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...
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
In my post about the fall books I was ready to read I made special note of my excitement about Fredrik Backman’s new book, Anxious People. The novel is about a group of eight people held hostage by a bank robber. I was interested because the bank robber failed at his job and the people he held hostage were so whiny and annoying he thought surrendering to police might be a ... Read More...
American Royals by Katharine McGee
One of my goals in reviewing books is to not only share my opinion about a book, but also to remain objective enough in my opinions that you, dear readers, can form your own opinion about whether or not you want to read that book. All that is out the window with today’s review because I LOVED American Royals and can’t be remotely objective about it. Still, to feel pure joy ... Read More...
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
There are so many things I wish I could forget, but maybe “forget” isn’t quite right. There are so many things I wish I never knew. Transcendent Kingdom is a novel that lies at the intersection of religion, addiction, science, and mental health. Gifty is a PhD candidate at Stanford, studying reward-seeking behavior’s role in addiction. Her dedication to her research is ... Read More...
The Last Story of Mina Lee
Even though her mother is the only family she has, Margot Lee has never felt close to Mina. Margot left L.A. for Seattle for college and never moved back. She would dutifully call regularly, but visited seldom. Now, she’s arrived in Koreatown for a surprise visit, only to find Mina dead. The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim is not a mystery thriller, but a poignant ... Read More...
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