In the past, I’ve used the turn of the year as an opportunity to share my favorite books read in the past year, but I only read 18 books in 2021 — just 17 short of your 35-book GoodReads Challenge goal! the GoodReads robot taunts me. There are still 1 days left! You can doContinue reading “What I Read in 2021”
Tag Archives: books
Top Reads of 2019
As the year (and decade) draws to a close, I’m looking back with satisfaction at the books I’ve checked off my list or stumbled upon at the library or thrift store. I’m an incredibly picky reader, especially when it comes to fiction, and I’m selfish with my time. If a book isn’t interesting in theContinue reading “Top Reads of 2019”
Book Review: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a difficult book to describe in a nutshell. Beautifully written, but not fast-paced, it’s one you sink your teeth into and relish. Only nine chapters, but they’re long and told from different perspectives as you travel from Afghanistan to ParisContinue reading “Book Review: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini”
Book Review: The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer My rating: 5 of 5 stars A stream-of-consciousness narrative tackling dual themes of mental illness (schizophrenia, in particular) and grief, “The Shock of the Fall” follows 19-year-old Matthew Homes as he seeks to write his story, partly on his treatment program’s computer and partly on the typewriterContinue reading “Book Review: The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer”
Quotes from books I’ve read so far this year
“One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about.” ~ Mindy Kaling, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? “It is one of the tragedies of life that one cannot have all the wisdom one is ever to possess in the beginning.”Continue reading “Quotes from books I’ve read so far this year”
Review of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Hawkins’ words don’t paint lush portraits or jump to poetic heights. They’re too busy drawing you close to the characters, especially Rachel whose perspective begins and ends the book. As you read, you immerse into the complexity that is a human being whose past she both regrets and can’t leave behind.
Book Review: To the Letter by Simon Garfield
A book recommendation, straight from the non-air conditioned apartment where I carry my fan around like a security blanket: To the Letter: A Celebration of the Lost Art of Letter Writing by Simon Garfield “They expose a grand truth, and often the same truth we may feel when we read Shakespeare and Austen: no matter howContinue reading “Book Review: To the Letter by Simon Garfield”
Thought-provoking quotes from unexpected places
It makes sense to expect great quotes from classic literature, but I get more excited when I find them elsewhere: in movies that may never make the honor roll, books that have been sorely overlooked, and friends’ and strangers’ blogs. Here are some favorites for you to ponder: So, Charlie, are we going back orContinue reading “Thought-provoking quotes from unexpected places”
Meredith Sell 