My March reading is a wrap, but I have a question: would you rather have highs and lows in your reading or a steady diet of good? You can probably guess where I’m going with this. I ended the month on a streak of 3.5 star books, most of which I can hardly remember reading. I want need more amazing reading.
Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels by Paul Pringle
Published by Celadon Books
Publication date: July 19, 2022
Bookshop
I guess I’m naïve, but there are certain institutions that don’t come to mind when I think “rampant corruption”—venerated universities and newspapers to name two. That belief was dealt a killing blow in Paul Pringle’s book, Bad City, a scorching look into the world of privilege and abuse of power at the University of Southern California and the L.A. Times.
I listened to this book and while the content was riveting I found Pringle’s writing style to be overblown. Much of the books details veer into the dramatic, but that may have been the narrator’s style. Still, there’s a certain salacious glee and repetitiveness around the activities of key USC faculty that felt more like The Enquirer and not something I expect from a veteran investigative reporter. The truth about the school’s dean of medicine, then one of the long-time gynecologists at the student medical center, and finally, the Varsity Blues scandal are all mind-boggling enough without embellishment.
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino: Review to follow
The Women by Kristin Hannah: Outstanding historical fiction about women serving in the Vietnam War. My review
Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
Published by Atria Books
Publication date: July 20, 2023
Oh, dear. I guess it had to happen, Steve Cavanagh has finally written a bridge too far for me. Kill For Me Kill For You has a clever premise around the need for two very bad men to be killed, but by the midway point it had devolved into such a hot mess I had to let go. Nothing in the story was plausible and without Cavanagh’s crafty attention to detail and devious twists I was left wondering if someone else wrote this novel.
A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda: The American Dream vs. American reality for one Indian-American family. Review to follow
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange: A novel of the generational trauma inflicted on Native Americans. My review
The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Published by St. Martin's Press
Publication date: February 13, 2024
Bookshop
The Fortune Seller was successful reading for me in that I didn’t feel I’d wasted my time by reading it, but neither was it an outstanding book or anything that’s going to stick with me longer than it takes to write this brief review. This is another novel about an outsider in the world of wealthy people, who thinks it’s all gold only to find out everyone is made of tin. This goes even further in that it’s also a college girls dorm/living situation novel with a mystery thrown in. Add equestrians and you have a stereotypical wealthy people behaving badly novel, which is still not a problem. It’s just that in her debut novel, The Ballerinas, Kapelke-Dale reached further and left me more intrigued by her writing. This is her third novel and at this point I would consider her books something to read by the pool, on beach, or on a plane. Nothing wrong just nothing memorable.
How was your March reading?
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*I received a free copies of these book from Atria Book and St. Martin’s in exchange for an honest review.*
Yes, I definitely would rather read a steady stream of excellent, satisfying, books. I hope next month will be a better one for you!
I’ve become too finicky!
Well, that’s an interesting question. I suppose I can’t expect to always have such amazing reading. There are also books I don’t personally enjoy that much, but am glad I read for other reasons — historical importance, learning something from them, etc.
If 25% to 50% of my reading is outstanding, I’m pretty happy! The rest can be average. If something is really terrible, I usually don’t finish it since I gave myself permission to DNF.
Permission to DNF is critical! Thank you for the percentages- I have a reading tracker and really need to sit down and look at my percentages. Maybe my mood is coloring my perception of my reading.
I felt the same way about the Steve Cavanagh book, Kill for Me, Kill for You. Everyone on social media has been raving about it, but I enjoyed it so much less than the other books by him that I have read. Hot mess is right.
I am absolutely shocked by how many people are raving over it! The Eddie Flynn novels were so sharp; I never had any sense of what was going to happen, but this was awful. Almost like it could have been AI- interesting premise but written by a machine.
Yes, I think I’d rather have highs and lows in reading too. 3 – 3.5 star books start to get old after a long string of them
And yet, I feel so spoiled saying that! It’s not possible for everything to be outstanding, I’m just being petulant.
I don’t think you are petulant at all! I appreciate your honesty in reviewing books and knowing what you like! Sure, everything isn’t going to be 5 (or even 4) stars but it’s also o.k. to notice when the 3 and 3.5 are getting you antsy… when that happens for me it’s time to look to my trusted recommenders for a really well written and compelling story (personally beautiful writing isn’t enough- I’m a plot driven reader who also requires good character development and excellent writing- now who’s finicky?!!!?) Please know how very glad I am that you are out in this space giving such beautiful reviews!
Thank you so much for the gracious words! I love hearing from readers of the blog. Thankfully, I’ve had a run of great books so feeling a bit calmer!
Oh no, I’m so sad to hear that about the Steve Cavanagh book! I really like hearing your highs and lows and mehs – it’s given me great incentive to pick up a book (or pass as the case may be), and I really value your insights.
I swear, either it was written by and AI bot after digitizing his other books or another writer completely. Oh well! Glad to hear you don’t mind the lows- some people think only positive reviews should be written, but I feel as if three has to be some balance.