Currently Reading
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro - Axl and Beatrice are an elderly couple living in a small village. Due to some supernatural power, memories are fleeting for all of the people in the village, potentially all of the people in the country. Axl and Beatrice remember that they have a son and decide to leave their village to seek him out and spend the rest of their lives with him. They begin a journey that takes them far outside their comfort zones, meeting several warriors along the way, and eventually being drawn into a plan to slay the dragon Querig. All sounds exciting, right? Wrong. I was so bored throughout the whole story that I seriously considered not finishing it. Hard pass.
Open City by Teju Cole - Open City reads as a sort of love letter to New York City (and later, to Brussels). The language is absolutely stunning, but the story itself leaves something to be desired. Julius is a Nigerian doctor, living in New York. He spends his free time walking the city, blocks upon blocks, and the book is filled with his descriptions of buildings, of the history of certain places, of the immigrants that came before him. But it's all just so dry. There are brief glimpses into Julius' personal life: his childhood in Nigeria, his German grandmother, his trip to Brussels, a party he attends. These passages almost made something work. So although the writing is beautiful, I can't recommend this one.
Fifty Mice by Daniel Pyne - Jay is taken into the Witness Protection Program. The problem is, he doesn't know why. He's been taken against his will and has no idea what exactly he is being protected from or what they think he saw. Can he get back to his old life? Is his old life even still there? For the time being, he is thrown into a new life, with a fake wife and daughter (are they in the program too?) on Catalina Island. If you are paranoid at all, don't read this book. While the book started out really strong, I felt like it fell off about halfway through. It's a fun read, but nothing special.
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