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The Sacrament: A Novel

January 17, 2020

sacrament

Set in Iceland, The Sacrament is a spare and chilling novel about the Catholic Church. An elderly nun, Sister Johanna Marie, is called from her convent in France to look into an accusation at a Catholic school in Iceland, where she taught decades ago. During her tenure, a young boy witnessed a priest fall to his death from a tower. This boy, now a man, sends a letter for Sister ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, ecco, literary, social issues

Eight Best Debuts of 2019

December 18, 2019

eight

One of my favorite parts about being a book blogger is discovering new literary voices. Debut authors comprise almost 40% of my reading. Here are the eight debut novels that helped make 2019 such a strong year for my reading.     I never thought a courtroom drama would not only be in my favorites but that it would also be one of only two 5 star novels in ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: book clubs, favorite books, lists

Three Dystopian Worlds: Mini-Reviews

November 11, 2019

dystopian

  Somehow, in the midst of my own chaos I found myself reading three dystopian novels that painted a bleak picture for humans. You’d think I would have chosen soothing books about rainbows and unicorns, but in their own way each of these books worked to take my mind out of my life and into realities I’d never considered. Which is always fun, even when it's ... Read More...

7 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: dystopia, science fiction

July Reading Wrap-Up

July 31, 2019

july

July has turned out to be a schizo kind of month, both for my reading and for life. On the life side it began with all my energy focused on getting us out of Seattle, into an apartment, and getting Seattle house rented out—all by the end of the month. That all came to a stop and I’ll be in our house until October, but it’s left me discombobulated because Jed had to move now for ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary life, mini-reviews, mystery, true crime

The Affairs of the Falcóns: A Novel

April 8, 2019

falcons

Life for Ana Falcón is walking a high-wire above a field of razors. She works long days at garment factory hunched over a sewing machine, while her husband, Lucho drives a cab at night. They live with their two small children in the bedroom of a cousin’s apartment in Brooklyn. A cousin who has made it clear they need to move on, but their jobs don’t bring in enough income to ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, cultural, debut, ecco, social issues

Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken

March 8, 2019

bowlaway

It’s the end of the 19th century when Bertha Truitt appears in Salford, Massachussetts. Literally, just appears. If she has a past she doesn’t want to talk about it. What she does want to do is open her own candlepin bowling alley and with the money she has she does. This is just the first of Bertha’s actions that make her the most intriguing character in Elizabeth McCracken’s ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: family saga, historical fiction, New England

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