Tag Archives: book review

‘Great Circle’ By ‘Maggie Shipstead’ Is Mesmerizingly Good — What An Amazing Storyteller.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 6, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. ‘Amazon’ listing for book.

I listened to this book earlier this year. It is listed as being just over 25 hours long. But, I listen at 0.95 speed. So, it would have taken me 26 hours to listen to it — IF I didn’t rewind it to relisten to various bits. I reread paragraphs & sentences when I read. I like doing that. I don’t read for speed. I read to savor writing & you can’t do that without rereading (multiple times if necessary). The same is true when I listen — actually more or because I often miss what was said. At most I get 90 minutes of listening a day. So, it took me nearly 3 weeks to listen to this book & I LOVED every minute of it. Couldn’t wait to start listening to it again — each day.

It was my first book by ‘Maggie Shipstead‘. I am in total awe of her. I learnt so much about aviation, history (especially the prohibition), geography & Hollywood from this book. The amount of research she would have had to do & assimilate had to have been Herculean. What talent, what commitment, what skill? Wow.

I don’t have enough good words to say about this book. YOU sure should check it out. You are unlikely to be dissapointed. I definitely plan to listen to another book by her.

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‘The Covenant of Water’ By Brilliant ‘Abraham Verghese’ Is Life-Changingly GOOD — But For One FATAL ‘Indulgence’.

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by Anura Guruge
on February 4, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. ‘Amazon’ listing for book.
Click to ENLARGE. Wikipedia.

I agree with ‘Oprah’. One of the BEST BOOKS I have read (or to be accurate ‘listented’) in my entire life. Actually, I am willing to go further. Maybe THE BEST BOOK in my whole life.

70% of the way through I was CONVINCED that it would join ‘Pillars of the Earth‘ & ‘The Da Vinci Code‘ as a book that changed MY LIFE. I was that much in AWE. I still am.

He, Abraham Verghese, is beyond a genius polymath. He seems SUPER-HUMAN. I am gobsmacked by his talents and achievements. I think he puts both ‘James Michener‘ & ‘John Irving‘ to shame. He is better than ‘Amor Towles‘! I think he has to be the GREATEST of modern authors!

Wow.

That said he ‘killed’ me with a totally unnecessary INDULGENCE in the story/plot line.

Kind of SPOILT the whole thing. YIKES.

What is my gripe.

He included a TOTALLY IMPLAUSIBLE — farcical — part of the story. Unbecoming.

Yes, he needed away to get rid of a MAIN character so the story could continue. To do that, he had that character ‘Lenin Forever After‘ go to prison. His contention was that Lenin, who became ‘Naxalite’ insurgent, was readily identifiable in rural India in the 1970s. DO NOT BUY THAT. Yes, Lenin would have looked rough, undernourished and unkept — but that was NOT going to make his look like he was a WANTED criminal. That was poor. That was bad. RUINED the book for I. Sorry.

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‘A Gentleman In Moscow’ By ‘Amor Towles’ Is Mind-Blowingly GREAT! Wow. Spell-Binding.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 6, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. ‘Amazon’ listing for book.

I listened to his (i.e., ‘Amor Towles’) ‘The Lincoln Highway‘ about 11-months ago & was BLOWN AWAY. Just loved it. Loved it. It deserved all the plaudits it has received & probably more. It was a wonderful story brilliantly told. So, I wanted to try another of his books. Hence, this. Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, BOY! It was beyond GOOD. Wow. I was kind of skeptical. A guy confined to a hotel in Moscow. How interesting could that be. I was wrong.

He is amazing. Better than ‘John Irving’ or ‘James Michener‘ — and that, coming from I, is as higher praise as you can get as an author. He deserves the Nobel Prize for literature. He is that good.

Do yourself a HUGE favor & try one of his books. You will THANK ME. That is for sure, for sure.

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‘The Atomic City Girls’ By ‘Janet Beard’ — Very Decent, Well Told BUT Not Riveting Like ‘The Ballad’.

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by Anura Guruge
on September 4, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. For Amazon listing.
Click to ENLARGE. For Amazon listing.

So, I got this book, i.e., ‘The Atomic City Girls‘, after ‘Janet Beard‘ had totally captivated me with her ‘The Ballad of Laurel Springs‘. Yes, I knew that there was always the danger that another by her might not live up to the first. That was the case, BUT they are BOTH very good books — just that, in my opinion, one is considerably more compelling than the other.

I listened to ‘The Atomic City Girls‘, on ‘Audible‘, whereas I had read the other one. In this case I really don’t think it made a difference, BUT it might have. I fully appreciate that the dynamics & experience of listening to a book is markedly different to that of reading one. In this instance I don’t think that this played a factor.

I am NO stranger to the ‘Manhattan Project‘. So, this wasn’t ALL new ground to I, though most of what I had read & knew was related to New Mexico.

