The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

 

No, it's not great literature, but I still really enjoyed this.

Robert E. Lee and Me by Ty Seidule

 

So, so good. This is one of those books that you wish you could convince everyone to read.

Things You Save In a Fire by Katherine Center

 

This was cheesy, predictable, very cliched . . . and yet I kind of liked it.

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

 

This was OK-ish, but definitely does not live up to the hype.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

 

I usually hate magical realism, but this book was completely charming.

Hell-Bent by Benjamin Lorr

 

Super-interesting look at Birkram yoga.

What Fresh Hell Is This? by Heather Corinna

 

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read, with very helpful information.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 

This was right on the edge between "syrupy and cliched" and "sweet and clever."

CRISP People by Henry T. Greely

 

This was an interesting perspective with a focus on law and ethics.

Blue: In Search of Nature's Rarest Color by Kai Kupferschmidt

 

 Super interesting details.

Loot: Britain and the Benin Bronzes by Barnaby Phillips

 

This is really more of a history of the relationship of Benin and Britain, and it was so, so interesting.

Between Freedom and Equality by Barbara Boyle Torrey and Clara Myrick Green

 

This was amazing. A fascinating mix of family history and big-picture history.

Delicious: The Evolution of Flavor and How It Made Us Human by Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez

Kind of vacillated between dull and fascinating.

Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago by Eric Klinenberg

 

Fascinating in so many ways.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

 

So while reading this, I found it a bit frustrating because it was confusing, but the payoff was excellent. Highly recommended.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

 

Not quite as good as the first one, but still fun.

The Secret Lives of Introverts by Jenn Granneman

 

This was lame. You should read Susan Cain's book instead.

Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature As an Adult by Bruce Handy

 

This was so funny and and so interesting, not to mention a trip down memory lane.

The Nine of Us by Jean Kennedy Smith

 

So, clearly hagiography, but still kind of interesting.

Progress by Johan Norberg

 

While I agree that in general things are getting better in most ways, I thought the author played fast and loose with some of the specifics here.

The Happiest Kids in the World by Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison

 

 This was super-interesting -- always fascinating to see what is "normal" in other cultural contexts.

The Sum of Small Things by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett

 

 Very interesting reflections on class distinctions in the US.

Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate by Rose George

 

 Kind of dull.

Forhed in War by R. David Lankes

 

 Some interesting background, but a lot of this went beyond war . . . maybe a different title would have helped set expectations.

Before the Storm by Rick Perlstein

 

I usually love Perlstein, but this was kind of boring.

Smarter Than You Think by Clive Thompson

 

Interesting, but also already seems a bit dated.

The Ever-Changing Past by James M. Banner

 

Super interesting -- a really important book with great stories.

Land by Simon Winchester

This was a very intriguing book -- sort of stream of consciousness, but some interesting stories.

Mom Genes by Abigail Tucker

 

Fascinating content in a hilarious book. Highly recommended.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

 

This is a super-fun, light, predictable beach read.

Mutualism by Sara Horowitz

 

Mutualism is an interesting idea, but the book was redundant and short on specifics.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

 

So, so good. I really should read more Hank Green.

My Robot Gets Me by Carla Diana

 

Very interesting perspective on human-robot interaction . . . especially since I bought a robot vacuum/mop this week.

Mr. Humble and Dr. Butcher by Brandy Schillace

 

Very odd. An interesting story.

The Family Gene by Joselin Linder

 

A very interesting book -- a good combo of family memoir and medical mystery.

The Guarded Gate by Daniel Okrent

 

A fascinating book -- it's intense to see learn that every horrible thing said about current immigrants was said about my people a hundred years ago. Highly recommended. (And the writing is great.)

The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel

 

This was stunning. Everyone should read this.

The Rationing by Charles Wheelan

 

I still can't decide if I liked this.

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.