There is one word that perfectly describes the novel There, There, and it is powerful. Even the layout of the book is meant for you to really, really concentrate so that you can keep not only the characters straight but their place in it. Tommy Orange has written a fresh take on the plight of … Continue reading
Category Archives: Karen
Circe: A Novel by Madeline Miller
Circe by Madeline Miller … Continue reading
1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz
OK, let’s begin with #1. (Ha, just kidding!) Seriously, this is an enormous treat for armchair travelers as well as seasoned globetrotters. The content is first organized by continent and then further breakdowns. After that, each place has a description, a color photograph, and then a “must do” section. There is a thematic index if … Continue reading
Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly
Would someone out there please read this book and let me know: Ghost story? “Gaslight” scenario? Just plain crazy? “Theme Music” is about Dixie Wheeler, who, at 18 months old, is the sole survivor of her family’s mass murder which, by the way, was done by her father, William, before he took his own life. … Continue reading
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
Talk about the unexpected! The Mother-in-Law is one of those novels that with every chapter, you never know what is about to happen. Told in dual narratives between mother-in-law Diana and her daughter-in-law Lucy, as well as dual timelines, you can never tell what the next page will bring. The novel starts off with a … Continue reading
Jimmy Page: The Definitive Biography by Chris Salewicz
Many, many books have been written about Led Zeppelin, one of the most popular bands in the history of rock and roll. And many of these books were written specifically about Jimmy Page. This is understandable as he was the founder of the group, as well as the producer of all of their albums. I … Continue reading
The Rumor: a Novel by Lesley Kara
“Trying to squash a rumor is like trying to unring a bell.” Shana Alexander, American journalist That about sums up the storyline from Kara Lesley’s debut, The Rumor: a Novel. If you’ve ever stood outside of a schoolyard waiting for a child, you know what goes on there. It is the information highway. It is … Continue reading
Laws of the Skies by Gregoire Courtois
There are books that you read and love and you know will appeal to most people, so they are easy to recommend. Then there are books that you read and love but they are pretty much your own private taste so you recommend them cautiously. Then there are those books that you read and hate … Continue reading
I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney
Riding (I’m sure) the rave reviews from her first novel Sometimes I Lie, author Alice Feeney has another winner with I Know Who You Are. Short chapters just like in her first novel (á la James Patterson which I personally love), as well as the big reveal at the end, (which I also love), and … Continue reading
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
It has been a long time since I have read a novel this charming, and I mean charming, not saccharine. This is the story of quiet, unassuming Martha, a lady that volunteers at her library, takes in other people’s laundry, fixes (or makes) items for children, and does pretty much anything that anyone asks her … Continue reading