This Other Eden by Paul Harding

28 Wednesday Feb 2024

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The book is a mere 221 pages but the exquisite sentences can be very long, some almost a paragraph.  An unusual book about a little known island off the coast of Maine that became one of the first racially integrated towns in the Northeast.

“Stunning…You could imagine lots of ways a historical novel about this horror might be written, but none of them would give you a sense of the strange spell of This Other Eden―its dynamism, bravado and melancholy. Harding’s style has been called ‘Faulknerian’ and maybe that’s apt, given his penchant for sometimes paragraph-long sentences that collapse past and present…[An] intense wonder of a historical novel.”― Maureen Corrigan, NPR

“Harding’s third novel revisits an appalling moment in Maine history…[A] brief book that carries the weight of history. A moving account of community and displacement.”― Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Pulitzer winner Harding (Tinkers) suffuses deep feeling into this understated yet wrenching story…It’s a remarkable achievement.”― Publishers Weekly (starred review)

[T]his gorgeously limned portrait about family bonds, the loss of innocence, the insidious effects of racism, and the innate worthiness of individual lives will resonate long afterward.”― Booklist (starred review)

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House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng 

21 Wednesday Feb 2024

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction, murder and investigation

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Tan Twan Eng has been one of my top historical fiction writers forever. His new book is exquisitely written based on historical events in 1921 and the Havelin couple are living in the Cassowary House in the Straits Settlement of Penang.  Old friend, Somerset Maugham comes to stay with them for an extended visit looking for new material for his next book – I was immersed in the setting, the times, and the book’s upheaval of events for several blissful days.

“Exquisite . . . Tan takes on a behemoth task here: combining sensational fact and intimate fiction in a British colonial Asian setting complicated by white privilege, politics, social hypocrisy, gender inequity, racism, homophobia, and more . . . [He] succeeds in delivering another intricate literary gift.” ―Booklist, Starred Review

“The House of Doors is brilliantly observed and full of memorable characters. It is so well-written, everything so effortlessly dramatized, the narrative so well structured and paced, that this is a book that will mesmerize readers far into the future.” ―Colm Tóibín, author of THE MAGICIAN

“In this bold historical fiction, he courageously exposes his motherland’s flaws, exploring thorny issues of race, racism, gender and gender preference, bigotry, infidelity, and colonial power in richly mannered, atmospheric, and expressive prose, which is simply beautiful . . . no one can argue with the ambition, ardency, and achievement of Eng’s complex latest. “- Air Mail

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Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

14 Wednesday Feb 2024

Posted by in detective, Fiction, murder, murder and investigation, mystery

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Vera Wong’s quiet life running a tea shop in San Francisco is abruptly changed when she discovers a dead body in her store. As the victim’s friends and family try to solve his murder, Vera grows close to each one of them. This is a charming mystery led by Vera, a bossy, funny, and lovable character.

“Vera Wong is my new favorite sleuth! This book is comfort food for the soul. Every chapter is bursting with wisdom and heart.”—Elle Cosimano, USA Today bestselling author of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

“Following the success of Dial A for Aunties, Sutanto is back with another charmer, this time following the exploits of orthopedic-sneaker-wearing Vera Wong Zhuzhu, who finds a dead body in her Chinatown tea shop. When the police investigation isn’t thorough enough for her liking, she concocts a plan to find the murderer, aided by a locked flash drive she found on the body and stashed away for safekeeping. Sutanto excels at skewering with affection, and an earnest hilarity shines through in this entertaining whodunit.”—The Washington Post

“A mystery with warmth, humor, and many descriptions of delicious teas and foods. Recommended for fans of Sutanto and of character-driven cozy mysteries.”—Library Journal, starred review

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The Postcard by Anne Berest; translated from the French by Tina Kover   

06 Tuesday Feb 2024

Posted by in Biographical fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction

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“January, 2003. Together with the usual holiday cards, an anonymous postcard is delivered to the Berest family home. On the front, a photo of the Opéra Garnier in Paris. On the back, the names of Anne Berest’s maternal great-grandparents, Ephraïm and Emma, and their children, Noémie and Jacques—all killed at Auschwitz.” (amazon)  Who sent the postcard and why? This was an illuminating read  – the best book I have read this year.

★ “Electrifying…Berest is aware that she’s relating a tragedy, but her narration rejects the impulse to let her family members’ stories rest at that…Acknowledging both the horrors of the Holocaust and the humanity of those it targeted, The Postcard is a commanding family memoir.”—Foreword reviews (starred review)

“Moving…Ms. Berest has done her research, artfully weaving grim facts and figures into her family history…Let’s hope that a book like this, which encompasses both the monstrosities of the past and the dangers of the present, will guard us from complacency.”—Heller McAlpin, The Wall Street Journal

“Powerful, meticulously imagined… The Postcard (translated into a lucid and precise English by Tina Kover) takes its readers on a deep dive into one Jewish family’s history, and, inextricably, into the devastating history of the Holocaust in France… [A] powerful literary work… that contains a single grand-scale act of self-discovery and many moments of historical illumination.”—Julie Orringer, The New York Times Book Review 

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The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

27 Saturday Jan 2024

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“The thing about picking a handful of berries is that each one is different—some are sweet, some sour, some extra juicy. The Berry Pickers is just like a handful of berries. It’s an unassuming novel filled with so much sweet, so much sour, so much juice. Reading this book, I was only ever hungry when it ended.” —Morgan Talty, author of Night of the Living Rez

“The strength of Amanda Peters’s novel lies in its understanding of how trauma spreads through a life and a family, and its depiction of the challenges facing Indigenous people . . . [A] powerful message about truth, forgiveness and healing.” —Marion Winik, The Washington Post

“A harrowing tale of Indigenous family separation . . . [Peters] excels in writing characters for whom we can’t help rooting . . . With The Berry Pickers, Peters takes on the monumental task of giving witness to people who suffered through racist attempts of erasure like her Mi’kmaw ancestors.—Eric Nguyen, The New York Times Book Review

“Peters beautifully explores loss, grief, hope, and the invisible tether that keeps families intact even when they are ripped apart. A poignant debut from a writer to watch.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A marvelous debut. The Berry Pickers has all the passion of a first book but also the finely developed skill of a well-practiced storyteller. …The Berry Pickers is a triumph.” —Katherena Vermette, author of The Strangers

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Anxious People by Fredrik Backman; translated by Neil Smith.

