It’s that time of the year again!
Namely, it’s June. This is usually when I am busy hyperventilating as the school year wraps up and I am faced with my attachment issues. However, it’s also when I usually share my year in books so far-sharing some recommendations and reviews with you.
Here goes then (because I do have to get back to all the hyperventilating)…
The Fall of Marigolds (Susan Meissner) 4-stars
I don’t read much historical fiction but was drawn to this title because of my interest in immigration history and Ellis Island itself. It was a well-researched, vivid novel with a good amount of heart.
The September of Shiraz (Dalia Sofer) 5-stars
I received this book as a gift in a holiday book exchange. It is the first physical book I’ve read in a while (I usually listen on Audible). Set during the early days of Iranian Revolution, this book is eloquently written. I could not put it down.
Woman No. 17 (Edna Lepucki) 4-stars
An interesting premise and some good observations of mothers and children with special needs and their relationships. I found it painful in its insight, at times, actually. Which is exactly why I would recommend it.
The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes: a Story of Love, Loss, and Rock-and-Roll (Xio Axelrod) 2-stars
I was really looking forward to this one because it was so highly recommended on various book lists and blogs. Unfortunately, it disappointed rather profoundly, both in plot and character development. It’s just flat and predictable all around. I hate to leave negative reviews (and don’t, actually), but I do not recommend this one…to anyone.
Rodham (Curtis Sittenfeld) 5-stars
What a cool concept-to take a real person and run fan-fiction with it. It gives a satisfying ending for Hillary fans. Recommend.
The Lost Daughter (Elena Ferrante) 5-stars
A painful read, and I mean it in the best way. Highly recommend, particularly to mothers of daughters.
Signs of the Survival: a Memoir of the Holocaust (Renee Hartmans) 5-stars
I bought this at an elementary school Scholastic book fair. I am hardly the target audience for this but the book is a true story of real sisters (one deaf, one hearing), making it through the Holocaust without their parents. I do recommend this to middle schoolers and their parents alike. It’s not very graphic and a good introduction into personal narratives of Holocaust survivors.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (Olga Tokaczuk) 5-stars
It feels silly to critique a Nobel prize winner so I hardly know what to say. An unusual read with an unexpected ending, I’ll say this much. Quirky and poignant.
The Personal Librarian (Marie Benedict) 5-stars
This was probably my favorite pick by MR BOOK CLUB. This, too, is historical fiction but based very much on thorough research. What an incredible (and almost unbelievable) true story of Belle DaCosta Greene! I want to go back to the Morgan Library now.
I Must Betray You (Rita Sepetys) 5-stars
This is a YA novel about Romania in 1989, when it finally overthrew its communist government. Yes, this is another historical fiction. I have to admit that this much historical fiction is quite out of character for me but I must say I highly recommend this title as well. I had no idea what life in Romania was like though I, too, grew up behind the Iron Curtain. Highly recommend to anyone curious about what life was like under communism in late 1980s (probably more for YA).
All’s Well (Mona Award) 5-stars
Oooh, this one I could not put down. My favorite psychological thriller in a while, that’s for sure. Very raw and a bit reminiscent of Twin Peaks from time to time (and I love me some Twin Peaks). Spooky and character driven in the most delicious of ways. Highly recommend.
Currently, I am reading The Sentence by Lousie Eldridge. It’s another pick of MR BOOK CLUB. I’ll report on this one when I finish it.
So… what are you reading? Anything to recommend?