between Two Kingdoms is a profound chronicle of survivorship and a fierce, tender, and inspiring exploration of what it means to begin again.]]> 352 Suleika Jaouad 0399588582 clover 4 4.40 2021 Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted
author: Suleika Jaouad
name: clover
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Health for All: A Doctor's Prescription for a Healthier Canada]]> 197641699 An Instant #1 National Bestseller ??From one of Canada's most respected and high-profile health professionals (and former federal Minister of Health), a timely, practical, ambitious, and deeply personal call for action on health that sets out the roadmap to our future well-being.

Jane Philpott has spent her life learning what makes people sick and what keeps people well. She has witnessed miracles in modern medicine. She has also watched children die of starvation in a world that has plenty of food. With Health for All, she sounds a clarion call for a radical disruption in a health care system that is broken¡ªbut not beyond repair.?The vision is rooted in a deep-seated commitment to health equity.

Decades ago, a few visionary Canadian leaders put laws in place to ensure health care insurance for all. But the structures to deliver that care were never fully developed as envisioned. As a result, our health systems are not comprehensive or well-coordinated. In the wake of a pandemic, we risk it all falling apart. More than six million people have no family doctor, nor any other access to primary care. Emergency rooms are routinely closed. Exhausted health workers wonder if it will ever get better. Some say we should hand health care over to the private sector. But to abandon our commitment to publicly funded health care now would only lead to more expensive and less equitable care. Philpott outlines a different solution¡ªan ambitious, once-in-a-generation reset of health systems with universal access to primary care teams.

What sets this book apart is that it¡¯s more than a prescription for better medical care. Philpott looks at the big picture of health for all. This includes an intimate look at the personal roots of hope, belonging, meaning, and purpose. Then, through real-life stories, she examines the impact of the social determinants of health. Finally, she explains that none of this will happen without the political will to do the hard work of rebuilding a healthy society. The remedy we await is serious leadership to implement what we already know and to put the well-being of Canadians at the top of the agenda.]]> 295 Jane Philpott 0771014767 clover 4
Since I¡¯ve been old enough to care, elections have always seemed like some sort of high stakes reality show, with one politician throwing insults at the other and competing for who gets to sit in the chair for the next four years. And much like many high school student council elections, it often seems like more of a means to an end rather than a true desire to use the platform to carry out a vision. Isn¡¯t it odd when you start thinking ¡°who do I dislike less¡± rather than ¡°whose vision resonates with me?¡±

In this book, Philpott, a family doctor turned politician describes her experience in medicine and as Minister of Health. It feels (is?) current, with references to COVID and Justin Trudeau, and takes you into things from a perspective I¡¯ve never looked into - what governments actually do with their time and money, with an emphasis on healthcare. In addition, it makes me reflect why I didn¡¯t pay more attention to it.

A rather practical guide, she outlines her vision for a primary care as a school execution. That is, much like every child has a school, every person should have a primary care ¡°home¡± where they can rely on as a go-to for all things healthcare. They shouldn¡¯t be struggling to find appointments with their own family doctors and juggling lengthy referrals with incompatible specialists, or sitting unattached in a packed emergency room as many without family doctors in Canada do right now. I¡¯ve had a family doctor my whole life, and I didn¡¯t even realize I was lucky until this year. I remember talking with someone, noticing she seemed visibly distraught one day. When I asked her what was wrong, she laughed in a wry way, admitting she was actually quite anxious after learning she might be removed from her family doctor after violating policy and visiting walk ins without notice several times. The irony of this worry and its legitimacy was humbling. When the topic was brought up, a family friend spoke with pride on how his own close relationship with his family doctor allowed him to ¡°pull his relations onto the boat¡±, so to speak, where his niece, niece¡¯s boyfriend, and niece¡¯s boyfriends parents were accepted after an interview. An interview!

On a more general note, Philpott reflects that there is only so much an individual healthcare worker can do. The burnout we see in healthcare right now and the packed emergency are all symptoms of a system that needs a major reform rather than bandaids here and there.

There is some critique that the author still only sets an overarching skeleton without worrying about the details and necessary headaches of implementation. Overall though, I think she brings a clear and ambitious vision that is quite refreshing, and a realistic but hopeful view on what a government can do for the healthcare system.

Short and solid 4/5]]> 4.26 2024 Health for All: A Doctor's Prescription for a Healthier Canada
author: Jane Philpott
name: clover
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
As much (or perhaps more so) a book about policy and politics as it is about medicine, this was a surprisingly interesting read.

Since I¡¯ve been old enough to care, elections have always seemed like some sort of high stakes reality show, with one politician throwing insults at the other and competing for who gets to sit in the chair for the next four years. And much like many high school student council elections, it often seems like more of a means to an end rather than a true desire to use the platform to carry out a vision. Isn¡¯t it odd when you start thinking ¡°who do I dislike less¡± rather than ¡°whose vision resonates with me?¡±

In this book, Philpott, a family doctor turned politician describes her experience in medicine and as Minister of Health. It feels (is?) current, with references to COVID and Justin Trudeau, and takes you into things from a perspective I¡¯ve never looked into - what governments actually do with their time and money, with an emphasis on healthcare. In addition, it makes me reflect why I didn¡¯t pay more attention to it.

A rather practical guide, she outlines her vision for a primary care as a school execution. That is, much like every child has a school, every person should have a primary care ¡°home¡± where they can rely on as a go-to for all things healthcare. They shouldn¡¯t be struggling to find appointments with their own family doctors and juggling lengthy referrals with incompatible specialists, or sitting unattached in a packed emergency room as many without family doctors in Canada do right now. I¡¯ve had a family doctor my whole life, and I didn¡¯t even realize I was lucky until this year. I remember talking with someone, noticing she seemed visibly distraught one day. When I asked her what was wrong, she laughed in a wry way, admitting she was actually quite anxious after learning she might be removed from her family doctor after violating policy and visiting walk ins without notice several times. The irony of this worry and its legitimacy was humbling. When the topic was brought up, a family friend spoke with pride on how his own close relationship with his family doctor allowed him to ¡°pull his relations onto the boat¡±, so to speak, where his niece, niece¡¯s boyfriend, and niece¡¯s boyfriends parents were accepted after an interview. An interview!

On a more general note, Philpott reflects that there is only so much an individual healthcare worker can do. The burnout we see in healthcare right now and the packed emergency are all symptoms of a system that needs a major reform rather than bandaids here and there.

There is some critique that the author still only sets an overarching skeleton without worrying about the details and necessary headaches of implementation. Overall though, I think she brings a clear and ambitious vision that is quite refreshing, and a realistic but hopeful view on what a government can do for the healthcare system.

Short and solid 4/5
]]> Raymie Nightingale 25937866 263 Kate DiCamillo clover 4 3.93 2016 Raymie Nightingale
author: Kate DiCamillo
name: clover
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Vicious (Villains, #1) 40874032 A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates¡ªbrilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find¡ªaside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge¡ªbut who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.]]> 402 Victoria E. Schwab clover 3
And it¡¯s crazy how unrelated they are technically in plot and world building, but there are so many parallels in characters. (Maybe I¡¯m delusional about this, but someone wrote an instagram post on it so¡­) Firstly, another character named Victor? A seemingly perfect guy who is best friends with Victor? A genius child girl who is more than she seems? Some magic is science crossover premise?

The book was pretty good, I didn¡¯t find it amazing but it was okay. I think mainly, I missed the magjc of fantasy after Arcane and this book had a hint of that. A cool premise, clear characters, and a solid story. It was a bit oversimplified and flat at times especially in retrospect, but the vibes were there.

3/5?

]]> 4.17 2013 Vicious (Villains, #1)
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: clover
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:
I read this after seeing an instagram post that if you liked the character Jinx in the show Arcane, you should read Vicious.

And it¡¯s crazy how unrelated they are technically in plot and world building, but there are so many parallels in characters. (Maybe I¡¯m delusional about this, but someone wrote an instagram post on it so¡­) Firstly, another character named Victor? A seemingly perfect guy who is best friends with Victor? A genius child girl who is more than she seems? Some magic is science crossover premise?

The book was pretty good, I didn¡¯t find it amazing but it was okay. I think mainly, I missed the magjc of fantasy after Arcane and this book had a hint of that. A cool premise, clear characters, and a solid story. It was a bit oversimplified and flat at times especially in retrospect, but the vibes were there.

3/5?


]]> Waverider (Amulet #9) 150824570 256 Kazu Kibuishi 0545828694 clover 4 4.07 2024 Waverider (Amulet #9)
author: Kazu Kibuishi
name: clover
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, #2)]]> 6277410 A MYSTERIOUS WORLD FULL OF NEW ALLIES... AND OLD ENEMIES!

Emily and Navin's mother is still in a coma from the arachnopod's poison, and there's only one place to find help: Kanalis, the bustling, beautiful city of waterfalls. But when Em, her brother, and Miskit and the rest of the robotic crew aboard the walking house reach the city, they quickly realize that seeking help is looking for trouble...dangerous trouble.]]> 220 Kazu Kibuishi 0439846838 clover 4 4.32 2009 The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, #2)
author: Kazu Kibuishi
name: clover
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> The Stonekeeper (Amulet, #1) 1238684
After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.]]> 192 Kazu Kibuishi 0439846803 clover 4 4.17 2008 The Stonekeeper (Amulet, #1)
author: Kazu Kibuishi
name: clover
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Eyes that Kiss in the Corners 53327864
Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self love and empowerment.?]]> 34 Joanna Ho 0062915622 clover 4 4.57 2021 Eyes that Kiss in the Corners
author: Joanna Ho
name: clover
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/25
date added: 2024/12/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder]]> 18296159
Cullen's murderous career in the world's most trusted profession spanned sixteen years and nine hospitals across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. When, in March of 2006, Charles Cullen was marched from his final sentencing in an Allentown, Pennsylvania, courthouse into a waiting police van, it seemed certain that the chilling secrets of his life, career, and capture would disappear with him. Now, in a riveting piece of investigative journalism nearly ten years in the making, journalist Charles Graeber presents the whole story for the first time. Based on hundreds of pages of previously unseen police records, interviews, wire-tap recordings and videotapes, as well as exclusive jailhouse conversations with Cullen himself and the confidential informant who helped bring him down, THE GOOD NURSE weaves an urgent, terrifying tale of murder, friendship, and betrayal.

Graeber's portrait of Cullen depicts a surprisingly intelligent and complicated young man whose promising career was overwhelmed by his compulsion to kill, and whose shy demeanor masked a twisted interior life hidden even to his family and friends. Were it not for the hardboiled, unrelenting work of two former Newark homicide detectives racing to put together the pieces of Cullen's professional past, and a fellow nurse willing to put everything at risk, including her job and the safety of her children, there's no telling how many more lives could have been lost.

In the tradition of In Cold Blood, THE GOOD NURSE does more than chronicle Cullen's deadly career and the breathless efforts to stop him; it paints an incredibly vivid portrait of madness and offers a penetrating look inside America's medical system. Harrowing and irresistibly paced, this book will make you look at medicine, hospitals, and the people who work in them, in an entirely different way.]]> 320 Charles Graeber 1455574139 clover 4 3.87 2013 The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder
author: Charles Graeber
name: clover
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/23
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Best Christmas Pageant Ever [Picture Book Adaptation]]]> 10812974 "Hey Unto you a child is born "

Meet the Herdmans--they lie, cheat, and love to give clonks on the head. They are, without a doubt, the worst kids in the history of the world. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.

None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Joseph, Mary, the baby Jesus--it's all news to them. So they're convinced that the Wise Men should bring pizza and that the Angel of the Lord is straight out of a comic book. Everyone worries that this year's pageant will be horrible (just like the Herdmans ), but they are sure to make it the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.

Adapted from the beloved novel of the same name, this sparkling picture-book version is perfect for younger children. They will delight in the antics of the terrible Herdmans, who surprise everyone when they capture the true meaning of Christmas.

]]> 40 Barbara Robinson 0060890746 clover 3 4.04 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever [Picture Book Adaptation]
author: Barbara Robinson
name: clover
average rating: 4.04
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
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]]> The Tiger Rising 37187 The National Book Award finalist from the best-selling author of Because of Winn-Dixie¡ªnow in paperback

Walking through the misty Florida woods one morning, twelve-year-old Rob Horton is stunned to encounter a tiger¡ªa real-life, very large tiger¡ªpacing back and forth in a cage. What's more, on the same extraordinary day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a girl who shows her feelings as readily as Rob hides his. As they learn to trust each other, and ultimately, to be friends, Rob and Sistine prove that some things¡ªlike memories, and heartaches, and tigers¡ªcan't be locked up forever.]]> 128 Kate DiCamillo 0763618985 clover 3 3.83 2001 The Tiger Rising
author: Kate DiCamillo
name: clover
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
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]]> <![CDATA[Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly]]> 33313 A deluxe, annotated edition of Kitchen Confidential to celebrate the life of Anthony Bourdain, featuring new photo inserts

Over two decades ago, the New Yorker published a now infamous article, ¡°Don¡¯t Eat Before Reading This,¡± by then little-known chef Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain spared no one¡¯s appetite as he revealed what happens behind the kitchen door. The article was a sensation, and the book it spawned, the now iconic Kitchen Confidential, became an even bigger sensation and megabestseller. Frankly confessional, addictively acerbic, and utterly unsparing, Bourdain pulls no punches in this memoir of his years in the restaurant business.

