1/8/25 - SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE - Claire Keegan - 5 Stars - A problem with giving this ‘small’ book a 5 is that it is a long short story. So spare and every day with loveliness and bravery. A fatherless Irishman delivering coal and logs in the1980’s. A flawless picture of his torn country, small community and the great sin/shame of the Catholic Church entitled by the Irish government.
1/16 - THE LIFE BEFORE US - Romain Gary - 4.8 - Loved the voice, the narrator his turns of phrase and observations. Realized, as soon as I began this story told by a 10 year old who may be 14, set in the 1950’s in a very poor section of Paris—that I’d seen a movie of this story. “”Madam Rosa” starring Simone Signoret. So the narrative rang slightly familiar But the boy’s observations and misuse of terms and phrases are brilliant and so very funny: “I believe that if you want to live, you should start very young, because later on you’ll start to depreciate and no one will make you any presents.”
1/17 - BAUMGARTNER - Paul Auster - 4 - A very interesting novel, Auster’s last—full of reminisces as he mourns his dead wife for a decade, ponders his Polish Jew ancestors, the ups and downs of fortune. He is a professor at Princeton, sort of literary, sort of philosophical, but also scientific. He does old age well and as Auster died the year after publication, the reader (who knows this) can see him packing up for death.
1/19 - VIOLETTE - Isabel Allende - 3.8 - Missing Allende’s early books with compelling fully-realized characters and hints of mysticism. This book did much more ‘telling,’ than showing. Still, an interesting narrative following one character through her 100 years. Reliance on stock characters/stereo types, much too concerned with aging process from vanity perspective.
1/21 - OLD CRIMES - Jill McCorkle - 4 - A wonderful collection of short stories, many of them interweaving characters from other stories. Weighty with the unsaid; vivid and sad characters, some endearing ones and some slimeballs.
1/23 - THE HOUSE OF EVE - Sadeqa Johnson - 3 - This novel cried out for an editor: “Our eyes touched” “Our eyes locked” Sometimes, on two pages the characters ‘giggled’ four or five times. Everybody has a scent and great attention is paid to clothing. That said, a very important book about, not only segregation, but America (Baltimore & DC) before abortion was legal and when the only way for infertile couples to have a bay was through adoption. Just wish this (well-reviewed?) book had been edited.
1/23 - MOTHERHOOD - Sheila Heti - ? - A long day of travel and I was stranded with this most ‘controversial nove’:l over 280 pages of narrator trying to decide to have, or not have a baby. Some of the vignettes were fascinating, her insights---obviously a good and brilliant writer—harkening to I Ching and the Old Testament, philosophers… The central question—Is it possible to be an artist (writer) and a mother? Surely a conversation I’ve engaged in for over a half century. And Yes, it is different for male artists. Yes. I got so impatient I skipped to the end, where she was STILL musing . I needed a good book and this one wasn’t for me.
2/17 - YELLOWFACE - R. F. Kwang- 4 -This satire of the literary marketplace, social media and racial critiques read like a thriller for me. My brief time as a literary ‘contender’ identified so much with the story and had me wondering if other readers would be so engrossed. But then, the story was more about social media, about which I know nothing.
2/20 - A REGISTRY OF MY PASSAGE UPON THE EARTH - Daniel Mason - 4.2 - Man O man, this man with 2 fulltime ‘day jobs’ can surely churn out amazing literature. This is a collection of stories (written before NORTH WOOD), each very different, quirky and skipping around into different time periods.
2/24 - TO THE WEDDING - John Berger - 4.8 - This gentle novel, written in 1995 is set in Turin, and portions of Greece and Prague; a story--about people heading toward a wedding—told by a blind man. Memorable characters with gentle plot twists.
2/27-PLAYGROUND- Richard Powers-4.8 While I think I gave his UNDERSTORY, the wonderful novel set around trees, a 5-- I don’t think this gorgeous story about the sea and characters drawn together by the sea is quite as accomplished. But very, very worth the read.
3/4 - THE GUEST - Emma Cline - 4 -This most unappealing protagonist rationalizes, intrudes, leeches like a true addict. Yet her observations of an elitist NE seaside summer population are right on. Alex’s errors and intrusion were very stressful. It is a good read, and well written.
4/20 - THE WOMEN - Kristin Hannah - 4 - After the first couple pages I put aside my need to take a red pen to the clunky writing and sort of fell into the story. Hannah uses a load of stereotypes, but the story of nurses in Viet Nam—a real feel for that culture, the pure horror and insanity of the Viet Nam war is so real. As well as the slow unraveling of one nurse not fitting back in the USA. Writing just isn’t good, but the passion and insights overcome.
4/24 - WEST WITH GIRAFFES - Lynda Rutledge - 4 -Though I’d bought it, when at a loss for a book, I almost didn’t read this novel when I noticed the paperback had zero reviews. (I depend a lot on NYTimes reviewers). It was a story to fall into: A bit of TOBY TYLER (childhood heartbreak novel) and a bit of LINCOLN HIGHWAY. The young refugee from the Dust Bowl protagonist hitches a ride (stows away) with an amazing animal whisperer, who is transporting two giraffes from New York Harbor to the San Diego Zoo. The adventures and mis-adventures in an America reeling from the depression and heading toward WWII. Loved the characters, including the two whimsical, endearing giraffes. The novel is actual based on true events.
