A cruise from Southampton to NYC in January. The location sets the tone for The Blue Book. Crashing, icy seas and gusting winds mesh well with the juxtaposition of a woman on board with her boyfriend who discovers her old partner in crime (literally) is on board as well. A setting that should be one of enjoyment, relaxation and companionship is instead filled with angst, ... Read More...
Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are
We tend to think all of our traits and life decisions can be traced back to our genes or the influence of our parents or partners, but it has become increasingly clear that our peers are stealth sculptors of everything from our basic linguistic habits to our highest aspirations. Friendfluence is a well-researched but readable look at what many consider to be the most ... Read More...
Annie Bloom’s Event: Amanda Coplin
Monday night I had the pleasure of listening to Amanda Coplin discuss her extraordinary debut novel, The Orchardist, which I reviewed last week. It is one of those books that strain my credibility as a critic because I am overcome with hyperbole. Thankfully, I stopped short of drawing comparisons between her work and Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose (I just thought it). OK, ... Read More...
The Abundance
In Amit Majmudar’s The Abundance, an Indian-American mother is dying of cancer and trying to decide when to tell her children. The holidays are approaching and she fears her news will obliterate the season’s happiness but she is far enough along that there is no way to mask her weight loss and pallor. As her children arrive with their families and she struggles to maintain ... Read More...
GIVEAWAY!
If you’re still pining over the end of another Downton Abbey season or simply mired in the March doldrums, then how about a giveaway to make you smile? I reviewed Ashenden (and loved it) earlier this year. It is like Downton Abbey but from the perspective of the estate and is a lively, engaging read full of intrigue and scandal (upstairs and downstairs) that will keep you ... Read More...
The Orchardist
It’s already been said but bears repeating: Amanda Coplin’s The Orchardist is a stunning debut; the story of a plot of land and the people who shape it while it shapes them. When William Talmadge is nine he and his sister, Elsbeth settle into a remote, rural area of north-central Washington state with their mother. She has no explanation in choosing this location but, even at ... Read More...
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