Fans will love to return to this deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade, laying out Bourdain¡¯s more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine. Including a handwritten introduction and annotations done by Bourdain about a decade after the book was originally published, this edition also features previously unpublished photos to accompany the now-classic text.]]> 312 Anthony Bourdain 0060899220 clover 3 4.17 2000 Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
author: Anthony Bourdain
name: clover
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Liar's Poker 7865083 The time was the 1980s. The place was Wall Street. The game was called Liar¡¯s Poker.

Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton and the London School of Economics when he landed a job at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street¡¯s premier investment firms. During the next three years, Lewis rose from callow trainee to bond salesman, raking in millions for the firm and cashing in on a modern-day gold rush. Liar¡¯s Poker is the culmination of those heady, frenzied years¡ªa behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. From the frat-boy camaraderie of the forty-first-floor trading room to the killer instinct that made ambitious young men gamble everything on a high-stakes game of bluffing and deception, here is Michael Lewis¡¯s knowing and hilarious insider¡¯s account of an unprecedented era of greed, gluttony, and outrageous fortune. .]]> 310 Michael Lewis 039333869X clover 0 to-read 4.16 1989 Liar's Poker
author: Michael Lewis
name: clover
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[How to Solve Your Own Murder (Castle Knoll Files, #1)]]> 181350367 For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club, an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate.... Now it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer.

It¡¯s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances¡¯s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn¡¯t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances¡¯s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?

As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt¡¯s fate instead of her fortune.]]> 358 Kristen Perrin 0593474015 clover 2 3.76 2024 How to Solve Your Own Murder (Castle Knoll Files, #1)
author: Kristen Perrin
name: clover
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/22
date added: 2024/10/22
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow]]> 58784475 In this exhilarating novel, two friends¡ªoften in love, but never lovers¡ªcome together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.]]> 401 Gabrielle Zevin 0735243344 clover 4 to-read
But instead of a film stars rise to fame, it was two video game developers/creators rise to fame.

The characters turned unlikable at some points - some flaws, choices, opinions that the author seems to brush off as just flaws, to make them more realistic, but ultimately left a bad taste. I started to really not like Sam or Sadie at all.

That being said, I finished this in basically one day because! I wanted to know where this was going. And the depiction of the game industry was interesting, unexpected but cool.

3.5/5]]> 4.12 2022 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
author: Gabrielle Zevin
name: clover
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/14
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:
Idk why this really gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes?

But instead of a film stars rise to fame, it was two video game developers/creators rise to fame.

The characters turned unlikable at some points - some flaws, choices, opinions that the author seems to brush off as just flaws, to make them more realistic, but ultimately left a bad taste. I started to really not like Sam or Sadie at all.

That being said, I finished this in basically one day because! I wanted to know where this was going. And the depiction of the game industry was interesting, unexpected but cool.

3.5/5
]]> <![CDATA[Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1)]]> 44421460 What would you change if you could go back in time?

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a caf¨¦ which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the caf¨¦¡¯s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the caf¨¦, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .

Toshikazu Kawaguchi¡¯s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?]]> 213 Toshikazu Kawaguchi 1529029589 clover 0 to-read 3.67 2015 Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1)
author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
name: clover
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/08
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Last Night at the Telegraph Club]]> 35224992 A story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare.

¡°That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.¡± And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: ¡°Have you ever heard of such a thing?¡±

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can¡¯t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father¡ªdespite his hard-won citizenship¡ªLily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.]]> 409 Malinda Lo 0525555250 clover 0 to-read 4.21 2021 Last Night at the Telegraph Club
author: Malinda Lo
name: clover
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/08
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]]> Wonderstruck 10128428
Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories - Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures - weave back and forth in symmetry.]]> 640 Brian Selznick 0545027896 clover 0 to-read 4.16 2011 Wonderstruck
author: Brian Selznick
name: clover
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sympathizer (The Sympathizer, #1)]]> 23168277
The Sympathizer is the story of this captain: a man brought up by an absent French father and a poor Vietnamese mother, a man who went to university in America, but returned to Vietnam to fight for the Communist cause. A gripping spy novel, an astute exploration of extreme politics, and a moving love story, The Sympathizer explores a life between two worlds and examines the legacy of the Vietnam War in literature, film, and the wars we fight today.]]> 371 Viet Thanh Nguyen 0802123457 clover 4 4.00 2015 The Sympathizer (The Sympathizer, #1)
author: Viet Thanh Nguyen
name: clover
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)]]> 68428 What if the whole world were a dead, blasted wasteland?

Mistborn
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale-spinner and author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the prophesied hero failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises that begins with the book in your hands. Fantasy will never be the same again.]]> 541 Brandon Sanderson clover 4 4.48 2006 Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: clover
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/05
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Tom Lake 63241104 In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America¡¯s finest writers.

In the spring of 2020, Lara¡¯s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.]]> 309 Ann Patchett 006332752X clover 3 3.92 2023 Tom Lake
author: Ann Patchett
name: clover
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/01
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
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]]> The Dutch House 44318414
The story is told by Cyril¡¯s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.

Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they¡¯re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they¡¯ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they¡¯re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.]]> 337 Ann Patchett 0062963678 clover 3 4.08 2019 The Dutch House
author: Ann Patchett
name: clover
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/22
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
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]]> A Little Life 22822858
Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride.?Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he¡¯ll not only be unable to overcome¡ªbut that will define his life forever.]]> 720 Hanya Yanagihara 0385539258 clover 1 - Saying this book is about four friends might be one of the best examples of book marketing world catfishing
- Sometimes there are long, popular, hyped up books that really don¡¯t need to be read

1.5/5]]> 4.28 2015 A Little Life
author: Hanya Yanagihara
name: clover
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2015
rating: 1
read at: 2024/09/18
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:
A few thoughts
- Saying this book is about four friends might be one of the best examples of book marketing world catfishing
- Sometimes there are long, popular, hyped up books that really don¡¯t need to be read

1.5/5
]]> American Dirt 45046527
Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while cracks are beginning to show in Acapulco because of the cartels, Lydia¡¯s life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. But after her husband¡¯s tell-all profile of the newest drug lord is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.

Forced to flee, Lydia and Luca find themselves joining the countless people trying to reach the United States. Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?]]> 459 Jeanine Cummins clover 0 to-read 4.32 2020 American Dirt
author: Jeanine Cummins
name: clover
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe]]> 31625636 Prepare to learn everything we still don't know about our strange, mostly mysterious universe.

PHD Comics creator Jorge Cham and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson have teamed up to spelunk through the enormous gaps in our cosmological knowledge, armed with their popular infographics, cartoons, and unusually entertaining and lucid explanations of science.

In We Have No Idea, they explore the biggest unknowns in the universe, why these things are still mysteries, and what a lot of smart people are doing to figure out the answers (or at least ask the right questions). While they're at it, they helpfully demystify many complicated things we do know about, from quarks and neutrinos to gravitational waves and exploding black holes. With equal doses of humor and delight, they invite us to see the universe as a vast expanse of mostly uncharted territory that's still ours to explore.

This entertaining illustrated science primer is the perfect book for anyone who's curious about all the big questions physicists are still trying to answer.]]> 354 Jorge Cham 0735211515 clover 0 to-read 4.28 2017 We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe
author: Jorge Cham
name: clover
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior]]> 164064
How much of our fate is decided before we are born???Which of our characteristics is inscribed in our DNA? Weiner brings us into Benzer's Fly Rooms at the California Institute of Technology, where Benzer, and his asssociates are in the process of finding answers, often astonishing ones, to these questions. Part biography, part thrilling scientific detective story, Time, Love, Memory forcefully demonstrates how Benzer's studies are changing our world view--and even our lives.

Jonathan Weiner, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for? The Beak of the Finch , brings his brilliant reporting skills to the story of Seymour Benzer, the Brooklyn-born maverick scientist whose study of genetics and experiments with fruit fly genes has helped revolutionize or knowledge of the connections between DNA and behavior both animal and human.]]> 320 Jonathan Weiner 0679763902 clover 0 to-read 4.19 1999 Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior
author: Jonathan Weiner
name: clover
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Self-Assembling Brain: How Neural Networks Grow Smarter]]> 55836283
How does a neural network become a brain? While neurobiologists investigate how nature accomplishes this feat, computer scientists interested in artificial intelligence strive to achieve this through technology. The Self-Assembling Brain tells the stories of both fields, exploring the historical and modern approaches taken by the scientists pursuing answers to the What information is necessary to make an intelligent neural network?

As Peter Robin Hiesinger argues, ¡°the information problem¡± underlies both fields, motivating the questions driving forward the frontiers of research. How does genetic information unfold during the years-long process of human brain development¨Dand is there a quicker path to creating human-level artificial intelligence? Is the biological brain just messy hardware, which scientists can improve upon by running learning algorithms on computers? Can AI bypass the evolutionary programming of ¡°grown¡± networks? Through a series of fictional discussions between researchers across disciplines, complemented by in-depth seminars, Hiesinger explores these tightly linked questions, highlighting the challenges facing scientists, their different disciplinary perspectives and approaches, as well as the common ground shared by those interested in the development of biological brains and AI systems. In the end, Hiesinger contends that the information content of biological and artificial neural networks must unfold in an algorithmic process requiring time and energy. There is no genome and no blueprint that depicts the final product. The self-assembling brain knows no shortcuts.

Written for readers interested in advances in neuroscience and artificial intelligence, The Self-Assembling Brain looks at how neural networks grow smarter.]]> 384 Peter Robin Hiesinger 0691181225 clover 0 to-read 4.20 The Self-Assembling Brain: How Neural Networks Grow Smarter
author: Peter Robin Hiesinger
name: clover
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon¡¯s Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table]]> 33801469 An incredible memoir from one of the world¡¯s most eminent heart surgeons and some of the most remarkable and poignant cases he¡¯s worked on.

Grim Reaper sits on the heart surgeon¡¯s shoulder. A slip of the hand and life ebbs away.

The balance between life and death is so delicate, and the heart surgeon walks that rope between the two. In the operating room there is no time for doubt. It is flesh, blood, rib-retractors and pumping the vital organ with your bare hand to squeeze the life back into it. An off-day can have dire consequences ¨C this job has a steep learning curve, and the cost is measured in human life. Cardiac surgery is not for the faint of heart.

Professor Stephen Westaby took chances and pushed the boundaries of heart surgery. He saved hundreds of lives over the course of a thirty-five year career and now, in his astounding memoir, Westaby details some of his most remarkable and poignant cases ¨C such as the baby who had suffered multiple heart attacks by six months old, a woman who lived the nightmare of locked-in syndrome, and a man whose life was powered by a battery for eight years.

A powerful, important and incredibly moving book, Fragile Lives offers an exceptional insight into the exhilarating and sometimes tragic world of heart surgery, and how it feels to hold someone¡¯s life in your hands.

]]> 349 Stephen Westaby 0008196761 clover 0 to-read 4.33 2017 Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon¡¯s Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table
author: Stephen Westaby
name: clover
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Counselling for Toads 548887 164 Robert De Board 0415174295 clover 0 to-read 4.32 1983 Counselling for Toads
author: Robert De Board
name: clover
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1983
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> West with the Night 1624 Markham was the first woman in East Africa to be granted a commercial pilot's license, piloting passengers and supplies to remote corners of Africa. She became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west.
Considered a classic of outdoor literature and ranked #8 by National Geographic Adventure in 2008 on its list of the 100 best adventure books.]]> 294 Beryl Markham 0865471185 clover 0 to-read 4.13 1942 West with the Night
author: Beryl Markham
name: clover
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1942
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI]]> 144405196
Wired called Dr. Fei-Fei Li ¡°one of a tiny group of scientists¨Da group perhaps small enough to fit around a kitchen table¨Dwho are responsible for AI¡¯s recent remarkable advances.¡±

Known to the world as the creator of ImageNet, a key catalyst of modern artificial intelligence, Dr. Li has spent more than two decades at the forefront of the field. But her career in science was improbable from the start. As immigrants, her family faced a difficult transition from China¡¯s middle class to American poverty. And their lives were made all the harder as they struggled to care for her ailing mother, who was working tirelessly to help them all gain a foothold in their new land.

Fei-Fei¡¯s adolescent knack for physics endured, however, and positioned her to make a crucial contribution to the breakthrough we now call AI, placing her at the center of a global transformation. Over the last decades, her work has brought her face-to-face with the extraordinary possibilities¨Dand the extraordinary dangers¨Dof the technology she loves.

