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Daughters of the Sun and Moon

October 22, 2026

daughters

Three young Chinese women find themselves brought together in the earliest days of the city we know as Los Angeles. Petal, Moon, and Dove are the central characters in Lisa See’s Daughters of the Sun and Moon. In 1870, Dove arrives as the second wife of an older Chinese merchant, while Petal’s desperate family has sold her to be trafficked to America as a sex worker. Soon after ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 19th century, historical fiction, women

The Top of the World by Ethan Joella

August 20, 2026

top of the world

When Maggie’s older brother, Chip disappears for the summer after the end of his senior year in high school it’s a big deal. Because it’s probably the last summer he’ll ever have and she and her parents are left alone and wondering if they’ll ever see him again. They do, but he never says anything about his time away. A year later Maggie seeks some kind of closure around his ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, coming-of-age, family, historical fiction, vacation reading

Looking for Funny: Mini-Reviews

June 10, 2026

funny

Somehow, without paying attention, I read two spring releases back-to-back that were written by comedy writers and not just any comedy writers, but two who both wrote for the same show, Arrested Development, a show I loved. But while the tone and voice of both these writers was funny the plots weren't, leading me to think being a great television comedy writer doesn’t always ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: humor, Manhattan

The Satisfaction Cafe

September 25, 2025

satisfaction

Joan is a Taiwanese woman in America in The Satisfaction Café. Her first marriage, through no fault of her own goes horribly wrong, leaving her destitute and living hand to mouth. She then meets and marries a wealthy, older man. They have their own children before he dies, leaving her very wealthy, but insecure, as the adult children from her husband’s first marriage vigorously ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, cultural

July Reading Wrap-Up

July 31, 2025

July

My surprise over the disappearance of July probably comes as no surprise as I seem to lament how quickly the months go on a regular basis now. It's a disconnect from the feeling that we’re years into this president’s term based on the chaos and toxicity. The only thing keeping my poor psyche from exploding is how beautiful July’s weather was—cool, cloudy mornings turning to ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: fantasy, mini-reviews, mystery, suspense, thriller

Call Her Freedom

July 24, 2025

call her

A small village in the Himalayan foothills is the setting for Tara Dorabji’s debut novel, Call Her Freedom. Aisha’s mother is a midwife and teaches Aisha all about childbirth and herbal remedies when Aisha is not in school. An outstanding student it’s been her mother’s dream to see her go to university in the city.  But when her mother falls ill the only way to save their ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: cultural, family saga, historical, India, war

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