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gregory_glover's reviews
313 reviews
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A beautiful example of coming to terms with injury and loss, overcoming with love. A mix of fast-paced and sometimes gruesome medical rehab, woven together with quieter stretches of deeply philosophical reflection. It is personal memoir (of a specific, very limited period of time), examination of work, art, and intention,; it’s a love story of the highest order and a love letter to life. Very much worth your time, whether you’ve read anything else of the author’s oeuvre or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Injury/Injury detail
Foster by Claire Keegan
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Heartbreaking and heartwarming. Keegan is a keen observer of human nature.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.75
Brilliant. I’ll try to write more later. The absolute clarity of a sense of place and setting in the natural world, the people and culture, dialect and dialogue were dazzling. And Ree is the strongest character I’ve encountered in a very long time. Stunning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
The South, not exactly as I know it, but close enough to what I have seen to recognize the truth of these lines.
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Not as strong in my opinion as There There. …but the final quarter (roughly?) of the book makes the slog worth it. There’s a lot of addiction description, trauma work, etc., throughout. That makes it a real challenge to read on a continuous basis, without a break. I like the encapsulation structure, but found the first section flatter and less engaging. The jump to the post-pow-wow stories of Opal, Jacqui, Orvil, Loother, and Lony revved up the interest and just hooked me more as a reader. I appreciate the backstory, but it was work, the payoff for which I’m still uncertain. This is probably one that will grow in my estimation over time. Very good writing. Crammed with insights well expressed on almost every page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
The Hunter by Tana French
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Awesome! The weather, atmosphere, setting are as much a character as the characters are. The sense of place is exquisite. Everything works together to create a mood and, after a long simmer, the whole thing boils over. I’ll have to go back and refresh my memory about the other Tana French novels I’ve read, but this one may be my favorite. It makes we want to go back and read or re-read them all! I loved the Trey character and how she was drawn alongside Cal. Lovely!
The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.75
Easy, cozy read. Perfect for anyone who loves books and old bookstores or bookshops, especially indies. Offers a brief sketch of the history of booksellers in the U.S.
Gods of Thunder: How Climate Change, Travel, and Spirituality Reshaped Precolonial America by Timothy R. Pauketat
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I hope to provide an extensive review later. I met Dr. Pauketat, who is retiring this year, at an IFR field school this summer. I am deeply impressed with his work and this book represents the culmination of a lifetime devoted to the study of this history. I think the “travelogue“ aspects of the book are a fun, lighter point of entry. They make me want to start a road trip today. The book is worth reading for anyone interested in the history and religion of Cahokia.
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A beautiful, extended essay on the differences between an extractive money economy and a regenerative, reciprocal gift economy. The metaphor of the Serviceberry serves RWK well. However, I found myself arguing here and there based on the experience of a visit to a remote village in Haiti in particular, especially related to human suffering from disease and the need to treat water. I found myself nodding in agreement more toward the end, when RWK seemed to suggest that the verge between the two economies could be the most vibrant and diverse ecosystem (more vibrant than either alone). There were hints here and there as to the benefits of the larger economy, but too little distinction, I think, between the thieves (clearly destructive of human flourishing) and the more beneficial aspects of the market economy.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I know I am probably in the minority, but I really only got invested after about 75% of the way through. Then I found the ending abrupt and unsatisfying. Perhaps that is necessary, given the subject matter and the approach (highly visually symbolic and atmospheric). A combo of Kafka and Plath.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment