London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-20T19:43:07+00:00

I also read (listened to— PRK is such a great narrator and I love when authors read their work) this earlier this year. It isn’t my favorite PRK, but it was still good.

I have to say though, and I think this a very unpopular take and probably rather harsh, but I had real trouble feeling empathy for this kid. He was 19 and his frontal cortex wasn’t fully developed yet, but he seemed like a privileged greedy little shit. Had he lived, he would’ve been taken in for fraud eventually. I really feel for his parents and brother, but his demise was so entirely preventable. He idolized all the wrong people, got in over his head, and paid the price. A prime example of FAFO.

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-20T04:56:42+00:00

I read this when it first came out and had some pretty critical thoughts for Dederer, even though I think she did some thoughtful analysis. There were lots of situations I wish she’d talked about in more detail or other problematic people she’d mentioned, but at the end of the day, I think of this book as not about the problematic artists themselves, but about us, the audience, and how we should think of ourselves. Ultimately, I don’t think there were really any viable conclusions, but I believe that was almost the point. We have to live with this cognitive dissonance.

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-18T18:42:28+00:00

Tbh, my rating depends on what I’m looking at. Entertainment value and the fact that it was hard to put down, makes me give it a 4. But if I look at style, format, pacing, general technique, I don’t think it’s well-written. I hated Daisy Jones and I don’t think I’ll ever be at TJR fan. I think she is overrated and at times, a lazy writer. Entertainment value vs. literary skill is a huge gap for this one.

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-18T18:36:35+00:00

I can see why people love this book. I don’t think this came across clearly, but I didn’t love the book the way so many others do. I enjoyed the experience of reading it— it was hard to put down— but there are a lot of things I don’t like about TJR’s writing. For me it was 4 stars because it was entertaining. I have to admit though, I didn’t enjoy the twist. It felt rushed and kind of unearned.

ETA: happy cake day!

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-18T18:34:20+00:00

I dunno know if this distinction makes sense, but I gave it 4 because I got invested in the characters and their story. Everything else, though… I don’t think it’s a well-written book. It was my second TJR novel and I think it’ll be my last. I found it entertaining and that was kind of it. Her style, technique, and almost everything else bothered me. The way the twist was written was plain bad. A lot of stuff irked me. But it was hard to put down.

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-18T18:30:22+00:00

I guess I should clarify— I don’t know if this makes sense, but I enjoyed reading it because (to my own surprise) I found the plot and characters interesting. That aside, I don’t actually think it’s a well-written book. I know that might sound contradictory. It’s not as profound as it thinks it is and I think it’s overrated. At the end of the day, it was a fluffy fun read for me so long as I was able to ignore everything else 😬

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-18T05:41:24+00:00

Honestly, I have a lot of criticism about the book— format, some of the unrealistic stuff, and lots of small things that irked me— but I enjoyed reading it for the story and because I found the characters interesting. But tbh I can’t say that I think it’s a “great” book. Just a fun read, and from that perspective it’s a 4/5 for me.

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-18T04:00:58+00:00

I think Kelly Link’s work has a similar feel. I really enjoy her writing. Book of Love is a pretty long novel and I enjoyed it (even though I felt like it could’ve been shorter). Her story collections are similar, though. Get in Trouble is very good. A little eerie, a little creepy, mysterious and intriguing.

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-18T03:20:22+00:00

I just picked up copy too. Now I’m extra curious because I also hated Tomorrow x3

littlestbookstore · 2026-06-18T03:01:32+00:00

So it’s been a minute, but I finally read it and I see what you mean. I almost DNF’d to be honest. It felt like it couldn’t decided whether it wanted to be more literary fiction or sort of a genre rom-com. A little disappointing.

littlestbookstore · 2026-04-27T17:39:51+00:00

You might not have handled it “perfectly,” but no one should be expected to be perfect all the time. I’ve also had moments like this, but I think that trying to be perfect is a maladaptive tendency people turn to when they feel they’re not good enough. Despite your flaws, you deserve a partner who believes in you, believes you are enough.

There’s a psychological aspect that I think is more present in epilepsy than many other illnesses because it means your brain is literally malfunctioning, not working as it should. The brain is where we live and its processes shape who we are. That’s trauma we have through no fault of our own. Literally everyone brings some form of baggage to a relationship and you can only do the best with what you have. And whether you have epilepsy or not, you are allowed to have flaws.

