Fiction & Nonfiction! | July 2022 Reading Wrap Up

TL;DR

Olivia discusses her favorite fiction book, "The Interestings" by Meg Wolitzer, and shares her thoughts on other reads in various genres such as fantasy, mystery, and memoirs.

Transcript

hi guys olive here here today to talk to you about the books that i read in july 2022. as usual let's start with fiction and the first book i'm going to be talking about is the one and only reread that i did during the month of july i wanted to treat myself i wanted to reward myself with a reread of the interestings by meg wolitzer after completing... Read More

Key Insights

• 👻 Olivia appreciates how her experience as a reviewer has enhanced her reading, allowing her to identify technical details in books such as seamless time jumps.
• 📔 She highlights the importance of pacing in books, noting that excessive backstory can detract from the main storyline.
• 🏛️ Olivia reflects on the impact of personal connections with books, such as her association with "The Orchard" and her college class on Anton Chekhov.
• 💁 She discusses the appeal of nonfiction books that focus on specific topics in depth, rather than encyclopedic collections of loosely connected information.
• ❓ Olivia finds memoirs to be inspirational, whether discussing personal growth or finding acceptance in a chosen community.

Questions & Answers

Q: "What makes 'The Interestings' by Meg Wolitzer Olivia's favorite book of the month?"

Olivia loves how the book explores the dynamics of friendship and adulthood, with characters facing success, dreams, and life challenges. She also appreciates Wolitzer's skillful handling of time jumps.

Q: "Why did Olivia unexpectedly pick up 'The Shining Falcon' by Josepha Sherman?"

Olivia was drawn to the book's cover and its incorporation of Slavic folklore. She found it to be a fun fantasy read, despite not initially planning to read it.

Q: "What were Olivia's issues with 'The Violin Conspiracy' by Brendan Slocum?"

Although Olivia initially enjoyed the measured pacing and prose of the mystery novel, she found the extensive backstory distracting and guessed the outcome early on.

Q: "What did Olivia find enjoyable about 'Mr. Malcolm's List' by Susanna Lane?"

Olivia enjoyed the self-published Regency romance and found that the movie adaptation improved upon the book. She recommends both the book and the movie for fans of romance.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Olivia's favorite book of the month is "The Interestings" by Meg Wolitzer, which follows a group of friends from their youth in a performing arts summer camp to their adult years.

• She unexpectedly picked up "The Shining Falcon" by Josepha Sherman at a library book sale and found it to be a fun fantasy read.

• Olivia had mixed feelings about "The Violin Conspiracy" by Brendan Slocum, a mystery novel centered around a stolen rare violin.

• She found "Mr. Malcolm's List" by Susanna Lane to be a fun Regency romance, especially after watching the movie adaptation.

• Olivia enjoyed "The Orchard" by Christina Gorcheva Newberry, a coming-of-age story set in Soviet Russia with parallels to Anton Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard."

• She also read two memoirs, "Brace for Impact" by Gabe Montesante about roller derby and "Miracle Country" by Kendra Atleework about the Owens Valley in California.