Rules of Civility is a look at 1930s New York high society through the eyes of Katey Kontent, an independent 20-something who, with her friend Evelyn, finds her way into those hallowed circles by way of a chance meeting with Tinker Grey at a jazz bar. Circumstances keep Katey on the invite list over the course of a year, as she works as a secretary by day and navigates the world of the wealthy by night. I enjoyed this look at New York in the 30s, but sometimes felt dissatisfied with the sketchy motivations of many of the characters, including Katey herself.

In 1922 Russia, aristocrat Count Alexander Rostov has been sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol hotel. As he makes a home in his small attic room, he builds relationships and finds his place and purpose from inside the hotel, as decades of history unfold literally outside his door. Rostov's charm and wisdom shine as he builds family and community with the vivid characters who share space in the Metropol.

This book has been on my shelf for ages and was at the top of my reading challenge list. Nonetheless, I decided to listen to the audiobook, with the intention of trying a reading experiment: listening while reading along in my print copy (sometimes).

I wasn't able to do this as much as I'd planned, but I did try it a few times. Blending the reading and listening did help me absorb and better focus while reading this slow-mover. It's something I hope to try again--particularly with nonfiction. I know that so many readers loved this, and while I enjoyed this book, I think I would have appreciated the lovely language more in print. I'll be keeping it around and planning on a second read in the future.

The Lincoln Highway was my second audiobook listen of an Amor Towles book this year, and though it was much different from A Gentleman in Moscow, with its refined settings and characters, Towles complex storytelling style is just as on-point.

Eighteen-year-old Emmett has just been released from the work farm where he was serving time for involuntary manslaughter. His father has recently died and the family farm in Nebraska has been foreclosed. He and his young brother hatch a plan to drive west and start a new life--but two other boys from the work farm show up with different plants for Emmett.

I went into this expecting a road trip story, and it was--in a way--but the journey was just as unexpected for the reader as it was for Emmett. The story is told from multiple viewpoint and each is surprising and charming. Each character has his or her own agenda and it's fascinating to witness them moving in such opposition to one another. While not a page-turner, exactly, excellent narration, intriguing characters, and unexpected turns kept me listening.