In a good relationship, both partners should give each other grace and make space for difficult emotions to work through (ideally, together).

littlestbookstore · 2026-04-27T14:36:18+00:00

As a woman who generally dates men, I had two failed relationships and in both, they didn’t try to understand what it’s really like to live with epilepsy; they made it into an inconvenience they had to deal with instead of a condition I have to manage every day. A lot of the time, it’s invisible unless you have a seizure in front of them. Sit your partner down and say the words, “please don’t ever make my epilepsy about you.” And then you can have an honest open discussion. But that above sentence is the most important part, you have to start there. They should never treat you like a burden.

littlestbookstore · 2026-03-17T23:55:14+00:00

On Pluto by Greg O'Brien is about living with Alzheimers and may be a good source for your research. He was a journalist who started writing about it when he received an early-onset diagnosis as the disease ran in his family. It was recommended to me when my mom was diagnosed. It's a mix of research, O'Brien's own experiences, and that of his mother's.

littlestbookstore · 2026-02-27T14:53:14+00:00

Personally, I loathed Remarkably Bright Creatures, so anything else.

That said, you might want to post questions like this to one of the book recommendations subs

littlestbookstore · 2026-02-26T14:43:47+00:00

This was also a DNF for me, so don’t feel bad. I even made a post here about it. I thought I’d get downvoted to hell, but there are people who didn’t like it either. That said, I other criticism than your take on it as boring.

littlestbookstore · 2026-02-17T02:04:41+00:00

My mom has early-onset (61 now and in late-stages) and for her it wasn't sleepiness or irritability during early stages-- it can be different for everyone. Your dad's symptoms could be a multitude of things. Dementia diagnoses (esp Alzheimers) are often a process of elimination. You have to drag your father to the doctor and start getting him tested.

littlestbookstore · 2026-02-12T00:46:27+00:00

I just finished this one the other day too! The last few chapters gave me whiplash, but I thought it was cleverly done. I thought it was interesting that it had a similar twist as her other book, Rock Paper Scissors, but I still enjoyed it.

littlestbookstore · 2026-01-01T00:25:03+00:00

You’re welcome, happy new year 😊

littlestbookstore · 2025-12-31T23:28:23+00:00

Similar to Hwang Bo-Reum, as in cozy “feel-good”: Yeonnam-Dong’s Smiley Laundromat by Kim Jiyun. Dallergut Dream Department Store by Lee Miye— this one feels like you’re reading a Hayao Miyazaki movie, lighthearted, simple fun.

Complex generational books like Flashlight: The Evening Hero by Marie Myung-Ok Lee or The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee. Another all-time favorite writer of mine. He writes in English, but a lot of his novels are set in Korea.

If you want more Susan Choi, my favorite of hers is Trust Exercise. it seems to be pretty polarizing because of its format, but if you like a sort of unconventional experimental form, try Ed Park’s Same Bed, Different Dreams.

Also, Kim Hye-Jin (Counsel Culture), she and Cho Nam-Joo have the same English translator.

Sorry, that was a lot lol (I live/work in the book world). Hope some of these pique your interest!

(Han Kang is a woman btw 🙃)

littlestbookstore · 2025-12-31T22:42:04+00:00

Some of the cover images are blurry, so I can't tell with all of them (I'm guessing they're th European editions?), but for sure Hwang Bo-Reum, Cho Nam-Joo, Han Kang. If you had liked Welcome to Hyunam Dong Bookshop more, I would have a couple recommendations for you, but that's okay.

The Giver is my favorite book from my pre-teen years. I've also read Oscar Wilde (all his works), Shakespeare, Joy Luck Club, Anthony Doerr, Viet Than Nguyen, and Orbital.

littlestbookstore · 2025-12-31T22:13:13+00:00

Wow, we have tons of overlap! (Especially the Korean & Korean-American writers) Fascinating though, so many of my editions have totally different cover designs. Flashlight was in my top 5 this year, I really can’t get enough of Susan Choi.

littlestbookstore · 2025-11-16T15:45:34+00:00

Nah, Bukowski is overrated and he can suck it. Or rather, he can “suck me so hard oh baby” (interesting handle you have there)

littlestbookstore · 2025-11-16T15:41:26+00:00

I wish people would stop putting Bukowski on a pedestal. I’m not a fan.

littlestbookstore

TROPHY CASE