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The True and Splendid History of the Harristown Sisters

September 12, 2014

harristown sisters

The Swineys are seven Irish sisters of unknown paternity growing up in a falling-down shack in a small town in Ireland in the late 1800s. They have no electricity, no indoor toilets, and so little food that a piece of bread may suffice for the day. What they do have is hair of extraordinary length in hues from white blond to deepest black. They also have a range of singing ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: Bloomsbury, family saga, historical fiction, magical realism

Station Eleven: A Novel

September 10, 2014

station eleven

I read a fair amount of dystopian fiction this summer- either set in the U.S. or global and I would have saved myself a lot of time if Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel had come out first because it is the best. Big words, I know but, while not garnering the level of publicity of other recent books in the genre, it is a novel that should be noticed for its portrait of an ... Read More...

25 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, dystopia, Knopf, literary, science fiction

The Children Act

September 8, 2014

children act

Ian McEwan is one of those authors who can blend matters of life-and-death with everyday issues and give both equal weight. In his newest novel, The Children Act, he displays his skill with his elegant renderings of the life of Fiona Maye, a High Court judge in London. Maye presides in family court over the type of cases that bring out great emotion but she is widely known for ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, mystery, Nan A. Talese

Tumbledown: A Novel

September 5, 2014

tumbledown

Tumbledown by Robert Boswell largely takes place at the Onyx Springs Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Center, a residential facility where James Candler is a counselor. Through the novel we meet the individual patients James works with, the other counselors, his boss, his sister and his best friend. The novel is an ensemble piece of fiction in that almost every character has an ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary fiction, Graywolf Press

The Bone Clocks

September 2, 2014

bone clocks

David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks begins in 1984 with sixteen-year-old Holly Sykes running away from home in a fit of rage over her mother’s refusal to let her move in with a man she loves and then finding that man in bed with her best friend. While on the road Holly meets a very old woman who asks her if she will give her refuge if she needs it. She says yes and unknowingly ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, dystopia, fantasy, paranormal, Random House

Hired Men

August 29, 2014

hired men

Sometimes I end up reading books that are so far out of the genres I usually read it’s refreshing. That’s the case with these two novels about hired men who through their jobs end up in some pretty unusual situations. Both are a quick read and might be good options for the man in your life this Labor Day weekend. Or try them yourself!   Gibson is a rising star in ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, Harper, literary, mini-reviews

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