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Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday

February 14, 2018

asymmetry

  Asymmetry is a novel split into three separate and seemingly unrelated parts. I know, sounds like short stories, but there is supposed to be a thread connecting the three. The question is whether I was able to find it or not. The first section is Folly, wherein 27-year-old Alice meets Pulitzer Prize winning author, Ezra Blazer, in Central Park. They talk and after ... Read More...

7 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary fiction, debut, family, Iraq, literary, Manhattan, relationships, Simon & Schuster

The Golden House by Salman Rushdie

September 15, 2017

golden

  I’m a fan of detail in my fiction. I love it whether it’s literary (Donna Tartt) or historical (Alison Weir, Ken Follett), but when it isn’t specific to the story and is in fact an extrapolation of some minor concept, it can be exhausting. This means I left Salman Rushdie’s The Golden House feeling that the book was 800 pages long when it was actually only 380. Why? ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, family, literary, Manhattan, Random House, wealth

August Reading Wrap-Up

August 30, 2017

august

Good bye August and goodbye summer! I complain a fair bit, but here is one thing that I absolutely loved about this summer in Seattle. We only had maybe three days all told when it got above 90°. The majority of the summer was in the mid-70s with dry, sunny days and chilly nights. My kind of weather. I wish I could be as upbeat about my reading, but this year continues to be a ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature, Reading Tagged: Bloomsbury, Dutton, historical fiction, lists, Manhattan, mini-reviews, Other Press

Fitness Junkie: A Novel

July 17, 2017

fitness

  There are many things that make being a booklover wonderful, but one that makes me positively giddy is when a book finds me when I need it most. That feeling of a book that knows what you need and provides it. No point in prolonging the suspense, I’m talking about Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza’s new novel, Fitness Junkie. DON’T. RUN. AWAY! It’s not a non-fiction workout ... Read More...

12 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: chick lit, contemporary life, Doubleday, humor, Manhattan, midlife, satire

The Heirs: A Novel by Susan Rieger

May 29, 2017

heirs

  Sometimes, misinterpreting book blurbs can be a big mistake, leading to disappointment and frustration. Then there are the amazing times when a book sounds like one thing and turns out to be something even better. I’ve had both experiences and while the former can make you swear to never read another synopsis or blurb, the latter can be like Christmas dipped in ... Read More...

9 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, Crown, family, literary, Manhattan, wealth

Fake Plastic Love

May 18, 2017

fake

  After almost five years of writing about books I kind of thought I’d seen it all. Not literally or in every way, but I firmly believed that plot and prose were inextricably intertwined. The best prose couldn’t save a bad plot and vice versa. Today I have to back off that belief because I just read a book that I really liked, but with writing that made me a little nutty. ... Read More...

3 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: coming-of-age, contemporary life, debut, Flatiron Books, friendship, Manhattan, new adult, retellings

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