A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor TowlesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
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Monday, March 22, 2021
Monday, March 15, 2021
Review: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul GawandeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
As a psychiatrist for the elderly, I see everyday severely demented people being medicated, restrained in the name of safety. The only thing that matterrs in 'assisted living' facilities is profit. Doctors too scared to withdraw treatment because they fear they be sued for negligence. Enough to make one want to wish not to reach old age and certainly not to be sick and be old. I wish this book be mandatory reading for anyone involved in aged care.
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Review: Anxious People
Anxious People by Fredrik BackmanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a wonderful book. Twists and turns in the plot keeps you just wanting to read one more page. It’s absolutely contemporary with a quiet feminism running through the story. There are gems of wisdom that pierces through the facade of material to the fragile human condition - loneliness, need for love, fear and guilt. I’m going to read more of his books as I anticipate they will all be full of humour, warmth and wisdom again.
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Review: Everyman
Everyman by Philip RothMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Everyone dies alone. We all try to live like we will never die. We are all disappointed. I really didn't like the everyman because of his philandering. I get that it sort of symbolises the life in him but I think it is also the reason he is so alone. The inability to commit and be loyal means that no one will be committed to be there with you at your end.
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Review: The Undying
The Undying by Anne BoyerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is one of the most poignant, densely sad book I have ever read. Anne Boyer is so skilful in her description of pain. But there is NO soppiness, "oh poor me" sentiment in it. Perhaps the matter of fact manner she described her experience made it all the more poignant a sad indictment on capitalism and individualism in America - out of ICU straight to work, out of double mastectomy 3 days after and have to work, being offered reconstruction surgery but not be given adequate pain relief because reconstruction is a rebatable operation...I usually listen to books on Audible at 1.3 x normal speed but with this book, the metaphors, the analogies and richness of language, I listened to it at normal speed, several times, to savour and take in a poetic full calamity of capitalism, dying and modern science.
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Review: Milk Fed
Milk Fed by Melissa BroderMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoy the book but I felt it unnecessarily graphic in its description of the sexual attraction between Rachel and Miriam. I don’t think Rachel really loved Miriam for Miriam but rather craved her freedom around food.
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Review: Knots and Crosses
Knots and Crosses by Ian RankinMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Straight forward detective story with the detective being a now cliche divorced, alcoholic loner that’s Ex SAS. The killer was sort of a surprise but not that convincing. I found. Minotaur much more compelling read in the same genre.
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Review: Life After Life
Life After Life by Kate AtkinsonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
As clever as the idea of the story is, I just don’t find it compelling. I finished it without too much difficulty. But compared to other books I’ve read, the “sliding door” type scenario just doesn’t have the same power to propel me to keep reading. But the links between each scenario is skilful writing and planning
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Review: Minotaur
Minotaur by Peter GoldsworthyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the first time I got into crime novels and it was a good introduction. I found the book compelling. Being a shrink and having worked with WorkCover I can say that the author demonstrated a deep understanding of the gaps in the system. I found the final show down a bit drawn out although I saw the point in the end. It certainly primed me for more of his writing. I thought the comparison of Siri with girlfriend was really quite clever. The girlfriend Willow, her behaviour at the end, quite #metoo.
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Review: Milkman
Milkman by Anna BurnsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The main thing that struck me was the style the book was written. Long sentences with little punctuations which can make it hard to read. But it does resemble how thoughts occur in the mind, I think that’s what the author is trying to emulate. This is consistent with the way the main character thinks and narrates the story. The anonymity of all the characters including the narrator perhaps reflect the universality of the issues raised in the book. Even though you don’t get told directly, but you work out this is set in the times of Ireland’s troubles. To me, the theme of the book conveys the persistent paranoia of the times. It shows how insidiously violence creeps into daily life and how it shapes the people’s thinking and relationships.
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Review: The Weekend
The Weekend by Charlotte WoodMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Not the most cheering novel to read for Christmas. But a good one to remind myself my own mortality and force me to look closer at how I’d like to spend whatever is left of my life. 4 lifelong friends. 1 passed. The remaining 3 come together to clean her house. In coming together, crystallises the complicated strands of love, jealousy, lies and the ultimate truth, we are all Alone.
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Review: Milkman
Milkman by Anna BurnsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The main thing that struck me was the style the book was written. Long sentences with little punctuations which can make it hard to read. But it does resemble how thoughts occur in the mind, I think that’s what the author is trying to emulate. This is consistent with the way the main character thinks and narrates the story. The anonymity of all the characters including the narrator perhaps reflect the universality of the issues raised in the book. Even though you don’t get told directly, but you work out this is set in the times of Ireland’s troubles. To me, the theme of the book conveys the persistent paranoia of the times. It shows how insidiously violence creeps into daily life and how it shapes the people’s thinking and relationships.
View all my reviews
Review: Anxious People
Anxious People by Fredrik BackmanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a wonderful book. Twists and turns in the plot keeps you just wanting to read one more page. It’s absolutely contemporary with a quiet feminism running through the story. There are gems of wisdom that pierces through the facade of material to the fragile human condition - loneliness, need for love, fear and guilt. I’m going to read more of his books as I anticipate they will all be full of humour, warmth and wisdom again.
View all my reviews
Review: Everyman
Everyman by Philip RothMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Everyone dies alone. We all try to live like we will never die. We are all disappointed. I really didn't like the everyman because of his philandering. I get that it sort of symbolises the life in him but I think it is also the reason he is so alone. The inability to commit and be loyal means that no one will be committed to be there with you at your end.
View all my reviews
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