I just finished Yesteryear. Was not what I expected. It would definitely be a good discussion book. While it was a fast read, I am not sure I get the viral sensation it has become. It is not a masterpiece at all, just a satire-y quick read
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If I can say this vaguely enough, the satire did not work for me because the actual situation and outcome stem from a different cause, not the one supposedly being satirized. Also, i have read several analyses by former adherents to that satirized mindset, and all have been very clear that the author’s research on it was really thin, thus the critique is weak.
As I said earlier, it reads quickly but I was disappointed.
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I’m only about a 1/3 of the way in, and I’m totally enjoying it, but I also keep thinking I’m going to be really disappointed in the end since I can’t see how she’s going to pull it all together.
My view is in the minority, and she does some interesting stuff. I’m not sorry I read it and definitely don’t want to discourage you!
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I just finished a novel: Didn’t You Used to be Queenie B? by Terri Lynne DeFino.
About a female restauranteur who crashed and burned, and what happens a decade later. I really enjoyed it..
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Yesteryear is next in my book pile to read. It looks interesting, but I’m not going in with high expectations.
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I just finished Station Eleven. It took a while for it to start to come together for me, but I did enjoy it. I’d be interested to read some of the author’s other works, especially since I understand that she interweaves the same characters into different books.
Now resuming The Elements, by John Boyne. I read about half of it before it got auto-returned on me earlier this spring. Just got it back.
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I’ve read a number of her books and really enjoyed most of them. I read station eleven last of the (very loose) trilogy though! Each of the books in the trilogy is quite different.
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It’s been a while but the CC book club read it. You might enjoy reading the discussions. Station Eleven - February CC Book Club Selection
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Amazon tells me that I purchased a hardcopy of Station Eleven in 2023, which means my D26 must have read it for summer reading that year, lol. I’ll have to ask her about it.
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Finished reading The Road to Tender Hearts and I loved it. Haven’t cried so much reading a book since Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow! But lots of laughing too.
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Been slowly trudging through “Yesteryear”. Had to restart it twice bc I take Lunesta at night and was not recalling what I read. (Usually ai can recall what I’ve read if the book grabs my attention well enough.)
I’m only finishing it bc I’m waiting for it to improve given all the hype.
I am wanting to like it!!
ETA: I thoroughly enjoyed “Theo of Golden”. And am still appreciating it even a few weeks after finishing it.
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I just finished Unwinding the Miracle by Julie Yip Williams - a beautifully written memoir of a young woman (mom/lawyer/refugee) who faces colon cancer. She refuses platitudes and shares her experiences so movingly.
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Thanks for the recommendation - I put it on my Hold list at the library 
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I have about 60 more pages of “ Yesteryear” to read and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Anxious to see how it ends…
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Just started Yesteryear and so far it is very entertaining!
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Finished Yesteryear this morning. Did not expect the ending at all . What a wild ride!
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I just finished as well and loved it. One glaring thing jumped out at me as incongruent but I can’t discuss it without giving things away. I was able to rectify it in my own mind with some pondering on the big picture.
I can’t wait for the movie to come out. I can’t wait to see what they do with it .
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Once you start thinking about it there are lots of things that are incongruent. I wish I had a book club to discuss it with, given the stir it has caused. I don’t think it works as satire. Even looking up interviews with the author, I’m not sure what she was trying to accomplish. It was fun and disturbing and maybe that is enough.
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That pretty much sums up my reaction. Though highly readable, I think it could have been a lot more thoughtful and on target. Too much skimming of the surface ideas. When you get a movie deal before you’ve even finished writing it, I guess you can pretty much relax. I guess in the end I was disappointed because it could have been a lot more.
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