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
I read this book for the Read Around the World challenge, where a specific country is selected for each month. May’s selection was Colombia. Vasquez is a noted author in Colombia, having won numerous awards, primarily for this novel and for The Informants. He studied law in Bogotá, Colombia and studied literature in Paris at … Continue reading
This was a really interesting novel about a real-life serial killer in Scotland in the 1950’s. I say interesting because it wasn’t quite like anything else I’ve read. It’s not a mystery or a thriller, or a true crime novel. It’s a little closer to Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, although I hesitate to compare … Continue reading
Part of my Reading All Around the World Challenge, this is a book written by a chef in the U.S. who was born in Iran. Café Leila tells the story of an Iranian family that experiences terrifying changes in the country after the revolution and establishment of the Islamic Republic in the early 1980’s. The … Continue reading
I love T.C. Boyle because he takes really interesting true life events and people, and he always spins them into a fascinating story. I learn a ton from his books because he makes real events so memorable. At times he takes his characters a bit over the top, and this was true in this book … Continue reading
I want to say I loved this book, but it was a little difficult for me to relate to, even though it’s well written and has important themes. Still, maybe this isn’t the kind of book you love. It’s more a book you read to increase your knowledge of the world. Sophie is a young … Continue reading
The Lowland is another fantastic book by Jhumpa Lahiri. It begins in the 40s in Calcutta, India, telling the story of two young brothers born soon after World War II. Subhash is the elder, but he’s often overshadowed by his daring younger brother Udayan. Lahiri begins the book by contrasting the inequity of the gated … Continue reading
