Month: December 2014

Connecting Two Lives Lived 50 Years Apart

Book review of "The Hand that First Held Mine" by Maggie O'Farrell. Alexandra is stuck in rural England, living at home, sharing her bedroom with siblings again, after being sent down from university for going through the wrong door – an act for which she refuses to apologize. But it is the mid-1950s and she’s … Continue reading Connecting Two Lives Lived 50 Years Apart →

Up Close and Undivided Attention

Book Review of "Divisadero" by Michael Ondaatje. Here is a book for which it is almost impossible to write a plot synopsis. Like many of Ondaatje's other works, this doesn't have narrative that follows conventional literary patterns or rules. Although there is an overall linear aspect to the novel, the general feeling is more of … Continue reading Up Close and Undivided Attention →

Tasty Reading

Book Review of "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café" by Fannie Flagg. For those of you who aren't familiar with either the movie or the book, this is the story of the events that happened to a group of people who lived in the town of Whistle Stop, Alabama in the 1930's. One … Continue reading Tasty Reading →

My 5 Favorite Books of 2014

2014: The Year of the Curmudgeon!   Looking back over this past year, it seems that almost all of my best-loved books that came out in 2014 featured protagonists who are, essentially, grumpy old men. While they hardly ever stop frowning, reading about some of them will certainly put a smile on your face (or … Continue reading My 5 Favorite Books of 2014 →

Bringing Worlds Together

Book review of "The Distance Between Us" by Maggie O'Farrell. Jake's single mother gave birth to him, and raised him in Hong Kong. In 1993, Jake was caught in the Chinese New Year's crush, resulting in an almost fatal injury for the girl he was dating. In London, at the same time, Stella thinks she's … Continue reading Bringing Worlds Together →