Romantic Comedy - Curtis Sittenfeld

 61%

07.08.24

At what point is a romantic comedy classed as literary fiction? Well, calling it 'Romantic Comedy' immediately sets it up as knowingly self-referential - and it is, to some extent. Then there's all the dialogue, where clever people swap witty one-liners and their views on modern feminism. And it's clearly the result of a lot of research on how 'Saturday Night Live' is made (the sketches sounded achingly unfunny). But it's also quite sweet and engaging, lacking much in the way of conflict, apart from a couple of awkward conversations. None of this is bad - I enjoyed it much more than Prep - but it did feel a little loose and episodic, without any real exploration of what it might be like date/marry rich celebrity. And, as has become clear, I don't have much patience for pandemic-related storylines. 

The Husbands - Holly Gramazio

 63%

05.08.24

This was a fun premise, mostly well executed. The observational humour is the real highlight (the author clearly notes down funny real-life encounters) but the concept and implications of having random husbands is examined from every possible angle - and, pleasingly, never explained. It almost makes up for the lack of real plot and character development.

(Why were references to the pandemic needed when this was hardly gritty realism?)

In the Blink of an Eye - Jo Callaghan

52%

01.02.24

It sounds like a minor thing but, when a book has so many factual and continuity errors, you're wrenched from the story world. Especially when you have to stop reading to Google something that doesn't seem quite right. I'm pretty sure you don't get your A Level results from the UCAS website. And that white wine doesn't turn red within a few minutes. And that professors aren't described as tenured in the UK. Aside from that, the idea was interesting but the characters were annoying, the plot predictable and the AI not interesting enough. More editing required!

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way - Rebecca Wait

 68%

01.09.23

This book is much better than the weird cover image suggests. It's character led - without feeling unfocused - and so sharply observed that it's impossible not to flinch - or to laugh out loud at the awkward humour of dysfunctional families who just want to find some sort of mutual understanding.

(Fleeting and unnecessary mention of the pandemic. This annoys me more and more. It's fiction - there's simply no need!)

I Have Some Questions For You - Rebecca Makkai

 

60%

28.06.23

This was an entertaining and thought-provoking read but overall it didn't quite hit the mark. Despite its narrator's obsessive focus on an old murder, it ended up too flabby, too meandering, too in need of a decent line edit. And it would have been far more interesting if the narrator had actually been the murderer - perhaps the reader was led that way a little - but instead the ending was just flat. Also I suppose I need to resign myself to tedious pandemic-related content in any novel written after 2020.

The Night Hawks - Elly Griffiths

 47%

18.09.21

Notable only for the clunky 'Beware! Covid's on its way' references and the hilariously inaccurate local driving times. But still I read this series.