I love a good epistolary novel, if only to have a chance to use “epistolary”. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is the primary example that comes to mind of one such novel that really captured my interest, but I’m sure there are other books that cleverly use the sole use of letters…
Tag: Fiction
The Marriage Portrait
If you are a fan of historical fiction, pick this book up now. Honestly, even if you’re unsure if historical fiction is for you, I still think you should give this one a go. Yet another novel that wiled away on my shelf for well over a year before I picked it up, and then…
Yesteryear
“Do you honestly think there are no consequences to performance?” “Tradwife” is an often derogatory term used for women who voluntarily embrace submissive gender roles. It is a term that is politicized and polarized, and it is a term that Natalie Heller Mills does not own for herself, though her millions of followers on Instagram…
Broken Country
I added this book to my TBR list a year ago, but it was only a few months ago that I finally put it on hold at the library having been reminded of it from a poster in a London Tube station. Don’t follow my example and wait a year to read this incredible work…
The Map that Leads to You
I’ll admit, I saw that this had been made into a movie and was curious about the book. Now that I’ve finished the book, I actually don’t want to watch the film because I’d rather leave the taste of the book in my mind and not risk tainting it with an adaptation. This, to me,…
The Will of the Many
The Thanksgiving season played a part in this delayed review, but the heft of Islington’s novel certainly contributed. Coming in at just over 600 pages, it’s a sturdy paper weight, but do not let the size discourage you; I found the content deserving of each page. Vis is an orphan, and at 17 his prospects…
Remarkably Bright Creatures
There are three perspectives in this book: a cleaning woman, a down-on-his-luck millennial, and an octopus. If that doesn’t at least pique your interest, I don’t know what will. This is a story of how all of their lives intersect in a sweet story of growth, family, and friendship. Tova likes her routines, and she…
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
This has sat on my TBR list for ages, probably since it was first published in 2020, and I have no reason for not having picked it up earlier other than the fact that five books are added to the ‘to be read’ list for every one I read. I start with this sad saga…
My Brilliant Friend
I once saw this book ranked at the top of a “Best books of the 20th century” list by publishers and editors. That’s a large claim in its own right, let alone a list created by people within publishing. While I tend to be skeptical about these lists (my parents will tell you I was…
All the Colors of the Dark
This book blew me away — spoiler for the final rating — and I wasn’t sure it would. While some of the chapters follow what would be considered a standard format, there are many chapters that are short, short to the point of being a page or two long. At first this break from the…