Malala Yousafzai was only fifteen when she was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban for speaking out for education for everyone around the world, but especially for girls, and especially in Muslim countries. She miraculously survived and now has an even larger audience for her message. I think I’d heard a […]
Sovereign by C. J. Sansom: Book Review
Matthew Shardlake has been summoned by Archbishop Cranmer to assist with some law work as King Henry makes a royal progress through the rebellious north. He must also try to keep a prisoner alive for later questioning. But conspiracies still abound in the area and Shardlake’s life is endangered when he stumbles onto something. Reading […]
The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin: Book Review
Talmadge is in town selling the fruit from his orchard one day when he notices two girls watching him. They’re very young and very pregnant. He dozes off for a few minutes and wakes as the girls run away with some fruit they’ve stolen. He decides not to chase them because they look hungry. A […]
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde: Book Review
Welcome to an alternative England, where characters from nursery rhymes investigate nursery crimes and the investigation is more focused on getting a good story than on getting a correct conviction. Jack Spratt and his new partner, Mary Mary, have just been assigned to investigate the death of Humpty Dumpty. But this seemingly straightforward investigation is […]
The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King: Book Review
Dean Lynch is a Methodist preacher’s wife, a role she finds nearly impossible to fill. She comes from a “white trash” background, to use her description, so saying the right thing at the right time and being peaches and cream in all situations just doesn’t come naturally to her. When her husband is sent to […]
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: Book Review
Bernadette Fox is an…eccentric…mother and wife living in Seattle. Her daughter, Bee, is an excellent student and has asked for a family cruise to Antarctica as a reward for earning all A’s (or her school’s equivalent) throughout her middle school career. Bernadette and her husband, Elgin, can’t think of a reason to say no so […]
Vintage by Susan Gloss: Book Review
Violet Turner owns a vintage clothing shop in Madison, Wisconsin. She’s on her own after her rocky marriage ended and she likes it that way. She’s always dreamed of owning a shop like this and she’s happy enough. Then she finds out that she’s being evicted from her building, a good friend asks her to […]
Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews: Book Review
4 Stars. I just adore Mary Kay Andrews’s books because they are so much fun to read! The characters generally come to life for me, I find myself laughing at the trouble they inevitably get themselves into, and the settings feel real. Spring Fever is no exception. Annajane is not perfect by any […]
Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges: Book Review
Um, I think I missed something. This book’s average rating on GoodReads is 4.47 as I write this and I’m rating it 2 stars. Where did I go wrong? It’s been a while since I finished so I won’t be able to get too specific. First of all, I didn’t particularly care for the writing […]
The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara: Book Review
Mariatu Kamara was twelve years old when she was caught up in the civil war in Sierra Leone. Most of her village was killed in a raid. Boy soldiers cut off both her hands but let her go. She shares the story of how she learned to cope in the new world she found herself […]
Salt by Isabel Zuber: Book Review
Title: SaltAuthor: Isabel ZuberGenres: Historical Fiction, Southern LiteratureFormat: Paperback Synopsis: John Bayley meets Anna Stockton when she’s in her late teens. He decides right away that he’s going to marry her. She looks to be a strong woman who knows how to work. After burying two wives, that combination appeals to John. The rest of […]