bikes_and_books's reviews
18 reviews

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris

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adventurous informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

If you have even a passing interest in classic Hollywood and/or the reality (rather than the cultural myth) of WWII, you should definitely give this one a look.
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

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dark reflective fast-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

4.0

No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

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emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I don't know how to describe this book but I'm glad I read it. It gave me a lot to think about and I'm still turning it over in my head. I love the essays by Lockwood that I've read in LRB and was expecting the same exploration of how Twitter etc has and is changing something fundamental within us, and new ways of thinking about its role in society, but then the book swerves into a deeply emotional and honest accounting of personal tragedy and I think I was still left with a new way of thinking about the role/function of social media and communication, but only inasmuch as we're not looking at the right window and that the real catalyst for human progress has been with us all along. Something like that maybe. I'm still thinking about it.   
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book sort of blew me away. The writing style is incredibly engaging and the insight and perspective on the war are distilled in such a poignant and gut-punching way, it left me rather speechless. 
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

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adventurous mysterious slow-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

2.0

We listened to the audiobook of this on our spring break road trip. Around 10 hours in I was like "so this should be wrapping up soon, right?" And then there were like seven freaking hours left. How many times can you describe having sex with the devil? So I found this novel pretty boring and repetitive and just a little too cutesy/ forrest gump-y as we accompany Addie as eyewitness to like every major historical event of the last 300 years - you'll never guess the roster of famous (male) artists who have sold their souls to the devil! -  but if you need something for a long car ride that you can zone out to sometimes and not really miss anything, you might like it. It just wasn't my cup of tea. 
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker

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informative fast-paced

4.0

Fascinating family biography woven with contemporary views of and treatments for schizophrenia. I learned a lot. 
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The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I don't know how to tag this mood-wise but if you want an immersive experience - in the 70s new york art scene, in the political activism of italy during the same time, and in motorcycle racing as art, check it out. I loved nearly every minute of this ride and read certain passages over and over because the prose was that stunning. 
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

5.0

I loved this so much. The language punches you in the face with its insight and originality. The story itself is a bit of a bummer, but in the way life generally is. The writing is the real star here. I will read this again. 
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Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I mostly loved this collection of short stories, each anchored in some sort of relationship to the title character. I think my favorite was the alcoholic piano player, Angie, and I was a little sad that she only got the one chapter. Some stories are weaker and less developed than others, but on the whole they work together to express human experience - love, aging, loss, connection - with startling clarity.