Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes Keywords: fiction, war, Vietnam, marines, suffering, fear, boys, courage, friends First line: Mellas stood beneath the gray monsoon clouds on the narrow strip of cleared ground between the edge of the jungle and the relative safety of the perimeter wire. Last line: Only the shadows themselves could change. Thoughts: The author,… Continue reading Good books I read in April
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Keywords: historical fiction, Russia, 1922-1954, the Metrepol Hotel, friends that are also family it's hard to tell, beautiful First line: At half past six on the twenty-first of June 1922, when Count Alexander Illyich Rostov was escorted through the gates of the Kremlin onto Red Square, it was… Continue reading Good books I read in March
If I had to defend why stories matter, I would first be exasperated and in disbelief unto the highest degree that I would even need to. Then I would say: It's because they let you see into somebody else's world through somebody else's eyes who most likely thinks, feels, and believes differently than you do.… Continue reading What I read in February // mini-reviews
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald Keywords: memoir, grief, a hawk, loss of a father, reflections, falconry history, author T. H. White First line: Fifty-five minutes north-east of Cambridge is a landscape I've come to love very much indeed. Last line: And in I go, where the dogs lie flat on the kitchen floor,… Continue reading What I read in January // mini-reviews
Out of the following 12 books, 6 are historical fiction, 5 are non-fiction ( 1 collection of essays, 2 memoirs, 1 true-crime/narrative non-fiction, 1 psychology), and 1 contemporary romance. Where is the fantasy and contemporary YA and middle-grade? Weird. The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson Keywords: historical fiction, 1947 London,… Continue reading So many mini-reviews
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo First line: Babygirl doesn't even cry when I suck my teeth and undo her braid for the fourth time.Last line: With love & a sprinkling of cinnamon, always, EKeywords: YA, cooking, a little bit of magic, high school, a new boy, family, best friends I've read other… Continue reading Good books I’ve read recently
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas If you recognize the author's name, it's probably because of her first book, The Hate U Give. It was also adapted into a movie that came out last year. THUG was very good, but On the Come Up was as good and in my opinion, maybe ever better.… Continue reading Mini-reviews on good books I’ve read recently
