Sorry to start a review with a longwinded explanation, but…Songbirds was a new experience for me. I don’t remember ever starting a book and being so put off by the opening scene. Yiannis is a main character, living in Cyprus, a country that is in the direct migration path of millions of small, exotic birds. He’s a poacher, trapping them by the hundred in nets and then killing ... Read More...
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Taylor Jenkins Reid it’s that she exerts a magnetic force on readers (I’m looking at you, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & the Six). Her latest, Malibu Rising, is no different, because, once again, she’s crafted a novel that once started needs to be finished without interruption. In this case it’s about the Riva ... Read More...
Fast Fiction: Mini-Reviews
Fast fiction may sound like a pejorative, but I don’t mean it that way. Sometimes, particularly after deeper literary fiction I’m happy to jettison character development and lyrical prose for books that go down like any of my favorite sugary snacks—easily, mindlessly, and with no nutritional value. Empty calories, but yummy, and just how much kale should any one person ... Read More...
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain
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...
The Bohemians: A Novel by Jasmin Darznik
I was interested in Jasmin Darznik’s new novel The Bohemians for its premise about a woman in history I knew nothing about. Dorothea ‘Dorrie’ Lange is an American photographer. If, like me, you don’t recognize the name, this should help: Migrant Mother was taken at the height of the Depression and is considered an iconic depiction of Dust Bowl reality. The ... Read More...
December Reading Recap
Let’s hear it for 2021! Without having done a damn thing it’s probably the most anticipated year of my lifetime. This winter may hold more darkness than light, but for many of us, the fact that we’ll have a decent, caring, grown-up in the White House in 19 days is enough to spark some hope. As is the fact that my December reading was on fire. I read 19 (what?!) books this month ... Read More...
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