Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
Nine Princes in Amber is a fairly emotional and nostalgic book for me. I read it when I was I think 11 or 12 years old, and it played a role in convincing me that I wanted to write. Additionally, as the youngest in my family, this was an early piece of fiction that I didn’t receive as a “hand me down,” if that makes sense. I mean that I found it, I chose it, I read it, and for a very long time, it […]
The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed
Nura is a third-generation matchmaker for high society, and business is thriving, even if she’s working herself ragged for it. But when a series of bizarre incidents starts plaguing her clients, Nura begins to realize that someone may have it out for her. Though arranged marriage is becoming less common among desi immigrants in the United States, there is definitely a thriving market for it. Nura’s methods are far more intensive than the folders with photos and personal and professional details that my dad sometimes […]
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
After years away from Palestine, actress Sonia returns to visit her sister and takes a role in a West Bank performance of Hamlet, where she must grapple with her delicate relationship with her homeland. I’ve never read a book set in Palestine, which is why I requested this book on NetGalley. This book came out in 2023, but the intervening years have only made it more important to read. Hammad does an excellent job of capturing both Sonia’s alienation from and longing for Palestine and […]
The Director by Daniel Kehlmann
Daniel Kehlmann’s The Director is a highly fictionalized account of the Austrian filmmaker G.W. Pabst, a cinematic innovator who made incredible movies in Germany during the Weimar Republic, struck out in Hollywood, and found himself trapped in Germany at the outbreak of World War II. Pabst was coerced into making movies under the Nazi regime, trying to maintain his artistry and avoid compromising his humanity as much as possible. Kehlmann takes a panoramic approach to telling his version of Pabst’s story. In addition to chapters […]
Yellow Face by R F Kuang
I use Storygraph to keep track of my book reading to de-Amazon my life. Reviews work a little differently, and you’re asked “Did you find the characters loveable?” For this book the answer is a big NO. Personally, narratives that engage me with unlikeable characters either end with them getting their karmic payback or learning to be better, if that happens here, we’re not sure. The book is written in the from Juniper’s view, whether she has pragmatic, real-world crash to earth and/or has had […]
Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova
This is a literary horror novel for film buffs. If any of those words turned you off, I’d ask that you reconsider. Children of Paradise wasn’t my favorite book of the month, but it was certainly the most interesting. “Storie di Cinema” by blevefrancesco is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 . Our heroine, who calls herself Holly, has just arrived in the city and needs a job. A ramshackle indie movie theater has a Help Wanted sign in the window, so Holly steps inside. After a […]
