Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

I chose this for one of my book clubs because I was resistant to reading it and knew I would HAVE to if I picked it for the book club. After all, it's on just about EVERY best list from 2022, including Obama's.  Well, in spite of all that, it was not my "cup of tea."  I simply do not enjoy that genre, even though I tried with everything I had to enjoy it.

I respect the author, her intellect, her writing, her ability to weave a story.  But I simply could not really get into it, try as I might.  

We did have a good discussion because the book raises interesting questions and issues.  There were 5 of us in the group today, and only 1 of us really enjoyed it.

But the rest of the world does and I am glad for the author.  I much preferred her prior book, "The Glass Hotel."

Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie

I stuck with this book to the end, and I am glad I did, but I lost interest along the way - until the end, which I thought was powerful.  The reviews on this book were mixed; Shamsie's "big" novel, Home Fires, was highly praised, but I didn't read it.

Anyway, this book has interesting themes and issues that circle throughout, and I learned a bit about Pakistani politics along the way. I am glad I read it and stuck with it. I really did like the ending, even though it seems that most critics favored the parts that took place when the two friends were 14 years old, in Karachi.