The story starts out with the idea that Allen, who is just turning 100, is kind of viewed as mischievous because he drinks too much vodka and that he is a sweet old guy who needs to be returned to the old age home. This notion that Allen is ever in his life going to … Continue reading The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (Audio version) – Jonas Jonasson
Author: Emily Leader
I have been an avid reader since Dick and Jane met Sally. At age 7, I read my parents' first edition of "To Kill a Mockingbird." I am a retired lawyer and so read almost only fiction for pleasure. I'm adding in nonfiction these days, largely on social justice matters but also history, biography, and weird topics that catch my imagination. I used to read only serially, one book at a time. Presently, I read paperbacks, hardcovers, listen to audible, listen to CDs and read online through Net Galley. Covid-19 has caused me to read a lot so I have re-upped my Goodreads challenge for 2021 and am starting to review at least my favorite finds annd, perhaps, some stinkers.
The Lunar Housewife – Caroline Woods
The Lunar Housewife is a delicious novel, focusing on Louise Leithauser, an aspiring writer who finds herself on the fringes of cold war activity during the McCarthy era. The novel opens at a party in 1953, filled with literary luminaries and pretty women, gathered at a Manhattan apartment to celebrate the second issue of the … Continue reading The Lunar Housewife – Caroline Woods
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water- Angie Cruz
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water will make you want to look at life differently, to think,"What would Cara do?" The audio book version was like listening to a radio play to such an extent, I wondered if this short novel was written only for audio and double checked. It IS a … Continue reading How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water- Angie Cruz
The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym – Paula Byrne [AND: Two Pym Novels: “Excellent Women” and “Crampton Hodnet”]
I recognized the name of novelist Barbara Pym and believed I had read one of her books … but I realized a few chapters into this thoughtful and entertaining biography that I had the wrong "Barbara." I stopped reading the biography, went to an online lending library and read Pym's "Excellent Women" and "Crampton Hodnet," … Continue reading The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym – Paula Byrne [AND: Two Pym Novels: “Excellent Women” and “Crampton Hodnet”]
Dandelion – Jamie Chai Yun Liew
Note: Because I "read" the audio version of Dandelion, I do not have a reference to the novel to get all names right, locations, etc. Lily and Bea are sisters growing up in Sparwood, British Columbia with their parents, who immigrated to Canada from Brunei before they were born. They are ethnically Chinese, which mattered … Continue reading Dandelion – Jamie Chai Yun Liew
The Teacher of Warsaw – Mario Escobar
Janusz Korczak was well known in Poland as a children's book author, a popular radio show host of programs advocating for children and a former pediatrician who literally gave his life as the director of a Warsaw Jewish Orphanage during WWII. The Teacher of Warsaw is a first person narrative novel, cast as Korczak's diary … Continue reading The Teacher of Warsaw – Mario Escobar
The Stranger She Knew – Rosalind Stopps
May, an elderly woman of indeterminate age, lived independently but she wakes up in a nursing home, unable to speak or to control her limbs. Her thoughts turn to a conspiracy. She's not really this old woman, but a younger person in the guise of an old woman. She's a good person, yet her irascible … Continue reading The Stranger She Knew – Rosalind Stopps
Death and Hard Cider – Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January #19)
I am a long time fan of the Benjamin January series and all of the continuing characters --who are present and very satisfying in this installment. There are a couple of well-plotted mysteries and plenty of intrigue. The setting remains set in New Orleans and surrounds, this time, with no one traveling. Henry Clay comes … Continue reading Death and Hard Cider – Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January #19)
An Olive Grove in Ends – Moses McKenzie
WHOA! This novel is an amazing coming of age story about dreams, values, love, family, organized religion, crime and figuring things out for yourself against many differing backdrops and options. The Ends is a neighborhood in Bristol, UK. The first thing you see after the table of contents is the Hughes family tree: Sayon is … Continue reading An Olive Grove in Ends – Moses McKenzie
Sweet Sweet Revenge Ltd.- Jonas Jonasson
This book is ingeniously quirky and I LOVED it and laughed and found out about an amazing artist all in one. It takes place in Stockholm and Kenya. Victor, a despicable young man, lands a job in a prestigious art gallery, Alderheims. The widowed owner has a young daughter, Jenny, and Victor, taking the long … Continue reading Sweet Sweet Revenge Ltd.- Jonas Jonasson
They Called me Bookworm 