The Library Book by Susan Orlean

The Library Book by Susan Orlean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are some interesting parts, but it feels very meandering and overly long. I love books and libraries so I imagine I am the target audience. I was surprised not to love this book as much as I expected.

I liked that she wrote about Overdrive. I'm obsessed with borrowing ebooks and audiobooks from the library through Overdrive and hopefully, more people will know about it now thanks to her book.

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The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean

The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The writing is great, especially for nonfiction. The people she writes about are fascinating, even when Orlean is writing about past people she hasn't met. She definitely manages to convey the excitement these people feel for orchids- all of the sudden I am super interested in orchids too and googling them. I really want a monkey orchid now, though I'm not good at keeping any plants alive so I probably shouldn't pursue that interest. Florida, in particular the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, is almost its own character in the book- wet, muddy, dangerous, and crowded with life.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending. I felt like Orleans led one way and then left us elsewhere. Relatedly, she suggests wanting to be personally transformed by her investigation of these people's passions but doesn't give us any indication that this has happened.

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