Only one book this month and it was really good. A member of my book club selected Table for Two by Amor Towles and I gave a thumbs-up since I loved A Gentleman in Moscow, Rules of Civility and The Lincoln Highway. This is a collection of short stories plus a "novella" picking up Evelyn Ross' storyline from Rules of Civility. Note: no need to have read Rules in order to enjoy this. Towles' writing is languid and evocative, detailing the thoughts and actions of each character so the reader understands the choices at hand and related consequences. I especially loved The Ballad of Timothy Touchett, about an aspiring writer with no experience who begins working at a rare bookstore thanks to the attention of the bookstore's owner while he scribbles Ernest Hemmingway's name in a library. Another I loved was The Bootlegger about a rule following investment banker with an obsession for exposing an elderly man recording opera in Carnegie Hall.
Another book club member selected The Hail Mary Project and I'm over halfway through that. Spoiler: I love it! It's being made into a movie starring Ryan Gosling which I did not know until after I began listening (highly recommend the audio version!). The movie comes out in March so perfect timing - here's the trailer.
