Posted on April 21, 2020 by curlygeek04
This book about a Palestinian family in Chicago, Illinois begins with a school shooting. Afaf, the principal of a school for Muslim girls, is praying when the gunman opens fire. Then the book goes back to Afaf’s childhood. Afaf is raised in Chicago in… Continue Reading “Review: The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah”
Posted on February 22, 2020 by curlygeek04
I found this a really interesting read about what it’s like to be an undocumented immigrant in Australia. Adiga tells the story through the eyes of Danny, who has fled his native Sri Lanka after torture. He comes to Australia through a school program,… Continue Reading “Review: Amnesty by Aravind Adiga”
Posted on September 16, 2019 by curlygeek04
I absolutely loved this children’s book about a girl from a Cuban-Jewish family living in New York who is seriously injured in a car accident and ends up in a full body cast. It’s a perfect book for children in about 3rd-4th grade who… Continue Reading “Review: Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar”
Posted on August 15, 2019 by curlygeek04
I really enjoyed this debut novel that combines courtroom drama with a moving story about a Korean-American family. Even better, the author is local and writes about a small town in Virginia that doesn’t exist but felt very real. The Yoo family runs a a… Continue Reading “Review: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim”
Category: Contemporary Fiction, Diverse Reads, First Novels, New to Me Author, Recent ReleaseTags: autism, immigrants, Korean-American, legal thriller, mystery, spectrum
Posted on May 11, 2019 by curlygeek04
I really liked this slow-burner of a novel about a program for the wealthy who want surrogate parents. Ramos creates what I found to be a very believable scenario and raises a lot of really interesting issues regarding parenthood, wealth, immigration, race and class. A… Continue Reading “Review: The Farm by Joanne Ramos”
Posted on March 5, 2019 by curlygeek04
This is my favorite book of the year so far. It was everything I like in a book – really character-driven, about complex family relationships. It’s about a family where the parents are immigrants to the U.S. and they struggle to raise their children… Continue Reading “Review: A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza”
Category: Contemporary Fiction, Diverse Reads, First Novels, Highly Recommended, New to Me AuthorTags: family relationships, immigrants, India, Muslim
Posted on November 9, 2018 by curlygeek04
American Like Me is a compilation of essays about what it means to live in America, from actors, athletes, writers, and activists who are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. The general theme of the book is celebrating the multiculturalism of the United… Continue Reading “American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures, edited by America Ferrera”
Posted on October 13, 2017 by curlygeek04
I loved this thoughtful book about immigration and U.S. citizenship. It was the perfect complement to the other books I’ve read on this subject, like Lisa Ko’s The Leavers and Diane Guerrero’s In the Country I Love. This is the story of Jende Jonga… Continue Reading “Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue”
Category: Contemporary Fiction, Diverse Reads, First Novels, Highly Recommended, New to Me AuthorTags: immigrants, immigration, New York
Posted on February 17, 2017 by curlygeek04
I’ve seen mixed reviews of this book, but I really liked it. Chang gives us a screwed-up family on a road trip, but she makes their story sympathetic, clever and at times funny. I’ve seen this book described as hilarious, and I can’t say it… Continue Reading “The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang”
Posted on February 10, 2015 by curlygeek04
I read this book right after reading Americanah, and both provide a fascinating, though different, perspective on the immigrant experience in the United States. Sometimes a book makes you take a second look at the people you encounter every day. Makes you think beyond… Continue Reading “The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez”
Category: Contemporary Fiction, New to Me AuthorTags: Delaware, immigrants, Mexico, Panama
Posted on January 31, 2015 by curlygeek04
I can’t say enough good things about this book. It really made me think about what it means to be an immigrant in this country, and what it means to be an African immigrant in this country as opposed to an African-American. Obinze and… Continue Reading “Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie”
Category: Contemporary Fiction, Highly Recommended, New to Me AuthorTags: immigrants, Nigeria, racial issues
I read nearly every genre, but some of my favorites are historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and children's literature. I try to read diversely and travel the world through my reading. I love books that make me feel I'm in another world -- and books that help me to better understand this one.
A Rogue of One’s Own
Get Well Soon
In the Dream House
Shuggie Bain
Concrete Rose
"She had read novels while other people perused the Sunday papers" - Mary Elizabeth Braddon
"The world was hers for the reading"
Thoughts on Literature, Expressing Creativity, Being Authentic
books, libraries, life
Reading, Writing, Cats - Life is pretty good.
Books and Beverages
Book Recommendations From One Book Lover to Another
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde
A book blog. Plus a little extra.
A Life Amidst Books
Reading for the critical eye
Reviewing books, society, adulthood, and more.