My review of “Rules of Civility” by Amor Towles. It’s an interesting book for the time period it’s set in and the writing styles it uses, though it comes off a little uneven in terms of plot and its portrayal of gender issues.
Category Archive: Rated B
‘Steve Jobs’ by Walter Isaacson: B (81%) – Aggregate Book Review
Above Average: 81%
What will with no doubt be an important book about an important man, it could have benefited from some more editing and a bit more focus as the story moved along, though most agreed it was a riveting biography.
‘They Eat Puppies, Don’t They?’ by Christopher Buckley: B (80%) – Aggregate Book Review
Above Average: 80%
A satire concerned with avoiding war with China, most found the book pretty humorous, though a main issue was that the politics of the book already feel dated, as the story takes place in the Bush era and the political climate has already changed immensely.
‘Waiting for Sunrise’ by William Boyd: B (81%) – Aggregate Book Review
Above Average: 81%
A well-crafted spy novel that’s apparently heavy on the sex, some reviewers complained that aspects of the story were clichéd and disjointed, but many praised the pacing and the interesting characters.
‘Imagine: How Creativity Works’ by Jonah Lehrer: B (78%) – Aggregate Book Review
Above Average: 78%
The book apparently becomes a bit fuzzy when it strays into neuroscience and a bit boring when not focusing on artists, but overall it is an interesting investigation into the many facets of creativity.
‘Home’ by Toni Morrison: B (78%) – Aggregate Book Review
Above Average: 78%
Both praised and criticized for its length (basically a novella just over 150 pages), reviewers saw this story of an African-American veteran returning to the American south after the Korean war as both powerful and unfinished.
‘The Odds: A Love Story’ by Stewart O’Nan: B (82%) – Aggregate Book Review
Above Average: 82%
Whether or not you will enjoy this brief novel about a couple on the verge of divorce risking their marriage on a bet at Niagara Falls hinges on whether you think the central premise is believable. EDITOR’S NOTE: It honestly just sounds ridiculous to me.
‘May the Road Rise Up to Meet You’ by Peter Troy: A (89%) – Aggregate Book Review
Excellent: 89%
Compelling historical fiction encompassing Ireland and American in the mid-1800s, this book was widely praised by bloggers and professional reviewers alike. The only issue few took with that one of the four main character’s story was less interesting.
‘The Orphan Master’s Son’ by Adam Johnson: B (82%) – Aggregate Book Review
Above Average: 82%
A graphic and sometimes-depressing novel about oppression in North Korea, its story is vivid and effective, though sometimes a little absurd.
‘The Fat Years’ by Koonchung Chan: B (81%) – Aggregate Book Review
Above Average: 81%
This extremely relevant novel about a (semi) dystopian future-China was hailed as an important political work even if the third act did fall a bit flat (though that was mainly attributed to the English translation)
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