The All-American: A Novel
by Joe Milan Jr.
Dreaming of Football (2/23/2023)
Bucky, a Korean-American, dreams of being a football star. He plays the game in his head. It is a heavy blow when he is unexpectedly deported back to Korea and, upon arrival is informed that he is required to fulfill his Korean military service commitment. The story details the trials and tribulations of a young man raised in the United States who, when forced to live in Korea as a Korean, has difficulty communicating because he doesn't speak Korean, only English. I found this to be an interesting and compassionate story.
All the Lonely People
by Mike Gayle
Conquering Loneliness (8/24/2022)
“Ah, look at all the lonely people; where do they all come from?” As I read this book, the lyrics of the song kept running through my head. Hubert Bird, an 84-year-old Jamaican immigrant living in London for the past 60 years, just wants to be left alone. He’s all alone and lonely and he thinks he likes it that way. When his new neighbor, Ashleigh, and her young daughter, Layla, knock on his door one day making friendly overtures to get acquainted, Hubert rebuffs them. When Hubert’s daughter Rose writes to say she’s coming to visit in a few weeks, he panics because he’s been telling Rose stories about the gay old life he’s living with his friends, and the truth is: he has no friends at all! The story then takes us through all the gyrations Hubert makes in discovering that he has a knack for convincing people that they should get together and fight against loneliness. It is quite a romp involving the whole community, and before you know it, Hubert is the president of the “Campaign to End Loneliness in Bromley”! In reading about this book, it is often compared to “A Man Called Ove.” I think you will have to read it to decide whether you agree on how Hubert measures up to Ove.
Shadows of Berlin: A Novel
by David R. Gillham
Shadows of Berlin (4/29/2022)
This is a novel of World War II. The Jewish protagonist, Rachel Perlman, was a child during the war, fleeing or hiding with her mother and her Uncle Fritz. Rachel finally escapes Germany with her Uncle Fritz and arrives in New York City. There she meets and marries Aaron Perlman. Her life in America is not normal however as she suffers from guilt feelings resulting from her traumatic life during the holocaust. This story is an intimate portrait of what life was like for the Jewish people in Europe during the holocaust and the toll it took on their lives after the war was over.
Crying in H Mart
by Michelle Zauner
A Memoir Worth Reading (3/7/2022)
This is a memoir by Korean-American singer, songwriter and guitarist, Michelle Zauner. This book covers a lot of ground: the relationship between mother and daughter through the years, coping with the emotional distress of learning at a young age (25) that her mother is suffering from an incurable cancer, ultimately coping with the loss of her mother, her grandmother and her aunt within a brief period of time, and throughout it all learning to recreate her love for her lost relatives through the exquisite Korean foods her mother was so skilled at making for her family. This was a very different reading experience for me, but one that I found quite interesting.
My Broken Language: A Memoir
by Quiara Alegría Hudes
A Poetic Memoir (1/4/2022)
This memoir, so gorgeously written, takes us into the life of Quiara Hudes with her family of Puerto Rican immigrants in a barrio in Philadelphia. Hudes writes with a poetic zest about her training to become an accomplished and very talented musician. She produced a musical during her early years at Yale and went on to become a prize-winning playwright with the Broadway hit "In the Heights" and her Pulitzer-prize-winning drama "Water by the Spoonful." While Hudes’ world is certainly different from my world, with the Puerto Rican culture and Spanish innuendos, this is a story to be savored and a young woman to be admired for her perseverance and dedication, not to mention her immense talent!
The Paris Bookseller
by Kerri Maher
A Book for Bookworms (11/2/2021)
A historical novel after my own heart, "The Paris Bookseller" is an intriguing story of one of the most famous bookstores in the world, Shakespeare and Company, in Paris, France, starting in 1919 when Sylvia Beach first opened it as the first English-language book store in the French capital. The prominent writers of the 1920's and 1930's frequented Shakespeare and Company, and it became a gathering place for people like Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein and, of course, James Joyce, whose novel Ulysses Ms. Beach published in segments. This is an interesting glimpse into a time when prohibition was on in the USA, and many artists and writers escaped to Europe to enjoy the lifestyle, and the discussion of banned books and pirating manuscripts was enlightening. I enjoyed this book immensely!
The Latinist: A Novel
by Mark Prins
An Enriching Reading Experience (10/17/2021)
I found this book to be a bit difficult to get into, since the subject matter involves early Latin verse including the mythical romance of Daphne and Apollo. Not my usual genre as you might imagine. But once into the story involving Tessa, an American student working on her doctorate at Oxford University, and her advisor-mentor, Chris, I found myself eagerly navigating through the Latin poetry and nuances to discover the current story of Tessa's scholarship abilities and Chris's obsessive behavior. A very different reading experience, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. I believe that I have enriched my reading experience through this novel.
