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lafate's reviews
142 reviews
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I will not give any spoilers. I went into this book knowing it took place during the busing crisis in Boston in 1974. I knew it was a thriller because Dennis Lehane is good at writing them, although this is my first book by him.
The main character, Mary Pat Fennessy is a tough cookie who has lived a tougher life. The Boston Public Schools are about to be desegregated and she and the mostly Irish American South Boston community are not happy about it. Her daughter Jules goes missing. a young Black man is murdered. The city is in turmoil. The stage is set.
As a Bostonian I remember the times. we no longer lived in Boston, but I knew what was happening about busing. Dennis Lehane captured the city pretty much perfectly. The narration is excellent. I think Mary Pat's Boston accent was a little off in the beginning, but by about a third of the way in it sounded authentic. When Jules calls Mary Pat Ma she sounded just like me calling my mother Ma.
I highly recommend this book.
The main character, Mary Pat Fennessy is a tough cookie who has lived a tougher life. The Boston Public Schools are about to be desegregated and she and the mostly Irish American South Boston community are not happy about it. Her daughter Jules goes missing. a young Black man is murdered. The city is in turmoil. The stage is set.
As a Bostonian I remember the times. we no longer lived in Boston, but I knew what was happening about busing. Dennis Lehane captured the city pretty much perfectly. The narration is excellent. I think Mary Pat's Boston accent was a little off in the beginning, but by about a third of the way in it sounded authentic. When Jules calls Mary Pat Ma she sounded just like me calling my mother Ma.
I highly recommend this book.
Japanese Folktales: Classic Stories from Japan's Enchanted Past by Yei Theodora Ozaki
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I received a paperback copy of this charming book and read a story it two a day. The author was half Japanese and half English. She published this in 1903. I don't know how much Japanese literature was translated to English at that time, but I'm sure there was interest in tales from exotic lands. I did feel a little Western influence at times, but the tales seemed otherwise authentic.
Some of these are very Samurai inspired, so maybe you want to read them before sharing with young children. Most are fine, but there are a few I would hold back on. As an adult who loves Japanese literature, I enjoyed reading these while adding some more cultural background to my understanding of Japan. I do recommend it if you like folktales, fairy tales, and mythology.
Some of these are very Samurai inspired, so maybe you want to read them before sharing with young children. Most are fine, but there are a few I would hold back on. As an adult who loves Japanese literature, I enjoyed reading these while adding some more cultural background to my understanding of Japan. I do recommend it if you like folktales, fairy tales, and mythology.
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.25
I listened to this one that had 14 stories. This was the American version. The original British version had 11 stories.
I enjoyed the stories, some more than others. A few felt contrived. A few were absolutely brilliant. It is sprinkled with a little humor as usual; Poirot is quite the character. Richard Armitage narrates this perfectly, but doesn't he always do a five-star job? I'm bumping it up to 4.25 to account for the perfect narration. The stories are an average of 4 stars.
I'm fairly new to Agatha Christie and classic mysteries and am enjoying them.
I enjoyed the stories, some more than others. A few felt contrived. A few were absolutely brilliant. It is sprinkled with a little humor as usual; Poirot is quite the character. Richard Armitage narrates this perfectly, but doesn't he always do a five-star job? I'm bumping it up to 4.25 to account for the perfect narration. The stories are an average of 4 stars.
I'm fairly new to Agatha Christie and classic mysteries and am enjoying them.
We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo, Mitch Anderson
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
When I started this book, I thought that I would listen to it quickly. I did start that way, then I had to slow down and savor it. I had to slow down to experience the heartbreaking times, as well as the good. I had to contemplate and experience the story.
This book has gotten under my skin. All the things I learned when I was 18 in my first linguistics and anthropology classes came flooding back. All that I've learned about colonialism, missionaries, capitalism, and corporate greed came together here.
