LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND (Rumaan Alam) - November 26/23

 I read most of this on the plane to California, which was maybe not the best choice given how grim and bleak it is. (I finished it in a lineup at Knott’s Berry Farm.) Alam is a pretentious writer and much of the novel is wildly overwritten but I nevertheless was pretty engrossed throughout. ***1/2 out of ****

OPPOSABLE THUMBS (Matt Singer) - November 23/23

 I had my doubts about this one, mostly because Siskel and Ebert mean so much to me, but Opposable Thumbs won me over. It's obvious that Singer is a big fan of the duo, and the book is jam-packed with interesting tidbits and stories. I loved it. **** out of ****

STARTER VILLAIN (John Scalzi) - November 17/23

 I was obviously attracted to this because of the cover, and at first I thought I'd made a horrible mistake. It's a little too wacky and off-the-wall at the outset (sentient cats?) but I'll admit I was drawn into the story and Charlie is a compelling protagonist. *** out of ****

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY (Bonnie Garmus) - November 12/23

 We started watching the show and were really turned off after Calvin died, but then a copy was available so I started reading the book. I was initially a little skeptical but I was drawn in the more and more I read. It's just such a compelling read. The characters are all so engaging and there are plenty of twists and standout sequences. I really enjoyed this. **** out of ****

THE EXCHANGE (John Grisham) - November 7/23

 What a weird sequel. Grisham offers up a fairly static narrative that follows Mitch and company as they jump through hurdle after hurdle trying to come up with ransom money. It's all very dry and exacting, but I'll admit I wasn't bored. It's just bizarre given how propulsive The Firm was. *** out of ****