wicherwill – Page 22 – Cannonball Read 17

here’s a large swing in politics

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

April 4, 2023 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

What a WEIRD book to read after The Sympathizer. X hundred pages of righteous rage against the bourgeoisie and capitalism and the inherent virtue of communism…transitioning into a “The Terminal” x Golden Age NYC x Anastasia dreamland of a novel, in which a well meaning former member of the aristocracy is forced (FORCED) to live the rest of his life within the confines of a hotel (in the attic, mind you) and uses his vast knowledge of social grace, gossip, dance, etc to subtly touch and […]

immediately engrossing and rage inducing in the best way

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

January 24, 2023 by wicherwill 2 Comments

CW: oh boy, galore. Two key ones will be racism of all sorts and violent, on-page sexual assault. I wonder sometimes who these people are, who’ve blithely existed on the planet wielding the fruits of American citizenship without anything more than an eighth grade hormone-filled trip to D.C.’s worth of awareness of the sins of their forefathers. Your visit to Maya Lin’s monument should be a step along the journey, not the end of it. Which is humbly to say, from my priviledged seat, Nguyen’s […]

less engrossing second outing

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

January 18, 2023 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

Much like Britt, I think I found this book serviceable but not memorable. Which is a pity, because I think unlike many other “universe” type books, Blake does a good job in interlacing her prior characters into the background of her next novel–Delilah Green and Claire (and Ruby!) are solid secondary characters in the tale of Astrid, who Delilah continues to call Ass. But now it’s done fondly, one would hope. So, Astrid. She’s a Boss Lady in a Tiny Town, basically the first half […]

back in the spider saddle again~

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

January 18, 2023 by wicherwill 3 Comments

I am really digging these books and how they expand the universe Tchaikovsky has created one step at a time, but realistically. Look not at how long it took me to read this (that’s a function of work, not desire). Perhaps do read this one soon after reading the prior book–I can see how you’d benefit from remembering some of the details from the prior, or how not remembering the prior book would make this one less rich. There’s the same sort of beats–similar to […]

unfortunately not as enjoyable for me as the prior outings

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

January 9, 2023 by wicherwill Leave a Comment

Authors should definitely, absolutely be able to change up their MO. No one expects that they’re automatons, churning out crowd pleasers–in fact, there are a few authors who have made explicit that the pressure of pleasing fans sapped the joy of writing, thereby leading to even less author-ing. That all aside, I find myself somewhat disappointed by this latest foray into Kate Quinnland, as I know it from The Alice Network and The Rose Code, the latter of which I enjoyed quite a bit. As always, there is […]

it’s so very fun to read a book that is set in a place you know :)

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

January 4, 2023 by wicherwill 1 Comment

CW: racism, police violence, minor character death (not by cop) Oddly enough, this book kept bringing to mind the movie “500 Days of Summer,” not that I’ve seen it more than the once when it first came out. Something about two people dancing around one another and getting in their own ways? Even though, to be clear, the message of the film is clearly that Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character brings his misery upon himself since he asks what Summer wants and then gets sad when she […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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