4/28 - THE ECHO MAKER - Richard Powers - B - Halfway through, I have decided to abandon this book by the amazing author of OVERSTORY and PLAYGROUND & other wonderful novels. I think he was a psychiatrist trying out his fiction wings. A reader deeply interested in the chemistry of a damaged brain might forgive the redundancy, the oppressive settings, the stereotyped characters. I am grateful that Dr. Powers got vastly more Powerful.
5/13 - THE SENTENCE - Louise Erdrich - 4 - What a prolific writer. When I read reviews and saw that she placed herself and her bookstore within the narrative, I thought I might avoid this novel. But it was good. Tookie an endearing and well-fleshed protagonist. The Pandemic and BLM and Minneapolis all covered with such integrity and making me grateful that a fine writer put those startling times into words. A good read and an informative one. Even the ghost story portion.
6/4 - DAY - Michael Cunningham - 3.9 - Not his best but a good read about family and childhood in the time of COVID. Though the narrative failed to pull me in, initially, the final portion of the book was most satisfying and strong.
6/8 - THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT HEAVEN BEARS - Dinaw Mengestu - 4.5 Think I found this 2007 novel on my own at B’burg Books, so want (so obvious they may have) Leila, Mary, Baldwin & Mindy to read this heartbreaking novel. The NY Times Book Review: “A great African novel, and a great Washington novel, and a great American novel.” An Ethiopian immigrant—in US since age 16—tells his cynical and deeply hopeful story of fitting in and not fitting into US, leaving and never leaving Ethiopia.
6/18 - i am homeless if this is not my home - Lorrie Moore - ? - I honestly don’t know how to rate this novel. It’s been a long while since I’ve read Lorrie Moore and I forgot her stunning ‘way with words,’ really phrases, dialogue. So clever, much of it so funny, all of it deeply original. So, this novel, stitched together in sections, bedazzled me and—maybe a factor of age—kept me from tying it all together. Well worth the read, that I can testify.
8/20 - OLD GOD’S TIME - Sebastian Barry - 4.8 - Started this book twice. The language was lovely, but the narrative was too meandering and very Irish-y. On the 2nd attempt I settled in and read the book through. Not a novel to read lightly. It was so powerful, so restrained, so dark and sad. A brilliant unraveling of a story of priestly abuse and generational loss.
8/24 - THE DREAM HOTEL - Laila Lalami - 4 - Ordered this novel at Leila’s recommendation, not realizing it was set in the future (never my favorite), and would feed directly into my already existing the paranoia of a digital takeover. So, if I’d known what it was about, I would not have ordered it. But it was really well written and a griping story of a woman imprisoned because her dreams were recorded.
(have I really not read a book in 2 months?)
10/5 - TELL ME EVERYTHING-Elizabeth Strout-4.8. They were all there: Lucy, the Burgess Brothers, William... Olive is in a nursing home, but as Olive as ever. Just the perfect book for my peer group.
10/15 - MAILMAN -Stephen Starring Grant - 4.8 - Ashamed that ‘local writer’ doesn’t ring my chimes and so it took a while to approach this wonderful nonfiction book. Sure, the story resonates personally, but Grant is an excellent writer! I call him the “Anti JD” the people degraded by Vance are raised up and given righteous notice by Grant. This one year memoir is recommended for all readers, no matter where you live.
11/12 - THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN - Marjan Kamali - 3.8 -The beginning of this novel reads like a rip off of Elena Ferrante. That said—the story held me and probably is very important, given how Iran has stayed so central to so many international narratives surely since 1980. A really good insight into the feminist movement in Iran and the changing regimes. I learned (or re-learned) a great deal.
11/15 - FOSTER- Claire Keegan - 5 - A spare novel, novella really that I read in maybe two hours. Like SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, an almost perfect book. Keegan can do 3 pages of exposition in a half sentence. Two sentences into the novel, I realized it was the movie THE QUIET GIRL. And that the movie was true to the book. A young girl spending a summer away from her abusive, child-crammed, destitute home in an almost pastural--but hardworking—landscape with an aunt and uncle. All three of them spare with words and deep, but quiet, with feelings. Gorgeous writing, perfect characterizations. What a writer!
12/5 - WHAT WE CAN KNOW - Ian McEwan - 4.5 - Reading the first quarter of the novel, I was calling it the “morality tale of our times.’ It begins in 2119 and follows an assembly of poets and scholars centered around one night and one poem in 2014. A bit like the plot of POSSESSION, the obsessive search for a poem. The narrative became more standard when it entered our century. When I think of McEwan (and I certainly haven’t read all of his 17 novels) there is always one act or action that changes the course of a story. Also often a young child appearing as a touchstone. He is such a fine writer.
12/19 - THE CORRESPONDENT - Virginia Evans - 4.8 - This novel is all letters; starting in 2012 and ending in 2022.The protagonist makes it into her 80’s; her character and insights developing all along the way, speaking of ‘morality tales.’ Sybil is a kind of Olive Kittridge, only an attorney and a great reader. Some of her letters are to writers and some of the writers write back; a varied cast of characters we follow through the decade. It is a wonderful novel.