Dream Girl by Laura Lippman

 

This was outstanding. Great characterization, interesting plot, social commentary that wasn't painful, etc. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Written in Bone by Sue Black

 

Fantastic stories and background, if a little gruesome.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

 

This was banal -- definitely not up to the hype.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Queen's Secret by Karen Harper

 

Objectively ridiculous.

The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

 

This was weird.

Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows

 

I am leaning toward the conclusion that systems thinking in general is BS.

Freedom by Sebastian Junger

 

An odd, almost stream-of-consciousness collection, but decent enough.

Murder under the Microscope by Jim Fraser

 

Unremarkable.

The Premonition by Michael Lewis

This was fantastic. It isn't just a rehash of pandemic headlines -- it's a fascinating backstory. Highly recommended.

The Secret History of Home Economics by Danielle Dreilinger

 

Super disappointing, possibly because of the narrator.

On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

 

Amazing. This is one of those books everyone should read. Probably meant more to me since I grew up near the place where she did.

Ethel Rosenberg by Anne Sebba

 

A fascinating story matched by top-notch writing. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister

 

A fascinating book.

Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown

 

Fascinating. I recommend this one.

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

 

This was super disappointing; I'm surprised I finished it.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Just My Type by Simon Garfield

 

Ah, I loved this. I'm sure it would have been better not as an audiobook, so I could see the fonts, but still.

Better, Not Bitter by Yusef Salaam

 

Great writing, interesting story, the self-help-ish parts were not for me.

Barnum by Robert Wilson

 

A really interesting biography, especially to see how many other major 19th century figures he interacted with -- and how many fires he experienced.

The Mansion of Happiness by Jill Lepore

 

I don't know that the chapters cohere into one theme, but they were each fascinating in their own right. Recommended.

The Upswing by Robert D. Putnam

 

Fascinating historical analysis.

Prophetic City: Houston on the Cusp of a Changing America by Stephen Klineberg

 

Fascinating.

The Triumph of Nancy Reagan by Karen Tumulty

 

Really interesting.

Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert

 

Very interesting.

Jackpot by Michael Mechanic

 

Super interesting.

The Address Book by Deidre Mask

 

So, so, so good. Highly recommended.

How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson

 

I'm a total HCR fangirl, so I couldn't figure out why I wasn't liking this. I decided: the title is wrong. It led me to expect a book about the rise of Jim Crow, but instead the book in an overarching history of attempts at oligarchy in the US.

Breath by James Nestor

 

Interesting.

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass Sunstein

 

Fascinating.

The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells

 

Well that was depressing.

Come Fly the World by Julia Cooke

 

Super interesting.

Gender: A World History by Susan Kingsley Kent

 

meh

Alone Together by Sherry Turkle

 

Kind of a mixed bag.

Prince Philip's Century by Robert Jobson

 

I loved this.

New Laws of Robotics by Frank Pasquale

 

Interesting.

Chatter by Ethan Kross

 

Very interesting.

We Came We Saw We Left by Charles Wheelan

 

Laugh-out-loud funny.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

Super fun -- a good mix of mystery/thriller and social commentary.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Spark by Claudia Kalb

 

 meh.

The Invisible Bridge by Rick Perlstein

 

I love Rick Perlstein.

Power to the Public by Tara Dawson McGuinness and Hana Schank

 

Interesting.

Hype by Gabrielle Bluestone

 

Interesting.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

 

Ah, I enjoyed this so much. No spoilers, but this was phenomenally fun and the ending did not disappoint.

Review copy provided by publisher.

A $500 House in Detroit by Drew Philp

 

Interesting.

The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell

 

Decent content, and mixed feelings about an audio book that is this highly produced.

On Duty with the Queen by Dickie Arbiter

 

Interesting.

One, Two, Three by Laurie Frankel

 

Charming characters, interesting plot. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell

 

Decent.

Thirteen by Henry Cooper

 

Dull and jargony.

What Unites Us by Dan Rather

 

I like Dan Rather, but there were a lot of platitudes in this book.

Subtract by Leidy Klotz

 

Very interesting.