Images from Goodreads
Ugh, I just want a great unputdownable book. These last two books made reading feel like a chore. I hate-read that last one and should have abandoned it.
[54] The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Fiction / Literary, recommended on Sarah’s Bookshelves Live Episode 41 Winter 2020 Book Preview, liked author’s book Station Eleven
Synopsis: Vincent and Paul are half-siblings working together at the Hotel Caiette, a five-star hotel on an island off the coast in Canada. Their lives both change the night someone writes “why don’t you swallow broken glass” on the glass in the lobby.
Review: Do NOT read the dust jacket or Goodreads synopsis. Gah, it gives so much away! I’m glad I requested this book only because I loved the author’s book Station Eleven, not because I had read what the plot was, because, for real, all the synopses online share a bunch of spoilers. This is a character driven novel about wealth, greed, ghosts, and delusion. There are many interconnected characters and Mandel weaves them together perfectly, over many settings (I loved the casual mention to the Iowa amusement park, Adventureland, ha!). I don’t want to say more and spoil it!
Recommend? Yes, if you like character driven novels
[55] The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney
Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, @sierragullan Instagram story
Synopsis: When Abbie Cullen dies, her tech tycoon husband Tim Scott has his company Scott Robotics create an AI version of her. When AI Abbie wakes up, her memories are imprinted, and she moves back home. But as more memories come back to Abbie, she starts to question Tim and what really happened to Abbie.
Review: This book definitely was not predictable, so that’s great, and it was easy to read, but it was too much thriller and not enough sci-fi for me.
Recommend? Nah
[56] Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs, heard about all over Bookstagram and book podcasts
Synopsis: Glennon Doyle shares the story of meeting her wife Abby Wambach, and urges readers to trust their inner voice, their “Knowing,” and not strive to be what society expects of them.
Review: Um… I mostly hated this book. I wanted to read it because it’s getting so much hype, and I thought it was a memoir. The few memoir parts were interesting – how Glennon went from being married to a man with three kids to falling in love with Abby and marrying her. But wow, it’s mostly self-help stuff and it was NOT for me. Nor was the writing style – very short chapters that sometimes started off with an interesting situation but were then spun in to more preachy self-helpy stuff. Just, no. No thanks.
Recommend: NO WAY
I have The Glass Hotel on my nightstand. Got it from the library but I haven’t started it yet. And I got it for the same reason you did… loved Station Eleven. I actually knew nothing about this book’s plot until I read your synopsis so YOU’D BETTER NOT HAVE RUINED ANYTHING FOR ME!!!
Buah ha ha! I didn’t, I promise! That happens in the second chapter or something. Let me know what you think of it!
Heeeeeheeeeee… I love your review of Untamed. Glennon Doyle is VERY self-help-y and very Jesus-y. (I’m not sure how Jesus-y she is in the novel, but I read another book by her which was very much in that vein.) I was actually surprised that you were going to read this book! It didn’t feel like your style, and it wasn’t! (I’m actually surprised that our favorite book blogger raved about it, too!) I’m still going to read it (mostly because I bought a copy from BOTM, sigh), but I’m reading more and more trash reviews about it, so I’m not sure about it. But damn, woo-woo self-help is sometimes my JAM, haha.
I’m glad you liked The Glass Hotel. I’m seeing mixed reviews so I’ve been unsure about it. Maybe I’ll try it on audio when it’s been out for a few years. 🙂
I had no idea! I really thought it was a memoir, ha! She is not very Jesus-y in this one (she has replaced Jesus with her Knowing), but yeah, it stil was not for me – you were right. I am surprised so many are raving about it, but I shouldn’t be – everyone likes something different! I am curious to hear what you think after reading it!
I need to read the mixed review of The Glass Hotel. I wonder if people don’t like the way the story is told, or maybe, don’t see the point. (not saying there is one, but that I sometimes like character driven novels enough just to read about their lives and be satisfied.)
Thanks for warning me about these books – I won’t bother seeing if my library has them, LOL!
I totally feel you on just wanting a great unputdownable book – I brought home ten books from my last library haul and have read two now that have been just meh. Maybe I need to order that third Liz Moore book anyway…
Yeah, just order that book. LOL! What were the two you were meh about? I hope you find a gem in that pile!
Okay, I’m going to live on the wild side and order it – LOL!
The two books I really did not like were “Today Will Be Different” by Maria Semple – yuck – and “Future Home of the Living God” by Louis Erdrich – ugh. Finished both of them though just because I wanted to see what happened but sighed and groaned all the way.
Do eeeeeeeeeet! LOL
Gah, I will remember not to get those!