This is one of those books that has a terrible description on Amazon and Goodreads. They both call it “haunting.” Amazon says it’s a “story of people finding ways to go on, in an ever-evolving world.” Goodreads says it’s “about coming of age during extraordinary times.” Pardon me if I’m being obtuse, but isn’t every fiction book about people finding ways to go on, in some way or another? If someone hands you a YA book and says it’s about coming of age in an […]
Once Upon a Time. . .
I don’t specifically remember the first time I read this book, but that could be because I’ve read it at least once a year since then–at this point, that’s ten or more rereads. This is my favorite book. It’s the story of Rebecca, a fifty-something widow, who at a family picnic one day sort of “wakes up” and realizes she has no idea how she turned into the person that she’s become. She runs a party planning business out of her home, attempts to corral […]
I could be happy the rest of my life with a vinegar girl
Anne Tyler is one of my favorite authors (this is the third book of hers I’ve reviewed this year), and that is the only reason I was willing to read Vinegar Girl, a modern retelling of The Taming of the Shrew. I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed reading this. The modern twist in Vinegar Girl is that the “shrew” character, Katherine, is the daughter of an eccentric scientist, Louis Battista. Louis’s lab assistant, Pyotr, is in the U.S. on a visa which […]
At Home in this Nation We’ve Made
When I was in 5th grade, we were assigned a “President’s Pack” to complete. It was a just a bunch of worksheets with facts about the Presidents, but it was enough to get me hooked. Ever since, I’ve been completely fascinated by the lives of U.S. Presidents. I’ve never cared as much about their political accomplishments–I wanted to know more about their families and their day-to-day lives. This is exactly what The Residence is about, and I found it completely enjoyable. Kate Andersen Brower used […]