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Another Winner from Marie Benedict (5/30/2021)
Another winning historical novel by Marie Benedict, this one takes place beginning in the early 1900's when Belle da Costa Greene is hired by wealthy financier J.P. Morgan to catalog, organize and assist in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts for his personal library. With the Morgan fortune at her disposal, Belle becomes a very shrewd and successful negotiator in procuring the most sought-after items for the library. I found the book to be particularly interesting in the descriptions of the sumptuousness of the library, the fashions of the time, the paintings and other artifacts owned by the Morgans and their friends, and the preciousness of the manuscripts and tomes sought for the collection. Propelling the story throughout were Belle's secret and the tragedy of her romantic life. Truly a novel not to be missed. I had the pleasure of reading this as an “Advance Reader Copy” from BookBrowse; it will be on sale to the public on June 1, 2021.
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
An Extraordinary Woman (1/30/2021)
Another winning historical novel by Marie Benedict, this one takes place beginning in the early 1900's when Belle da Costa Greene is hired by wealthy financier J.P. Morgan to catalog, organize and assist in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts for his personal library. With the Morgan fortune at her disposal, Belle becomes a very shrewd and successful negotiator in procuring the most sought-after items for the library. I found the book to be particularly interesting in the descriptions of the sumptuousness of the library, the fashions of the time, the paintings and other artifacts owned by the Morgans and their friends, and the preciousness of the manuscripts and tomes sought for the collection. Propelling the story throughout were Belle's secret (passing as a white woman) and the tragedy of her romantic life. Truly a novel not to be missed.
The Narrowboat Summer
by Anne Youngson
Life on a Narrowboat (11/18/2020)
When two women at loose ends in their lives meet on the street one day, this story begins. Sally has left her husband and her home to seek some fulfillment in her life; Eve has lost her high-level job and is wondering how she will cope. They are both walking along when they encounter a gruff old woman with a problem – Anastasia. Anastasia lives on a narrowboat and travels the canals of England, but has been advised that she must have major surgery and is thus not going to be able to continue her lifestyle on the canals. Taking two rank amateurs under her wing to show them how to operate her narrowboat through the locks on the canals is a bit of a challenge. But Eve and Sally take to life on the narrowboat well and find they really love the drastic change in their lifestyles. I found this to be a very enjoyable, different sort of story, full of interesting characters.
Father of Lions: One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save the Mosul Zoo
by Louise Callaghan
A Book for Animal Lovers (2/5/2020)
This is nonfiction: the true story of the evacuation of the Mosul Zoo. Imad, also known as Abu Laith which means Father of Lions, is a car mechanic and the self-proclaimed zookeeper of the Mosul Zoo. Abu Laith does not have formal training in taking care of lions and bears, but he is an animal lover who is especially fond of lions. The story takes place from 2014 when ISIS took control of Mosul and 2017 when the Iraqi forces retook the city of Mosul, and the description of life under ISIS occupation is particularly interesting. The fight to survive with limited food amid shelling and bombing is difficult for humans, and almost impossible for caged animals in the zoo. Amidst all the angst of living in a war zone, the story is told with humor and pathos. I enjoyed reading this book.
The Silent Patient
by Alex Michaelides
Things Are Not Always As They Seem (1/21/2020)
The main characters in this psychodrama are flawed, some in obvious ways and others in less noticeable ways. Theo, the psychotherapist, is also Theo, the jealous husband. Alicia, the silent patient, is also Alicia, the famous artist, and also Alicia, the maligned daughter with an inferiority complex, as well as Alicia, the wronged wife, as well as Alicia, the convicted murderer. This is an edgy story that keeps you turning the pages, and the conclusion is an unexpected twist of the entire premise you may have built in your mind.
Ordinary Girls: A Memoir
by Jaquira Díaz
Ordinary Girls with Extraordinary Lives (9/19/2019)
This memoir by Jaquira Diaz gives us an intimate look into life in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach for Latinas. Not an easy life by any means, with a dysfunctional mother and a disinterested father, Jaqui grows up fending for herself in every way imaginable, and to a middle class American like myself, in many ways unimaginable. The fact that suicide is regarded as a solution to her situation, one which she thinks about a lot and almost succeeds in accomplishing, but never quite making it the end of life, is commonplace. The best part of this story, for me, is the fact in spite of all the odds against her success, Jaqui ends up getting her GED, eventually going to college and getting her Masters Degree, and becomes a successful freelance writer. Another highlight is the childhood relationships that Jaqui manages to keep going throughout her life - the love she and her friends have for each other, even through all their trials and tribulations. This book should be an inspiration for us all, whether or not we have suffered the deprivations and humiliations of the "ordinary girls" in the story. It shows that, no matter what your struggles in life are, you can overcome them with a strong will and determination, or as my mother would tell me: Mind over matter will always win in the end!
