The Original Daughter: A Novel
by Jemimah Wei
An Incredible Debut Novel (3/10/2025)
The Original Sister is an extraordinary book, full of powerful description and compelling dialogue. It certainly meets my one criterion for a "good book": it will stay with me forever.
The protagonist is an 8-year-old only child when her family takes in a 7-year-old girl to raise as their own. The two girls become very close (sisters forever) until the older one's ambition and competitiveness spiral out of control. The author's exploration of family estrangement is honest and heart-wrenching.
Most of the story takes place in the family's home country of Singapore where the culture becomes both the backdrop and the explanation for the characters' actions. My review seems brief; but to say more, I would have to say so much more. I must borrow this thought from one book jacket review: I didn't just read this book; I lived it.
Girl Falling: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor
not for me (9/20/2024)
Before attempting to write a review of Girl Falling, I scanned several articles online about why people read. I was trying to determine why I reacted so negatively to this book. After all, the writing itself was good, I learned something about climbing with ropes, and I escaped reality. But did I feel rejuvenated? Did I relieve stress? Did I enjoy the pleasure of a satisfying story? I did not. A 20-something girl is unhealthily attached to her best friend when she falls deeply in love with another girl. The girlfriend falls to her death while on a climbing expedition with the two original friends. Who is responsible? The entire book is an exploration of psychological misery and angst. I will try not to remember it.
This Strange Eventful History: A Novel
by Claire Messud
Beautifully written, but... (4/17/2024)
This beautifully written and very readable book is at the same time strange and unsettling. The author follows the lives of an Algerian couple and their children and grandchildren from 1940 to 2010. Set in Algeria, France, Argentina, and Australia, the chapters weave back and forth among different members of the family. The mother and father are totally in love and devoted to each other; the son and daughter struggle to find contentment, living either in a fantasy world or an all-too realistic one. The two granddaughters' observations offer interesting perspectives on the mismatched marriage of their parents and their aunt's mental and physical deterioration. A series of lengthy disturbing anecdotes, the resulting narrative leaves the reader to ponder questions of genetics vs. experiences, family alliances, and the origins of self-destructive behavior.
Strong Passions: A Scandalous Divorce in Old New York
by Barbara Weisberg
ho-hum (12/23/2023)
Anecdote: When I was an elementary school principal, I was "investigating" a case of catsup squirting in the cafeteria. After some discussion, I asked my main witness, "what happened then?" to which she replied, "I don't know; I kind of lost interest." And that was exactly what happened to me about midway through this book. Usually I am fascinated by courtroom drama and the vagaries of the law; and I appreciate that the author researched the details so thoroughly, but I found nothing to hold my attention. The basic story involved a wealthy upper class New York gentleman in a court battle to divorce his allegedly unfaithful wife and gain sole custody of his two daughters. The two main characters are developed mainly through the testimony of other people, and neither of them felt "real" to me. There were many interesting facts about life in that social stratum in New York in the 1850's, but there were no characteristics of a plot.
Iron Curtain: A Love Story
by Vesna Goldsworthy
Well written is not enough (1/13/2023)
It is difficult to write a review without a spoiler, but then what would you spoil? The reader anticipates the ending from the beginning. A privileged young woman whose father is a powerful figure in a Communist-bloc country (never named) defects for love. If the reader lacks background knowledge about Communist governments in the 1980's, the author's obscure references will not enlighten.
The main character's lack of emotion is like a wet blanket over the story, and her actions are often hard to fathom. Instead of not being able to put this book down, I had trouble picking it back up. Thank goodness for the mother-in-law, who was the only relatable character I found.
Wade in the Water: A Novel
by Nyani Nkrumah
insights and questions (11/6/2022)
In a small town in rural Mississippi a white Princeton scholar forms a friendship with a precocious pre-teen black girl. I was prepared to not like this book before I read the first page. Having grown up in the South in the late fifties, I lived this era so I am wary of authors who get it wrong. This book, however, delivers unique believability to an unlikely plot. The main story takes place in the early eighties in Ridgeville, Mississippi, and is told in two voices: that of Ella, the young black girl, and that of Ms. St. James, who becomes Ella's mentor even as she herself is doing research and writing a thesis on the effects of the Civil Rights movement.
Ella interacts with a number of well-developed black characters, each of whom has an important influence on her life. Her white mentor, Ms. St. James, exposes herself in alternating chapters, describing her own Mississippi childhood in a neighboring town. Her revelations become more and more shocking.
This author skillfully sheds a light on the complexities of the racial situation in America and leaves the readers with new insights and many provocative questions.
Dinosaurs: A Novel
by Lydia Millet
too literary for me (9/4/2022)
Having me review this book is probably a disservice to the author. I am a pedestrian reader; I like a beginning, a plot, an ending, and some relatable characters. Dinosaurs is a beautifully written novel, but it is lacking these elements. I am sure there is a literary connection to the title, but I failed to understand it. The book describes in anecdotal form the life of a middle-aged man, orphaned early in life and left with a vast inherited fortune. Having no reason to “work” he spends his time volunteering for various charitable organizations and contemplating the world around him. After a break-up with his girlfriend of fifteen years, he moves from NY city to Phoenix, Arizona and becomes involved with the family next door. He is a good person, appearing not to have a selfish bone in his body. His focus is totally outward; he wants to tend to the needs of all humans and animals in his sphere of influence. Thanks to the subtle humor, this was an entertaining read; but the story did not resonate, and I found no lasting value.
The Poet's House
by Jean Thompson
Hard to review (6/12/2022)
Usually I have no trouble expressing my opinion about a book, but this time I want to ask the other reviewers "What did you think?" I don't have a feel for whether other readers will like this book or not. What I know for sure: I was never bored; the writing was supremely readable; the narrator heroine was witty, intelligent, feisty, almost debilitatingly insecure, and totally believable.
