Gray Mountain is a typical Grisham book. And I know: it’s not my typical type of book to read. But it was recommended—in spite of it being a known typical Grisham book—due to an element of the plot. Here, a young lawyer who has been practicing for years, suddenly finds her practice and career focus shift…
Fates and Furies was an interesting read—written first from the perspective of the husband in this complicated relationship, then from the perspective of his wife. Their love seemed to take hold early with a brightly glowing flame, but as with many things that look so easy on the surface, darkness and secrets lingered underneath. The book…
This book is a collection of short stories, with one storyline making a few repeat appearances over the course of that character’s dating and engagement. The writing is light. It is good writing. I *want* to say that it is funny. But I just cannot bring myself to do so. I did laugh at the…
First, I’ll acknowledge that this book probably will not appeal to a wide audience. But for me, I loved it. I loved its poetic rhythm. I loved its metaphor-laden prose. I loved its mystery and its depth. I even loved its dreadfully sad and self-pitying first-person protagonist. We Were Liars follows a handful of cousins…
Brooklyn (the novel, as distinguished from the new movie) is a wonderfully written book that gently shares the story of a young girl as she moves from Ireland to Brooklyn, starting life over in the 1950s. The tale touched me particularly as someone who just visited Ireland and who was struck by the sadness of…
The Girl on the Train provides a mystery reminiscent of Gone Girl, written in a similar style of jumping among first-person writers as the story unfolds over different time periods and from different perspectives. It is entertaining, and the mystery lasts long enough to interest the reader, even if not quite long enough to for…
The Nightingale is a wonderful read, an eloquently written and gently told story. Unlike the last couple of WWII novels I read, this book is more of what you would expect from fiction set in a war-torn France, a book that appeals for its stories of relationships using the war and devastation to France as…
Adultery—-it’s painful stuff. It’s one thing to be the adulterer. It’s another thing to be the other person. It’s something else—and I say much greater—to be the one cheated on, the one who accepts or turns a blind eye or even who is blindsided. But imagine the teen or preteen child of the married couple…
Funny Girl was a joy to read. Light. Easy. Funny. And different. Set in the 60s, the novel follows the early career path of a young lady in England who wants an acting career—in comedy. Lucille Ball is her hero. Television is her goal. So the subject matter being an unknown (and inexperienced) actress pursuing…
I remarked after finishing Revival this may be my least favorite Stephen King novel. On further reflection, I’m sure that it is. It’s not that this is a bad novel. It’s not. And it’s not that there isn’t something keenly Kingesque involved. There is. But for me, the story drug on with only a promise…
Over the course of reading this book, I described it a few different ways. Initially, it felt disjointed and too jumpy. Then I settled into the rhythm. I began to learn the characters and their relations. And I started to read the stories of Teddy’s life—-those disorganized, jumping around, no respect to chronology stories—-I started…
What a fantastic, fun read The Stranger is. I’d never read Harlan Coben until now, so his style of fast-paced suspense was new to me, and its different nature from so many other books I’ve read lately was welcome and refreshing. As a mystery, this truly was a page-turner. The general premise brings a stranger…
Paper Towns is an easy read and a fine enough book. It’s not great. It’s not deep. It’s not much of anything remarkable. But fine enough, that it is. As I continue blending genres of books, it is nice to return every so often to a quick read that doesn’t hide much and doesn’t try…
Stop what you’re doing right now and reserve or order or buy or download Andy Weir’s The Martian. And read it. It’s fantastic! The Martian is one of the funniest and wittiest books I’ve read in several years. When I use the term “laugh out loud,” I do mean it literally. And usually, if I…
Beautifully written, this novel set in World War II France and Germany doesn’t take what I would have thought a traditional spin on war. It’s not about the conflict. It’s not about separated lovers. It’s not about history. It’s about the stories of two children, one in France, one in Germany. And it’s their stories—their uniquely individual…