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Rated The Detour 8/10
What an impressive, thought-provoking novel this is. Set in 1938 Germany and Italy, <i>The Detour</i> presents a man who must weigh his love against his duty, all while existing in the broader picture of pre-WWII. We know what is ahead, and this purgatorial state stirs up all sorts of questions about idealism, loss, connection, art, and the perils of authoritarian states. I hadn't heard of any Andromeda Romano-Lax's work before receiving this book, so this was a fantastic surprise.<br><br>My full review can be found on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2012/01/detour-by-andromeda-romano-lax.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.
Rated The Call 8/10
While I'd hesitate to say that <i>The Call</i> would be a universal hit for everyone, it is certainly one that keeps your mind going in between reading sessions. It is a bit of a puzzle, but a good one, and one certainly worth giving a try.<br><br>(My full review can be found on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2011/12/call-by-yannick-murphy.html">Glorified Love Letters.</a>)
Rated The Cat Who Saved Books 7/10
<div>Though this flavor of magical realism isn't my usual literary neck of the woods, this was an enjoyable fable on the importance of books and recognizing the people who care for you.</div>
Rated The Circle 10/10
Really *good story, that last update should read.
Rated The Collective 4/10
I suppose the argument could be made that <i>The Collective</i> is a story about how we can never completely know another person, and that even our closest friends are capable of surprising us. I just wanted to hear about it from someone else. If we could see the inner workings of Joshua, rather than speculate, and juxtapose those thoughts with his outward behavior, I might have enjoyed the novel more.<br><br>I understand that creative people are often not the most stable — myself being one of them — and while I sympathized with these characters' causes, I just couldn't quite connect with them. I'm certainly not sorry I read it, but especially now going back through it, I wish the story could have been framed in a more effective way. Like Eric, it has potential, but I wanted better.<br><br>(My full review can be found on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-collective-by-don-lee.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.)
Rated The Cows 10/10
I love everything about this little chapbook. I first read this in Electric Literature, but loved it enough to buy the standalone copy. Perhaps this will only amuse/enamor a certain type of reader, but I am that reader.
Rated The Cutting Room 8/10
<div>A really solid Glasgow mystery that isn't cop-centric, though the subject matter is definitely not for the squeamish. Since this is from 2003, there are some terms regarding trans people that do not hold up 20 years later, and we definitely didn't need an epigraph for every chapter, but otherwise I liked this.</div>
Rated The Color of Magic 7/10
<div> I respect Terry Pratchett's whole deal, but I don't know that Discworld is something I'm going to continue with. Now having read 3 of the books —other two being <em>The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents</em> and <em>Witches Abroad </em>— I have found plenty of it funny and I see why people like it, but I'm just not vibing overall. That's ok! I may dip into another book one day, but for now, I have so much else to read.</div>
Rated The Confessions of Dorian Gray: Isolation 6/10
An interesting, short one-off for these interesting times.
Rated The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act 8/10
I Iiked this a lot, though I suspect I'll glean even more by rereading it. Lovely art, great characters.
Rated The Diary of River Song, Series 5 10/10
"I'm almost hoping we crash so I can regenerate and wake up next to your body!"<br><br>This Master-filled Diary of River Song set has some very funny moments. Really loved this.
Wants to read The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait