I enjoyed this book more than I expected to, mainly because of deWitt’s style of narration and dialogue. It’s a strange book and nearly impossible to categorize. It’s not fantasy, although it takes place in a castle. It’s a love story, sort of, and an adventure story, and a coming-of-age story. Some readers on Goodreads … Continue reading
Two weeks ago I decided I’d had enough of my life being controlled by migraines. I’d reached a point where I was spending most weekends either dopey from drugs or in pain. I’ve tried keeping a food diary, vitamins and natural remedies like chewing raw ginger (not recommended but it will distract you from the … Continue reading
This is Kaling’s second book, after Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? And while I enjoyed the first one, this is a much better book. Kaling gives you a very good sense in this book of who she is as a person. The first part of the book focuses on the development of Mindy’s show, … Continue reading
This book brought back lots of memories of my trip a few years ago to Australia. We learned a lot about the aboriginal population and how they suffered when the British settled there. We also learned a lot about their way of life, including hunting and agricultural practices. Kate Grenville’s award winning book describes an … Continue reading
I had heard this wasn’t Kingsolver’s best book, and I’d tried starting it a few times and it didn’t really grab my attention. I went back to it last month and I’m so glad I did. Yes, Kingsolver can be a bit preachy on the subject of environmental issues. I didn’t make it through her … Continue reading
This is a book with an interesting concept but there were a few things that didn’t work for me at all. Ann Decker is working in a tech store when she’s approached by someone who wants to recruit her for a special job. Her life isn’t too exciting, so she jumps in a van with … Continue reading
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is our top ten favorite debut authors. This was an easy one as I’ve read so many great debut novels in the last couple of years (I limited my list to novels, so I didn’t count nonfiction or short stories). I’m anxiously awaiting new work from all of these … Continue reading
Happy November readers! In October, I began my final graduate class, on early literacy, one of my favorite subjects. November will be a busy, busy month, as I’m visiting family in Arizona and submitting my thesis proposal to our review board. Then in December I have a final presentation to write and our annual holiday … Continue reading
Much as I love Isabel Allende, her books can be somewhat uneven, and this was not one of my favorites. Allende tells the story of Alma Belasco, a girl who emigrates from Poland to San Francisco in 1939. She is adopted by her aunt and uncle after the Nazi invasion of Poland. As the book … Continue reading
I loved everything about this book. You’ve probably heard of Jenny Lawson by now, but if you haven’t, she writes a blog as The Blogess and a couple of years ago published her first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Lawson’s writing is really unique; it’s humor combined with memoir, but that description doesn’t really … Continue reading
David Mitchell is one of my favorite writers, and this book didn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for a creepy haunted house story, this one is eerie and at times terrifying. This short novel is also a companion to his recent The Bone Clocks, and I think in that regard it’s a little less successful. But … Continue reading
Last year, when I read The Haunting of Hill House, a lot of readers said that We Have Always Lived in the Castle is their favorite Shirley Jackson novel. I can see why. This was Jackson’s final novel, published in 1962. It’s a story about two sisters, Mary Catherine (Merricat) and Constance, who live with … Continue reading
