Category: Book Reviews

Rather than attempt a comprehensive review of 867 pages in two minutes, my goal is to provide, what I would consider, an accurate and succinct representation of the novel. So for all of the people who think of Anna Karenina as a “Russian tragedy”- this is for you.  Given the page length, it’s not surprising that the novel isn’t commonly…

Focused on the inner-workings of a rich family in New England, We Were Liars illustrates how the implications of “favorites” and the suppression of emotion can have a shrapnel effect when tensions finally burst forth. Cousins Mirren, Johnny, and Cadence, along with their friend Gat, spend every summer on the Sinclair family island. The idyllic New Englander…

“Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; one choked his little self and then there were nine…” Thus starts the nursery rhyme that serves as the premise of the novel, which can I just say– a nursery rhyme? This was told to kids? Honestly. That aside, I relished every minute I listened to this…

As many of you know, I rarely know anything about a book before I start it; this was an exception. The friend who gave me The Book of Longings prefaced its subject, a subject that might have kept me from giving the book a chance had it not come recommended. If anything, this experience convinces me to continue my habit of…

“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet. 1977, May 3, six thirty in the morning, no one knows anything but this innocuous fact: Lydia is late for breakfast.” Do you feel like you committed a crime and read the big reveal? Because that’s how I felt reading those sentences, the first sentences of…

I’ve come to realize that I’m too competitive for my own good, and definitely too competitive to read mystery novels. I spend every other page trying to figure out the plot before it’s revealed and find myself distracted while reading because of it. I’m both delighted and disappointed to admit that every time I felt confident…

Creating a patchwork quilt of experiences, struggles, and triumphs, Evaristo weaves together a powerful depiction of life through the stories of twelve unique women. Told through “fusion fiction” as Evaristo describes her prose/poetry style, the reader is pulled directly into the life of each woman individually. The various storylines are capable of standing alone but are often layered with the…

“The truth is that this was a story about many different things, but most of all about idiots. Because we’re doing the best we can – we really are. We’re trying to be grown up and love each other and understand how the hell you’re supposed to insert USB leads.” The title is an apt…

I listened to Memorial because I consistently saw it featured on Twitter and Goodreads, which means I began with little context as to the plot or subject matter. For those of you actually reading a review first, Memorial tells the story of Mike and Benson’s relationship: Mike, a Japanese-American chef; Benson, a Black day-care teacher. Their perspectives provide unique insight into aspects of life that often go unheard. The reader follows…

As a kid, I requested both volumes of Sherlock Holmes before I was 11 and read all 99 Nancy Drew books before high school. I consumed mystery novels as though they were my bread and butter. At some point bread and butter became bland and I forgot about my love of suspenseful stories. While not technically a mystery…