Images from Goodreads

[1] Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and Its Culture of Deception by Matt Hart
Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging, saw on Sara Hall’s Instagram story

Synopsis: Hart dives in to the history of cheating led by coach Alberto Salazar and endocrinologist Dr. Jeffry Brown on Nike’s elite Oregon Project running team.

Review: As a runner I really thought I was going to like this book – I’ve side-eyed every win and record from the Oregon Project team for years, and wanted to see the history of their cheating (through prescription drug use). But for the life of me, I could not get into this book. Hart spent three years researching and interviewed over a hundred people and it shows – the book is way too detailed, long, and drawn out. It could have been half the length… or a very long article. It didn’t help that a lot of the story focused on Kara Goucher, whose story I believe, but am not a fan of. Meh.

Recommend? No

[2] Tiny by Kim Hooper
Fiction / Literary, Kim used to blog and we were internet friends and she’s published four novels and this is the first I’ve picked up!

Trigger Warnings: child death, suicide, depression

Synopsis: Nate and Annie Forester are grieving the recent death of their three-year-old daughter, who ran out in front of a truck Josh was driving through their neighborhood. Nate dives into work to keep himself distracted, while Annie is frozen from the pain and struggles to think of anything else. Josh feels horrible and becomes obsessed with checking in (from a distance) on them to see how they’re doing.

Review: Well, my synopsis makes this sound horribly depressing, but I promise it’s not – it ends up being an uplifting story of how people cope with a terrible tragedy. The chapters alternate between Nate, Annie, and Josh’s point of view. Each character’s story felt fully realized and relatable, even though they were all coping in different ways. I enjoyed Hooper’s very readable and current writing style (especially after slogging through Win At All Costs) and want to read more of her books!

Recommend? Yes

[3] The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Fiction / Literary, heard about from Stephany

Trigger Warnings: death

Synopsis: In 1985 Yale Tishman is trying to secure an endowment of historic sketches to the gallery he works for, while going through the emotional heartbreak of losing most of his friends to the AIDS pandemic. As the years go on he only has Fiona, a deceased friend’s sister, left in his circle. In 2015, Fiona is in Paris trying to track down her estranged daughter who she last saw in the states, in a cult.

Review: This book will break your heart but it’s so good! Normally when I read a book with dual timelines I like one better but I enjoyed both of these the same, which says a lot. The 1985 timeline is set in Chicago and I loved reading all the references I am personally familiar with, and enjoyed getting a glimpse of what the city was like back then. Yale and Fiona are both very likeable, despite their flaws, and I was rooting for both of them. It did take me a while to learn all of the characters in Yale’s life, and the first chapter was kind of bizarre, but after that, I was totally into it.

Recommend: Yes!