Not only is the story unexpected and filled with surprises, the interview format is a curious writing device. I haven’t read the other two books in this three part series, but I intend to. It starts with the discovery of a gigantic, steel hand, about the size of a house, buried deep beneath the earth. This science fiction tale is told completely through interviews of the people participating in a crazy, secret project that results in consequences no one anticipated. A little extra effort pays off in the end. I suggest saving 15 Lives for a long weekend, or a vacation where you will have several uninterrupted hours to really dig into it. Others says it’s too confusing, yada yada yada. Often people say they try to slog through hoping it will get better. I’ve read many mixed reviews of this book. I listened to the audio version and Peter Kinney’s characterizations of so many different voices was completely engrossing. North's writing is as incredibly interesting as this unusual story. If you think this means they eventually get it right, consider there is a secret cabal who find their unusual lives threatening. Harry August, and a bunch of other people, discover they are immortal by living the same life over and over again. It’s the story for those of us who have wondered what life would be like if you could do it all over again knowing what you know now. I hope she forgets me so if I run into her again I can get a second chance at a first impression! I am embarrassed to say I met Jones at the Decatur Book Festival this summer for the first time, face to face and was as tongue tied and senseless as a Beatles groupie. Jones demonstrates her skill in telling a story from multiple, sympathetic points of view, each one richly drawn and absorbing. She becomes obsessed with her father’s other daughter and orchestrates occasions for their paths to cross. In Silver Sparrow, an African American teenage girl learns her mother is, “the other woman.” The man who is her father, who comes and goes in the stretch limousine he drives for a living, is married to someone else. She’s had one hell of a year and I’m so happy for her. I’ve sort of lurked around her posts, watching as her recognition has grown and grown and grown. I’ve been Facebook friends with Jones since Silver Sparrow first came out but hadn’t gotten around to reading it. I picked up Silver Sparrow because I’d been blown away by An American Marriage, the book Oprah has optioned for a movie and the one which has rocketed Jones to writing stardom. One of her books will surely end up on my 2019 best of list. I’m going to read everything Edugyan has ever written. Globetrotting adventures, hope, heartbreak and writing that leaves you in awe. The brother of Washington Black’s vicious master, Christopher, takes a liking to Washington Black, but we soon learn Christopher’s privilege is just as damaging as the master’s whip. A twelve-year-old slave, George Washington Black, is on a cruel sugar plantation that makes short lives of its chattel. Not only did the story consume me completely until I finished, it clung to me like tar sticky, dark and impossible to wipe off. I downloaded it, read the first page and that was all it took. This damn book ruined me for other books for a long while. I’m going to list ten, but they are in no particular order. Since audio books can be crazy expensive, I borrow them from the library which helps satisfy my endless craving for more.īottom line is, my consumption has risen this year, which makes choosing the best more difficult. Taking in a story in two different ways always reveals something new. Since the audio version can often feel like watching a movie or play, I’ve also been known to read the entire book then listen to the audio version. Depending on the book, I’ll switch back and forth between the two versions. These days I’ll read one book in the traditional way, while listening to a different book throughout the day. I also listen to audio books, which means I “read” almost twice as much as I ever have before, driving, cooking, walking, shopping, getting ready for work and everything in between. There's rarely a moment in my day when I’m not reading something. Like most people who write, I read a lot.
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