The book is about the Indigenous Peoples of Ecaudor fighting to save their land, their stories, their culture, and way of life. I think everyone should read this. If you like audiobooks, then try listening. Savor it. Take it to heart. Learn from it. Celebrate it.
This book has gotten under my skin. All the things I learned when I was 18 in my first linguistics and anthropology classes came flooding back. All that I've learned about colonialism, missionaries, capitalism, and corporate greed came together here.
The book is about the Indigenous Peoples of Ecaudor fighting to save their land, their stories, their culture, and way of life. I think everyone should read this. If you like audiobooks, then try listening. Savor it. Take it to heart. Learn from it. Celebrate it.
Friends by Kōbō Abe
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
This reminds me of French Theatre of the Absurd. A man is alone in his apartment planning for his fiancee to move in. But a family of eight shows up uninvited instead. He doesn't know how to get them to leave. I won't give spoilers.
This book was suggested to me about 3 years ago; the only option was to buy a used copy. I had started it, but misplaced it. After I found it, I put it aside until now. I'm thrilled to have finally gotten to it.
This book was suggested to me about 3 years ago; the only option was to buy a used copy. I had started it, but misplaced it. After I found it, I put it aside until now. I'm thrilled to have finally gotten to it.
Full Tilt by Dervla Murphy
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is a wonderfully adventurous book. It was the perfect way to start the year. Dervla Murphy was in her early 20s when she took off from Ireland with her bicycle, in 1963, the worst European winter in 60 years. Whenever possible she rode her bike. This is her story and the beginning of a career traveling and writing about it. She did all this without the internet or cell phones!
Now Wait for Last Year by Philip K. Dick
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I wish Goodreads would allow us to go beyond half stars. This interesting book with drug induced time travel deserves 4.5 stars. There are relationship issues between the main character, Dr. Eric Sweetscent and his wife Kathy. Eric leaves her to go work for
UN Secretary Gino Molinari, a seeming hypochondriac. But there is this drug at the center of the story to complicate things.
Then there is a war and some beings from other planets. The plot is fairly complex, so you'll want to pay attention. It took me a while to read because I have dry eyes, and paper books are the hardest for me. But I do recommend this book if you enjoy science fiction and moral dilemmas. So, it's 4.5 stars, but I'm giving it 4 here. It's my first finished book of 2025.
UN Secretary Gino Molinari, a seeming hypochondriac. But there is this drug at the center of the story to complicate things.
Then there is a war and some beings from other planets. The plot is fairly complex, so you'll want to pay attention. It took me a while to read because I have dry eyes, and paper books are the hardest for me. But I do recommend this book if you enjoy science fiction and moral dilemmas. So, it's 4.5 stars, but I'm giving it 4 here. It's my first finished book of 2025.
The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A.S. Byatt
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book feels like two separate entities. There are four very short tales that feel torn from a collection. Then there is the novella with the title of the book. I want to pull the short tales away, and if I rated each individually they would be all over the place. So I'm giving this 3.75 stars. I'm glad to finally get to this author. I'm interested in trying more of her work, which is very inventive and like classic fairy tales with sometimes a modern take. The audiobook narration is very good.
This is the last book I'll be finishing in 2024.
This is the last book I'll be finishing in 2024.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is a wonderful little satirical book. That this was published in 1925 is astounding. Anita Loos gives us a young woman who might seem simple, but is really quite astute in many ways. This book is a little gem.
I would start at the first chapter of the book. My version had two introductions. They had spoilers. I listened to the book, and I listened to the introductions afterwards.
I would start at the first chapter of the book. My version had two introductions. They had spoilers. I listened to the book, and I listened to the introductions afterwards.
Alien: Into Charybdis by Alex White
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is 4 stars. There were a lot of groups of characters, giving it a complexity that the other Alien Novelizations I've listened to don't have. But there didn't need to be quite so many characters. I'll keep listening to these because Aliens are fun. I've not been going in any kind of order - there are a lot of these books!