The Mystery Writer: A Novel
by Sulari Gentill
Highly Recommended! (1/18/2024)
"The Mystery Writer" was a well-written, standalone novel which was completely engrossing and highly recommended. (I completed reading the entire book within 48 hours!)
King of the Armadillos
by Wendy Chin-Tanner
5 Stars! (5/29/2023)
Beautifully written, Wendy Chin-Tanner is an extraordinary new voice. Inspired by her father's experience at a Leprosarium, a long-forgotten community, her characters add texture and depth to a propulsive story. Written with great sensitivity and care, I highly recommend "King of the Armadillos."
Paper Names: A Novel
by Susie Luo
Great Debut Novel (3/22/2023)
"Paper Names" is a debut novel, written by Susie Luo, which I thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend.
The story is told through the viewpoints of three people: Tony, a Chinese immigrant, his daughter Tammy and Oliver, a white lawyer who lives in the building where Tony works as a doorman. The settings are in New York and China over three decades.
Each chapter is devoted to one of the characters which enables the reader to understand who is speaking and what their experiences were. I felt that the characters were well developed, but I thought the emotions and realities of Tony's immigrant experience were particularly well written.
The author's writing style was concise and moved her narrative forward. She adeptly captures what it means to be Chinese living in the United States whether one is an immigrant or First Generation.
Clytemnestra: A Novel
by Costanza Casati
A Modern Retelling of a Greek Myth (1/14/2023)
Costanza Casati’s debut novel is a creative retelling of the life of Clytemnestra, a classical heroine of Greek mythology. She is strong, powerful, fearless, ambitious, and loyal. A woman who is unwilling to be solely defined by the culture and norms of her time. The story is complex and not a quick read. To assist the reader, the author provides helpful family trees, a comprehensive list of characters with descriptions a glossary of Ancient Greek.
Casati writes to create the times of Ancient Greece: concealing impeccable research behind beautiful and lyrical prose. Having read “The Song of Achilles”, “Ariadne”, and “Circe”, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.
The Family Izquierdo: A Novel
by Rubén Degollado
Heart-lifting! (9/6/2022)
Heart-lifting - a work of love, hope and authenticity. A short story collection of a multi-generational Mexican American family written with soul! An easy read.
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China's Civil War
by Zhuqing Li
Absolutely Beautiful Prose (6/17/2022)
This beautifully written book spans continents and extends across a century. Set against the backdrop of a time of great political, social, and cultural change in China, the author tells the indelible story of her aunts, two sisters whose lives demonstrated courage, perseverance, and overarching love of family despite separation and loss. Written with an unforgettable poignancy and intimacy, I highly recommend this book.
The Latinist: A Novel
by Mark Prins
The Latinist by Mark Prins (10/23/2021)
Through the main characters of Tessa Templeton, PhD candidate and her mentor Chris Eccles, Oxford Professor, the author presents a contemporary re-envisioning of the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne.
It was disappointing that there was so little dialogue between Chris and Tessa regarding Chris’s letter of recommendation and the perceived negative impact upon Tessa. The author left very little for me to care about in either of the characters.
The middle of the book where Tessa goes to Italy was tedious and dull. The final part of the book was gratuitous and left me wondering whether we can truly ever know anyone.
New York, My Village: A Novel
by Uwem Akpan
Simply the best! (8/29/2021)
Written with beautiful prose, we follow Ekong Udousro from Nigeria to New York City where he has been given a fellowship in a small publishing house where he can continue working on a collection of stories of the Biafran War. He is both thrilled at the opportunity to learn the business of publishing and yet overwhelmed by the organization politics and the undercurrent of racism and white privilege. He must grapple with conflicting emotions of joy and home sickness as he struggles to fit in to an alien culture. While Akpan deals with serious themes of oppression and war, his writing is never depressing. I enjoyed "New York, My Village" and would highly recommend this book. Akpan is a gifted writer and a fresh voice to be read.
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel
by Laura Imai Messina
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World (7/19/2021)
This is a beautiful meditation on life, love and loss. Read it, you won't be disappointed.
All the Water I've Seen Is Running: A Novel
by Elias Rodriques
What was the point? (6/17/2021)
When I reached the last page of this book, I asked myself "What was the point?" I was so looking forward to reading a book from an African-American author I had never heard of. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed. The characters were uninspiring and the story was inane. With each chapter, I kept hoping for more as the story plodded along. When I finished the book, I was irritated with myself for wasting my time. Thankfully, I didn't purchase this book.
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