book

Rated Dept. of Speculation 10/10

If I had read this earlier, it would have probably snuck into my Top 5 for the year post that I wrote. This book is as great as everyone said it is.<br><br>With its short chapters, <i>Dept. of Speculation</i> lends itself well to dipping in and out of its pages to remind oneself of its little bursts of feelings, but it’s also a good book for a full reread. Watching the reality of another couple’s ups and downs inevitably inspires reflection on one’s own relationships. How can we improve? Are we past the point of no return?<br><br>(Full review appears at <a href="http://persephonemagazine.com/2015/03/3-book-recommendations-illuminating-womens-lives/">Persephone Magazine</a>.)

Rated Fathermucker 8/10

Fathermucker is a quick-but-satisfying read, and certainly one with which less-uptight parents will identify. The question of "Is Stacy having an affair?" propels us to the very end, and it goes for self-deprecation over melodramatics. Olear makes us consider the definitions of honesty and identity within our day-to-day life, and I am officially a fan.

Rated The Castle 8/10

<div>I might have been tempted to rate this lower, but I think I would have enjoyed this more if I'd read it instead of listened to the audiobook. That said, the way it ends made me literally say, "HA!" aloud. I knew it was an unfinished novel, but I just didn't imagine how it was unfinished would be so amusing to me. That's what much of The Castle is — grimly amusing.</div>

Wants to read Far From You

Wants to read Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

Rated Gigi and The Cat 7/10

<div>It wasn't love, but I liked these two stories. The characters are all very compelling. I'm interested in (finally) reading more Colette.</div>

Wants to read Blueprints for Building Better Girls: Fiction

Rated Torchwood: Goodbye Piccadilly 10/10

<div>A fun one.</div>

Wants to read Gone Girl

Rated Losing Clementine 8/10

What a nice surprise this book is. When I began reading it, I wasn't so sure about it. The narrator, Clementine Pritchard, seemed to speak as though she were trying to show off how clever she is, and at times, it comes off a bit strained. However, that strained cleverness does have an underlying point — Clementine is very, very sad and tired of life, and making jokes keeps her functional. She's decided to spend a month getting her affairs in order, and then she's going to kill herself. Each chapter is titled with how many days she has left to go. Eventually, I settled into her voice and her situation, and the interesting thing about the book is that I found myself not necessarily rooting for her life one way or the other. When it comes to a subject as touchy as suicide, that's an interesting mental space in which to be.<br><br>(My full review appears on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2013/02/losing-clementine-by-ashley-ream.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.)

Rated UNIT: Brave New World 1: Seabird One 6/10

<div>Just ok. If it were very on sale, I would be interested in the next installment to see if it finds its legs, but I am not in a hurry.</div>

Wants to read Hotel Sacher

Rated Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV 9/10

Wants to read The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th-Century Bookseller's Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece

Rated Doctor Who: Human Resources, Part One 10/10

This was excellent.

Wants to read Rusty Brown

Rated Amora: Stories 8/10

<div>Solid collection of short fiction with some beautiful writing.</div>

Wants to read I Married You for Happiness

Rated The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love 8/10

<div>I read the first edition of this, so some of the people cited do not hold up to 2023, but I will assume any quibbles I have are addressed in the new second edition. I also wish it touched a bit more on disability. Still, there's lots of good thoughts here, whether you're just beginning your journey to body acceptance or you're a semi-jaded know-it-all who still needs to have a word with yourself here and there. Worth a read.&nbsp;</div>

Wants to read The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll

Rated Doctor Who: Shada 10/10

I've read the book, watched the Eighth Doctor animated version of this, and now finally listened to the CD audio adventure of Shada, so I guess this means it's one of my favorites. It's a very good Doctor Who story from Douglas Adams (yes, THAT Douglas Adams, for those of you who were unfamiliar with his having written for the show) featuring Romana II and K9, and if they are indeed going to make an animated Fourth Doctor version, I expect I'll be into that one too.

Rated The Crow Road 6/10

<div>It's definitely not a bad book, but it takes until the second half to really kick off at all, plot-wise. I definitely wanted to know how it all shook out, but there are a lot of, let's say, privileged people problems. And one truly cringe-worthy sex scene at the end that involves Morse code. Yes, really</div>

Wants to read I'm Not Saying, I'm Just Saying

Wants to read The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

Rated The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris 8/10

John Baxter effortlessly merges the stories of his walking tours with bits of additional history, as well as stories from his own life, and what the stories mean to him. He makes you want to binge out on all the books and art he mentions, followed by booking plane tickets. In short, he is a very good guide.<br><br>(My full review can be found on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2011/11/most-beautiful-walk-in-world-pedestrian.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.)