Jewish Comedy: A Serious History by Jeremy Dauber

Interesting (and funny).

Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion

meh

The Marriage Bureau by Penrose Halson

I loved this so, so much. Highly recommended.

Farewell to the Horse by Ulrich Raulff

Interesting.

Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz

meh

Natural Causes by Barbara Ehrenreich

Super-interesting.

Pacific by Simon Winchester

A really odd combination of topics, but very interesting.

Fantasyland by Kurt Andersen

meh.

True Vine by Beth Macy

Very interesting.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Newell

Started out extremely strong, but then seemed rather patched together.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Residence by Kate Brower

Very interesting.

The Dead Beat by Marilyn Johnson

I loved this book.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

meh

A People's History of the World by Christ Harman

meh

The Prodigal Tongue by Lynne Murphy

I loved this so, so much.

The Cooking Gene by Michael Twitty

Fabulous--a really interesting meld of cooking, history, genealogy, and reflections on race.

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

So on the one hand, it was extremely engaging. On the other hand, the plot, in retrospect, is a bit much.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

Super interesting.

"Multiplication Is for White People" by Lisa Delpit

Very, very interesting.

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

This book was excellent; I am rarely as moved by a novel as I was by this one. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

One Summer by Bill Bryson

Really, really well done.

The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington

I told my husband that after reading this, not only would I not move to Mississippi, but I'd be afraid to drive through it. And I was only slightly exaggerating. This book was amazing, by which I mean horrifying.

Behemoth by Joshua Freeman

Super interesting. I really enjoyed this.

The Woman's Hour by Elaine Weiss

I loved this. So interesting.

The Age of Eisenhower by William I. Hitchcock

I loved this so much.

Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen

I find Anna Quindlen to be hit or miss; this one was a miss.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Myth of Race by Robert Sussman

Fascinating, by which I mean depressing.

This Book Is Overdue! by Marilyn Johnson

Really interesting.

Extreme Cities by Ashley Dawson

Interesting data, but weighed down by theory.

Coretta: My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King

Fascinating.

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

Very strong, an enjoyable read, with a slightly weak ending.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Age of Reagan by Sean Wilentz

I really, really enjoyed this.

A Taste for the Beautiful by Michael Ryan

Very interesting.

Katharina and Martin Luther by Michelle DeRusha

Interesting.

Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt

More interesting than I expected.

Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker

I found this fascinating, largely because I agreed with most of it but aggressively disagreed with parts of it.

This Narrow Space by Elisha Waldman

Very interesting.

Zero Day by Ezekiel Boone

Yes, it is a spider apocalypse. With nuclear weapons. And a coup. And I loved it.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr

Fun views of Rome, depressing views of babies, and very well written.

Hitler's American Model by James Q. Whitman

Fascinating, by which I mean depressing.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

On the one hand, this was really engaging. On the other hand, the plot was over the top.

How We Eat with Our Eyes and Think with Our Stomach by Melanie Muhl

Interesting.

Counting Backwards by Henry Jay Przybylo

Very interesting book.

Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari

Extremely thought-provoking.

Communist Daze by Vladimir A. Tsesis

Super interesting.

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

Kinsella is my favorite mind-candy read next to Liane Moriarty. This book was great fun.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Annoying by Joe Palca

This was so interesting.

The American Plate by Libby O'Connell

If you have had no exposure to food history, this might be interesting, but if you have done some reading already, there won't be much new here.

When by Daniel H. Pink

Super-interesting.

American War by Omar El Akkad

Very, very well done.