Lindsey’s Comments (group member since Mar 13, 2023)

Lindsey’s comments from the DMPL Book Chat group.

I read And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott. I was not expecting this book to be about time at all, so it was a pleasant surprise to be able to check off this category! It was a wild ride, one of the most genre-bending books I’ve ever read. I felt so many strong emotions reading this book, it definitely had a surprisingly intense impact on me, so I’m still digesting how I feel about it. But I absolutely love a book that makes you think and feel!

@Jenni, what did you think of Never Whistle at Night? I’m about to start

I read "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro (3/5 stars). It's a sci-fi/futuristic/dystopian(?) story told from the perspective of an artificially intelligent unit. After I finished it, I was just left staring at the wall wondering "what did I just read?". I rated it a 3/5 because it did make me think about a lot of futuristic/AI/dystopia stuff, and I enjoyed some of the "outsider looking in" takes on human interactions, but I generally didn't enjoy this read. If it had been any longer, I may have stopped midway through.

I read "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah (3/5 stars). I normally love Kristin Hannah, but this one wasn't my favorite! Characters felt one-dimensional, some plot events were like WAIT WAT WHY, and it was mostly just a downer, things constantly going wrong, people making frustrating decisions and mistakes. Wasn't nearly as impressed as I was with The Nightingale (4/5 stars), or Four Winds (5/5 stars).

I read "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" by Mohsin Hamid. It's the fictional story of a Pakistani man who was happy and successful in America before 9/11, but his experience changes drastically after the attack. I really liked it off the bat, very compelling story, but I feel like it kind of went off the rails and the ending was weak. I'm excited to read the other books recommended by the Book Chat librarian, what a cool offering!

I read "Several People Are Typing" by Calvin Kasulke. This book had me laughing out loud, I found it absolutely hilarious. The entire book comprises several Slack group conversations between employees at a (fictional) PR firm. The premise is that an employee is inexplicably sucked into Slack (as in, leaves his body, his consciousness is bound to the platform), and it only gets weirder from there. Very quick read, and it has a quirky and satisfying ending. I highly recommend it, especially if you work in a corporate environment that utilizes Slack or some other teams messaging platform -- you'll relate in an uncanny and hilarious way!

I read "Miracle in the Andes" by Nando Parrado. I knew the premise (the plane crash in the Andes that stranded an Uruguayan high school Rugby team), so I was expecting a compelling story, but I was blown away by the writing. It was beautiful and very poetic at times, focusing a lot on Nando's personal thoughts, recollections, epiphanies. I think I finished the whole thing in a 24-hour period, couldn't put it down.

I ready "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt. Really pleasant and satisfying story! The premise is there are people working at an aquarium in a town outside Seattle, which houses an incredibly intelligent octopus. Chapters alternate focus between characters, including the octopus (who was probably my favorite). The octopus is super observant and smart, and he starts to realize things about the employees and circumstances that the poor, daft humans don't even realize. So he tries to meddle in their lives to get everybody on the same page. Part cute story, part mystery (the octopus doesn't give away his realizations or schemes right away!), part love letter to the Pacific Northwest. Had the feel of "Big Little Lies" but if one of the characters had been a super-intelligent cephalopod.

I read "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas. I really liked this book. I wouldn't have ever picked it up if not for fulling the YA category of this Reading Challenge, so I'm really glad it made me branch out and read this book. Felt like a really accessible book for young adults on a really tough but important topic. Angie Thomas handled so many difficult subjects and situations with amazing insights and grace. Should be required reading in high school these days.