These days, I’m attuned to fiction that takes my mind off reality. Not necessarily easy or soothing, but novels that grab me with their drama (Against the Loveless World) or distract me with their lovely prose (Monogamy). It’s with some surprise then that I’m reviewing Homeland Elegies, a complex novel I’m still not sure I fully understand. Ostensibly, it’s about Sikander, a ... Read More...
September Reading Wrap-Up
I’ve been tired of 2020 in virtually all my end-of-month posts, but Justice Ginsburg’s death in September pretty much broke me. I found some solace in reading, but some of my nonfiction choices indicate just how far this year has pushed things. There is no ‘normal’ in my reading right now as shown by my September stats: 15 books read, 7 of which I rated as great or ... Read More...
A Girl is a Body of Water
I came upon Jennifer Makumbi’s novel, A Girl is a Body of Water, in my efforts to further diversify my reading. It’s a multi-generational saga centered around a young Ugandan woman named Kirabo. The novel begins in the 1970s when she’s 12. She lives in a sprawling rural compound with her grandparents and many relatives. Although she is surrounded by family, her parents are not ... Read More...
What I’m Reading this Week
Hello, lovely readers! Everyone still managing to hold onto at least a semblance of their sanity? Mine is questionable so I’ll stick to my reading today. You may already know this, but in case you don’t: I get advance copies of books I request from publishers in exchange for my review. It’s a wonderful thing, but while it is like being a kid in a candy store for a book lover, ... Read More...
Monogamy: A Novel by Sue Miller
Recently, my reading has involved both unusual plots and characters. Today I’m back with Sue Miller’s Monogamy, a novel that is, appropriately for this week, about grief. Annie McFarlane’s husband, Graham, dies of a heart attack in the night next to her in their bed. A large, boisterous man with an appetite for life he leaves a gaping hole in the lives of everyone who ... Read More...
When Even Books Don’t Help
A book has always been my escape. This has never been truer than 2020 when it feels as if the universe is piling on to America. Or, the chickens are coming home to roost, depending on your worldview. Still, reading has, by-and-large, helped me retain some illusion of balance this year. It's challenged, comforted, and made me laugh. But this weekend books didn’t work ... Read More...
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