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July Reading Wrap-Up

July 30, 2020

july

  Goodbye, July! My first full month of real summer in the Midwest. What I loved: fireflies, thunder and rain storms that last for hours. What is not so much: humidity that flattens me but makes my hair explode. And flies. So many flies! Why? The natural world aside, even with the increasing crazy that is America, July was an outstanding reading month. I finished 15 ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: dystopia, Italy, literary, memoir, mini-reviews, mythology, science fiction

Utopia Avenue: A Novel by David Mitchell

July 22, 2020

utopia

‘Utopia’ means ‘no place.’ An avenue is a place. So is music. When we’re playing well, I’m here, but elsewhere, too. That’s the paradox. Utopia is unattainable. Avenues are everywhere. Derek, Elf, Jasper, and Griff each has a dream: make it big in the music industry playing music they love. So far, it hasn’t panned out for any of them. But when manager Levon Frankland ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1960s, historical fiction, literary, London, pop culture

Crooked Hallelujah

July 17, 2020

crooked

Texas and Oklahoma, during the 1970s and 1980s oil boom and bust, is the setting for Crooked Hallelujah, a debut novel about the lives of three generations of Cherokee women. Lula is the matriarch, Justine her daughter, and Reney her grand-daughter. The times were difficult, but even more so if you were a Native American and a woman. Against this arid backdrop their lives are ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, historical fiction, literary, Native Americans

What I’m Reading in July

July 10, 2020

  I realize we’re already 10 days into July, but honestly, can you really tell at this point? If anything, the news feels as if we’re moving backwards. With no guidance or support from the federal government the first ‘wave’ keeps growing. Who knows what’s next? All of which means, I’m behind in sharing the July reading I’m looking forward to. I’ve already had some ... Read More...

16 Comments
Filed Under: Feature Tagged: dystopia, historical fiction, lists, literary

What’s Left of Me is Yours

June 29, 2020

left of me

Sumiko’s mother, Rina, died in a car accident when she was a child. Her parents were divorced, her father not a part of her life, so she went to live with her beloved grandfather. Now, twenty years later, as What’s Left of Me is Yours opens, she receives a call about a man from her mother’s past. This call unleashes the flood that overtakes her life, sweeping away her memories ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, cultural, debut, Japan, literary

Everyone Knows How Much I Love You

June 26, 2020

everyone knows

On Wednesday I reviewed a novel about female friendship that was unsettling because of the drama in the character’s lives, but managed to resonate in its portrayal of the many phases and nuances of long-term friendships. I went into today's novel with the same hopes, but was deeply disappointed. I debated whether to even write this review because we’re all being overwhelmed ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, literary, New York City

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