THE RED LOTUS (Chris Bohjalian) - June 29/20

This is probably one of Bohjalian's better books in a while, as it's quite readable and even suspenseful in spots. It's too long, as per usual, but Bohjalian does a nice job of fleshing out the central character and even a few periphery figures (including Ken. Poor, doomed Ken). I definitely think the book could've been trimmed, but that's true of most of Bohjalian's efforts. *** out of ****

STAY WHERE I CAN SEE YOU (Katrina Onstad) - June 21/20

It took me a good long while to get into this one - maybe half the book? - but I eventually found myself quite enjoying Stay Where I Can See You. Onstad is perhaps not quite as good a writer as she thinks she is, but she certainly does a nice job of developing the various characters. *** out of ****

NORMAL PEOPLE (Sally Rooney) - June 14/20

There's no doubt that Sally Rooney is a really talented writer. Normal People is packed with interesting, cogent observations and a pair of seriously compelling characters, and I definitely appreciated that the story rarely went where I thought it would (ie this could easily have been the setup for a cheesy romcom). But I also think that the book is overwritten to a degree; Rooney's writing style occasionally gets in the way of the story she's trying to tell. Nevertheless, she has a fan for life in me and I'm excited to read what she does next. *** out of ****

I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE (Wally Lamb) - June 8/20

Good lord, this must be one of the longest books I've ever read. I'll admit, though, that I found I Know This Much Is True surprisingly absorbing in its first half, as Lamb does a superb job of establishing the various characters and the Three Rivers locale. It's grim stuff, but Lamb creates such a fully-realized world that I found myself reading longer than I might've planned. But Lamb's decision to eventually alternate chapters with the grandfather's autobiography proves fairly disastrous, as I first skimmed that stuff and eventually skipped it altogether. It's just too much, and should have been omitted. **1/2 out of ****