This is Where We Live by Janelle Brown is a book set in LA about a newly married couple, an artist and film maker, both hoping for their big break in Hollywood. They’ve invested all their money in a cute but overpriced bungalow in the hills. A series of events from an earthquake to the return of the now famous ex-girlfriend leads to serious challenges to their marriage. Although filled with some cliches, Brown’s keen observations and writing skills turn…
If I’m in the right mood, no one can make me laugh like David Sedaris, and I laughed all the way through Me Talk Pretty One Day. He has a rare intelligence and wit combined with brutal honesty that make his writing original, fresh, hilarious. The first part of the book is set in the states and tells some funny stories of his family and his teacher’s attempts to get rid of his lisp; the second and better half is…
Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume reads more like a long poem than a novel. An abused one-eyed dog gets taken in by a lonely bachelor and the two become fast friends. Living in a small coastal Irish village, people in town begin to feel threatened and the two take to the road rather than be separated. Full of lyrical passages and wonderful descriptions of nature, this is a beautifully written, but quite sad little book. I really appreciated…
Diamond Head by Cecily Wong is a novel that spans generations and continents from China to Oahu. The Leong family is the wealthiest in the islands, but secrets have followed them from China to Hawaii, with devastating results only revealed decades later. Told by the wives and daughters, this is a story of family, culture, betrayal, and redemption. Filled with Chinese lore and local Hawaiian culture, lovers of historical fiction will enjoy this book.
Saints and Misfits is a young adult novel by S.K. Ali. The book follows Janna, a hijabi teen who has a non-religious father and a mother and brother who are practicing Muslims. Janna is searching for her own identity and path while keeping a secret that is destroying her inside. Janna could be any teen coming to grips with her identity and finding it hard to speak out when something bad happens to her. She’s unsure of who her true…
The Sunshine Sisters is the latest novel by Jane Green. Three very different sisters that grew up with a semi-famous, self centered mother, return home at her request only to find her very ill. Each has traveled a different journey with their mother and each must come to terms with their life choices and relationships in her own way. Heartfelt and well written, this is one of Jane Green’s best.
The Optomistic Decade by Heather Abel follows a teen activist at a back to the land Summer camp led by Caleb, the idealistic founder of the camp. The land was acquired from ranchers years ago who now want it back. Full of ideas about the right way to live, devoting one’s life to causes and knowing when its time to give up. This is also a coming of age story and a story of betrayal and discontent, of finding one’s…
Literally by Lucy Keating is a YA novel about a teenage girl in Malibu whose life seems perfect, until it doesn’t. Suddenly she discovers she’s being written into existence by an author who is controlling her whole life, creating tension, love triangles and trying to set her up with the perfect boyfriend. An interesting concept and a somewhat interesting read. It reminded me of the film Stranger than Fiction, but not as good. A fun book for YA readers.
What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons is a coming of age story of a young South African/American woman searching for her true self in the wake of her mothers death. A slim little novel that packs a real emotional punch. Clemmons writing is sparse, lyrical; she writes in a stream of consciousness style often moving back and forth through time and place, yet always returning to themes of grief, race, and identity. A powerful book by a wonderful new writer…
A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah tells the very tragic but true story of kids 12 years old and younger who’ve lost their families, been given drugs and Ak47’s and turned into soldiers to fight wars they don’t even understand. This is Beah’s story set in Sierra Leone in the 90’s; he is one of the few who have survived, been rehabilitated and been able to share his story. It’s a beautifully written yet…