When Abe and Ruth meet on a blind date while students at the University of Washington it’s not love at first sight. In fact, it’s not even like. Ruth finds Abe to be stodgy, full of himself, and boring. He, on the other hand, is captivated by her vivacious personality and her varied interests, even if her ideas about the future seem flaky. From this inauspicious beginning, The ... Read More...
This is a Love Story
For someone who’s been leery about literary fiction for the past six months I have two novels this week that epitomize the genre and what I love about it. With Central Park as the backdrop, This is a Love Story unfolds in alternating chapters from the novel’s three main characters: Abe, Jane and Max. Abe and Jane are creatives—he’s a writer and she’s an artist and they ... Read More...
All That is Mine I Carry With Me
The scene is cleanly set when in the simpler times of 1975 10-year-old Miranda arrives home from school to find the house locked and, after she uses the hidden key to get in, empty. Her mother should be there. Her mother is always there to greet her after school. Her car, keys, handbag all in their proper place, but Jane Larkin is gone. And that’s the last of clean, simple ... Read More...
The Year of the Horses: A Memoir
Courtney Maum’s memoir opens with a scene of a young daughter refusing her mother’s help to put on her socks despite the fact that they’re going to be late for an appointment. Maum is the mother and her frustration, veering into internal rage and the immediate weight of guilt, is so well-written my jaw clenched reading it and I don’t even have children. The book is called The ... Read More...
2021 Underrated Gems
Every year I read books I loved, but that seemed to go under-the-radar for most people. Yes, reading is a very personal endeavor and what is 5 stars for me may not be 5 stars for you, but I’ve got 7 underrated gems I read this year that I’m almost evangelical about—I loved them that much. So, I’m spreading that love in the hopes that you might discover your next great read ... Read More...
Other People’s Houses
After a July of aggressively dark reading I gave myself some mental respite by starting August with two light backlist novels. I reviewed The Bestseller on Friday and today I’m happy to start the week with Other People’s Houses—a contemporary look at family life, marriage, and friendship in one L.A. neighborhood. Frances, is the novel’s anchor and its every-mom. She takes all ... Read More...
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 10
- Next Page »
