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Small Books, Quick Thoughts

November 29, 2019

This post may include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I was going to call this post Short and Sweet, but the title is not quite right for these three novels. Sweet implies a bit of passivity and isn’t often a trait I like in my fiction. Instead, each of these small books belied their size with the force of their stories. Because they’re ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, literary, mini-reviews, social issues, women

Ask Again, Yes

November 25, 2019

ask again

This post may include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ask Again, Yes is a complex family story that begins with the lightest of connections. Brian Stanhope and Francis Gleeson are two young men from Ireland who begin their careers as cops together in New York City. They move to the suburbs, right next door to each other and start ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, family, literary, mental health, relationships, Scribner

The Starless Sea

November 18, 2019

starless

If you know me at all you know I’m seldom at a loss for words. But when an author uses all the best words in their novel, the way Erin Morgenstern did in The Starless Sea, what’s left for someone trying to write about it? I have such tender feelings for this book I’m almost afraid to review it. Not that my paltry review is going to change its destiny, just that I won’t be able ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, fantasy, literary, New York City

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

October 28, 2019

testaments

It begins with the gathering up of the women. They are herded into what used to be a sports stadium and separated into groups. Based on what? Not race. Not age. No, profession. Doctors recognize fellow practitioners, teachers band together, lawyers huddle. They’re kept for days, even weeks. And then, the executions start. This is the chilling introduction to The Testaments, ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, dystopia, literary, science fiction, women

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

October 7, 2019

dutch

Maeve and Danny live of a life of contrasts. Their house is by far the grandest in their neighborhood and money is not something they ever have to think about, but their mother left when Danny was only three and Maeve ten. Their father is a taciturn man who excels at real estate, but shows little interest in either of his children. What they have is each other and it’s enough, ... Read More...

14 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: American life, book clubs, family, Harper, literary, relationships

The Secrets We Kept

September 30, 2019

secrets

I love learning something from my fiction so was pleased to find out that Lara Prescott’s novel, The Secrets We Kept is based on a true story from the Cold War. Even better, it involves espionage and literature. It seems, at the time, the CIA wanted to use the power of the written word to effect change in the U.S.S.R. They plotted to get Boris Pasternak’s masterpiece, Dr. ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1950s, book clubs, debut, historical fiction, Knopf

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