Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors, so I was eager to tackle this one, and yet, meh. Two mothers, one who put her daughter up for adoption and has carried the secret with her (Lila), and one who is facing an unplanned pregnancy (Rae) have their lives interwoven through serendipitous means. This is a tale of tragedy, hope, and forgiveness, and how small missteps can irrevocably change the lives of our protagonists, and those around them. Magical realism is usually my jam, but […]
A new literary favorite
The Chancellor has been at me for years to read Isabel Allende, and finally, I caved in. He chose Zorro for February’s book club, and I thought I would start by first reading The House of the Spirits. It’s drawn a lot of comparisons to Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, which on the surface seems fair, but honestly, I think Allende’s is the superior novel. Full review can be found at my blog, The Universe Disturbed.
A great start to 2016
This read was a fascinating dive into magical realism, not a genre I frequent very often. The story flips between Mexico City 1988 and Mexico City 2009 from chapter to chapter and centers on a trio of friends. Meche, Sebastian, & Daniela, all fifteen, are the freaks of their high school. They’re on the poor side and not exactly conventionally attractive, but they enjoy each other’s company while longing to rise in social standing. Meche had always been told stories of magic by her grandmother, […]
Mind the Gap
I was seriously afraid that I’d be wasting my time on yet another damsel in distress story where the awkward boy gets to find himself and be the hero, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Bone Gap played with all those expectations and tropes in an unexpected way. This was shortlisted for the National Book Award, so I was hoping it’d be good. It was! Bone Gap is a strange town with some serious secrets. Finn and Sean are two young men/boys just […]
Didn’t live up to its potential
When a very, very old manuscript filled with the specifics of circus life in the 1700’s finds its way into the hands of a research librarian named Simon, he doesn’t quite know what to make of it. His grandmother’s name is written in the book, but he’s not sure how the book connects to their family. While researching the book and his family history, he realizes that all the women in his family have died from drowning on the very same day. What makes it […]
Okay, I Just Have to Admit It, I Hate Magical Realism
I tried, I really did. After Beloved, I thought I had turned a corner on my animosity for the magical realism sub-genre. Then I read this book and I just give up. There are hours of my life that I wasted reading this. (I know for some people, this is their favorite book ever, and if that describes you, just move along, there’s nothing for you here. Just turn around and never look back.) I bet you’re wondering what this book is about. So am […]
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