Very short reviews of books

A roundup of brief reviews of books I read in October. Virgil Wander will probably make it to best books of 2018 list.

Virgil Wander: This appealing novel mixes offbeat characters and nostalgic settings with some dark themes as a man struggles to recover from a serious car accident in a town plagued by tragedy. (5/5 stars.) Read my full review.

Virgil Wander: This appealing novel mixes offbeat characters and nostalgic settings with some dark themes as a man struggles to recover from a serious car accident in a town plagued by tragedy. (5/5 stars.) Read my full review.

American Pastoral: On the surface legendary high school athlete Seymour “Swede” Levov appears to be a simple, if boring man. But Philip Roth slowly reveals the many layers of the Swede’s rather stormy life in this look at 1960s America. (4/5 stars.)

The Frolic of the Beasts:  A student is driven to an impulsive act of violence that forms the bond of an unusual love triangle in this translation of a 1961 Japanese classic. (4/5 stars.) Read my full review.

Rogue Protocol: Book three in The Murderbot Diaries series follows the gloomy protagonist robot as he continues to intervene in human affairs, despite a desire to just be left alone. (4/5 stars.)

Bridge of Clay: The long awaited follow up from The Book Thief author Markus Zusak is a disappointing and slightly muddled novel that jumps awkwardly back and forth in time to tell the story of five brothers growing up in Australia. (3/5 stars.)