The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

Part of me recognizes that this was shallow and formulaic, and the other part of me really liked it.

My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley

 

I really liked this. Funny, and ultimately fulfilling.

The Wonder Test by Michelle Richmond

 

I was kind of hoping for more social commentary and less James Bond stuff.

Royal by Danielle Steel

 

This was objectively ridiculous, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The White Rose by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

meh

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

 

A bit over-the-top.

The Noise by James Patterson

 

Very odd, but engaging.

The Program by Charlie Lovett

 

This was dumb.

The WEIRDest People in the World by Joseph Henrich

 

This book presents a fundamental challenge to the basic consensus in history, psychology, and economics. For that reason alone it is worth reading.

One by One by Ruth Ware

 

meh

The Push by Ashley Audrain

 

I felt like this was right on the edge between ham-fisted and well done.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab

 

I'm not sure why everyone is raving about this. I thought it was kind of lame.

The Fabric of Civilization by Virginia Postrel

 

I loved this -- such a unique perspective into history.

Review copy provided by publisher.

1957 by Eric Burns

 

This . . . just was not that good.

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

 

This was just kind of blah. I would not recommend it.

Exercised by Daniel Liberman

 

I loved this. Super-interesting, very motivating, and funny to boot.

A World without Work by Daniel Susskind

 This is a topic I am very interested in, so I really liked this. I didn't agree with the author about everything, but it was well worth thinking about.

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger

 

Honestly, this was kind of dumb.

The Quiet Zone by Stephen Kurczy

 

Really interesting -- lots about technology and society, but also an unexpected foray into rural culture and white supremacy.

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

 

This was a great read, despite one kind of lame plot point.

The Psychology of Advertising by Bob Fennis and Wolfgang Stroebe

 

Very interesting (for a textbook). Lots of fascinating research studies here.

You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

Very good.

You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton

 

This started off strong and was very engaging, but by the end, it seemed that most of the main characters were acting out of character.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Maiden Voyages by Sian Evans

 

This was super-fun -- a very interesting slice of history.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

I really liked this. I didn't realize until later that it was the same author as The Plot, so now I need to track down their other books.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donaghue

 

I just didn't like this.

Our Mothers' War by Emily Yellin

 

Really interesting -- I appreciated the perspectives on different groups of women.

Escaping Dreamland by Charlie Lovett

 

Super fun, but not as good as the holy grail book.

The Perfect Medicine by Brodie Ramin

 

This was great fun to read -- very motivating and informative.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

 

If you're into 80s nostalgia, this is perfection.

This Is Not the End by Chandler Baker

 

This didn't work for me.

The Unseen World by Liz Moore

 

I really liked this, largely because it didn't do what I thought it would. Recommended.

First Impressions by Charlie Lovett

 

This was super-fun. I can't figure out how/why I haven't heard of Charlie Lovett before.

The Husbands by Chandler Baker

 

This is the most fun book that I've read in a long time: great characterization, sharp social commentary, interesting and unpredictable plot, and even local color! Highly recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Failure to Disrupt by Justin Reich

 

This is an excellent book, with lots of overlap of what I am studying.

The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett

 

I loved this book several orders of magnitude more than anything I've read recently. I mean: a curmudgeonly character, a fun literary/historical plot, a love story -- it's all here. Highly recommended.

The Hidden History of Coined Words by Ralph Keyes

 

Super-interesting and quirky.

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

 

This was dumb. I don't know why it is so popular.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

 

This was somewhere between "decent" and "good."

I Named My Dog Pushkin by Margarita Gokun Silver

 

This was hilarious. Recommended for a bit of history and a lot of fun.

Review copy provided by publisher.