If you’re a Jennifer Egan fan, you’ve already heard that this book is a bit different from her others, in that it’s traditional historical fiction. If you loved Goon Squad, this book isn’t anything like that one, but don’t let that keep you from reading it. Manhattan Beach tells the story of Anna, who grows … Continue reading
There’s no shortage of great historical novels written about World War II. This is a good one – probably not one of the best, but I found it more interesting than the Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See. Although it’s not really fair to compare one book to another; World War II played out … Continue reading
Thank you, Kate Atkinson, for this fantastic book. I’ve been a fan of Atkinson for years, but while I could appreciate Life After Life, the multiple-life plot device made it hard to really get into the story. A God in Ruins was exactly what I’d hoped for, and more. It’s about the life of one … 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 almost skipped this book because of all the hype. A book about a blind girl and a Nazi soldier in war-torn France sounded like it might be on the melodramatic side. But so many people recommended the book, and as it made its way to the finals in this year’s Tournament of Books, I … Continue reading
While we’re halfway through the month, I wanted to highlight Nonfiction November, an event hosted by Doing Dewey and a few other bloggers. I haven’t participated much but I’ve already put some new nonfiction titles on my TBR list. Unbroken is the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Italian-American from California who was an Olympic … Continue reading
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the Disney Book Group. The book will be released September 10, 2013. Rose Justice is a nineteen year old American pilot who is ferrying Allied fighter planes in Britain for the Air Transport Auxiliary Service. Rose is young enough that, unlike her fellow … Continue reading
I’ve had kind of a mental block about writing this review, which is strange. I often wake up with a review in my head and putting it on paper is easy. I think it’s because I liked this book, but I suspect it’s a great book and I’m not sure I gave it that level … Continue reading
Note: The Book Stop is on vacation! This post was written in advance. But please feel free to comment. This was my second book by Haruki Murakami, and it blew me away. There’s so much in this book, I don’t know where to start. Last year I read Norwegian Wood, which was very good. I … Continue reading
I read Slaughterhouse Five last year and loved it. I think Vonnegut’s a genius, and I was super excited about this one. But somehow it never came together for me. Although I feel like I missed a lot, which I’m going to blame squarely on myself rather than the author. I would love to study … Continue reading
Life After Life is one of those books that’s hard to review. It’s a challenging read and it’s got glowing critical reviews. I’m a big fan of Kate Atkinson, so I expected to like it, and I did. Be warned though, it’s quite a departure from her other books. This is a book that combines … Continue reading
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. Historical fiction, French Resistance, female spies. What’s not to like? In a word, WOW. This was a Made-Me-Miss-My-Metro-Stop kind of book. Literally – and I can’t remember the last time that happened. Honestly, I went into this book with … Continue reading
