Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've become a Frederik Backman fan, and this is the 5th book I've read by him, but it is by far my favorite. Yes, he has a grumps-with-a-heart-of-gold theme that he repeats over and over. However, he really succeeded in created a nuanced imperfect character with Brit-Marie who experiences life as realistically as I've seen in a while. Most books I would change this or that about but this is a pretty nearly perfect story. Backman makes it look easy, but judging by all the many books I've read, it definitely isn't.

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A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was both funny and deep though it ended in kind of a silly way.

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Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My rating is kind of nonsense as I have basically no idea how I feel about this book. It is unrealistic in the number of dramatic things that hold up its framework- surrogacy, adoption, abortion- pick a lane. But like the photographer in the book, Ng takes a number of topics and weaves them into a cohesive (though sometimes contradictory because hey real life is complicated) monstrous whole about privilege, justice, and family. Glad I read it but I'm going to be unpacking this one for awhile.

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What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It was pleasant enough to read if you're not a runner but are a Murakami reader (like me). It seems like he ran out of things to discuss despite the book's short length since he started talking about swimming as well.

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God's Problem by Bart D. Ehrman

God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why We Suffer by Bart D. Ehrman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a thorough refutation of C.S. Lewis's The Problem of Pain. Unfortunately, both works depend on a world view that the Bible can only be approached literally where in reality a majority of Christians in the world treat the Bible metaphorically. It's precisely this evangelical literalist prejudice that kept me away from Christianity for so long. Wide reading has brought me back.

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Lifelines by Heidi Diehl

Lifelines by Heidi Diehl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are so many things I love about this book but definitely the characters are the best part. I feel like I know these characters, they are real people, and I want to sit down and drink coffee with them or go watch concerts with them. I'm sad that I can't!

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The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am torn about how to review this book. Yes, of course, it's as badly written as everyone who read this 10 years ago says it is. And it's ridiculously disgustingly sexist- and it appears to be the author pushing this sexism more than it being a reflection of the subjects of the book. The thing is, 10 years ago, we didn't know that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook would contribute to the destruction of democracy. While it's not necessarily accurate, it at least lets us see what Eduardo Saverin thought of Zuckerberg at a younger age.

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Unapologetic by Francis Spufford

Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense by Francis Spufford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The best part of this book is how smart and flippant Spufford is. He's hilarious, rude, and thoughtful all at once. Despite the confusing reviews, this book is definitely in support of Christianity. The reviewers who claim Spufford is an atheist either didn't read a single word of the book or have a super insular view of Christianity.

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Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really did not like the beginning but the two woven narratives grew on me. Interesting but not great.

This is my 9th Murakami book and I think my favorite is still Norwegian Wood (honorable mentions to Wind-up Bird and After Dark).

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