The Worlds I See is a story of science in the first person, documenting one of the century¡¯s defining moments from the inside. It provides a riveting story of a scientist at work and a thrillingly clear explanation of what artificial intelligence actually is¨Dand how it came to be. Emotionally raw and intellectually uncompromising, this book is a testament not only to the passion required for even the most technical scholarship but also to the curiosity forever at its heart.]]> 336 Fei-Fei Li clover 4 4.31 2023 The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI
author: Fei-Fei Li
name: clover
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves:
review:

]]> ËÄÊÀͬÌà 19311178 590 Lao She clover 0 currently-reading 4.46 ËÄÊÀͬÌÃ
author: Lao She
name: clover
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dynamical Systems in Neuroscience: The Geometry of Excitability And Bursting (Computational Neuroscience)]]> 818045
Dynamical Systems in Neuroscience presents a systematic study of the relationship of electrophysiology, nonlinear dynamics, and computational properties of neurons. It emphasizes that information processing in the brain depends not only on the electrophysiological properties of neurons but also on their dynamical properties.

The book introduces dynamical systems, starting with one- and two-dimensional Hodgkin-Huxley-type models and continuing to a description of bursting systems. Each chapter proceeds from the simple to the complex, and provides sample problems at the end. The book explains all necessary mathematical concepts using geometrical intuition; it includes many figures and few equations, making it especially suitable for non-mathematicians. Each concept is presented in terms of both neuroscience and mathematics, providing a link between the two disciplines.

Nonlinear dynamical systems theory is at the core of computational neuroscience research, but it is not a standard part of the graduate neuroscience curriculum¡ªor taught by math or physics department in a way that is suitable for students of biology. This book offers neuroscience students and researchers a comprehensive account of concepts and methods increasingly used in computational neuroscience.

An additional chapter on synchronization, with more advanced material, can be found at the author's website, .]]> 441 Eugene M. Izhikevich 0262090430 clover 0 to-read 4.34 2006 Dynamical Systems in Neuroscience: The Geometry of Excitability And Bursting (Computational Neuroscience)
author: Eugene M. Izhikevich
name: clover
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Demon Copperhead 60194162 "Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose."

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.

Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind.]]> 560 Barbara Kingsolver 0063251922 clover 4
Demon Copperfield is not a devilish fantastical being or a sly poisonous snake. In fact, he¡¯s the nicest protagonist I¡¯ve read about in a long time. This isn¡¯t describing his habits concerning drugs, moods, or the bite to his words. Instead, it¡¯s his attitudes towards those around him, friends, girls, adults, that¡¯s so consistently non-judgemental. Whatever can be said about this book, Demon¡¯s voice is definitely front and center. It¡¯s an incredibly consistent blend between self-deprecating, sharp wit and a sort of bitter, frustrated, hopeful undertone. His narration style simplified can be described as ¡°I¡¯m trash¡± and ¡°I know I¡¯ll always be trash no matter what I try, that¡¯s just the way the world works. But here I am, trying¡±.

I can¡¯t remember where else I said this (maybe perks of being a wallflower), but Demon throughout the book is only ever hardest on himself- he doesn¡¯t deserve anything, he knows he craves love, he ¡°knows he¡¯s trash¡±, he says something hurtful and immediately regrets it, apologizes, and he consistently expects any happiness he has to be temporary and misfortune to be the status quo. This makes him a very sympathetic character, and a compelling underdog to root for.

Pros: narration and world building. There¡¯s an interesting cast of characters set in what is supposed to be the land of ¡°hillbillies¡±, and variation to the plot. We see through this first person narration a different angle, with more depth or nuance, of what is often labelled as a dysfunctional family background (growing up with alcoholic or drug addict parent, abusive stepfather, foster system, drugs, etc). This first person perspective in these settings was definitely a highlight of the book, especially with Demon having his consistently non judgemental and accommodating attitude. (Ex. He describes himself as being in ¡°redneck¡± country and on the football team, but also in the gifted class, likes drawing, attitude towards his childhood friend doesn¡¯t change at all when they¡¯re supposedly in different social classes - him being queer or goth , admires kindness as a quality, responsible, etc.). Kind of a who am I to judge anybody attitude that adds empathy to the story.

Cons: narration and length. You can get a bit tired of the narration, and the style of this happened then that happened then this then that, etc. Rather than one central conflict, it¡¯s more of a journey through his life from childhood to young adult, which is consistently strewn with bad turns. What¡¯s emphasized as ¡°the biggest bad turn¡± that is actually a tad bit crazy/sudden, more so in retrospect.

I guess my biggest gripe with this book is that she introduces this whole cast of cool characters, which is page turning, but it¡¯s only after finishing it that I kind of sit and wonder who each of these characters were anyway. And it seems like besides Demon, the narrator, most if not all of them are still caricatures to various extents. And maybe that¡¯s the point or asking too much, but overall, I wouldn¡¯t want to make it through the whole thing again.

3.5/5]]> 4.46 2022 Demon Copperhead
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: clover
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/16
date added: 2024/06/17
shelves:
review:
Fun, cool, slow

Demon Copperfield is not a devilish fantastical being or a sly poisonous snake. In fact, he¡¯s the nicest protagonist I¡¯ve read about in a long time. This isn¡¯t describing his habits concerning drugs, moods, or the bite to his words. Instead, it¡¯s his attitudes towards those around him, friends, girls, adults, that¡¯s so consistently non-judgemental. Whatever can be said about this book, Demon¡¯s voice is definitely front and center. It¡¯s an incredibly consistent blend between self-deprecating, sharp wit and a sort of bitter, frustrated, hopeful undertone. His narration style simplified can be described as ¡°I¡¯m trash¡± and ¡°I know I¡¯ll always be trash no matter what I try, that¡¯s just the way the world works. But here I am, trying¡±.

I can¡¯t remember where else I said this (maybe perks of being a wallflower), but Demon throughout the book is only ever hardest on himself- he doesn¡¯t deserve anything, he knows he craves love, he ¡°knows he¡¯s trash¡±, he says something hurtful and immediately regrets it, apologizes, and he consistently expects any happiness he has to be temporary and misfortune to be the status quo. This makes him a very sympathetic character, and a compelling underdog to root for.

Pros: narration and world building. There¡¯s an interesting cast of characters set in what is supposed to be the land of ¡°hillbillies¡±, and variation to the plot. We see through this first person narration a different angle, with more depth or nuance, of what is often labelled as a dysfunctional family background (growing up with alcoholic or drug addict parent, abusive stepfather, foster system, drugs, etc). This first person perspective in these settings was definitely a highlight of the book, especially with Demon having his consistently non judgemental and accommodating attitude. (Ex. He describes himself as being in ¡°redneck¡± country and on the football team, but also in the gifted class, likes drawing, attitude towards his childhood friend doesn¡¯t change at all when they¡¯re supposedly in different social classes - him being queer or goth , admires kindness as a quality, responsible, etc.). Kind of a who am I to judge anybody attitude that adds empathy to the story.

Cons: narration and length. You can get a bit tired of the narration, and the style of this happened then that happened then this then that, etc. Rather than one central conflict, it¡¯s more of a journey through his life from childhood to young adult, which is consistently strewn with bad turns. What¡¯s emphasized as ¡°the biggest bad turn¡± that is actually a tad bit crazy/sudden, more so in retrospect.

I guess my biggest gripe with this book is that she introduces this whole cast of cool characters, which is page turning, but it¡¯s only after finishing it that I kind of sit and wonder who each of these characters were anyway. And it seems like besides Demon, the narrator, most if not all of them are still caricatures to various extents. And maybe that¡¯s the point or asking too much, but overall, I wouldn¡¯t want to make it through the whole thing again.

3.5/5
]]> Happening 129263635
This is the story, written forty years later, of a trauma Ernaux never overcame. In a France where abortion was illegal, she attempted, in vain, to self-administer the abortion with a knitting needle. Fearful and desperate, she finally located an abortionist, and ends up in a hospital emergency ward where she nearly dies.

In Happening, Ernaux sifts through her memories and her journal entries dating from those days. Clearly, cleanly, she gleans the meanings of her experience.

Now an award-winning film by Audrey Diwan

Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival

Official Selection of the Sundance Film Festival]]> 96 Annie Ernaux 1609809483 clover 4 4.36 2000 Happening
author: Annie Ernaux
name: clover
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/17
date added: 2024/06/17
shelves:
review:

]]> Èö¹þÀ­µÄ¹ÊÊ 1207884 217 Sanmao 7806398791 clover 4 4.54 1976 Èö¹þÀ­µÄ¹ÊÊÂ
author: Sanmao
name: clover
average rating: 4.54
book published: 1976
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/15
date added: 2024/06/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow]]> 214335028 A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER
A JIMMY FALLON BOOK CLUB PICK

In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends¡ªoften in love, but never lovers¡ªcome together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

"Utterly brilliant. In this sweeping, gorgeously written novel, Gabrielle Zevin charts the beauty, tenacity, and fragility of human love and creativity. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is one of the best books I've ever read." ¡ªJohn Green

On a bitter cold day, in the December of his Junior Year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn¡¯t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. They borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo: a game where players can escape the confines of a body and the betrayals of a heart, and where death means nothing more than a chance to restart and play again. This is the story of the perfect worlds Sam and Sadie build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.

Spanning over thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin¡¯s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, games as artform, technology and the human experience, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.]]> 416 Gabrielle Zevin 0735243360 clover 0 to-read 4.04 2022 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
author: Gabrielle Zevin
name: clover
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians]]> 6106549 programs. By taking an applied approach rather than a theoretical approach, this text serves the needs of medical and nursing students, residents, and practicing physicians by sorting through questions of moral principles relevant to the diverse and growing number of healthcare professionals. The
many topics covered include truth telling, refusal of treatment, assisted suicide, managing error, and reproductive choice.]]> 290 Philip C. Hebert 0195428412 clover 0 to-read 4.09 1996 Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians
author: Philip C. Hebert
name: clover
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI]]> 198678736 **A New York Times Bestseller**

'Co-Intelligence is the very best book I know about the ins, outs, and ethics of generative AI. Drop everything and read it cover to cover NOW' Angela Duckworth

Consumer AI has arrived. And with it, inescapable upheaval as we grapple with what it means for our jobs, lives and the future of humanity.

Cutting through the noise of AI evangelists and AI doom-mongers, Wharton professor Ethan Mollick has become one of the most prominent and provocative explainers of AI, focusing on the practical aspects of how these new tools for thought can transform our world. In Co-Intelligence, he urges us to engage with AI as co-worker, co-teacher and coach. Wide ranging, hugely thought-provoking and optimistic, Co-Intelligence reveals the promise and power of this new era.]]> 243 Ethan Mollick 075356078X clover 0 currently-reading 3.98 2024 Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI
author: Ethan Mollick
name: clover
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Flowers for Algernon 18373 Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, the powerful, classic story about a man who receives an operation that turns him into a genius...and introduces him to heartache.
?
Charlie Gordon is about to embark upon an unprecedented journey. Born with an unusually low IQ, he has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that researchers hope will increase his intelligence ¨C a procedure that has already been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon.

As the treatment takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment appears to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance, until Algernon suddenly deteriorates. Will the same happen to Charlie?]]> 311 Daniel Keyes 015603008X clover 4 fiction 4.19 1966 Flowers for Algernon
author: Daniel Keyes
name: clover
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1966
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/23
date added: 2024/04/23
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> Son (The Giver, #4) 13324841
Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver, as well as Gathering Blue and Messenger where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry¡¯s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.]]> 393 Lois Lowry 0547887205 clover 3 3.98 2012 Son (The Giver, #4)
author: Lois Lowry
name: clover
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/29
date added: 2024/03/29
shelves:
review:

]]> Messenger (The Giver, #3) 12930 ?
Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man known for his special sight. Village once welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been invaluable as a messenger. Now he must risk everything to make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself.]]> 169 Lois Lowry 0385732538 clover 3 3.90 2004 Messenger (The Giver, #3)
author: Lois Lowry
name: clover
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/29
date added: 2024/03/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gathering Blue (The Giver, #2)]]> 12936
As she did in The Giver, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, and what will be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kira's plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future.

]]> 240 Lois Lowry 0385732562 clover 3 3.82 2000 Gathering Blue (The Giver, #2)
author: Lois Lowry
name: clover
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/29
date added: 2024/03/28
shelves:
review:

]]> The Giver (The Giver, #1) 3636 208 Lois Lowry 0385732554 clover 4 children-teen 4.12 1993 The Giver (The Giver, #1)
author: Lois Lowry
name: clover
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1993
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/27
date added: 2024/03/28
shelves: children-teen
review:

]]> The Sisters Brothers 9850443
With The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable comic tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of characters - losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of life - and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West, and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love.]]> 328 Patrick deWitt 0062041266 clover 4 3.84 2011 The Sisters Brothers
author: Patrick deWitt
name: clover
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/21
date added: 2024/03/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)]]> 16328
The peaceful English village of King¡¯s Abbot is stunned. The widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of Veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd¡ªthe man she had planned to marry¡ªis murdered. It is a baffling case involving blackmail and death that taxes Hercule Poirot¡¯s ¡°little grey cells¡± before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his career.