Ellie and the Harpmaker
by Hazel Prior
Living the Simple Life (4/1/2019)
If you liked 'A Man Called Ove,' then 'Ellie and the Harpmaker' is for you. This is a low key story about two people you will grow to love - Ellie the Exmoor Housewife and Dan the Exmoor Harpmaker. Dan is a talented wood carver and harpmaker. His love of nature and the beauty of his surroundings is touching. He dislikes being in places with a lot of people. He loves children and interacts better with children than with some adults. Ellie has a controlling husband (Clive) and a hunger for creativity and challenge in her rather mundane life. When Ellie discovers Dan's barn filled with harps, she is filled with the desire to learn to play the harp. Her interactions with Dan, his pet pheasant Phineas, and Dan's friend Rhoda (the harp teacher) create an interesting story, with a few surprises and enough suspense to keep you reading to the end.
The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel
by Jeanne Mackin
A Book for Fashionistas! (3/4/2019)
I absolutely loved this book! If you are interested in the fashion world, the art world, and/or Paris, you will love this book too. The protagonist, Lily, is an artist and recently widowed, and struggling with her grief over the accidental death of her young husband. She receives a message from her brother to come to Paris because he needs her. She goes to Paris at her brother's request and to escape from the persistent memories of her late husband that surround her in their home in London. It is 1938 and the Germans are beginning to move into France as part of their operations to take over all of Europe. The novels involves Lily's interaction with fashion designers, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel, their intense rivalry, the relationship of all three of them with the German military men living in Paris, and the ominous threat of the impending occupation of France by Germany. An interesting treatment in the book is the division into three separate parts, with the introduction to each part relating it to a primary color. Part One is Blue, Part Two is Red and Part Three is Yellow. The colorful descriptions at the beginning of each Part relate to the characters and to the world in which they are living. I really enjoyed the way the author used color throughout the book, even to the very last line in the book.
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
by Anissa Gray
Dysfunctional Management (10/9/2018)
The emotions expressed in this book are over the top for me. The ways in which each character deals with these emotions is what moves the story. This was not a story I could embrace but though I didn't really like it, I continued reading it to the end. Somehow every one of the characters seems to have come around to being able to handle the dysfunctional problems each had been experiencing. For that reason, I ended up not hating the book, but I couldn't embrace it as being a favorite.
Listen to the Marriage
by John Jay Osborn
How to rescue a marriage (5/25/2018)
As a long time admirer of John Jay Osborn, I found it interesting that this book is the author's own story. It is an interesting examination of how a married couple manages to put their fractured marriage back together with the help of a marriage counselor. Most telling for me was the way the counselor helped them learn to communicate with each other - to express their thoughts more carefully and avoid emotional outbursts. This is a very readable story, one that can be read in less than a day.
Vox
by Christina Dalcher
One Hundred Words a Day... (5/5/2018)
This book presents an intriguing view of the future in this country. It immediately grabbed my attention and held it till the end. Imagine that men have taken control of the United States and in doing so have displaced all women, young and old, from any occupations other than child bearing and home making. All females wear bracelets that confine their speech to 100 words a day; anything over that, and they receive electrical shocks in increasing severity the more words they speak. That is the basis of this story, and it is very well told. Big Brother has indeed taken over and is watching every move that everyone makes... thought provoking to say the least. This is an important book, to be read by everyone - the message is clear: do not be complacent, your inaction and disinterest may cost you your lifestyle, indeed it may cost you your life.
A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza
A Timely Story (3/27/2018)
This is a very well written story about an Indian-American Muslim family. The subject matter is timely, and I hope many will read it as it helps us to understand the difficulties Muslim families encounter in assimilating into American social life while still maintaining their Muslim religious traditions and beliefs.
French Exit
by Patrick deWitt
So this is "dark comedy"? (1/29/2018)
On the title page is the subtitle, "A Tragedy of Manners." I picked this book because I usually love any novel or other book about Paris and France. The characters in this story are unusual to say the least. While it's told with humor, there is an underlying tragedy in the stories of each character. They go on each day, coping with the circumstances of their existence. A weird tale ... I liked it but found it confounding... not sure even the Paris landscape redeemed it for me.
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