The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas Having heard this book compared to Atkinson’s Life after Life, I was very excited to read it. Whereas Life after Life accomplishes elegant, almost dream-like revisions of a life’s outcome, The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano is more of a Groundhog Day beating over the head. […]
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus I was excited to read this after all the hype. It is a funny rendering, but at times too long and schmaltzy. This is the type of book that will make a great rom com movie. I had issues with the structure, the way it started and then the […]
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery This book’s power is made even more sharp by its economy, it’s exactitude. The interconnected stories, or loosely connected chapters, however you choose to name them, are so rich in nuance that Escoffery blazes fearlesslessly along with an inventive narrative structure that doesn’t forego character development or emotion […]
Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sánchez This is a memoir of inter-connected, more or less chronological essays that took me on a journey of laughter, tears, empowerment and despair. Erica’s writing (and narration of the audiobook) was courageous and so honest. It was the type of memoir that leaves the author nakedly vulnerable […]
Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch by Erin French I listened to this audio book narrated by the author, Erin French, which was a treat in and of itself. Finding Freedom is a beautiful memoir with highs and lows and with a banquet of tastes and flavors woven through. Raised on […]
Thank You, Mr. Nixon by Gish Jen Really enjoyed this collection of interconnected stories which span 50 years of Chinese / American relations. Characters show up in multiple stories at different stages in life. The writing is humorous, biting and concise and the stories raise interesting issues around identity and migration, the push and pull […]
I’m the first to recognize Mother’s Day as complicated. Invented in 1908 by Ann Jarvis to celebrate her own mother, a Sunday School teacher and caregiver of soldiers during the Civil War, Mother’s Day was co-opted by greeting card companies by 1920 and today represents a multibillion-dollar enterprise. Despite her own campaigning for the holiday, […]
This essay was originally published on Medium.com. I set out to write a blog for Mother’s Day; all my novels, including my new one, you see, have strong maternal themes. But as I type, I’m thinking too much about Earth Day, and feeling love for our communal mother, Pacha Mama, Mother Earth, sustainer of us […]
Vladimir by Julia May Jonas I enjoyed the protagonist’s perspective so much. In Vladimir, a fifty-eight year old female English professor married to the former head of the department in a small college in upstate New York. Her husband has been relieved of his duties after 8 former students write letters accusing him of sexual […]
I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home by Jami Attenberg This an especially good read for a writer. It is an inspiring story of perseverance from an author I admire. The opportunity to glimpse into her life and professional ups and downs was a treat. I have participated in Jami’s #1000wordsofsummer […]
