Absolution

 

Title: Absolution

Author: Alice McDermott

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

 
ISBN: 9781250911094

 

Thoughts: Well written story about military wives in Saigon, but it would have helped the audiobook immensely to have two narrators.

Rating: 3/5

Dreamcatcher

 

Title: Dreamcatcher

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Pocket Books

 
ISBN: 9780743436274

 

Thoughts: At least this one started off right away with it being aliens, but I had a problem with the overuse of the "r" word, even though the flashback scenes took place in a time when it was more acceptable.

Rating: 3/5

Wellness

 

Title: Wellness

Author: Nathan Hill

Publisher: Books on Tape

 
ISBN: 9780593788172

 

Thoughts: Character-driven novel that makes you think, but also has story lines that seem slightly disjointed.

Rating: 3/5

Scout Is Not a Band Kid

 

Title: Scout Is Not a Band Kid

Author: Jade Armstrong

Publisher: Random House Graphic

 
ISBN: 9780593176221

 

Thoughts: Good story and changing friendships and fandom, but many of the secondary characters could have used a little more depth.

Rating: 3/5

Sondheim & Me

 

Title: Sondheim & Me : Revealing a Musical Genius

Author: Paul Salsini

Publisher: Bancroft Press

 
ISBN: 9781610885928

 

Thoughts: Salsini details his interactions with and respect for Stephen Sondheim while publishing The Sondheim Review.

Rating: 4/5

Doomsday Book

 

Title: Doomsday Book

Author: Connie Willis

Publisher: Bantam Spectra

 
ISBN: 9780553562736

 

Thoughts: Time travel sci-fi that seems very plausible and is extremely realistic, aside from the lack of cell phones (book was written in the 90s, and it appears Willis chose video phones as the likely lasting tech over mobile phones).

Rating: 5/5

This Motherless Land

 

Title: This Motherless Land

Author: Nikki May

Publisher: Mariner Books

 
ISBN: 9780063084292

 

Thoughts: A family saga of two cousins - one Nigerian, one British - that somehow gives strong V. C. Andrew vibes.

Rating: 5/5

Putting It Together

 

Title: Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George

Author: James Lapine

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

 
ISBN: 9780374200091

 

Thoughts: Lapine narrates the creation of Sunday in the Park with George through interviews who those involved.

Rating: 3/5

What We Kept to Ourselves

 

Title: What We Kept to Ourselves

Author: Nancy Jooyoun Kim

Publisher: Audible

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: This unassuming novel combines family saga, social justice, and mystery into one tight story.

Rating: 3/5

The Circus at the End of the Sea

 

Title: The Circus at the End of the Sea

Author: Lori R. Snyder

Publisher: Harper

 
ISBN: 9780063047112

 

Thoughts: The first half of this book was very episodic, and it was until later than pieces began to really congeal.

Rating: 3/5

Love Can't Feed You

 

Title: Love Can't Feed You

Author: Cherry Lou Sy

Publisher: Dutton

 
ISBN: 9780593474549

 

Thoughts: A slice-of-life immigration story that almost reads like poetry in places.

Rating: 3/5

On Sondheim

 

Title: On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide

Author: Ethan Mordden

Publisher: Oxford University Press

 
ISBN: 9780199394814

 

Thoughts: The title pretty much says it all, but it is also rather dry.

Rating: 2/5

Burned Over!

 

Title: Burned Over!: The Survival of Montana Firefighter Dan Steffensen

Author: A.J. Otjen

Publisher: Sweetgrass Books

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: Uplifting true story of a Montana firefighter who was caught by a wildfire and made his way back to firefighting.

Rating: 4/5

Be the Weight Behind the Spear

 

Title: Be the Weight Behind the Spear

Author: Dr Josh McConkey

Publisher: Wisdom House Books

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: McConkey's writing style is very clear and engaging, but this is more a book of personal example essays than a guide to how to mentor and create future leaders.

Rating: 4/5