Rated Still Here 6/10
A generally engaging multi-character-viewpoint story about Russian immigrants in New York and their relationships to each other, with a special focus on the technology that mediates those relationships. Well-drawn if not especially compelling; it's more of a slice-of-life than an arc, but it's a good solid read about convincing characters.
Rated The coup / John Updike 6/10
Hmmm. Enjoyable, but ultimately kind of slight; beautifully written but too in love with its own language; too queasy-making about race and touched through with whatever the Africa version of "Orientalism" would be. Recommended with reservations - I haven't read much Updike but have to assume this is regarded as a lesser work.
Rated NW 8/10
A story-suite more than a novel - extremely vividly drawn, emotionally rich as Smith’s books always are, doesn’t quite all fall together as intended. As usual, her focus is on the lived experience of racial, cultural and class divides among a diverse cast of Londoners. Not as gripping as White Teeth or Swing Time but if you liked those you’ll appreciate this one.
Rated The Wife and Other Stories 8/10
I think I liked "About Love" and the title story the best, but I suspect I may be more of a Bulgakov gal.
Rated The Invaders 6/10
Well-done, and nicely balanced on the line between literary-MFA-ish and soapy, but doesn't quite land as hard as it wants to. It's told from the perspective of two unhappy people in a wealthy Connecticut town - a lonely second wife and her college-age stepson. The writing is skillful and there's a lot of plot to stay engaged with but it seems a little self-focused and small-scale, and it's definitely a bummer.
Finished reading The Road to Roswell
Finished reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Wants to read 300 Arguments: Essays
Rated Speak 6/10
Beautifully written sci-fi-ish novel about artificial intelligence, told in six separate storylines that don't quite hang together and vary in interest level. Thought-provoking and a quick read.
Rated A Psalm for the Wild-Built 6/10
<div>I think I would enjoy watching rather than reading this. I liked the premise, but the writing style wasn't always for me. Ymmv</div>
Rated The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing 10/10
<div>Somehow this book had escaped my attention before now, but I'd read a quote from it on some site or another that I liked so much, I almost immediately ordered a copy from Thriftbooks. Now this is some great art about art.</div><div><br></div>
Rated A Dead Djinn in Cairo 9/10
<div>I really enjoy all the stories set in this alternate Cairo universe. </div>
Wants to read Death of the Author
Wants to read The Alice Network
Finished reading The Great Transition
Rated A Wrinkle in Time 8/10
Ah! Finally I have read the book that pretty much everyone read as a kid, and I somehow never picked it up. (I was probably too busy with R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike, tbh). Enjoyed this a lot, and I enjoyed how this edition gave some additional facts about L'Engle and the genesis of the book itself.
Finished reading Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Rated A Winter's Night by Valerio Massimo Manfredi 8/10
“Told in the tradition of country folktales,” <i>A Winter's Night</i>'s jacket copy reads. For some readers, I imagine that might be a deterrent, and if it is, resist your resistance. This expansive, multi-generational novel set in the first half of twentieth century Italy is as enjoyable as it is lovely. Manfredi gathers a lot of history into 400 pages, and while it's not exactly a quick read, <i>Night</i> never feels like a slog either — even if the characters themselves wonder when they might escape certain slog-like points in their lives.<br><br>(My full review appears on <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-winters-night-by-valerio-massimo.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.)