I liked this book a lot more than I expected to, and I find myself referring to it often. It’s well-written and Vance tells his story in an engaging and meaningful way. More importantly, he humanizes the people living in the Appalachian area while not idealizing them. In fact, he argues very clearly that this … Continue reading
I was pretty much glued to this book while I was reading it. It’s both suspenseful and thoughtful, and provides detailed information about a country that most Americans know little about. Williams, a former aid worker in Uganda, tells the story from two perspectives. Sabine is a German woman who has spent most of her adult life … Continue reading
Those of you who write book reviews, and who care about reading fiction with well-developed female characters, may find this article in Literary Hub as fascinating as I did. Science fiction author Daniel Price writes about the response his book The Flight of the Silvers received on Goodreads. I’d braced myself for the worst with … Continue reading
I recommend this short but moving first novel by Rachel Khong about a woman caring for her father with Alzheimer’s. This is a prospect I find absolutely terrifying, whether for my parents and for myself. It seems to me that almost any physical ailment would be less scary than gradually losing one’s mind, knowing that … Continue reading
Here are three more science fiction and fantasy mini-reviews, brought to you by the 20 Books of Summer Challenge. Since it’s pretty difficult to review books that are part of series, I’m keeping these short. I recommend all three if you’re looking for good, but not too heavy, summer reads. Good Omens: The Nice and … Continue reading
The Sympathizer is a first novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which won last year’s Pulitzer Prize for literature. It’s a fascinating look at the Vietnam War and its aftermath from the perspective of the Vietnamese. Right away it makes you realize how much Americans only see the Vietnam War from our own perspective, not those … Continue reading
June is always one of my favorite months. It’s the start of summer and the weather is usually perfect, right in between May which is too wet and July which gets pretty steamy. Plus it’s my birthday month. It was a good month, if a quiet one. Summer reading, seeing friends, and an outdoor concert … Continue reading
This week’s Top Ten topic, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is the best books I’ve read so far this year. We’re at the halfway point, and it’s been an excellent reading year (which is good because last year was a little blah). I couldn’t decide between the last few books so I added … Continue reading
As we hit the year’s halfway point, I looked at my progress on blog resolutions and challenges. Last year I was really overwhelmed, and this year, with no grad school, I’ve been able to put the blog first. That makes me happy. But have I accomplished what I hoped? As a blogger, I tend to … Continue reading
The world feels very wrong right now. Between shootings, terrorism, and the horrible people that are governing our country with seemingly no ethics or empathy whatsoever. I’ve been trying to write a review of this book for a while, and it’s especially relevant right now with this week’s acquittal of Philando Castile. On top of … Continue reading
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis I’ve been wanting to read something by Connie Willis for a while now. In April I went to an exhibit of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in Seattle at the Museum of Pop Culture, and Willis was one of the female authors featured. To Say … Continue reading
A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The New York Drama Critics’ Circle named it the best play of 1959. I read this powerful work for the Classics Book a Month challenge. It’s the story of the Younger family, an African-American family living in … Continue reading
