A lot of non-fiction books came out of the most recent financial crisis — books explaining what happened and why, how things got so bad, biographies and analysis of the major players, and details of the aftermath. But it hasn’t spawned a lot of novels, so far. There are a few, but Paul Murray’s new novel, The Mark and the… Continue reading The Mark and the Void by Paul Murray
Tag: fiction
The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips
The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips came in for me at the library last week. I would have preferred to read this one in October, when the weather is a little crisper and the atmosphere lends itself a bit better to weird and unsettling stories. But when I saw that 44 people were waiting for copies… Continue reading The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
The TLDR version of this post is: Run, do not walk, to your bookstore or library and get Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg. // At their core, all our reactions to tragedy are about regret. Regret for what happened, even if we didn’t cause it. Regret for an altered future we… Continue reading Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
I picked up Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart on a whim at Book Expo, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a wonderful, fun, romp of a novel. Grab this one before a trip or vacation, or read it when you need a dose of adventure and/or girl power. A brief plot summary: Constance… Continue reading Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
My first journey to Earthsea
Nearly 10 years ago, right at the time one of the later Harry Potter books was coming out, I was home visiting my parents in Michigan so that I could attend a midnight book release party with my Mom. (Yes, I traveled 700 miles to go to a book release party.) My Dad has always… Continue reading My first journey to Earthsea
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
When I’m reading a book that will end up being one of my all time favorites, I usually realize that fact while I’m reading it. It’s not a realization that comes at the end, on the last page. It’s a magical feeling that exists while I’m reading every page. I call it magical because when everything I want in a… Continue reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion
Earlier this summer while road tripping around the US, I read The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. I kept seeing piles of copies of it in bookstores, displayed on tables and prominently promoted. But it looked a little too “fluffy” for me – I was totally judging a book by its cover and title. Then… Continue reading The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion