A Change of Heart is the first book I’ve read by Sonali Dev. I found it through NPR’s Best Books of 2016. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and it was unusual, violent, and sometimes disturbing, but I have to say that it sucked me in. I was reading it while I was on vacation, on my first cruise. It was kind of fun to read a book that starts on a cruise while on a cruise, and I definitely got into it. Dr. Nikhil Joshi’s wife, […]
Italian: the language of love
Jhumpa Lahiri is an incredible author. She’s won the Pulitzer and was nominated for the National Book Award and Man Booker Prize. I’ve read Unaccustomed Earth as well as Interpreter of Maladies by Lahiri and was very impressed by her beautiful language and subtle, intuitive characterization. So I was not disappointed when someone in book club recommended that we read In Other Words (2016), Lahiri’s latest book. However, when I looked it up on Amazon, some of my excitement faded. This is Lahiri’s first non-fiction book. It is about her love […]
Fox and friends
Pax by Sara Pennypacker is a young adult novel geared for kids aged eight to twelve. I first saw it on NPR’s Best Books of 2016 List, but it is also on the National Book Award Long List. I often enjoy young adult novels because they have a sweet simplicity that is appealing. I also enjoyed reading Pax. Peter is twelve years old and has been living with his dad and caring for his pet fox, Pax, for five years. He found Pax as a kit and the two […]
Hunger, religion, and faith
I remember reading Room by Emma Donoghue and not being able to put it down. I was impressed that Donoghue was able to write such a sensitive story, with such a realistic viewpoint of a little boy in extraordinary conditions. Even more, I was glad that she managed it without it feeling too exploitative. So when I saw that Donoghue had just written The Wonder (2016), I knew I wanted to read it. At first glance, The Wonder looks like it could not be more different than Room. It takes place in […]