Finished:

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - it was an easy read. I flew through the pages. I was interested and engaged with the surroundings and the characters. I enjoyed it.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead - I should have loved this book but I didn't. Much like The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Murakami, it just left me cold. Great idea though.

Transatlantic by Colum McCann - I would have given this poor marks for the first half but the second half tied it together and made even the first half more interesting in retrospect. I ended up really liking it.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - it got me. I scoffed and thought I had it figured out and then I didn't. Quick, easy and interesting and the ending makes it.

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Started:

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Finished:

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James

I have mixed feelings about this book. First off, I read a lot of taglines that called it "the African Game of Thrones" - this really is not an apt description of the book. While both are fantasies and are dark and gritty (especially in the area of rape), that's where the similarities end. It took me awhile to get into this book and at first, it felt like a bit of a slog. Part of it was the stream of consciousness style of writing, which I will admit is normally not my favourite. There is also a fair amount of back story to get through before the story really begins. However, once the main story began, I did get hooked and finished it pretty quickly. I guess overall I would recommend but would warn that it is extremely graphic in parts.

Reading:

Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath, by Michael Norman & Elizabeth M. Norman

Man, after both of these books, I am going to need a bit of a palate cleanser. I'm listening to this via audiobook and am a bit over halfway. While the events described in the book are extremely difficult to listen to, I am enjoying it. The authors try to give a balanced narrative and include points of view from the different sides of the war.

Missed last week so I have two weeks to share:

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Finished:

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James - I hated it, persevered because I wasn't going to allow a book to "beat" me and then I absolutely fell in love with it.

Arcadia by Lauren Groff - beautifully written and melancholy. The time jumps were a little jarring at first as I didn't want it to move forward so quickly.

Fellside by M.R. Carey - an enjoyable, quick read. Not as fantastic as The Girl with all the Gifts but a solid little ghost story.

Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro - a quiet and absolutely beautiful book. I can't believe that I waited so long to read it or this author. I immediately moved the rest of his work up in my queue.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer - an oddly endearing little book. Very well written love story.

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Started:

Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill

Started Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James. Easy language but hallucinogen prose. Fun to read.

I was excited for this book and it's good so far, but there's more gay sex than I expected -- and we're just at the beginning.

I finished up Singin', Swingin', and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou. Her writing style is controlled so well by her it is at times astounding to read. Sometimes you just have to sit back, reflect, and appreciate a fantastic phrase or passage. I personally did not find this nearly as compelling as the two memoirs preceding this one, but it was still an enjoyable, mesmerizing read.

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Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James is about one quarter of the way done and I am loving it so far. The writing style is compelling, but certainly not for everyone. I don't like to disparage other books when analyzing another, but this book is what I was hoping Children by Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi would be (note: I really enjoyed that one as well). Visceral and bluntly so. Mature. An organic and fresh narrative that weaves rhythmically with itself creating threads that crisscross and double back. It is certainly not a book to read with your attention divided.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James - Living up to the hype for me, definitely think this one is going to be one of my favorites of the year. Has made me work for it a bit.

Just finished How To Change Your Mind, by Michael Pollan - enjoyed it quite a bit, but it could have been maybe 20% shorter I think. Not what I expected from a non-fiction though, took a lot of detours.

Finished Civilwarland In Bad Decline, by George Saunders. Such a dark collection, and I believe his first published collection, but still very readable and enjoyable.

Making my way through Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James. Absolutely loving this so far. It's the gay, violent, adult fantasy novel I never thought I needed in my life. So good.

Finished:

Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami

Enjoyed it all the way through. Classic Murakami. Funny, strange, surreal yet very human.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

What a bizarre book. An entertaining read. I was struck more by its experimentation in form than the actual content, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Started:

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Only a few chapters in but it grabs you from the get-go. Violent and intriguing so far. Looking forward to where this is heading. I tend to read a lot of books well after they were published, so it's refreshing to read one hot of the presses. Feels lively.

Finished: Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James and The Pink Triangle: The Nazi War Against Homosexuals, by Richard Plant

Finally finished Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James. I need book 2.... now.... Marlon? Marlon, are you there? Where is it? I needs it now, please. Okay, thank you...

Seriously, though. I've never been one for fantasy novels, and I was super skeptical and disappointed when I found out that James' next THREE novels were all in a fantasy setting. After seeing peoples' reactions and actually reading it for myself, I am so pleased by the setting, the writing, the characters, and story. Absolutely thrilled for the other two books.

Just started Mysterious Skin, by Scott Heim.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James About 30% into the book it finally picks up and becomes a bit more engrossing.

Finished: Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee

Started: Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James and China Cowboy, by Kim Gek Lin Short

Abandoned (for now):

The Book of Tokyo

Finished:

Poetry, by T. S. Eliot

Started:

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James (audiobook)

Not exactly a start, but I've been reading A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin (iBooks) on and off for months so I've finally decided to focus on it now, at 400 pages in

The Three Impostors, by Arthur Machen (kindle)

Finished:

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James

Started:

Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch

Started a while ago but finally finished Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James. I see quite divisive opinions on this book, but I quite enjoyed it and found the world that James has built to be very interesting. It was a very slow read though. Also finished: May We Shed These Human Bodies, by Amber Sparks (which is an incredibly beautifully written short story collection), Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata, and An Artist of the Floating World, by Kazuo Ishiguro.

This week I have started reading White Teeth, by Zadie Smith which is my first Zadie Smith book and I'm so far enjoying it.