The Burning Girl by Claire Messud
The Burning Girl by Claire Messud
The Burning Girl is elegant and concisely written. Such a simple premise, so many truths. I’m a huge fan of Claire Messud.
Jeanne Blasberg is a novelist, travel writer, and adventurer. She is a voracious reader and regularly reviews books on her blog, Goodreads, BookBub, LibraryThing, and Amazon.
Strangers in Budapest by Jessica Keener
Strangers in Budapest by Jessica Keener
Having been an ex pat in Zurich for three years, I truly appreciated Keener’s capturing of the psyche of the stranger. Living in a city both as a tourist and a resident is filled with contradictions – you can’t help being drawn to a city’s history and struggle to reconcile its brutal past.
There is a feeling of escapism and hiding that permeates the book and creates a very tense mood. I praise Keener’s ability to achieve this.
Wonder Valley by Ivy Pochoda
The hot, dry setting is palpable. I loved Wonder Valley from the opening scene where the traffic is driving everyone crazy. It brings back memories of the opening scene of LaLaLand – maybe the defining setting of modern day California – stuck in traffic… and what “being stuck” drives people to do…. Each of Pochoda’s characters are driven to their personal edges, and then what happens when their lives intersect is even more charged. A great read, with edgy language and imagery, I recommend this book highly.
Things Unsaid by Diana Y. Paul
Things Unsaid by Diana Y. Paul
Things Unsaid is my favorite type of book -the introspection of a family from multiple points of view. Jules and her siblings come together to assist their parents and thus the tension mounts. I really enjoyed the varying perspectives from which the story was told, issues being turned and turned, so the facets of one family’s flaws are observed from different angles. Things Unsaid delves into the type of tension many people can relate to. It is a beautiful, timeless book.
Faint Promise of Rain by Anjali Mitter Duva
Faint Promise of Rain by Anjali Mitter Duva
This was a magical book that hit all five of my senses. A time period and piece of culture I knew nothing about, so fascinating, yet timeless and universal. Anjali is a talented author and I am so looking forward to reading her future work!
Heat & Light by Jennifer Haigh
Heat & Light by Jennifer Haigh
Loved the book. So many important issues and complicated characters twisted together. Subtle and nuanced, just like life! No easy answers!!
Circling My Mother: A Memoir by Mary Gordon
Circling My Mother: A Memoir by Mary Gordon
This book made me cry. As an only child / daughter of a difficult alcoholic mother, as the the product of a marriage that was a mistake…. I felt Mary Gordon’s confusion in coming to grips with her mother as my own. I love my mother as if we are connected, but the end of her life came as a relief. I always felt best when alone with my mother as our connection was also strangely viewed by others and I preferred bearing her alcoholic rants alone.
Fill the Sky by Katherine A. Sherbrooke
Fill the Sky by Katherine A. Sherbrooke
I felt like I was joining three wonderful women on a trip to Equador. The healing ceremonies with shamans were described with such sensory detail. There are several twists which keep the book moving along quickly and even though I was starting to guess how each woman might find healing, I was surprised and uplifted.
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
A fun read that turns out to have multiple resolved plot points.
