callanisreading's reviews
196 reviews

Severance by Ling Ma

5.0

Dr. No by Percival Everett

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

Professor Wala Kitu spends his days obsessing about nothing; in fact, he's an expert on the subject. So when an aspiring Bond villain enlists him in a search for nothing in particular, Kitu becomes entangled in a series of capers, escapes, and heists that are much ado about nothing. This provocative, punny piece by Everett makes something spectacular out of nothing. 

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

When a young, American professor arrives for a summer residency at his family's villa on the Italian coast, Elio, an Italian adolescent, realizes he can think of no one else. What starts as a spark of attraction grows into an obsessive romance that consumes both men during the few weeks of summer they share. Aciman masterfully captures the exhilaration of falling in love, the vulnerability of intimacy, and the heartbreak of goodbye.

Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

When you picture the good life, what do you see? Where do you imagine living your happiest life?

We know our built environment can have a profound impact on our quality of life: our blood pressure rises at the thought of sitting in traffic and we unthinkingly exhale when we enter a tree-filled park. Montgomery illustrates the ways our cities impact us (more than we realize) and examines the forces (people, corporations, and politicians) that determine what precisely can be built. In this hopeful volume, Montgomery demonstrates that together, we can build cities that will change the world. 

Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective sad 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? No

4.0

When German colonizers descend upon Tanzania, two young men find themselves swept up in a conflict on behalf of countries they have never seen. After enduring countless horrors as colonial troops, the soldiers seek respite in everyday life; in time, love conspires to connect their families. In this contemplative narrative, Gurnah explores the traumas we inherit,  the nature of freedom, and our power to heal the past. 

Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

If you hope to make a difference; if you're curious about changing the world; if your goal is to give back: challenge your preconceptions and read this book.

We all aspire to a more equal, more just society, and in the service of this aim, we turn to philanthropy through non-profit organizations, B-corporations, and social impact investing. But are those who have amassed the most resources the best equipped to solve problems of inequality and injustice? Giridharadas interrogates the discourse around "doing good," exploring the ways philanthropy erodes government agency, consolidates the power of the wealthy, and distracts from questions about whether so few people should be able to amass such extravagant wealth. This powerful rebuke to the prevailing wisdom about how to build a better society is an essential read for those who wish to understand their impact. 

Gravel Heart by Abdulrazak Gurnah

adventurous challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Every day Salim carries lunch to the small back room where his father lives apart from him, his mother, and his uncle Amir. As he grows, so too does his awareness of the secrets that divide his family and the political tensions threatening Zanzibar; when uncle Amir offers to help him start a new life in the UK, Salim embarks a long journey of self-discovery. Gurnah's meditation on belonging, meaning, and heartbreak explores the home we find in places and people, and the capacity for both to hurt and heal.

The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks

challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Brooks contends that in life, many people strive to serve the ego, and this pursuit of individualism offers a false fulfillment; the greatest heights are achieved in the pursuit of interconnectedness. He explores the four ways we pursue connection: through vocation, family, philosophy or faith, and community. In this reflection on how we find fulfillment in life, Brooks collates his lived experiences and proposes a theory meaning that inspires contemplation and debate. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

After losing his claim to his father’s throne, Patroclus is taken in by a neighboring kingdom, where he encounters the demigod prince Achilles. As their companionship blossoms into a deep love, the Trojan War forces the two young men to confront the consequences of Achilles’ destiny. In this story of morality, mortality, and love that transcends both, Miller reimagines the epics of Homer as a love story that is as human as it is immortal. 

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

When famine strikes Malawi, William's family struggles to survive, leaving school fees out of the question. Determined to care for his family and continue his education, he harnesses the energy of the wind to light the family's home, draw water from the ground, and bring prosperity to his village. In his inspiring memoir, Kamkwamba paints an intimate portrait of rural Malawi and demonstrates the power of one individual to brighten his community.