Has Anyone Seen the President? by Michael Lewis

Has Anyone Seen the President? by Michael Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pretty interesting, especially Bannon's thoughts, and especially interesting as I view them through the prism of 2020. But it's not a complete book or even a complete thought. It feels like the first part of a two-part podcast but there is no second part.

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Writing Great Fiction by James Hynes

Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques by James Hynes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Entertaining and somewhat informative lecture series on writing. There was a lot in here in though that we all learned in high school English class like the general structure of a novel.

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The Social Animal by David Brooks

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The beginning was really good. It was a compilation of the science of human thinking and culture with a hypothetical couple as a storytelling vehicle. But at the end, there were a lot of Brooks's own political views without enough research cited. Frequently Brooks made policy assumptions or cited correlations with no clear explanation of why he was assuming causation. Correlation is not causation! Say it ten times before bed every night!

5 stars for the beginning and end, 2 stars for the word vomit in the politics section.

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Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Well Met by Jen DeLuca
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Really cute romance with some steamy bits. I enjoyed the renaissance fair aspect though I was hoping for more there, unfortunately, the protagonist Emily says many times she can't explore the fair. This would make a really fabulous romance movie though and I hope someone makes it a movie because I'll be the first one in line. (Anyone else picturing a young Dread Pirate Robert as Simon?)

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Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday

Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really liked the beginning "Chapter 1," which was the first 50% of the book. Then it got tougher to read though I particularly appreciated Amar's views on God. Some things about the book, some of the Iraqi connections and who Ezra Blazer was based on, I got on my own. Other things I learned from reading multiple reviews. The fact that you even have to "get" it is a bit disappointing to me. I don't love gimmicks in my literary fiction. Frankly, I'm ambivalent about how I feel about the novel.

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The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very good coming-of-age YA in a poetic prose style. The scene with her mother at the end, this was so my mother, minus the religion.

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