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A Different Viewpoint: Amnesty

February 26, 2020

amnesty

Last week I reviewed a light, bright novel set in 1950s Sydney, Australia. Today I’m back with another novel set in Sydney, but in recent times and with a much darker tone. Amnesty by Aravind Adiga is about Danny, an illegal immigrant from Sri Lanka. His visa expired three years ago when he dropped out from a for-profit college. He’s been living in the shadows as a cash-only ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, cultural, literary, Scribner, social issues

Talk to Me: A Novel by John Kenney

February 10, 2020

talk

My end of January and beginning of February reading has been less than exciting as evidenced by my Friday post. I thought rather than write a lukewarm review of book that was only OK, I'd give some renewed attention to a book from 2019 that I thoroughly enjoyed. Talk to Me came out in paperback last week and I'd highly recommend it for timely, entertaining, and thought ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, literary, Putnam, social issues

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

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

January 3, 2020

know my name

Emily Doe was the name given to the young woman sexually assaulted by Brock Turner, a Stanford student-athlete in 2015. If that doesn’t ring a bell, this should: he was given a sentence that was offensive in its leniency, inciting an outcry around the country. Know My Name is a memoir written by Chanel Miller. She is Emily Doe and she decided it was time to own not only her ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Non-fiction Tagged: book clubs, memoir, social issues, true crime, Viking, women

Ten Best Books of 2019

December 20, 2019

ten

  Well, what do you know. Rather than being my usual contrarian self, I actually have ten books I consider to be the best of 2019. Of course, that doesn’t include the eight debut novels I wrote about on Wednesday, but let’s not split hairs. The point is: ALL of these books are marvelous. Even better, you still have time to get any one of them before Christmas for your ... Read More...

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

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

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