Librarian's note: the first fifteen novels in the Hercule Poirot series are 1) The Mysterious Affair at Styles, 1920; 2) The Murder on the Links, 1923; 3) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, 1926; 4) The Big Four, 1927; 5) The Mystery of the Blue Train, 1928; 6) Peril at End House, 1932; 7) Lord Edgware Dies, 1933; 8) Murder on the Orient Express, 1934; 9) Three Act Tragedy, 1935; 10) Death in the Clouds, 1935; 11) The A.B.C. Murders, 1936; 12) Murder in Mesopotamia, 1936; 13) Cards on the Table, 1936; 14) Dumb Witness, 1937; and 15) Death on the Nile, 1937. These are just the novels; Poirot also appears in this period in a play, Black Coffee, 1930, and two collections of short stories, Poirot Investigates, 1924, and Murder in the Mews, 1937. Each novel, play and short story has its own entry on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.]]> 288 Agatha Christie 1579126278 clover 5 4.26 1926 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)
author: Agatha Christie
name: clover
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1926
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/19
date added: 2024/03/19
shelves:
review:
Ahhhhh the plot twist why what when where how??
]]> <![CDATA[The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot, #2)]]> 51132354
Among the plausible suspects are Renauld's wife Eloise, his son Jack, Renauld's immediate neighbor Madame Daubreuil, the mysterious "Cinderella" of Hasting's recent acquaintance, and some unknown visitor of the previous day--all of whom Poirot has reason to suspect. Poirot's powers of investigation ultimately triumph over the wiles of an assailant whose misdirection and motives are nearly--but not quite--impossible to spot.

Contains a character key, a detailed biography, and an illustrated list of notable Poirot portrayals.

Librarian's note: the first fifteen novels in the Hercule Poirot series are 1) The Mysterious Affair at Styles, 1920; 2) The Murder on the Links, 1923; 3) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, 1926; 4) The Big Four, 1927; 5) The Mystery of the Blue Train, 1928; 6) Peril at End House, 1932; 7) Lord Edgware Dies, 1933; 8) Murder on the Orient Express, 1934; 9) Three Act Tragedy, 1935; 10) Death in the Clouds, 1935; 11) The A.B.C. Murders, 1936; 12) Murder in Mesopotamia, 1936; 13) Cards on the Table, 1936; 14) Dumb Witness, 1937; and 15) Death on the Nile, 1937. These are just the novels; Poirot also appears in this period in a play, Black Coffee, 1930, and two collections of short stories, Poirot Investigates, 1924, and Murder in the Mews, 1937. Each novel, play and short story has its own entry on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.]]> 199 Agatha Christie 1734452552 clover 4 3.84 1923 The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot, #2)
author: Agatha Christie
name: clover
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1923
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/13
date added: 2024/03/13
shelves:
review:

]]> Room 31685789
Told in the inventive, funny, and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience¡ªand a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough ... not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.]]> 321 Emma Donoghue clover 4 4.18 2010 Room
author: Emma Donoghue
name: clover
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/21
date added: 2024/03/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1)]]> 52843028
A refugee of the Great War, Poirot has settled in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactor, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim¡¯s much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village.

All of them have secrets they are desperate to keep, but none can outwit Poirot as he navigates the ingenious red herrings and plot twists that contribute to Agatha Christie's well-deserved reputation as the queen of mystery.]]> 174 Agatha Christie 1734452595 clover 4 4.06 1920 The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1)
author: Agatha Christie
name: clover
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1920
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/29
date added: 2024/03/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology]]> 60321447
You may be surprised to learn that microchips are the new oil¡ªthe scarce resource on which the modern world depends. Today, military, economic, and geopolitical power are built on a foundation of computer chips. Virtually everything¡ª from missiles to microwaves, smartphones to the stock market ¡ª runs on chips. Until recently, America designed and built the fastest chips and maintained its lead as the #1 superpower. Now, America's edge is?slipping, undermined by competitors in Taiwan, Korea,?Europe, and, above all, China. Today, as Chip War reveals, China, which spends more money each year importing chips than it spends importing oil,?is pouring billions into a chip-building initiative to catch up to the US. At stake is America's military superiority and economic prosperity.

Economic historian Chris Miller explains how the semiconductor came to play a critical role in modern life and how the U.S. become dominant in chip design and manufacturing and applied this technology to military systems. America's victory in the Cold War and its global military dominance stems from its ability to harness computing power more effectively than any other power. But here, too, China is catching up, with its chip-building ambitions and military modernization going hand in hand.?America has let key components of the chip-building process slip out of its grasp, contributing not only to a worldwide chip shortage but also a new Cold War with a superpower adversary that is desperate to bridge the gap.

Illuminating, timely, and fascinating, Chip War shows that, to make sense of the current state of politics, economics, and technology, we must first understand the vital role played by chips.]]> 464 Chris Miller 1982172002 clover 0 currently-reading 4.39 2022 Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology
author: Chris Miller
name: clover
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Welcome Home: A Guide to Building a Home for Your Soul]]> 55321822 WELCOME HOME 336 Najwa Zebian 0735240671 clover 0 to-read 4.18 2021 Welcome Home: A Guide to Building a Home for Your Soul
author: Najwa Zebian
name: clover
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Anxious People 53799686
Viewing an apartment normally doesn¡¯t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she¡¯s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live¡ªand, perhaps, to set an old wrong to right. Then there¡¯s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don¡¯t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can¡¯t agree on anything. And there¡¯s Estelle, an eighty-year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn¡¯t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn¡¯t outside parking the car.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.

Rich with Fredrik Backman¡¯s ¡°pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature¡± (Shelf Awareness), Anxious People¡¯s whimsical plot serves up unforgettable insights into the human condition and a gentle reminder to be compassionate to all the anxious people we encounter every day.]]> 336 Fredrik Backman 1982121602 clover 3
Not flat in the sense of the writing or plot, but rather in the way it fell on me. I felt slightly bored in the beginning, mildly interested in the middle, all to shut the figurative pages of the ebook with a mediocre ¡°huh¡±. To be honest, I¡¯m still not totally sure why.

The plot is not stereotypic, and the characters are whimsy and attractive in how distinct they are - this isn¡¯t one of those books where you need to struggle to remember names based on he¡¯s who and who¡¯s cousins friend or she¡¯s the one with red hair and freckles. It¡¯s evidently a strength for the author, and i thought the book played curiously like an intricate piece of stop motion animation.

Backman drops a handful bright colourful clay puppets into the setting, and it seems at first that each person is just that: a curious and eye catching puppet governeered by the distinct blocky exaggeration of the craft. Halfway through though, one of these puppets blink. And then they stretch their joints. And suddenly you realize there¡¯s an entire different dimension to their range of movement. These animated personas interact and bounce off each other organically within this setting, so that there¡¯s no need for an evident heroes journey from the get go. Instead, Backman has provided all the elements and backdrop for some interesting developments to happen based on just these features, and this allows for odd exchanges and sudden contradictions to your own assumptions time and time again.

The plot twists here were shocking in that he wasn¡¯t necessarily ¡°twisting¡± anything around: you just were boxed in by your own field of view. I will say one of these must be one of the simultaneously most surprising and incredible plot twists I¡¯ve read maybe ever. It¡¯s not so much the shock as the way he simply mirrors your own assumptions against you. Theres probably a saying somewhere along the lines of your own ego, or your own biases can cloud your vision. That was definitely a sore surprising realization here, to the point that I contemplated rereading the first part just to see what it¡¯s like to read it without being blind.

But here¡¯s the thing, I didn¡¯t incredibly want to read it again at all. Even after all the aforementioned highlights of this book, I guess I thought the characters never truly escaped puppet kingdom for me. There were flaws to these characters, yes, but there were also so many things that worked out just so and reasonings that reminded me of glass shoes and crystal castles - soaked in sweetness that seemed a little less true than advertised. Disney has pumpkin carriages, but it¡¯s decidingly a fairytale. Backmans Anxious People, on the other hand, has a premise that boasts of the day to day, of a less sparkly but ¡°real-er¡± approach to our stories of love, parenthood, and some shared secret anxieties. So it seems a bit weird when the couples in here may have arguments but always love each other and know they do - don¡¯t worry about surface differences, the only answer is love. When A and B meet and of course they end up together, when this and this and that ensues, and every single character is a positively good soul whose ultimate decisions are guided by a strong moral compass. What if these two people just don¡¯t love each other anymore, what if her anxieties are a web more complicated than something tied to a single person, what if, what if¡­

I feel like a grumpy old grandma saying this lol but it felt a bit trite.

Like I¡¯m reading my own review and asking myself, why didn¡¯t you enjoy this again? Maybe you did enjoy it and just remembered incorrectly? What¡¯s wrong with any of this?

And I guess my answer to myself is that there¡¯s nothing wrong with any of this, Backman is obviously good at this style he writes in. It¡¯s sweet, quirky, (¡­slow starting), but also has tidbits of reflective insights and is rooted in approachable feelings/experiences, despite its surface level absurdity. It¡¯s like Agatha Christie if she was Swedish in the 20th century and a bit more keen on departing her insights on things like parenthood, feeling inadequate and the like into her mysteries. (Each of the last five chapters felt to me like the last chapter because they were all filled and ended with such a distinct transferring that wisdom/reflective note end-of-book key ]]> 4.12 2019 Anxious People
author: Fredrik Backman
name: clover
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/07
date added: 2024/01/08
shelves:
review:
I found this book to be very clever, and oddly flat.

Not flat in the sense of the writing or plot, but rather in the way it fell on me. I felt slightly bored in the beginning, mildly interested in the middle, all to shut the figurative pages of the ebook with a mediocre ¡°huh¡±. To be honest, I¡¯m still not totally sure why.

The plot is not stereotypic, and the characters are whimsy and attractive in how distinct they are - this isn¡¯t one of those books where you need to struggle to remember names based on he¡¯s who and who¡¯s cousins friend or she¡¯s the one with red hair and freckles. It¡¯s evidently a strength for the author, and i thought the book played curiously like an intricate piece of stop motion animation.

Backman drops a handful bright colourful clay puppets into the setting, and it seems at first that each person is just that: a curious and eye catching puppet governeered by the distinct blocky exaggeration of the craft. Halfway through though, one of these puppets blink. And then they stretch their joints. And suddenly you realize there¡¯s an entire different dimension to their range of movement. These animated personas interact and bounce off each other organically within this setting, so that there¡¯s no need for an evident heroes journey from the get go. Instead, Backman has provided all the elements and backdrop for some interesting developments to happen based on just these features, and this allows for odd exchanges and sudden contradictions to your own assumptions time and time again.

The plot twists here were shocking in that he wasn¡¯t necessarily ¡°twisting¡± anything around: you just were boxed in by your own field of view. I will say one of these must be one of the simultaneously most surprising and incredible plot twists I¡¯ve read maybe ever. It¡¯s not so much the shock as the way he simply mirrors your own assumptions against you. Theres probably a saying somewhere along the lines of your own ego, or your own biases can cloud your vision. That was definitely a sore surprising realization here, to the point that I contemplated rereading the first part just to see what it¡¯s like to read it without being blind.

But here¡¯s the thing, I didn¡¯t incredibly want to read it again at all. Even after all the aforementioned highlights of this book, I guess I thought the characters never truly escaped puppet kingdom for me. There were flaws to these characters, yes, but there were also so many things that worked out just so and reasonings that reminded me of glass shoes and crystal castles - soaked in sweetness that seemed a little less true than advertised. Disney has pumpkin carriages, but it¡¯s decidingly a fairytale. Backmans Anxious People, on the other hand, has a premise that boasts of the day to day, of a less sparkly but ¡°real-er¡± approach to our stories of love, parenthood, and some shared secret anxieties. So it seems a bit weird when the couples in here may have arguments but always love each other and know they do - don¡¯t worry about surface differences, the only answer is love. When A and B meet and of course they end up together, when this and this and that ensues, and every single character is a positively good soul whose ultimate decisions are guided by a strong moral compass. What if these two people just don¡¯t love each other anymore, what if her anxieties are a web more complicated than something tied to a single person, what if, what if¡­

I feel like a grumpy old grandma saying this lol but it felt a bit trite.

Like I¡¯m reading my own review and asking myself, why didn¡¯t you enjoy this again? Maybe you did enjoy it and just remembered incorrectly? What¡¯s wrong with any of this?

And I guess my answer to myself is that there¡¯s nothing wrong with any of this, Backman is obviously good at this style he writes in. It¡¯s sweet, quirky, (¡­slow starting), but also has tidbits of reflective insights and is rooted in approachable feelings/experiences, despite its surface level absurdity. It¡¯s like Agatha Christie if she was Swedish in the 20th century and a bit more keen on departing her insights on things like parenthood, feeling inadequate and the like into her mysteries. (Each of the last five chapters felt to me like the last chapter because they were all filled and ended with such a distinct transferring that wisdom/reflective note end-of-book key
]]> <![CDATA[A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)]]> 13642
Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.]]> 183 Ursula K. Le Guin clover 0 to-read 4.02 1968 A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: clover
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1968
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Catcher in the Rye 5107 It's Christmas time and Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from yet another school...

