FALLING (T.J. Newman) - January 26/23

 I wanted a page-turner and that's what I got, although Newman isn't quite as strong a writer as I would've hoped - which ensured that the book never quite became as gripping or exciting as I hoped. Still, I could see this making a terrific movie. *** out of ****

KRAMER VS. KRAMER (Avery Corman) - January 18/23

 I definitely enjoyed this book but Corman does have a tendency to repeat himself, as certain chunks dwell on Ted’s day to day life with his son. But I did breeze through the final stretch and I got choked up at the end, so it’s a good one. *** out of ****

BABY PROOF (Emily Giffin) - January 11/23

 I wanted something light and this is definitely that but it's also way too long. This book feels about twice as long as it should be and I did feel like it just wouldn't end. I enjoyed it, though, mostly because of the affable characters. **1/2 out of ****

THE ELEMENTARY PARTICLES (Michel Houellebecq) - January 1/23

 Yeah, this book is too smart for me. I enjoyed some of the character stuff but Houellebecq devotes large swaths of the novel to impenetrable theories and ideas, and I found myself glazing over huge chunks of the narrative. It's too bad given that I did enjoy certain portions, including one character's reasoning for why women are better than men. And some parts were unexpectedly erotic, too. ** out of ****