85% of this story, alas, was patently predictable. A couple of instances when things didn’t make sense … “like one girl demanding another to leave the room they share” — per the official pairing/allocation. Not showstoppers BUT they did stop me in my tracks.

It wasn’t bad. I enjoyed it. I was just hoping for more. But, I have NOT given up on Janet Beard. I think she is quite the storyteller — & I am GLAD.

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‘The Ballad of Laurel Springs’ By ‘Janet Beard’ — Quite The Multi-Generational Story, V. Cleverly Told.

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by Anura Guruge
on August 4, 2023

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This was a book that I actually read (in hardcover) rather than listening to it on ‘Audible‘. I am glad I read it because I might have found the generational- & relationship-threads HARD to FOLLOW if I couldn’t go back & check the printed words.

A book I must have picked up at a ‘swap’ library. It had been hanging around the house for a longtime. I THINK, in the end, I picked it up because there was a mention that it was ‘set’ in a National Park — & I kind of guessed that it must be ‘Great Smoky Mountains‘ (a Park on my bucket list).

Intriguing story, so cleverly said. WOW. Today’s writers, especially the female ones, are so clever, creative & talented. I really enjoyed it.

I strongly urge you to check it out. I JUST BOUGHT her ‘Atomic City‘ to listen on Audible.

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‘The Son’ By ‘Philipp Meyer’ — Quite The Story By An Incredible Writer Who May Be Nearly As Good As ‘Larry McMurtry’.

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by Anura Guruge
on August 2, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. For Amazon listing.
Click to ENLARGE. For Amazon listing.

‘Audible‘ knowing my infatuation with ‘Larry McMurtry‘ showed me ‘Philipp Meyer’ as a recommendation. I am so glad that they did.

Earlier this year, I bought & listened to ‘American Rust‘ (above). I loved it. Went looking for another of his books & got ‘The Son’.

Wow. Quite the story.

I, however, have to tell you that this book, at the start, was difficult to follow because I was listening to it — rather than reading it. As I have repeatedly pointed out listening to a book is so, so very different to reading it. When you are listening you can’t easily go back to check on what you read earlier. Yes, of course, you can rewind but it is not as easy.

Until you get into the flow of things, I found it difficult to put all the characters together. Then it all fell into place.

One heck of a story.

The amount of research that would have been required to write this story is staggering & humbling. Bravo, Philipp. YOU deserve all the success, fame & fortune YOU must be getting — especially now that this book has been made into TV series. It has also won numerous awards.

I am glad I listened to it. The ONLY PROBLEM is that there is nothing more at present. He has only written two books so far, & I have listened to them both.

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‘The Tumbling Turner Sisters’ By ‘Juliette Fay’ — Unexpectedly & Amazingly Good & Pleasing.

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by Anura Guruge
on July 4, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. For Amazon listing.

Had never heard of her (alas) or the book. It was in the ‘Audible‘ ‘Plus Catalog‘ (i.e., free for members (like I)). I thought it was a circus book — & I like circus books. Instead, it was about 1919s vaudeville & the story was so well yarned that it had me hooked.

Yes, I listened to it on ‘Audible’ rather than read. It was a very easy, pleasant & satisfying LISTEN. I would look forward to my morning walks to so I could continue listening to it.

Well written. Clever. She is good. Also brilliantly narrated. Amazing.

You should check this book out.

I see she, i.e., Juliette Fay, has 3 other books. I am going to check them out.

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‘The Lincoln Highway’ Book Is Sheer Brilliance & Reminded Me Of ‘Handling Sin’ By ‘Michael Malone’.

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by Anura Guruge
on February 17, 2023

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‘The Lincoln Highway‘, by ‘Amor Towles’, deserves all the plaudits it has received & probably more. It was a wonderful story brilliantly told. You wanted the story to go on and on. I would love to see a sequel & there is sure scope for one. ‘Amor Towles‘ is one heck of a gifted, inspired & deft storyteller. I sure plan to listen to some of his other books too. Yes, I listened to ‘The Lincoln Highway’, on ‘Audible‘, & loved every minute of it.

It kept on reminding me of ‘Handling Sin‘ by ‘Michael Malone‘ (first published in 1983). I saw a copy at a bookstore, in London, & immediately bought it because the title resonated with I. I was into SIN in those days. I loved that book. I used to say it was the BEST book I had ever read (though, of course, you have to remember I was considerably younger then). I was a huge fan of Michael Malone for decades. I, however, have not read (or listened) to one of his books in decades. I need to rectify that pronto. I really can’t remember the story — other than it started off with a Chinese fortune cookie, that it involved a Cadillac & a raft of entertaining characters.

Both these books are about trips & there is a Cadillac in both — not to mention the memorable cast of characters. That, of course, why I kept on harking back to ‘Handling Sin’. Maybe I should listen to it. It has been 40 years since I read it! Wow. 40 years.

Both books are wonderful. I, of course, recommend them both. Enjoy.

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