Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Favorite Books of 2022

 Anthony Horowitz. Magpie Murders.

  • It took me a while to get into the book, but then I hit a point of no return - could not put it down. I loved the structure, the book-inside-the-book puzzle. The writing was solid. The characters were great.
  • Excellent plot with unexpected turns and twists.
  • The book poked fun of itself in the best possible way.

Robin Benway. Far from Tree
  • Nice (if a little cheesy) read about adoption, teenage pregnancy, foster care.
  • It was a satisfying, feeling-inducing read.

Ruth Ware. The It Girl.
  • This was a well-written book and I couldn't put it down.
  • Interesting themes (creepy men, college)
  • Fun read but not deep....
  • Took me forever to figure out who the villain was, but at the end - wasn't surprising.

Sally Hepworth. The Good Sister.
  • Well-written, page-turner fun.
  • Unexpected twists... thought-provoking (sibling relationships!)
  • Made me think about unreliable narrator, unreliable memories, and how 2 people may recall the same event in different ways.

Kate Quinn. Diamond Eye.
  • Well-written historical fiction that feels authentic and honest.
  • This was the story of the remarkable Ljudmila Pavlichenko - Soviet sniper - written with compassion and sensitivity.

Shauna Niequist. I guess I haven't Learned That Yet.
  • Nonfiction... too much religion but full of brilliant and sensitive observations about life.

Arthur Clalrke. Rendezvous With Rama.
  • Solid science fiction. Based in the real world, real technology.
  • Can see how it influenced Avi Loeb, Expanse...
  • Loved the ending! 
  • Characters were 2-D and not particularly interesting.

Neal Stephenson. Termination Shock.
  • Very well-written and convincing. 
  • Amazing blend of current events, technology, geography, and science fiction.
  • Thought-provoking, compels to check the current tech and events to see if they are real...

Not quite a favorite but worth mentioning...
Rob Hart. The Paradox Hotel.
  • Time-paradox-based science fiction.
  • Interesting concepts - but confusing and a bit disjointed.
  • Diverse characters with interesting personal stories.

2 comments:

  1. Oh! Paradox Hotel has been on my TBR for a while. That's good to know. I adore all of Horowitz's books for adults. The next one in that series is good, too.

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    1. Hi Mel. Horowitz - I tried to get my kids to read the Alex Rider series but they never got into it. I just finished "The Twist of a Knife" in the Hawthorne series (liked it - and it didn't quite drive me as bonkers as the other ones in the series, trying to figure out what was real and what was not). I am considering trying his James Bond books (but I want to some Ian Fleming first).

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