Wayward Reads
Fiction-wise
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
"In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, Serapio is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain." Sounds fabulous!
The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
"The Dolans live by their wits, jumping freight trains and lining up for day work at crooked job agencies. While sixteen-year-old Rye yearns for a steady job and a home, his older brother, Gig, dreams of a better world, fighting alongside other union men for fair pay and decent treatment. Enter Ursula the Great, a vaudeville singer who performs with a live cougar and introduces the brothers to a far more dangerous creature: a mining magnate determined to keep his wealth and his hold on Ursula." An historical, family saga.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
"One summer, on vacation with her family and her cousin Yuu in her grandparents’ ramshackle wooden house in the mountains of Nagano, Natsuki decides that she must be an alien, which would explain why she can’t seem to fit in like everyone else. Later, as a grown woman, living a quiet life with her asexual husband, Natsuki is still pursued by dark shadows from her childhood, and decides to flee the “baby factory” of society for good, searching for answers about the vast and frightening mysteries of the universe—answers only Natsuki has the power to uncover." Very strange!
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
"Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe." This one sounds a tad creepy and scary...
The Searcher by Tana French
"Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe." Dark secrets are right up my alley.
Dark Comedy
This October is more ominous than most. Maybe a little weird humor is in store...
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
"In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case." Murderously funny!
A Grand Old Time by Judy Leigh
"Evie Gallagher is regretting her hasty move into a care home. She may be seventy-five and recently widowed, but she’s absolutely not dead yet. And so, one morning, Evie walks out of Sheldon Lodge and sets off on a Great Adventure across Europe. But not everyone thinks Great Adventures are appropriate for women of Evie’s age, least of all her son Brendan and his wife Maura, who follow a trail of puzzling text messages to bring her home." And it's on sale right now!
Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk
"Geriatric politicians bring the nation to the brink of a third world war to control the burgeoning population of young males, while working-class men dream of burying the elites. Adjustment Day’s arrival makes real the logical conclusion of every separatist fantasy, alternative fact, and conspiracy theory lurking in the American psyche." I'm always up for a Chuck Palahniuk book.
A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell
"The first time somebody tried to kill him was an accident. The second time was deliberate. Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history...or else they’ll be history." Quirky characters!
Mini Reviews
The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms
This was okay, but some parts were boring and the characters' behavior often felt...off.
My Goodreads rating: 3 stars
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
This book lacked the charm of The Buccaneers, and elicited no compassion for the main character; I just wanted it to be over.
My Goodreads rating: 3 stars
The History of Rock & Roll Volume 1: 1920-1963 by Ed Ward
So much information that it became tedious. But it's a great resource for some YouTube searching.
My Goodreads rating: 3 stars
Wayward Recommends
What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
Even the essays you think you won't be interested in have something fabulous to tell you.
My Goodreads rating: 4 stars
*Book descriptions taken from Amazon.com
Okay, time for the shameless plug. Scroll on by for more on words...
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