19 Friday Jan 2024

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This funny, thoughtful novel follows a group of people thrown together during an attempted crime, and the police trying to figure it all out. I loved all the characters in this unusual story.

“Wry, wise and often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure.” —People

“A deeply funny and warm examination of how individual experiences can bring a random group of people together. Backman reveals each character’s many imperfections with tremendous empathy, reminding us that people are always more than the sum of their flaws.” —BookPage

“[A] tight-knit, surprise-filled narrative… the brisk, absorbing action prompts meditation on marriage, parenting, responsibility, and global economic pressures. Comedy, drama, mystery, and social study, this novel is undefinable except for the sheer reading pleasure it delivers. Highly recommended.”—Library Journal (starred review) 

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Salt Path: a Memoir by Raynor Winn

12 Friday Jan 2024

Posted by in Biography, England, memoir, nature, Travel

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The true story of a couple (married 32 years) who lost everything (literally – lost their family farm, all their assets, plus one gets a terrible diagnosis) and embarked on a transformative journey walking the South West Coast Path in England. Uplifting and inspiring.

“Raynor Winn is a master of writing about nature and grief. The coast is the backbone of her memoir … a gripping story about a search for home, resilience and emotion, all the while in conversation with the sea.”—Guardian

“An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, looking for a solution to their problems and ultimately finding themselves.”—Independent (UK)

“Winn’s chronicle is filled with beauty, humor and surprises. Glorious landscape a given, the loveliest scenery is the pair themselves, their affection and easy camaraderie treasures to behold. Facing grief, harsh elements, starvation and judgment about being homeless, they relish growing feelings of achievement and purpose. When, miraculously, Moth starts to feel better, their future grows more unclear. The Salt Path is a great travelogue of surroundings, passersby and local merchants, but its heart is in Winn and Moth finding meaning in the chaos.”—Shelf Awareness

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The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

05 Friday Jan 2024

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Two friends navigate careers, friendships, and romance in this story set in Cork, Ireland. This coming of age story is funny and poignant.

“If you’ve ever had a literary internship that didn’t really pay you; if you’ve ever contemplated writing a screenplay with a friend; if you’ve ever been unsure what to do with your degree in English; if you’ve ever wondered when the rug-buying part of your life will start; if you’ve ever avoided going home or run out of things to say to your parents; if you’ve ever built your life and your personality around a friend; if you’ve ever loved the wrong person, or the right person at the wrong time… In short, if you’ve ever been young, you will love The Rachel Incident like I did.”—Gabrielle Zevin, New York Times best-selling author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

“By turns hilarious and heartfelt, breezy and bittersweet, The Rachel Incident is a full-throated, big-hearted romp through early adulthood.”—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Orphan Train

“Rachel’s first-person voice and wonderfully off-kilter observations make her a character you want to settle in with. By turns comic and bittersweet, this is a tender tale of platonic and first love, as well as a sharp look at such issues as homosexuality and abortion in the more repressive Ireland of pre-repeal days…. There’s more than a hint of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones here: a bright and funny voice in a novel that wears its heart on its sleeve.”—BookPage, starred review

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Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur

27 Wednesday Dec 2023

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Author of her own family story, Wild Game : My Mother, Her Secret, and Me, Brodeur is no stranger to family secrets.  This is her debut novel and I found it absorbing.  She knows Cape Cod nature so intimately that it is absolutely a character in the book –  a soothing backdrop to the events.

“A juicy portrait of a wealthy family on the brink of disaster. . . Little Monsters simmers with tension as secrets explode out into the open. . . Tensely constructed and absorbing. . . A consummate summer read, which somehow evokes smooth beach glass and hot pink sunsets with nary a mention of either.” —The Washington Post

“[An] engaging and neatly plotted novel. . . Little Monsters is so alluring, with its sense of looming familial implosion within a cultural implosion. . . Brodeur is very deliberately examining a small family horror story within a larger political context.” —The New York Times

“Shimmering. . . With this intricate story, Brodeur distinguishes herself as a novelist of the first rank.” —Publishers Weekly, *Starred Review*

“This smart, page-flipping novel has more secrets than you could successfully hide from your Sunday school teacher. . . [with] shades of Succession. . . Little Monsters offers the pleasures of a smart, absorbing debut novel.” —The Boston Globe

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The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin ; with an introduction by Mac Barnett

06 Wednesday Dec 2023

Posted by in Comedy, detective, Fiction, mystery

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I was in a bookstore shopping for a gift for a middle school relative and a young girl who was the same age told me this was her favorite book. I bought a copy for my niece, my mother, and for me. It’s a classic (first published in 1978) and a great mystery for readers of all ages.

“Great fun for those who enjoy illusion, word play, or sleight of hand.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A fascinating medley of word games, disguises, multiple aliases, and subterfuges—a demanding but rewarding book.”—The Horn Book


“A supersharp mystery…confoundingly clever, and very funny.” —Booklist, starred review 

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