Reading List.

Three I liked, one I didn't.

I’ve been on a pretty good run with books lately, so here are my kinda-lazy and spoiler-free reviews:

Long Island by Colm Tóibín
One of my favorite books is Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín so when I found out there was a new sequel I bought it immediately. I just couldn’t wait nine weeks for a library version to available, I needed to know RIGHT NOW what happened to Eilis and Tony and Jim. The writing has a quiet, slightly detached feel where the silences speak volumes. You don’t always get to know exactly what the characters motivations are but that’s what makes it so compelling. Long Island picks up twenty years later when Eilis leaves Tony to go back home to Ireland for an overdue visit. Anyway, I loved it and found it frustrating in the best possible way. If you’ve read and loved Brooklyn, Long Island is waiting for you. (The movie Brooklyn is also fantastic though the tone is quite different.)

See also: Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín, obviously

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
This one started strong with a compelling opening story and a sympathetic oddball of a main character but then it just gets weirder and darker and nobody learns and it doesn’t get better. It’s hard to know who to even like (turns out, pretty much nobody) and the B plot was disturbing as hell. A stronger writer might have been able to give it more nuance but instead it’s just a drag. I finished it but didn’t find it satisfying at all.

See also: Anything by Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine. She writes disturbing characters really well. (I suggest The Crocodile Bird and Anna’s Book)

Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
Nightwatching is a thriller that hints at an unreliable narrator and deals with the infuriating but realistic trope of men not believing women. As the story unfolds, you get more puzzle pieces to put together to try to figure out if the narrator is in her right mind or not. It’s scary as hell and a really fast, compelling read. I don’t want to give much away but if you want well-written page turner, this is the one. 

See also: The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Okay, I just finished this a few days ago and even though it has some flaws, I freaking loved it. It’s a lot of things: a time travel mystery, a workplace comedy, and an awkward love story. Comparison to Outlander is being thrown around but it’s nothing like that, so don’t go in expecting a historical romance through time. Instead you get a delightfully weird and confusing story that’s also really funny. It has some characters that will stick with you for a while (especially Graham Gore who’s based on a real person) and it will leave you with a story-shaped hole in your heart. It’s already been optioned for a TV series which makes perfect sense, as I can absolutely see this one on the screen. 

See also: Time and Again by Jack Finney and To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis