A Very Nice Box by Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett was a very solid four stars until the twist. I saw this described as satire but to me, it was a slightly heightened alt world. I loved the little world, the faux Ikea/start-up culture and setting, and the idea of the perfect box. So much … Continue reading
I really don’t know how I came across this book. It was on my reserves from library so at some point I must have suggested they purchase it. I vaguely remember reading an earlier book of hers and enjoying it well enough. Sometimes the lag between reading about a book and it actually coming out … Continue reading
I always like Heiny’s books because they are filled with people I feel like I’d actually know in my own life, teachers, woodworkers, mandolin players, and not the soccer moms and endless lawyers that populate so many other books. Early Morning Riser did not disappoint! I really felt like I lived in this town and … Continue reading
I have read all Caroline Leavitt’s books since I was in high school in the late ’90s so I was excited to read this one. I follow her on Twitter so I knew it was a loose fictionalization of the author’s own coma experience so that intrigued me. She said that she had been in … Continue reading
The Hopefuls is another book I got out from the library because it was available instantly for download for the Kindle. I remember hearing about her other book, Girls in White Dresses, when it came out but I honestly am not sure if I read it. I thought I had but then the description doesn’t … Continue reading
This book was an unexpected delight. I didn’t remember what it was about at all or what it was about but it was on my Amazon wishlist (I’ve since made a dedicated book wish list, why did that take so long?) so I requested it and it was finally available to download to my Kindle. … Continue reading
I’ve read a few books the last couple of days but Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa was my favorite. Translated from Japanese, it is the story of a reluctant dorayaki (a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste) chef who against his initial impulse hires a woman in her mid-70s to help out at the dorayaki … Continue reading
I’ve read that The Best Kind of People has been optioned by Sarah Polley as a movie and reading it, I can totally see why that would happen. It almost reads like a script as-is (Zoe Whittall does write for television so that makes sense)–a valued member of the community and high school teacher who … Continue reading
A Spool of Blue Thread was not my favorite Anne Tyler. I always liked Ladder of Years best, personally, although now I see the protagonist who seemed like a real, old, established adult to me when I first read it was only supposed to be 40. Oy. Living in Baltimore, I do like to read books that … Continue reading
I have read all of Nick Hornby’s books even the music essay ones and somehow it took me until now to read Funny Girl. I guess my library hiatus had more casualties than I thought. I enjoyed the beginning of the book. Barbara from Blackpool goes from being Miss Blackpool for an hour to … Continue reading
Rachel Reads Books 