The Geometry of Holding Hands, by Alexander McCall Smith Isabel Dalhousie, philosopher, returns in the thirteenth volume of this series. I jumped into this one cold, since I haven't read the previous Dalhousie books, but I immediately fell in love with Isabel and the way her mind works. Geometry has a very loose plot, involving … Continue reading Fiction Review: The Geometry of Holding Hands
Hamnet and Judith, by Maggie O'Farrell In 1596, a young child dies in Stratford. The child has a twin, an older sibling, an mother thought to have special abilities, and a father who is becoming famous in London for his plays. The father is, of course William Shakespeare, but his name is never mentioned in … Continue reading Fiction Review: Hamnet and Judith (Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist)
War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. War and Peace is a novel that has become almost a punchline; it's used to indicate the tedious and impossible, the most herculean of reading efforts. It's a doorstop of a book, a Pandora's box containing decades of historical events, a large … Continue reading Tweeting Tolstoy: War, Peace, and Pandemic
In the past, I've been terrible about completing shortlist readings for literary prizes. Not because I wasn't interested in the prizes themselves, but because I always found out about the shortlist right before the prize was announced. And I am really not a fast reader, as I explain in part in my post on living … Continue reading Summer Reading Project: Shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction
The Priest, by Tiffany Reisz The Priest is the ninth novel in Reisz's The Original Sinners series (which also includes several novellas and short stories). But it is, according to the official description, an entirely new arc in the series, and "the perfect jumping-on point for new readers." I certainly found this to be true: … Continue reading Romance Review: The Priest
The Baby Group, by Caroline Corcoran A sex tape, a mommy blogger, and an idyllic countryside village are the three main elements in this story of misguided revenge. Scarlett is a recent transplant to a small village near Manchester. During the year of her maternity leave, she has also become something of a celebrity, thanks … Continue reading Suspense Review: The Baby Group
Liberty Farm: A Family Portrait, by Izai Amorim I have to admit that I was a bit worried going into this reading. Not because of anything in the book description (after all, I had requested the ARC because it sounded interesting), but because of what I saw when I opened the book. Mainly, pages listing … Continue reading Fiction Review: Liberty Farm
Girls Against God, by Jenny Hval. Translated by Marjam Idriss(Affiliate link to Bookshop.org, a great site helping support independent bookstores.) This novel feels more like a piece of performance art. The story, such as it is, involves the narrator's journey from a Southern Norway childhood; through international studies in Japan and the United States; and … Continue reading Fiction Review: Girls Against God
