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andymascola's reviews
671 reviews
Inadvertent by Karl Ove Knausgård
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5
A ninety page essay in which the author describes how he got into writing, his failures and successes, inspirations, and thoughts on his critics. KOK pulls examples from literature to demonstrate when he thinks a writer has done something well. Liked it.
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
A memoir that works as a love story and a life story. In 2022, Rushdie was stabbed 15 times onstage by a radicalized Muslim extremist. Knife is Rushdie recounting the event and his subsequent miraculous recovery. Salman Rushdie is a literary hero. I loved this book.
The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Karim, a mixed-race teen in 1970’s England, explores his sexuality and creative passions amidst racism and a crumbling family. Karim’s dad, a lazy charlatan, has an affair and is suddenly in demand as a guru. First half was better than the second. Just OK.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Texas, 1921, a young lady gets pregnant before marriage. She moves in with the baby’s dad’s family. By the 1930s, drought has all but destroyed their farm. The lady and her kids head west, become migrant workers, and fight for fair pay. Heavy stuff. I liked it.
Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Holy shit, this fucking book. A collection of loosely-related first-person narratives. The first 120 pages were shocking and blackly funny. The characters are detestable, but that’s the point. Look, if you read novels to escape social media, this ain’t for you.
Lost Empress: A Novel by Sergio de la Pava, Sergio de la Pava
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The owner of the Dallas Cowboys hands the team over to his son and leaves his genius daughter, Nina, a lowly indoor league football team called the Patterson Pork. B story involves a criminal mastermind attempting to steal a Dalí from Rikers Island. I liked it.