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The Divines: A Novel

January 22, 2021

divines

Every year there it seems a different theme emerges in fiction. Last year it was twins (The Grammarians, The Vanishing Half, Thin Girls), but this year, although it’s only January, I have three novels in my winter reading that are about girls’ boarding schools. What is it about that subject that entices those of us who were no more likely to attend one than go into outer space? ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, coming-of-age, debut, literary

Waiting for the Night Song

January 15, 2021

waiting

We first meet Cadence ‘Cadie’ Kessler as she’s illegally harvesting mountain pine beetles off a tree in the New Hampshire forest. A researcher, she needs proof that the beetles have arrived to their area, threatening the death of trees and the heightened likelihood of rampant forest fires. But within pages, mutilating a tree on public lands is the least of her concerns. The ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: coming-of-age, debut, mystery, social issues

Five Best Debuts of 2020

December 28, 2020

five best

  Welcome to the last week of the longest year in history. I’m going to avoid any rehashing of what a nightmare it was for so many and stick to the easy stuff: my best books of 2020! Today I have five debut books that really stood out for me. Normally, I’d have more, but there was nothing normal in 2020. Like a lot of other readers, my taste and what worked for me was ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: book clubs, debut, historical fiction, India, memoir, racism, social issues, women

A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

December 4, 2020

punchable

If you’re a fan of Saturday Night Live then you’ll know the name Colin Jost. If not, he’s one of the anchors for Weekend Update and a very funny man. His memoir is called A Very Punchable Face and listening to it with him narrating, had me driving around aimlessly so I didn’t have to stop. Beyond the funny is an unexpectedly interesting man. The title comes from the fact that ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Non-fiction Tagged: debut, essays, humor, memoir

EarthEater: A Novel by Dolores Reyes

November 20, 2020

earth

An unnamed young woman lives in the barrios of Argentina with her older brother and her aunt. They have recently buried her beloved mother and her father has left. She responds to the need for answers the only way she knows how…by eating dirt. Unpalatable and bizarre? Yes. But it tells her where people have gone and if they are alive or dead. Eartheater is her story. When a ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, cultural, debut, literary

White Ivy: A Novel

November 13, 2020

white ivy

In an effort to have a better life Ivy’s parents move from China to America without her, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother until she was 5 years old. Then her parents send for her. White Ivy is her story, as she assimilates into American life but holds on to her grandmother’s teachings. In middle school she falls in love with a wealthy, golden, American boy, is pulled ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, debut, suspense

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