THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME (Laura Dave) - August 27/21

 I basically enjoyed this but it's pretty generic and paint-by-numbers as far as stories like this go. The book, as a result, unfolds almost entirely free of surprises or wholeheartedly engrossing stretches, but I did breeze through the second half in just a couple of days. The kind of harsh ending was a surprise, too. **1/2 out of ****

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (J.K. Rowling) - August 20/21

 This is the longest book in the series and it sure feels like it. As expected, Rowling employs an episodic structure that results in a midsection that couldn't possibly be more hit and miss. I was, as a result, kind of bored during much of this section of the book, but Rowling's done such a superb job of establishing the many characters that I never tuned out entirely. There's little doubt, too, that the proliferation of palpably exciting sequences in the second half, including Harry's confrontation with Death Eaters and eventually Voldemort himself in the Ministry of Magic, ensures that I was more and more enthralled as the story finally drew to a close. *** out of ****

THE GRADUATE (Charles Webb) - August 6/21

 I guess I didn't remember the movie at all, because most of what happened in this book surprised me. Webb's writing style is certainly unusual, as he tends to favor long, unbroken conversations over descriptive passages, and I did find myself drawn into Ben's oddball antics. But it's never super clear just what's driving him, specifically his desire to be with (and eventually marry) Elaine. Does he love her? It's very strange. *** out of ****

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (Larry McMurtry) - Aug. 1/21

 In the end, I did enjoy this book, although it's just so darn long and so much emphasis is placed on Aurora's relationships with her various suitors. The relationship between Aurora and Emma is the highlight, and I thought it was interesting that McMurtry devoted the last chunk of the novel to Emma's solo exploits and her eventual death (which was surprisingly moving). (The portrayal of dying was unlike anything I've seen/read before, as McMurtry does a good job of exploring the exhaustion of slowly fading away.) *** out of ****