Book Review – Celestial Navigation by Anne Tyler

books, reviews

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Normally, Agatha Christie is my most-read author almost every year but it’s been a while since I picked up one of her books. So, it’s possible that Anne Tyler could take the title this year. I’ve been reading a few of her novels recently and would be very happy to read more over December. Unfortunately, I think I’ve exhausted my library’s supply of them. Or nearly. There’s still A Spool of Blue Thread but that feels to epic an undertaking for this late in the year. Maybe it’s a 2023 kind of book? I’ve been contemplating spending most of next year tackling some of the longer books that I’ve been putting off, so that would work. Of course, as most of my reads have tended to be around 250 pages then longer doesn’t really mean long. I need to get back into the habit of reading books of over 300 pages because I’m so bad at it. At least I have audiobooks to help me, which is how I listened to my latest Anne Tyler novel.

Book Review – Clock Dance by Anne Tyler

books, reviews

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

After I finished Redhead by the Side of the Road the other week, I listened to a second Anne Tyler book. How did I pick it? It was available as an audiobook on my library app and it was shorter than A Spool of Blue Thread. I think that’s a pretty good way to pick a book. I’ll get around to A Spool of Blue Thread eventually but it’s just too long to finish in one workday. If I have to stretch a book over a few days then I lose the momentum. It’s much easier all around if I just finish one over the course of a day.

Book Review – Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

books, reviews

Rating: 5 out of 5.

After I read French Braid earlier this year, I decided that I’d try and read more Anne Tyler books. She’s an author that I haven’t read enough of and it’s time to change that. So, when I discovered a few of her books on my library app, I decided to borrow them. Again, I’ve been listening to audiobooks at work and she’s a great writer for that. Her stories are detailed but don’t require a lot of effort to keep track of the plot. You just get to enjoy gorgeous writing as you perform menial tasks. What could be better?

Book Review – Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

books, reviews

Rating: 3 out of 5.

After reading French Braid earlier this year, I decided that it was time to read more Anne Tyler. I decided to start with the book that I’ve had on my shelf for over 5 years. Just as I initially did with the contemporary retellings of Jane Austen novels, I completely bought into the idea of updating Shakespeare. I really wanted to read them all and see how good they were. In the end, I bought this one and then forgot all about it. I’m much more invested in Shakespeare than I am in Jane Austen. When they ended up being bad, I didn’t care much. I didn’t know how I’d feel about terrible Shakespeare retellings. Maybe Ann Tyler was the perfect place to start?

Book Review – French Braid by Anne Tyler

books, reviews

Rating: 5 out of 5.

When I was younger, I didn’t read much American literature. It’s not something we did at school and I guess I just stuck to what I knew. Whatever the reason, I don’t think I’ve read anything by Anne Tyler before. I know that she is one of those writers that everyone recommends but I just haven’t picked anything up. I’ve got plenty of books on my Kindle and bookshelves. I just need to get around to them. Now I’ve read this one, it might actually inspire me to do it.