Fleeing the crooks at Pencey Prep, he pinballs around New York City seeking solace in fleeting encounters¡ªshooting the bull with strangers in dive hotels, wandering alone round Central Park, getting beaten up by pimps and cut down by erstwhile girlfriends. The city is beautiful and terrible, in all its neon loneliness and seedy glamour, its mingled sense of possibility and emptiness. Holden passes through it like a ghost, thinking always of his kid sister Phoebe, the only person who really understands him, and his determination to escape the phonies and find a life of true meaning.

The Catcher in the Rye is an all-time classic in coming-of-age literature- an elegy to teenage alienation, capturing the deeply human need for connection and the bewildering sense of loss as we leave childhood behind.

J.D. Salinger's (1919¨C2010) classic novel of teenage angst and rebellion was first published in 1951. The novel was included on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923. It was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It has been frequently challenged in the court for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and in the 1950's and 60's it was the novel that every teenage boy wants to read.]]> 277 J.D. Salinger 0316769177 clover 4 classics
Like yes it¡¯s sort of (sometimes really) slow, yes it¡¯s sort of (sometimes really) repetitive, yes he¡¯s sort of (sometimes really) whiny¡­

But it¡¯s also really distinguishable??? kind of wandering in an angsty confused sort of way.

I guess I think for Holden to be really hate-able for me, he¡¯d have to have done something bad, something despicable, something that says, hey, this is such a massive jerk. Or, I have to care about the character to an extent that him wasting his life, not ¡°applying¡± himself literally causes me physical pain.

If anything, he¡¯s slightly self destructive, but doesn¡¯t really ever do anything to others. I don¡¯t even want to say destructive because that seems to imply explosive violent tendencies but it¡¯s really more of an apathy? Confused loneliness? Loss of direction?

Holden felt very lonely and very confused. His family is evidently rich, perhaps even filthy rich - I guess it would be annoying if he talks of this privilege as if it¡¯s a burden. Which he does ?? Kinda? But it¡¯s more like a genuine confusion of, why is the world like this? Where do I fit in this world? Am I just another cog in this ridiculous machine? Do I have to live the entirety of the rest of my life as a ¡°phony¡±, with all these other ¡°phonies¡± and all those seconds and minutes and hours and moments and school and trying just to eventually carve me into another fake adult who worries about facades and statuses and nothing that has any more depth or truth than a shiny car?

Like I said, he is quite angsty.

But he also goes on to write a piece about his brother Allie¡¯s baseball glove for his supposedly annoying roommate¡¯s assignment, chats with the supposedly disgusting Ackley, tries to erase slurs from the walls because he actually cares about his kid sister - a lot- and you can¡¯t help but feel that this kid isn¡¯t actually a jerk?? He¡¯s not stealing or hurting others (except maybe his parents and teachers with his apathetic laziness about his schooling) or really insulting others in any genuinely one sidedly ill intentioned way. He complains, but he¡¯s complaining ¡°to himself¡± too. Even while he spews some toxic masculinity nonsense, he feels guilty, apologizes quickly and repeatedly for his words to Susie, he spends most of the novel mainly beating himself up wandering around NY by himself and looking for companionship. It¡¯s like a parrot almost? And at the end of the day, he comes out and just straight on says it: he really does miss everyone he has met so far and isn¡¯t it a shame that you get to meet people only to have to miss them (of course he needs to add a jab). And by that point in the book you can probably also sigh and be like, woah. All those people. All that walking. And it really was just a little flick in time. And Holden does return back to his life.

¡­ is he that annoying? Or rather, is being annoying such a crime? Who hasn¡¯t had a period or two of being confused (or emo), even if it¡¯s not to the proportion of Holden?


I¡¯m not sure. I think distinguishable would probably be the word I¡¯d use to describe this book the most. It¡¯s slightly repetitive, but it¡¯s not that repetitive if you see it as a book that¡¯s not really plot-based. It¡¯s more like ¡°Holden wandering around the city by himself: a series¡±. There are definitely YA novels that are much more angsty in an unrelateable or cliche and more problematic way than this. Salinger has created a very characteristic ¡°voice¡± to Holden, which was interesting to read. I¡¯d recommend it, even if it¡¯s just to take a peek at what it¡¯s like. It might not be the teenage voice (if that even exists), but it¡¯s certainly a teenage voice, and a rather identifiable one.

that being said it did take me like a week to finish and that¡¯s off and on sometimes mainly on the subway, and it wasn¡¯t exactly I¡¯m so invested in what¡¯s going to happen next to Holden vibes. Slice of life for teenage angst?]]> 3.81 1951 The Catcher in the Rye
author: J.D. Salinger
name: clover
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1951
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/17
date added: 2023/12/21
shelves: classics
review:
I actually¡­ thought it was okay?

Like yes it¡¯s sort of (sometimes really) slow, yes it¡¯s sort of (sometimes really) repetitive, yes he¡¯s sort of (sometimes really) whiny¡­

But it¡¯s also really distinguishable??? kind of wandering in an angsty confused sort of way.

I guess I think for Holden to be really hate-able for me, he¡¯d have to have done something bad, something despicable, something that says, hey, this is such a massive jerk. Or, I have to care about the character to an extent that him wasting his life, not ¡°applying¡± himself literally causes me physical pain.

If anything, he¡¯s slightly self destructive, but doesn¡¯t really ever do anything to others. I don¡¯t even want to say destructive because that seems to imply explosive violent tendencies but it¡¯s really more of an apathy? Confused loneliness? Loss of direction?

Holden felt very lonely and very confused. His family is evidently rich, perhaps even filthy rich - I guess it would be annoying if he talks of this privilege as if it¡¯s a burden. Which he does ?? Kinda? But it¡¯s more like a genuine confusion of, why is the world like this? Where do I fit in this world? Am I just another cog in this ridiculous machine? Do I have to live the entirety of the rest of my life as a ¡°phony¡±, with all these other ¡°phonies¡± and all those seconds and minutes and hours and moments and school and trying just to eventually carve me into another fake adult who worries about facades and statuses and nothing that has any more depth or truth than a shiny car?

Like I said, he is quite angsty.

But he also goes on to write a piece about his brother Allie¡¯s baseball glove for his supposedly annoying roommate¡¯s assignment, chats with the supposedly disgusting Ackley, tries to erase slurs from the walls because he actually cares about his kid sister - a lot- and you can¡¯t help but feel that this kid isn¡¯t actually a jerk?? He¡¯s not stealing or hurting others (except maybe his parents and teachers with his apathetic laziness about his schooling) or really insulting others in any genuinely one sidedly ill intentioned way. He complains, but he¡¯s complaining ¡°to himself¡± too. Even while he spews some toxic masculinity nonsense, he feels guilty, apologizes quickly and repeatedly for his words to Susie, he spends most of the novel mainly beating himself up wandering around NY by himself and looking for companionship. It¡¯s like a parrot almost? And at the end of the day, he comes out and just straight on says it: he really does miss everyone he has met so far and isn¡¯t it a shame that you get to meet people only to have to miss them (of course he needs to add a jab). And by that point in the book you can probably also sigh and be like, woah. All those people. All that walking. And it really was just a little flick in time. And Holden does return back to his life.

¡­ is he that annoying? Or rather, is being annoying such a crime? Who hasn¡¯t had a period or two of being confused (or emo), even if it¡¯s not to the proportion of Holden?


I¡¯m not sure. I think distinguishable would probably be the word I¡¯d use to describe this book the most. It¡¯s slightly repetitive, but it¡¯s not that repetitive if you see it as a book that¡¯s not really plot-based. It¡¯s more like ¡°Holden wandering around the city by himself: a series¡±. There are definitely YA novels that are much more angsty in an unrelateable or cliche and more problematic way than this. Salinger has created a very characteristic ¡°voice¡± to Holden, which was interesting to read. I¡¯d recommend it, even if it¡¯s just to take a peek at what it¡¯s like. It might not be the teenage voice (if that even exists), but it¡¯s certainly a teenage voice, and a rather identifiable one.

that being said it did take me like a week to finish and that¡¯s off and on sometimes mainly on the subway, and it wasn¡¯t exactly I¡¯m so invested in what¡¯s going to happen next to Holden vibes. Slice of life for teenage angst?
]]> <![CDATA[The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #1)]]> 7061 235 Alexander McCall Smith 1400034779 clover 3
I haven¡¯t really read books with African main characters before, and certainly not a plump African lady detective with her own detective agency, so that was interesting to see. I like to hope that the author genuinely loved Botswana as a country he lived in, and thus captures some truths of it in some way. Of course, I¡¯m not totally sure how true that is, having never visited Botswana before.

In all honesty, the plot itself is kind of slice of life, and mystery portions more mundane, nothing particularly gripping. On the other hand, there also isn¡¯t anything I found terribly triggering, and I enjoyed reading about the character of Precious, so a lukewarm 3/5.]]> 3.81 1998 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #1)
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: clover
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/19
date added: 2023/12/21
shelves:
review:
Okay?

I haven¡¯t really read books with African main characters before, and certainly not a plump African lady detective with her own detective agency, so that was interesting to see. I like to hope that the author genuinely loved Botswana as a country he lived in, and thus captures some truths of it in some way. Of course, I¡¯m not totally sure how true that is, having never visited Botswana before.

In all honesty, the plot itself is kind of slice of life, and mystery portions more mundane, nothing particularly gripping. On the other hand, there also isn¡¯t anything I found terribly triggering, and I enjoyed reading about the character of Precious, so a lukewarm 3/5.
]]> <![CDATA[¶­×¿½ø¾© (Èý¹úÑÝÒåÁ¬»·»­ 2) (Chinese Edition)]]> 34106979 153 ÂÞ¹áÖÐ clover 0 0.0 ¶­×¿½ø¾© (Èý¹úÑÝÒåÁ¬»·»­ 2) (Chinese Edition)
author: ÂÞ¹áÖÐ
name: clover
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/20
date added: 2023/12/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[ÌÒÔ°½áÒå (Èý¹úÑÝÒåÁ¬»·»­ 1) (Chinese Edition)]]> 33958671 ϼ¯¡¶¶­×¿½ø¾©¡·£¬Ðð¶­×¿³ËÂÒ½ø¾©£¬·ÏÖÃÉÙµÛ£¬¶ÀÕƳ¯Í¢´óȨ¡£±Õ±Õ> 151 Luo Guanzhong clover 0 5.00 ÌÒÔ°½áÒå (Èý¹úÑÝÒåÁ¬»·»­ 1) (Chinese Edition)
author: Luo Guanzhong
name: clover
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/20
date added: 2023/12/21
shelves:
review:

]]> ³ÇÄϾÉÊ 570187
The author is well known for her perception and humor, and both these qualities inform her stories. The sense of loss and bewilderment which arouses the child's awareness of the uncertainties of human relationships, even of life itself, and which finally catapults the child away from childhood joys into the sorrows of the adult world is handled with great sensitivity and lyricism.]]> 320 ÁÖº£Òô 9629960125 clover 5 4.34 1960 ³ÇÄϾÉÊÂ
author: ÁÖº£Òô
name: clover
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1960
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/18
date added: 2023/12/18
shelves:
review:

]]> Waiting for Godot 17716 109 Samuel Beckett clover 5
In contrast, I don¡¯t remember much about the show itself.

I remember that there were two characters, bantering about something nonsensical. Trying to get in some sort of hat? Or get out of some sort of box. Let¡¯s say it was a box. They moved from stage left to stage right, looking to each other, exclaiming to the audience. But at the heart of it, three things made it up: two people, one box.

I also remember it was a show inspired by ¡°Waiting for Godot¡±.

I was confused on what the show was about, and why it was apparently so good. It seemed to be about a whole lot of, well, nothing. Yet at the same time, there was an odd rhythm to the ¡°nothing¡± that kept you unawarely intrigued.

Well, I kinda wish I¡¯d read this book before watching that show now.

Waiting for Godot is practically the epitome of this idea. There¡¯s two characters, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), who are yes, waiting for ¡°Godot¡±. They¡¯re in a barren landscape, save for one naked tree that has a few twisted branches. While they wait for Godot, two other characters appear: Pozzo and Lucky. Pozzo seems like the snobby owner of the ¡°horse¡± Lucky, who is actually a human held by a rope around his neck and who carries all of Pozzos belongings. The interactions among Didi and Gogo dominate the play, and is punctuated by their interactions with these numbered circumstances: the too-small boot stuck on Gogos foot, the slave ¡°horse¡± and his owner, contemplating hanging themselves on the tree, etc.

The two exchange with each other, and it¡¯s not actually about nothing, and you know it is not actually about nothing, but it still seems to be about nothing. The sense of odd deja vu and absurd mundanity about it is strangely brilliant. There¡¯s a nagging sense of yes, I almost get what they¡¯re talking about beneath all this¡­ but not quite. The two person dynamic between Didi and Gogo is almost reminiscent of a two person standup or comedy spot, but everything from the setting to the topics at hand ensures there¡¯s an unshakeable sense of desperate desolation.

I think this is also a case where a play should be watched. Even watching a brief segment of the full play (on YouTube) made this so much more entertaining to read, because the performance is amazing.

4.5/5


]]> 3.85 1952 Waiting for Godot
author: Samuel Beckett
name: clover
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1952
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/16
date added: 2023/12/16
shelves:
review:
In grade 9, we watched a show put on by the upper year drama students. There was one show that I remember my drama teacher enthusing over, saying how every show was good in their own right, and some are even great. But once in a while, something comes along, some spark of genius, that makes for something that is ¡°simply brilliant¡±.

