I’ve seen this meme going around (started by Lost in a Story) as a way to edit a growing to-be-read list. You take your Goodreads TBR list, sort by ascending date added, and look at the oldest 5-10 items on your list. If I haven’t read them by now, am I likely to? Why or why not? I … Continue reading
I really enjoy Victorian mysteries, so was pleased to accept a copy of this book from the author. I should note first off that this is the third book in the D.S. Billings Victorian Mystery series, and I much prefer to read a series in order, but was willing to read Book 3 on the … Continue reading
I found this book about a marriage in Nigeria fascinating and meaningful, although it wasn’t quite what I expected. The story begins with a married couple who now live apart. Yejide is going to see her husband after many years for his father’s funeral. Then the story takes us back to the early years of … Continue reading
This summer I’ve been reading a lot of great science fiction and fantasy. This batch is all science fiction, although I’m finding the distinction is somewhat blurred in a lot of what I read. I suppose that’s because I don’t read too much traditional science fiction (which I think of as relying on technological and … Continue reading
This month I torpedoed my 20 Books of Summer list by signing up for a pile of NetGalleys and ARCs. I’m not saying I regret those reads, which were quite good; something just made me go “off-list” this month. Otherwise, my July was all about my sister – I got to visit her in Wisconsin … Continue reading
My husband loves podcasts, and often recommends them. My usual response is that I’d much rather read than listen, and that’s true. I’m much more visual than auditory, and while my husband spends an hour and a half driving to work each day, I spend 2 hours sitting on trains and buses. Still, there are … Continue reading
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
