The All Of It by Jeanette Haien
I believe I picked this up because Modern Mrs. Darcy recommended it in a list of books that could be read in an afternoon. It is, indeed, a very short novel, so on that score it was worth that particular recommendation. However, it was not my cup of tea. I'm honestly a bit baffled as to why so many … [Read more]
Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah
This is one of those novels in which two things are true, for me: I recognize how great the writing is, and the elegance of the story - it's objectively a really great book. And, also, for me, this was not really a story that I felt interested in consistently. I think that it was the war stories … [Read more]
How High We Go In the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
How High We Go In the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu is a novel that depicts a global pandemic that is unleashed when an ancient virus is released from permafrost that is melting due to climate change. Most descriptions of this book that I’ve seen note that the novel had been mostly written before our … [Read more]
Ti kniver i hjertet (Ten knives in the heart) by Nora Dåsnes
3.5 stars Tuva is about to start seventh grade (age 11-12 here in Norway) and is very much looking forward to seeing her best friends Linnea and Bao and catching up after a long summer apart. She shares all of her hopes and fears writing and drawing in her diary. When she gets back to school, … [Read more]
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
There is almost a sinister undertone to this brief, interesting novel. Keiko is a young woman working at the Hiiromachi branch of the Smile Mart, a convenience store - which sounds much cleaner, brighter, and customer-focused than any convenience store I've visited in the US. She sees herself as … [Read more]
Witch Hazel by Molly Idle
Witch Hazel by Molly Idle seemed like it was going to be something other than it was by the cover and what I had quickly read about it. I had no idea I would need tissues! You see, this is about a young girl and her grandmother and the beautiful times they have. Or had. As you see how the … [Read more]