In contrast, I don¡¯t remember much about the show itself.

I remember that there were two characters, bantering about something nonsensical. Trying to get in some sort of hat? Or get out of some sort of box. Let¡¯s say it was a box. They moved from stage left to stage right, looking to each other, exclaiming to the audience. But at the heart of it, three things made it up: two people, one box.

I also remember it was a show inspired by ¡°Waiting for Godot¡±.

I was confused on what the show was about, and why it was apparently so good. It seemed to be about a whole lot of, well, nothing. Yet at the same time, there was an odd rhythm to the ¡°nothing¡± that kept you unawarely intrigued.

Well, I kinda wish I¡¯d read this book before watching that show now.

Waiting for Godot is practically the epitome of this idea. There¡¯s two characters, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), who are yes, waiting for ¡°Godot¡±. They¡¯re in a barren landscape, save for one naked tree that has a few twisted branches. While they wait for Godot, two other characters appear: Pozzo and Lucky. Pozzo seems like the snobby owner of the ¡°horse¡± Lucky, who is actually a human held by a rope around his neck and who carries all of Pozzos belongings. The interactions among Didi and Gogo dominate the play, and is punctuated by their interactions with these numbered circumstances: the too-small boot stuck on Gogos foot, the slave ¡°horse¡± and his owner, contemplating hanging themselves on the tree, etc.

The two exchange with each other, and it¡¯s not actually about nothing, and you know it is not actually about nothing, but it still seems to be about nothing. The sense of odd deja vu and absurd mundanity about it is strangely brilliant. There¡¯s a nagging sense of yes, I almost get what they¡¯re talking about beneath all this¡­ but not quite. The two person dynamic between Didi and Gogo is almost reminiscent of a two person standup or comedy spot, but everything from the setting to the topics at hand ensures there¡¯s an unshakeable sense of desperate desolation.

I think this is also a case where a play should be watched. Even watching a brief segment of the full play (on YouTube) made this so much more entertaining to read, because the performance is amazing.

4.5/5



]]> Moon Over Manifest 8293938 Manifest¡ªA Town with a rich past and a bright future.

Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it¡¯s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to ¡°Leave Well Enough Alone.¡±

Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest¡¯s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters¡ªand long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest¡¯s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.]]> 368 Clare Vanderpool 0385907508 clover 4 4.03 2010 Moon Over Manifest
author: Clare Vanderpool
name: clover
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/15
date added: 2023/12/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Poverty, by America 61358638 Reimagining the debate on poverty, making a new and bracing argument about why it persists in America: because the rest of us benefit from it.

The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages?

In this landmark book, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond draws on history, research, and original reporting to show how affluent Americans knowingly and unknowingly keep poor people poor. Those of us who are financially secure exploit the poor, driving down their wages while forcing them to overpay for housing and access to cash and credit. We prioritize the subsidization of our wealth over the alleviation of poverty, designing a welfare state that gives the most to those who need the least. And we stockpile opportunity in exclusive communities, creating zones of concentrated riches alongside those of concentrated despair. Some lives are made small so that others may grow.

Elegantly written and fiercely argued, this compassionate book gives us new ways of thinking about a morally urgent problem. It also helps us imagine solutions. Desmond builds a startlingly original and ambitious case for ending poverty. He calls on us all to become poverty abolitionists, engaged in a politics of collective belonging to usher in a new age of shared prosperity and, at last, true freedom.]]> 304 Matthew Desmond 0593239911 clover 0 to-read 4.27 2023 Poverty, by America
author: Matthew Desmond
name: clover
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Inside Out & Back Again 8537327 262 Thanhh¨¤ L?i 0061962783 clover 4
My opinion has changed quite a bit from then. I really love the pluck and personality of the main character. Ha is voracious and alive, and the prose works well - it combines the innocent wonder and odd bluntness of a child in a really cool way. Because children do see and understand things, a lot more than authors usually tend to give them credit for.

This book is surprising in that it maintains that balance so well; how there are things that maybe a 10 year old might not quite understand just yet, but also how there are plenty of things they do see and know. It¡¯s really cool to see how those larger themes aren¡¯t forced into the story, yet the collection of moments and thoughts that dots the journey naturally prompt reflections on those same topics, as if some tidbits of the things we so meticulously groan about as adults are hidden in crystals caught by a child¡¯s hands,

Overall, the story is simple but the characters are charming. Ha is incredibly well painted, and those around her, from her mother and brothers to her friends and foes at school, all gain a warm fuzzy outline from her descriptions. It¡¯s simple, but not stereotypic, and I think it¡¯s that genuineness that is the enchanting heart of the story.]]> 4.11 2011 Inside Out & Back Again
author: Thanhh¨¤ L?i
name: clover
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/07
date added: 2023/12/07
shelves:
review:
I remember a few things vividly about seeing this book for the first time as a child, at a school library visit: the beautiful silhouette against brilliant purple pink, the glossiness of the newbery medal, and the way the name of the novel seemed to promise tunnels of secrets and dashing adventure. I also remember giving up in disappointment when I thought it was a poetry anthology, and not an ¡°actual¡± book.

My opinion has changed quite a bit from then. I really love the pluck and personality of the main character. Ha is voracious and alive, and the prose works well - it combines the innocent wonder and odd bluntness of a child in a really cool way. Because children do see and understand things, a lot more than authors usually tend to give them credit for.

This book is surprising in that it maintains that balance so well; how there are things that maybe a 10 year old might not quite understand just yet, but also how there are plenty of things they do see and know. It¡¯s really cool to see how those larger themes aren¡¯t forced into the story, yet the collection of moments and thoughts that dots the journey naturally prompt reflections on those same topics, as if some tidbits of the things we so meticulously groan about as adults are hidden in crystals caught by a child¡¯s hands,

Overall, the story is simple but the characters are charming. Ha is incredibly well painted, and those around her, from her mother and brothers to her friends and foes at school, all gain a warm fuzzy outline from her descriptions. It¡¯s simple, but not stereotypic, and I think it¡¯s that genuineness that is the enchanting heart of the story.
]]> American Born Chinese 118944
Born to rule over all the monkeys in the world, the story of the Monkey King is one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables. Adored by his subjects, master of the arts of kung-fu, he is the most powerful monkey on earth. But the Monkey King doesn't want to be a monkey. He wants to be hailed as a god...

Chin-Kee is the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, and he's ruining his cousin Danny's life. Danny's a popular kid at school, but every year Chin-Kee comes to visit, and every year Danny has to transfer to a new school to escape the shame. This year, though, things quickly go from bad to worse...

These three apparently unrelated tales come together with an unexpected twist, in a modern fable that is hilarious, poignant and action-packed. American Born Chinese is an amazing rise, all the way up to the astonishing climax--and confirms what a growing number of readers already know: Gene Yang is a major talent.]]> 233 Gene Luen Yang 1596431520 clover 2 3.89 2006 American Born Chinese
author: Gene Luen Yang
name: clover
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at: 2023/12/07
date added: 2023/12/07
shelves:
review:

]]> Life of Pi 4214 460 Yann Martel 0770430074 clover 4 But slow. But interesting.

And !! The main character graduated from the University of Toronto, which made me think at the beginning that it had a very long authors intro. (Which it does, actually. But that¡¯s separate)

It feels like one of those books that you know it¡¯s symbolizing something, so you flip and turn passages or remarks like pieces of a puzzle, one that¡¯s not too hard to guess but not too easy either - like a tantalizing treat just within reach. It¡¯s very clever, with a very strong writing voice. I like the ending the most. It takes the entire book to another level, escaping the clutches of being an old man and the sea 2.0 (which I have to be honest, was looking like the definite fate around the middle of the book.)

3.5/5 to 4/5
Objectively good but subjectively a bit boring? But the type of boring that¡¯s easy to read through and does pick up at times. With a good payoff. Like a I¡¯m happy I read this book kind of feeling.]]> 3.94 2001 Life of Pi
author: Yann Martel
name: clover
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/06
date added: 2023/12/06
shelves:
review:
Slow but interesting?
But slow. But interesting.

And !! The main character graduated from the University of Toronto, which made me think at the beginning that it had a very long authors intro. (Which it does, actually. But that¡¯s separate)

It feels like one of those books that you know it¡¯s symbolizing something, so you flip and turn passages or remarks like pieces of a puzzle, one that¡¯s not too hard to guess but not too easy either - like a tantalizing treat just within reach. It¡¯s very clever, with a very strong writing voice. I like the ending the most. It takes the entire book to another level, escaping the clutches of being an old man and the sea 2.0 (which I have to be honest, was looking like the definite fate around the middle of the book.)

3.5/5 to 4/5
Objectively good but subjectively a bit boring? But the type of boring that¡¯s easy to read through and does pick up at times. With a good payoff. Like a I¡¯m happy I read this book kind of feeling.
]]> <![CDATA[Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood]]> 29780253
Trevor Noah¡¯s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents¡¯ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa¡¯s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man¡¯s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother¡ªhis teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.]]> 289 Trevor Noah 0385689225 clover 4 4.48 2016 Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
author: Trevor Noah
name: clover
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/14
date added: 2023/11/14
shelves:
review:

]]> Bad Science 3272165
We are obsessed with our health. And yet¡ªfrom the media's "world-expert microbiologist" with a mail-order Ph.D. in his garden shed laboratory, via multiple health scares and miracle cures, to the million-pound trial that Durham Council now denies ever existed¡ªwe are constantly bombarded with inaccurate, contradictory and sometimes even misleading information. Until now.

Ben Goldacre masterfully dismantles the dodgy science behind some of the great drug trials, court cases and missed opportunities of our time, but he also goes further: out of the bullshit, he shows us the fascinating story of how we know what we know, and gives us the tools to uncover bad science for ourselves.]]> 338 Ben Goldacre 0007240198 clover 0 to-read 4.05 2008 Bad Science
author: Ben Goldacre
name: clover
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Gentleman in Moscow 34066798 The mega-bestseller with more than 2 million readers¡ªNow a Paramount+ with Showtime series starring Ewan McGregor as Count Alexander Rostov

From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway and Rules of Civility, a beautifully transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel¡¯s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count¡¯s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.]]> 462 Amor Towles clover 4 to-read
That might be an understatement - I enjoyed it a lot, actually. There¡¯s the romance of chivalry and idealism, the quips and turns, elegant humour and witty monologues, not to mention the adventurous maze of the hotel that make for a truly pleasant ride. I loved every character I met in this story, from juggling Andrey to the seriously motivated Nina, the wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing, and the sheep in wolf coats. There¡¯s love, there¡¯s politics, there¡¯s intrigue, and most of all, it¡¯s filled to the brim with the give and takes, jumps and falls of the most mundane moments that dot the splendid canvas of life. The span of the 1900s where this takes place is hardly a walk in the park for Russia, but while the nation treads her waters, we view the notion of changing circumstances in the smaller, more intimate light of the famed Metropol, under a brilliant cast of her characters.

Primary of which, of course, is Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov.

Who wouldn¡¯t like a charming, humbled gentleman whose sense of ease, charm - did I mention charm? - and most importantly, care for those around him is more true than the ground below your feet? Chivalry is a trait that is practically universally admired. At the same time, it is so often notably absent in the real world, and misaligned under the guise of pompous pedigrees, superficial bureaucracy, and thinly-veiled, anxious greed such that we find ourselves watching Don Quixote chasing after windmills.

But if we do find it, it is absolutely enrapturing.

This is a book of changed circumstances for the Count, who by the end of the novel is a waiter on house arrest at the same hotel where he used to frequent as a guest. He makes ready admittances of the inevitable nudges of envy, disorientation, and self-mockery that come with these tides, but he is astonishingly never truly bitter at anyone throughout the novel, to the very end. In the turmoil of troubled times where it seems like everyone is wrong and yet no one is truly wrong, he both finds and gives solace in the very real people around him, who come from all walks of life and affiliation.

I believe that in addition to his personal merits, this is how he manages to maintain that envious sense of self and courtesy long after the Jockey club¡¯s ashes have been buried twice over. For when the Count shakes his head amusedly, dangerously, in a slightly ¡°I knew it¡± tone to the railroad workers assembly assuming habits of their hated aristocrats, he quickly leans back with a laugh at little Nina¡¯s bright-eyed wonder for the magic and possibility of trains. And when Sofia grows up in the cynical practicalism of the Soviet regime, Count Rostov offers stories and care which show that a bit of romance, honour, and grace are nothing to laugh about. If everyone is ignoring the rules in a brawl, you might find the one who insists on fair play ridiculous, even foolish - but that doesn¡¯t mean fair play is obsolete. Rather, in a way, it is how we maintain those bottom lines and fundamental ideals in the most trying of times that distinguishes the brute thug from the admirable opponent. It is how we maintain our humanity.

