• book reviews, Book Reviews

Book Reviews

book reviews, Book ReviewsBeing a writer means being a reader, so why not share some book reviews? I have always enjoyed getting lost in fictional worlds and delight in beautiful and evocative language. It is this love of novels that has prodded me to write. As I began my writing journey, I remember asking myself, “Can I really do this?” Like all artists, I am inspired to emulate art I admire. And so I read—all the time. This is a page where you can keep track of what I’m reading for pleasure as well as for inspiration / research for my next novel. 

As I realized my dream of becoming a novelist, I began to appreciate even more how important it is to spread the word about great books. Writing book reviews helps me engage critically with the work I’m reading and join fellow readers worldwide in conversation. I will post book reviews here but make sure to follow me on Goodreads and BookBub to see my most recent reads! I am also a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books. You’ll find those (more extensive) commentaries below, but you can check them all out on my NYJB page.

If you’d like to learn more about how my reading is influencing my current writing process, or delve deeper into the inspirations behind my first two novels, Eden and The Nine, just click on Writing Inspiration to the right. I am also excited to share the works of fellow authors whose books I’ve been asked to blurb in the far right column.

Want to chat about a book I’ve reviewed? Have a recommendation for me? Drop me a line to start the conversation!

book reviews, Book Reviews
book reviews, Book Reviews
book reviews, Book Reviews
book reviews, Book Reviews
book reviews, Book Reviews

Recent Reads

book reviews, Book Reviews

Wellness by Nathan Hill

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Wellness by Nathan Hill I loved The Nix and when I heard Nathan Hill had a new novel coming out, I preordered. I toggled between reading and listening to the audiobook because it is narrated by Ari Fliakos who is my all time favorite reader. His tone captures the wry wit…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

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The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson This is a work of science fiction that reads like it could be true. It is very long book that offers many thread lines and points of view as well as the ministry for the future’s ideas with regard to advocating for beings…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

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Tom Lake By Ann Patchett I listened to this on audio, such a delight as Meryl Streep was the narrator. Her performative and soothing voice combined with Ann Patchett's writing resulted in a most pleasurable experience. The story was well done too. Well suited for me as a mother…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

The Twenty: by Marianne C. Bohr

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The Twenty: One Woman’s Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 Trail by Marianne C. Bohr A great read which will inspire you to get out of the chair. Bohr does an excellent job of honestly telling recounting the ups and downs of completing one of the world's iconic hikes with her…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

Trust by Hernan Diaz

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Trust by Hernan Diaz After learning this work shared the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction with Demon Copperhead, I had to read. I listened to the Audio which was narrated by four different voices, amplifying this novel's theme of perception. Indeed a story changes so much based on who…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

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The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman This review originally appeared in the New York Review of Books. With a truly imaginative structure, Alice Hoffman delves into what has become her trademark theme of magic. The Invisible Hour asks a grand “What if?” Not so much the question…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

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How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue This is a heartbreaking novel, portraying the destruction of a town and a way of life when an American oil company arrives to drill in an African country. This is a sweeping story that crosses oceans and lifetimes told from multiple points…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

Witness by Jamel Brinkly

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Witness: Stories by Jamel Brinkly This review originally appeared in the New York Review of Books. A collection of ten short stories set in Brooklyn, NY, Witness: Stories is populated by characters navigating relationships with friends and family, both living and not. The…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

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Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver For a person embarking on her own journey into farming, I was both inspired and shocked it took me so long to happen upon this book. There is so much about it to love. In the Kingsolver family’s pact to eat…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

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Life After Life by Kate Atkinson This novel's exploration of Ursula Todd's multiple lives might, at first, leave the reader wondering but for me it was like diving into a wonderful puzzle in which I was invited to figure out the patterns and rhythms for myself, to try to…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

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Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton Although this novel turns into a fast-paced thriller mid-stream, what I was drawn to was the depth with which the characters are written. Catton was especially deft at portraying a complicated female friendship between women with similar life philosophies…By jbadmin|
book reviews, Book Reviews

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

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The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan I was drawn to the dystopian premise of this novel, that mothers who aren't "good" must be reformed by the state, as well as the voice in the early chapters. However, all the pages describing Frida's time in "the school" are slow,…By jbadmin|

Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase through one of these links, I may make a small commission (at no additional cost to you), which I will donate to literary organizations in Boston. Thanks!

book reviews, Book Reviews

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book reviews, Book Reviews

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