As a dyslexic young adult (she never uses that word), she has avoided college and works as a landscaper. Both her mother and his boyfriend try to encourage her to reach higher, but it is her chance involvement with a group of poets that helps her see herself in a different light. Her interactions with these artistic poets and writers, and with the poetry itself, change her; and in some strange way, at the end of the book I felt changed, too.
Fly Girl: A Memoir
by Ann Hood
Not what I expected (4/3/2022)
My first thoughts as I began reading Fly Girl: it is certainly well-written, and it is interesting to me; but it won't exactly have a universal audience. Having finished it now, I think: who would not enjoy reading this book?
Ms. Hood has managed to weave personal anecdotes and the history of commercial flight into a fascinating narrative. Readers who never heard of dressing up to fly or being served tasty hot meals on a routine flight may be incredulous; those of us who were there can reminisce with equal incredulity.
In addition to having a wealth of personal knowledge, Ms. Hood has obviously done her research as well. An abundance of factual information that might not be inherently interesting becomes inherently readable.
If you are a reader who likes to learn while being entertained, I highly recommend this behind the scenes look at commercial flight prior to September 2001.
Activities of Daily Living: A Novel
by Lisa Hsiao Chen
Not for everyone (1/9/2022)
Activities of Daily Living by Lisa Hsiao Chen is beautifully written, with unique descriptions and many meaningful insights. The basic plot (although that term is a stretch, as is the designations of novel) revolves around a young Chinese girl who moved to America as a young child and works as a video narrator. Alice lives in New York; her sister Amy lives in San Francisco, where they share the care of their aging stepfather. The father's decline and ultimate death is the thread that carries the story along. Throughout the narrative, however, is the story of a Taiwanese performance artist with whom Alice is obsessed and about whom she is planning an ephemeral project. The book is literally filled with references to this "artist" and references to dozens of other obscure artists and philosophers. Granted, I am not familiar with performance art, nor with many French philosophers, so the book required quite a bit of effort to read—more effort than I believe the average "novel" reader would want to put into it.
The Lost Notebook of Edouard Manet: A Novel
by Maureen Gibbon
Art, History, Philosophy (6/18/2021)
If you have a modicum of curiosity, you will read this book with your computer by your side. I took French in college as well as Art Appreciation, but I still spent hours looking up information on people, places, and events that were integral to Manet's story. The entire novel is indeed page after page of Manet's notebook, and I found it fascinating. The perspectives that he offers on growing old, dealing with illness, finding pleasure in small things, and reacting to praise and criticism are both interesting and thought-provoking. I can highly recommend this book to those who want to expand their reading horizons.
Black Widows: A Novel
by Cate Quinn
Just my cup of tea (12/23/2020)
I wish I had never read this book...so I could start over! As an inveterate reader of fiction, drawn to murder mysteries, courtroom drama, and police procedurals, I have read many books advertised as "page turners," even one called "un-putdownable." I have always dismissed those descriptions as hyperbole until I read Black Widows. What an engrossing, fun read! The author's technique of switching the narrative back and forth among the three sister-wives and moving back and forth in time is surprisingly easy to follow and perfect for this novel. Among my favorite characters were the two police detectives involved in the investigation. The dialogue, both between them and with the sister-wives, was so realistic, I felt like I was sitting in the room with them. Any reader who enjoys mining for clues will find Black Widows a fascinating and very satisfying read.
The Last Train to Key West
by Chanel Cleeton
Coincidences Abound (3/11/2020)
Having read both Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba, I looked forward to reading this author's new book. The premise was intriguing: three women whose lives intertwined during the horrific 1935 hurricane in the Florida Keys. (Suggestion to readers: learn the facts about this hurricane in advance to give yourself a backdrop against which to appreciate the story.) The characters are interesting, and the author keeps the reader engaged moving back and forth among them.
In some respects, I enjoyed this book more than her first two. That being said, I could not give it a 5 because I found the coincidences slightly contrived and the romantic encounters just a step away from Harlequin. An entertaining read, but not one that will stay with you.
And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
As If You Were There (12/15/2019)
How challenging it must be for an author to write in first person about an iconic figure that many people in the reading audience will remember. Ms. Thornton emphasizes in her author notes that this is a book of fiction, and she goes on to explain how and when she took liberties with names and dates. The end result, however, is a captivating book of amazing scope but filled with intimate details. The intricate descriptions and dialogue pull the reader into the story and make the events of history feel like personal family lore. A poignant and mesmerizing read.
Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson
expect the unexpected (4/9/2019)
Having read several Joshilyn Jackson novels, I began this one with certain expectations; but those expectations fell quickly away as I began asking myself why I continued to read. I do not like books with evil and unpredictable characters and deep, mysterious psychotic secrets. This was not the Joshilyn Jackson I knew!
A few chapters in, however, and I was hooked. The action travels forward and backward adeptly; and just as the reader thinks, "oh, yeah, that's it," the plot takes another unexpected twist. A few chance coincidences strain believability, but not enough to derail the enjoyment of reading. Jackson's excellent writing keeps the reader in the game, all the way to the last page.
French Exit
by Patrick deWitt
"Now came strangenesses." (2/14/2018)
When I read this first sentence of Chapter 36, I laughed out loud. In an entire book of "strangenesses," it would be hard to conceive of any more. From the beginning, I imagined this book as a play, perhaps an off-Broadway farce. I could picture each character as an actor in costume. One quirky situation followed another as mother and son behaved in the most inexplicable ways. With short chapters and some witty dialogue, this book is an entertaining read. The reader just needs to abandon convention and go along for the ride.
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