However, I also found this book conflicting. Maybe not from the story so much, because I can¡¯t lie and say I didn¡¯t enjoy the story, but from the very premise itself. What is the line between romanticism that keeps us human and alive, and privileged ignorance, delusion? Who is right, and who is wrong? Who is smart, and who is dumb? I liked the book more when it didn¡¯t try to decide for us. Because of course, yes, the Count has fallen from grace, the actress has fallen from grace - to a fancy hotel. But what of Russia as a whole? What of World War Two? What of the people who are starving, the soldiers who are fighting, the aristocrats who were not just arrested but cough cough, killed, and the millions of people who were swept under the rug in ways a thousand fold more terrible?

Context of the times is sent through visitors and messengers to the hotel, but in general, the hotel felt like a neat timezone of its own, where problems are simplified and vaguely separate from the rest of Russia, let alone the world. In particular, I think I was a bit let down by the ending. I was confused on how the Count went from someone who would smile and say ¡°Are you asking me to spy on my country? Don¡¯t talk about it again and we¡¯re still the best of friends,¡± to his chosen manner of escape. It felt like the easy, hollywood-esque way out, rather than the one most fitting to his character. (Of course, this could be totally presumptuous because who am I to know lol.) One fun part: complete with shoving people in closets and the chopping of the hair, parts of it felt like I was watching Tangled again (if not amazingly realistic, definitely fun ]]> 4.28 2016 A Gentleman in Moscow
author: Amor Towles
name: clover
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/09
date added: 2023/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:
From a subjective/emotional viewpoint, I enjoyed the story.

That might be an understatement - I enjoyed it a lot, actually. There¡¯s the romance of chivalry and idealism, the quips and turns, elegant humour and witty monologues, not to mention the adventurous maze of the hotel that make for a truly pleasant ride. I loved every character I met in this story, from juggling Andrey to the seriously motivated Nina, the wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing, and the sheep in wolf coats. There¡¯s love, there¡¯s politics, there¡¯s intrigue, and most of all, it¡¯s filled to the brim with the give and takes, jumps and falls of the most mundane moments that dot the splendid canvas of life. The span of the 1900s where this takes place is hardly a walk in the park for Russia, but while the nation treads her waters, we view the notion of changing circumstances in the smaller, more intimate light of the famed Metropol, under a brilliant cast of her characters.

Primary of which, of course, is Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov.

Who wouldn¡¯t like a charming, humbled gentleman whose sense of ease, charm - did I mention charm? - and most importantly, care for those around him is more true than the ground below your feet? Chivalry is a trait that is practically universally admired. At the same time, it is so often notably absent in the real world, and misaligned under the guise of pompous pedigrees, superficial bureaucracy, and thinly-veiled, anxious greed such that we find ourselves watching Don Quixote chasing after windmills.

But if we do find it, it is absolutely enrapturing.

This is a book of changed circumstances for the Count, who by the end of the novel is a waiter on house arrest at the same hotel where he used to frequent as a guest. He makes ready admittances of the inevitable nudges of envy, disorientation, and self-mockery that come with these tides, but he is astonishingly never truly bitter at anyone throughout the novel, to the very end. In the turmoil of troubled times where it seems like everyone is wrong and yet no one is truly wrong, he both finds and gives solace in the very real people around him, who come from all walks of life and affiliation.

I believe that in addition to his personal merits, this is how he manages to maintain that envious sense of self and courtesy long after the Jockey club¡¯s ashes have been buried twice over. For when the Count shakes his head amusedly, dangerously, in a slightly ¡°I knew it¡± tone to the railroad workers assembly assuming habits of their hated aristocrats, he quickly leans back with a laugh at little Nina¡¯s bright-eyed wonder for the magic and possibility of trains. And when Sofia grows up in the cynical practicalism of the Soviet regime, Count Rostov offers stories and care which show that a bit of romance, honour, and grace are nothing to laugh about. If everyone is ignoring the rules in a brawl, you might find the one who insists on fair play ridiculous, even foolish - but that doesn¡¯t mean fair play is obsolete. Rather, in a way, it is how we maintain those bottom lines and fundamental ideals in the most trying of times that distinguishes the brute thug from the admirable opponent. It is how we maintain our humanity.

However, I also found this book conflicting. Maybe not from the story so much, because I can¡¯t lie and say I didn¡¯t enjoy the story, but from the very premise itself. What is the line between romanticism that keeps us human and alive, and privileged ignorance, delusion? Who is right, and who is wrong? Who is smart, and who is dumb? I liked the book more when it didn¡¯t try to decide for us. Because of course, yes, the Count has fallen from grace, the actress has fallen from grace - to a fancy hotel. But what of Russia as a whole? What of World War Two? What of the people who are starving, the soldiers who are fighting, the aristocrats who were not just arrested but cough cough, killed, and the millions of people who were swept under the rug in ways a thousand fold more terrible?

Context of the times is sent through visitors and messengers to the hotel, but in general, the hotel felt like a neat timezone of its own, where problems are simplified and vaguely separate from the rest of Russia, let alone the world. In particular, I think I was a bit let down by the ending. I was confused on how the Count went from someone who would smile and say ¡°Are you asking me to spy on my country? Don¡¯t talk about it again and we¡¯re still the best of friends,¡± to his chosen manner of escape. It felt like the easy, hollywood-esque way out, rather than the one most fitting to his character. (Of course, this could be totally presumptuous because who am I to know lol.) One fun part: complete with shoving people in closets and the chopping of the hair, parts of it felt like I was watching Tangled again (if not amazingly realistic, definitely fun
]]> Jean Cristophe I 13418233 488 Romain Rolland 9723805464 clover 0 to-read 4.16 1905 Jean Cristophe I
author: Romain Rolland
name: clover
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1905
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> In Search of Lost Time 18796
For this authoritative English-language edition, D. J. Enright has revised the late Terence Kilmartin¡¯s acclaimed reworking of C. K. Scott Moncrieff¡¯s translation to take into account the new definitive French editions of ? la recherche du temps perdu (the final volume of these new editions was published by the Biblioth¨¨que de la Pl¨¦iade in 1989).]]> 4211 Marcel Proust 0812969642 clover 0 currently-reading 4.34 1913 In Search of Lost Time
author: Marcel Proust
name: clover
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1913
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/18
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Wishing Game 62926992
Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it¡¯s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher¡¯s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.

But be careful what you wish for. . . .

Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he¡¯s finally written a new book. Even better, he¡¯s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.

For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack ¡°the Mastermind¡± Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.

. . . You might just get it.]]> 304 Meg Shaffer 0593598830 clover 0 to-read 4.02 2023 The Wishing Game
author: Meg Shaffer
name: clover
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi: Collected Quirks of Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math from Nerd Nite]]> 126918411 The co-founders of the global science organization Nerd Nite bring readers a collection of wacky, yet fascinating STEM topics.

For twenty years Nerd Nite has delivered to live audiences around the world the most interesting, fun, and informative presentations about science, history, the arts, pop culture, you name it. There hasn¡¯t been a rabbit hole that their army of presenters hasn¡¯t been afraid to explore. Finally, after countless requests to bring Nerd Nite to more fans across the globe, co-founders and college pals Matt Wasowski and Chris Balakrishnan offer readers the quirky and accessible science content they crave in book form. Focused on STEM and paired with detailed illustrations that make the content pop, the topics are quirky and vast, from kinky, spring-loaded spiders to the Webb telescope¡¯s influence on movie special effects.

How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi features narratives, bursts, and infographics on all things STEM from scientists around the world. Chapters are sure to make you laugh-out-loud, with titles such as "The Science of the Hangover," "What Birds Can Teach Us About the Impending Zombie Apocalypse," and "Lessons from the Oregon Trail."]]> 320 Chris Balakrishnan 1250288347 clover 0 to-read 3.62 2024 How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi: Collected Quirks of Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math from Nerd Nite
author: Chris Balakrishnan
name: clover
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Brilliant Friend (My Brilliant Friend, #1)]]> 13586707 331 Elena Ferrante clover 4 fiction
At certain times, I hated this book almost as much as I was unable to put it down, and at others, I loved it almost as much as I despised the fact that I was picking it up again.

This story follows the journey of two girls who grow up in a poor neighbourhood in Naples, Italy, and from the very beginning there is a faint undertone of doom that permeates the entire novel: ¡°I feel no nostalgia for our childhood. It was full of violence.¡±

I found it to be a very gripping novel. In retrospect, aside from the suspenseful quality of the writing and setting, there¡¯s also the prologue that they present us from the very beginning. An older Elena, one of the two girls, receives a phone call from the son of her friend, Lila, who he laments has gone missing. Rather than panic and call the police, Elena¡¯s response hints at the odd drama of their ties immediately. ¡°Ah. So she¡¯s finally done it.¡± Disappeared without leaving a trace of herself just like she¡¯d always wanted, on a random day in old age. Elena takes on a biting tone with the son, evidently annoyed and used to what seems like spoiled leeching, and hangs up the phone on him. She doesn¡¯t seem to be worried or ready to venture out in search of her friend. Instead, in a sense ready to go to bed, she merely decides - almost in a competitive sense, to urk her attempt to disappear completely - to sit down and chronicle the story of her and Lila.

Lila - a senile grandma who¡¯s wandered off by herself? Or mysterious and true to her whims and only her whims even in old age, off to who knows where to do who knows what.

Elena - the calmer one who is known to be so close with Lila that the first thing her son does, before searching Lila¡¯s house, is to look to Elena? Or someone who both as a person, and in terms of her relationship with Lila, is much more complex.

And with this brief introduction, we are swept back into the times of Elena and Lila¡¯s childhood. Lila is brilliant and fiercely creative. Elena, in comparison, seems more timid, fearful. The story is told from Elena¡¯s POV.

So begins a tale of, yes, violence, and abuse, and inequality, and fear, and anger¡­ so much anger. But also of friendship, of girlhood and later womanhood, of the alternating tides of jealousy and love that form a relationship, and of class. It¡¯s a splendid soap opera, dynamic and intense. I love it for the vibrant world, and I hate it for the lack of justice. Things happen, and life just goes on. People are forced to endure bad situations, and worse, to stay in them. And be told this is just the norm - it¡¯s stifling. But then again, I¡¯m just reading it and it¡¯s stifling. What is it like to be in this situation? I think the book is very realistic, scarily realistic in that not all situations have a dim witted villain or a knight in shining armor. This doesn¡¯t stop the girls from being so incredibly strong, and making it past their upbringing in their own separate ways.

What can I say? It¡¯s a stifling and encouraging epic, depending on the parts you are reading. Such a vast world, and the characters practically pop off the page.]]> 3.91 2011 My Brilliant Friend (My Brilliant Friend, #1)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: clover
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/16
date added: 2023/09/09
shelves: fiction
review:
Just because you turn your head away from something doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist.

At certain times, I hated this book almost as much as I was unable to put it down, and at others, I loved it almost as much as I despised the fact that I was picking it up again.

This story follows the journey of two girls who grow up in a poor neighbourhood in Naples, Italy, and from the very beginning there is a faint undertone of doom that permeates the entire novel: ¡°I feel no nostalgia for our childhood. It was full of violence.¡±

I found it to be a very gripping novel. In retrospect, aside from the suspenseful quality of the writing and setting, there¡¯s also the prologue that they present us from the very beginning. An older Elena, one of the two girls, receives a phone call from the son of her friend, Lila, who he laments has gone missing. Rather than panic and call the police, Elena¡¯s response hints at the odd drama of their ties immediately. ¡°Ah. So she¡¯s finally done it.¡± Disappeared without leaving a trace of herself just like she¡¯d always wanted, on a random day in old age. Elena takes on a biting tone with the son, evidently annoyed and used to what seems like spoiled leeching, and hangs up the phone on him. She doesn¡¯t seem to be worried or ready to venture out in search of her friend. Instead, in a sense ready to go to bed, she merely decides - almost in a competitive sense, to urk her attempt to disappear completely - to sit down and chronicle the story of her and Lila.

Lila - a senile grandma who¡¯s wandered off by herself? Or mysterious and true to her whims and only her whims even in old age, off to who knows where to do who knows what.

Elena - the calmer one who is known to be so close with Lila that the first thing her son does, before searching Lila¡¯s house, is to look to Elena? Or someone who both as a person, and in terms of her relationship with Lila, is much more complex.

And with this brief introduction, we are swept back into the times of Elena and Lila¡¯s childhood. Lila is brilliant and fiercely creative. Elena, in comparison, seems more timid, fearful. The story is told from Elena¡¯s POV.

So begins a tale of, yes, violence, and abuse, and inequality, and fear, and anger¡­ so much anger. But also of friendship, of girlhood and later womanhood, of the alternating tides of jealousy and love that form a relationship, and of class. It¡¯s a splendid soap opera, dynamic and intense. I love it for the vibrant world, and I hate it for the lack of justice. Things happen, and life just goes on. People are forced to endure bad situations, and worse, to stay in them. And be told this is just the norm - it¡¯s stifling. But then again, I¡¯m just reading it and it¡¯s stifling. What is it like to be in this situation? I think the book is very realistic, scarily realistic in that not all situations have a dim witted villain or a knight in shining armor. This doesn¡¯t stop the girls from being so incredibly strong, and making it past their upbringing in their own separate ways.

