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The Mysteries by Marisa Silver

May 7, 2021

mysteries

Set in the early 1970s The Mysteries by Marisa Silver is about Margaret Ann (Miggy), the only child of Julian and Jean Brenneman. They married in their early 20s so he could avoid the Vietnam War draft and Miggy was born when Jean ran out of birth control pills. Not necessarily an auspicious beginning for a marriage or having children, but they’ve settled into their own version ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1970s, book clubs, childhood, literary

Sorrow and Bliss: A Novel

May 5, 2021

sorrow

Sorrow and Bliss opens after Martha and her husband Patrick have returned from a party he threw for her 40th birthday. It did not go well and two days later Patrick says he’s leaving. It’s both an ending and a beginning for Martha as she grapples with what to do next in a life that often feels like too much to bear. When she’s 17 Martha is suddenly under such physical, ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, debut, mental health, relationships

Ariadne: A Novel by Jennifer Saint

May 3, 2021

ariadne

If you’re a fan of Greek mythology than 2021 is shaping up to be a great year. First there was A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (which I loved) and now there’s Ariadne, the story of a Cretan princess whose half-brother is the fearsome Minotaur. The Minotaur’s life and death are a mainstay of Greek mythology, but author Jennifer Saint pushes the beast and Theseus, the prince ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, mythology

April Reading Recap

April 30, 2021

april

  My April graphic is a lovely, but inaccurate depiction of the month this year. At least here in Michigan where we swung from bright spring days to snow last week. My reading followed the same path—with nonfiction continuing to be strong, but new-release fiction being hit or miss.     Vera is fast, light historical fiction. Edgarian evokes the terror ... Read More...

5 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: historical fiction, mini-reviews

Mirrorland: A Novel

April 28, 2021

mirrorland

Cat and El are identical twins raised by their mother in their grandfather’s old, sprawling mess of a house. Their only friend was the boy next door. Both couldn’t wait to grow up and get away which is why when Mirrorland begins Cat lives in L.A. She hasn’t seen or spoken to El since they had a falling out over a decade ago. El, however, never left and Ross, the boy, is now her ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, mystery, suspense

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

April 26, 2021

stars

Paula McLain is well-known for her historical fiction about women.  This month she flips the script on her readers with When the Stars Go Dark, a complex mystery set in 1990s Northern California. There, Anna Hart is a missing persons detective who needs time off after a devastating personal loss. She heads to Mendocino to leave everything behind and hibernate. But on her first ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 20th century, crime, mystery, suspense

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