What can I say? It¡¯s a stifling and encouraging epic, depending on the parts you are reading. Such a vast world, and the characters practically pop off the page.
]]> Mrs. Dalloway 14942 194 Virginia Woolf 0151009988 clover 0 to-read 3.80 1925 Mrs. Dalloway
author: Virginia Woolf
name: clover
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1925
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Hours 11899 The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that became a motion picture starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman, directed by Stephen Daldry from a screenplay by David Hare.

In The Hours, Michael Cunningham, widely praised as one of the most gifted writers of his generation, draws inventively on the life and work of Virginia Woolf to tell the story of a group of contemporary characters struggling with the conflicting claims of love and inheritance, hope and despair. The narrative of Woolf's last days before her suicide early in World War II counterpoints the fictional stories of Samuel, a famous poet whose life has been shadowed by his talented and troubled mother, and his lifelong friend Clarissa, who strives to forge a balanced and rewarding life in spite of the demands of friends, lovers, and family.

Passionate, profound, and deeply moving, this is Cunningham's most remarkable achievement to date.]]> 230 Michael Cunningham 0312305060 clover 3 3.95 1998 The Hours
author: Michael Cunningham
name: clover
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/07
date added: 2023/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan Novels, #2)]]> 17465515 My Brilliant Friend introduced readers to the unforgettable Elena and Lila, whose lifelong friendship provides the backbone for the Neapolitan Novels. The Story of a New Name is the second book in this series. With these books, which the New Yorker's James Wood described as "large, captivating, amiably peopled ... a beautiful and delicate tale of confluence and reversal," Ferrante proves herself to be one of Italy's most accomplished storytellers. She writes vividly about a specific neighborhood of Naples from the late-1950s through to the current day and about two remarkable young women who are very much the products of that place and time. Yet in doing so she has created a world in which readers will recognize themselves and has drawn a marvelously nuanced portrait of friendship.

In The Story of a New Name, Lila has recently married and made her entr¨¦e into the family business; Elena, meanwhile, continues her studies and her exploration of the world beyond the neighborhood that she so often finds stifling. Love, jealousy, family, freedom, commitment, and above all friendship: these are signs under which both women live out this phase in their stories. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila, and the pressure to excel is at times too much for Elena. Yet the two young women share a complex and evolving bond that is central to their emotional lives and is a source of strength in the face of life's challenges. In these Neapolitan Novels, Elena Ferrante, the acclaimed author of The Days of Abandonment, gives readers a poignant and universal story about friendship and belonging.]]> 471 Elena Ferrante clover 4 4.47 2012 The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan Novels, #2)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: clover
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/18
date added: 2023/06/18
shelves:
review:

]]> A Room of One's Own 1430518 ]]> 144 Virginia Woolf 076079183X clover 0 to-read 4.20 1929 A Room of One's Own
author: Virginia Woolf
name: clover
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1929
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[This Is How You Lose the Time War]]> 43352954 Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.]]> 209 Amal El-Mohtar clover 4
The thing with time related endeavours though is that at some point I feel like I just need to close my brain and accept the inception vibe of it all.

Except with inception, you can still follow the thread of dream within a dream within a dream - countable layers, understandable.

With time? You want to change something in the present, so you go back into the past, only to find out this was already in the present (since future you had already went back in time). So did anything actually change? Is this a prophecy the prophecy kind of event?

With this book, there is no lengthy exposition to set the world. In fact, it feels like they just sweep you in from the very first letter, dropping casual concepts and references to the setting throughout so that you guesstimate and jigsaw the pieces out yourself.

I¡¯m not an incredible jigsaw person, so for a large part of the book, I felt like I was in a floating nodding state.

Ah yes, threads. Climbing upthread, downthread, like one of those multiverse things, but cooler, because of how non specific it is. Like Dr. Strange with time, but no devices needed. No, they simply dart and duck to and fro, the nimblest warrior and deadliest dancer, engaged in a never ending exchange of staccato tremors and devastating chords - but never reaching a sure cadence.

Ah yes, Garden, Commandant - humans who¡¯ve developed into beings that are at once far more and far less complex. More complex in the sense of physical limitations from space to time, and less in the sense that in this entire book there seems to be exactly two thinking individuals, two god-like existences, and numerous ¡°others¡± who melt in the broad immortality of the war.

I think this is a story that caters toward that imaginative romantic part. It indulges in the quantity of curious metaphors, the whole concept of the vintage grace of letter writing amidst post futuristic shape shifting schemes between powerful, dire opposites. Bloody roses, midnight rain, seeds that yield azure tendrils, standing alone and watching the flames burn not just a planet, but an entire time and possibility to ashes ¡­

I can bet the authors definitely had fun writing this.

As a reading experience, it was also very fun, especially as the plot started speeding up later on, like a chess match that had gone past the expected pawn knight exchange and ventured into unknown territory.

I felt a bit lost at some points and confused at which point the romance suddenly blossomed. Kinda like two people, one from A, one from B, holding hands and saying screw A and B, let¡¯s make our own world together. But like why? When? Is everyone else in the world mindless amoebas?

In short, I found the cool premise and proud embrace of inventive flowery prose that actually has substance to be ensnaring. But also a tad confusing? And requiring you to be of a more romantic and less cynical state of mind, willing to accept the inevitable ¡°being in a void¡± feeling of an almost exclusively two person exchange.

But it is really cool! And I¡¯ve never read anything quite like it in style. Enjoyed the playfulness of it as well. 4.5/5]]> 3.86 2019 This Is How You Lose the Time War
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: clover
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/07
date added: 2023/06/08
shelves:
review:
This was cool to read ??

The thing with time related endeavours though is that at some point I feel like I just need to close my brain and accept the inception vibe of it all.

Except with inception, you can still follow the thread of dream within a dream within a dream - countable layers, understandable.

With time? You want to change something in the present, so you go back into the past, only to find out this was already in the present (since future you had already went back in time). So did anything actually change? Is this a prophecy the prophecy kind of event?

With this book, there is no lengthy exposition to set the world. In fact, it feels like they just sweep you in from the very first letter, dropping casual concepts and references to the setting throughout so that you guesstimate and jigsaw the pieces out yourself.

I¡¯m not an incredible jigsaw person, so for a large part of the book, I felt like I was in a floating nodding state.

Ah yes, threads. Climbing upthread, downthread, like one of those multiverse things, but cooler, because of how non specific it is. Like Dr. Strange with time, but no devices needed. No, they simply dart and duck to and fro, the nimblest warrior and deadliest dancer, engaged in a never ending exchange of staccato tremors and devastating chords - but never reaching a sure cadence.

Ah yes, Garden, Commandant - humans who¡¯ve developed into beings that are at once far more and far less complex. More complex in the sense of physical limitations from space to time, and less in the sense that in this entire book there seems to be exactly two thinking individuals, two god-like existences, and numerous ¡°others¡± who melt in the broad immortality of the war.

I think this is a story that caters toward that imaginative romantic part. It indulges in the quantity of curious metaphors, the whole concept of the vintage grace of letter writing amidst post futuristic shape shifting schemes between powerful, dire opposites. Bloody roses, midnight rain, seeds that yield azure tendrils, standing alone and watching the flames burn not just a planet, but an entire time and possibility to ashes ¡­

I can bet the authors definitely had fun writing this.

As a reading experience, it was also very fun, especially as the plot started speeding up later on, like a chess match that had gone past the expected pawn knight exchange and ventured into unknown territory.

I felt a bit lost at some points and confused at which point the romance suddenly blossomed. Kinda like two people, one from A, one from B, holding hands and saying screw A and B, let¡¯s make our own world together. But like why? When? Is everyone else in the world mindless amoebas?

In short, I found the cool premise and proud embrace of inventive flowery prose that actually has substance to be ensnaring. But also a tad confusing? And requiring you to be of a more romantic and less cynical state of mind, willing to accept the inevitable ¡°being in a void¡± feeling of an almost exclusively two person exchange.

But it is really cool! And I¡¯ve never read anything quite like it in style. Enjoyed the playfulness of it as well. 4.5/5
]]> Daisy Jones & The Six 40597810 Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it¡¯s the rock ¡¯n¡¯ roll she loves most. By the time she¡¯s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she¡¯s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.]]> 368 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1524798622 clover 3 4.20 2019 Daisy Jones & The Six
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: clover
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/13
date added: 2023/06/02
shelves:
review:

]]> The Princess Diarist 26025989 The last book from beloved Hollywood icon Carrie Fisher, The Princess Diarist is an intimate, hilarious, and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.

When Carrie Fisher discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved--plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naivet¨¦, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Before her passing, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon was indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford.

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher's intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time--and what developed behind the scenes. Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into one of Hollywood's most beloved stars.]]> 257 Carrie Fisher 0399173595 clover 3 3.70 2016 The Princess Diarist
author: Carrie Fisher
name: clover
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2023/05/23
date added: 2023/06/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo]]> 32620332
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn¡¯s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ¡®80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn¡¯s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique¡¯s own in tragic and irreversible ways.]]> 389 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1501139231 clover 4 fiction 4.39 2017 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: clover
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/16
date added: 2023/06/02
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]]> 22628 offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see
what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being A WALLFLOWER

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

(back cover)]]> 213 Stephen Chbosky clover 4 fiction 4.24 1999 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
author: Stephen Chbosky
name: clover
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/02
date added: 2023/06/02
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> Calypso 38348476
If you've ever laughed your way through David Sedaris's cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what you're getting with Calypso. You'd be wrong.

When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself.

With Calypso, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation toward middle age and mortality. Make no mistake: these stories are very, very funny--it's a book that can make you laugh 'til you snort, the way only family can. Sedaris's powers of observation have never been sharper, and his ability to shock readers into laughter unparalleled. But much of the comedy here is born out of that vertiginous moment when your own body betrays you and you realize that the story of your life is made up of more past than future.

This is beach reading for people who detest beaches, required reading for those who loathe small talk and love a good tumor joke. Calypso is simultaneously Sedaris's darkest and warmest book yet--and it just might be his very best.]]> 272 David Sedaris 0316392359 clover 0 to-read 4.11 2018 Calypso
author: David Sedaris
name: clover
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Of Mice and Men 890 ¡°I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why.¡±

They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. Laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. But George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own.

While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck's work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing Of Mice and Men, creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal: a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual's existence meaningful.

A unique perspective on life's hardships, this story has achieved the status of timeless classic due to its remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films.]]> 107 John Steinbeck 0142000671 clover 4 classics 3.88 1937 Of Mice and Men
author: John Steinbeck
name: clover
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1937
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/30
date added: 2023/05/30
shelves: classics
review:

]]> Don Quixote 3835 Don Quixote chronicles the adventures of the self-created knight-errant Don Quixote of La Mancha and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, as they travel through sixteenth-century Spain. You haven't experienced Don Quixote in English until you've read this masterful translation.]]> 940 Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 0060934344 clover 5 classics 4.12 1615 Don Quixote
author: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
name: clover
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1615
rating: 5
read at: 2022/03/01
date added: 2023/05/24
shelves: classics
review:
While Don Quijote may be the apparent laughingstock, and his overindulgence in stories the core satirical theme, I found the other characters¡¯ relationships with him to be very interesting. The very fact that so many people throughout the story find themselves engaging with Don Quixote's antics and wrapped up in his "madman's universe" is intensely satirical in itself. We often naturally put ourself in the shoes of the people making the judgement, poking our fingers and commenting on Don Quijote¡¯s insanity, yet how sane is this world, really? While Don Quixote¡¯s mishaps often rise from misunderstanding, is fighting a windmill truly that much more harmful than exploiting a servant, physical abuse, and the public¡¯s biting words towards a woman, judged merely for her beauty? While the story is definitely satirical by nature and ridden with humourous prose, it also has a distinct, sad undertone throughout. It is tragic that the chivalric virtues of honour and love are nowhere to be truly found in his reality.
]]> <![CDATA[Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)]]> 61431922 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general¡ªalso known as her tough-as-talons mother¡ªhas ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you¡¯re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don¡¯t bond to ¡°fragile¡± humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother¡¯s daughter¡ªlike Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She¡¯ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda¡ªbecause once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]> 665 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 clover 0 to-read 4.56 2023 Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: clover
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Never Let Me Go 6334
Within the grounds of Hailsham, Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman, but it¡¯s only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave the safe grounds of the school (as they always knew they would) that they realize the full truth of what Hailsham is.

Never Let Me Go breaks through the boundaries of the literary novel. It is a gripping mystery, a beautiful love story, and also a scathing critique of human arrogance and a moral examination of how we treat the vulnerable and different in our society. In exploring the themes of memory and the impact of the past, Ishiguro takes on the idea of a possible future to create his most moving and powerful book to date.]]> 288 Kazuo Ishiguro 1400078776 clover 0 to-read 3.85 2005 Never Let Me Go
author: Kazuo Ishiguro
name: clover
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Project Hail Mary 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn¡¯t know that. He can¡¯t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he¡¯s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he¡¯s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it¡¯s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery¡ªand conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he¡¯s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 clover 0 to-read 4.49 2021 Project Hail Mary
author: Andy Weir
name: clover
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>