Fredrik Backman is a stunning writer. I rarely highlight what I am reading, even when I love the writing and even though, because they are e-books, I am not damaging a paperback or hardcover version of a novel. There is something about the way Backman thinks as he creates, once again, unforgettable characters that makes … Continue reading My Friends – Fredrik Backman
Tag: #comingofage
The Red House – Mary Morris (Audio Narrator – Alyssa Bresnahan)
The Red House is a story about trauma and a child's search to learn about her mother's experiences during WWII in Mussolini's Italy. Laura was born in post-WWII Italy to Viola, an Italian woman and her American father. The family eventually moved to New Jersey. Viola was an artist, who frequently painted a red house … Continue reading The Red House – Mary Morris (Audio Narrator – Alyssa Bresnahan)
Didn’t You Used to be Queenie Bee? – Terri-Lynne DeFino (Audio Narrator – Eva Kaminsky)
Didn't You Used to Be Queenie B. exceeded my expectations! I liked the concept, but how Terri-Lynne DeFino writes this story kept me engaged in listening to the audio version in the car in front of the house. Eva Kaminsky did a nice job with the narration. Gale Carmichael lives with his childhood friend, Kyle … Continue reading Didn’t You Used to be Queenie Bee? – Terri-Lynne DeFino (Audio Narrator – Eva Kaminsky)
The Road to Tender Hearts – Annie Hartnett
Annie Hartnett just blew me away again with her story about a 63 year old guy kind of on his last legs, a cat named Pancakes, two little kids he unexpectedly acquires due to a tragedy and his ex-wife and younger daughter. The whole story turns into a ridiculous roadtrip that happens on a whim … Continue reading The Road to Tender Hearts – Annie Hartnett
O Sinners! – Nicole Cuffy
In O Sinners! there are two men who play the key roles. One is Faruq, a young man raised by an observant Muslim father and, until her death in a car accident, a mother who was less observant. Faruq writes for an online site but he needs a break shortly after his father dies. His … Continue reading O Sinners! – Nicole Cuffy
Listen to Your Sister – Neena Viel (Audio Narrators – Eric Lockley, Kristolyn Lloyd, Zeno Robinson)
Listen to Your Sister is partly a horror story, but the focus is on three African American siblings, raised in Hollywood, Florida and now living in Seattle at a time of racial strife. The youngest, Jamie, is 16. His 23 year old sister Callie is his guardian because a determination was made he was no … Continue reading Listen to Your Sister – Neena Viel (Audio Narrators – Eric Lockley, Kristolyn Lloyd, Zeno Robinson)
The Quiet Librarian – Allen Eskens
Hana, a Bosnian refugee, dresses in frumpy clothes and stays out of the way as an employee at a library in Minnesota. And then, one day, a detective comes in to ask her about her friend, Amina. She is dead. Her grandson, a seven year old orphan, now has no family. And Hana fears the … Continue reading The Quiet Librarian – Allen Eskens
Atonement – Ian McEwan (Audio Narrator- Jill Tanner)
Believe me friends, I do still read print! I just tend to zoom through audiobooks at increased speed while getting things done. This time, I turned to a novel that shows up on top {name your number} books of the last {name the number of years or centuries}. I have avoided reading Atonement, because the … Continue reading Atonement – Ian McEwan (Audio Narrator- Jill Tanner)
Life Hacks for a Little Alien – Alice Franklin (Audio narrated by Sally Phillips)
This book, written in the third person is about a little girl who is neurodivergent being raised by an engineer father and a mother who seems neurotic but in a common way when we first meet her. Hester. That's a spoiler I guess, because at first, we just hear about the child in a very … Continue reading Life Hacks for a Little Alien – Alice Franklin (Audio narrated by Sally Phillips)
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library – Michiko Aoyama (Audible narrators -Hanako Footman, Susan Momoko Hingley, Kenichiro Thomson, Wilson Ting, Shiro Kawai)
In a ward in Tokyo there is a community building next to the elementary school. The two buildings used to be attached but now, to get to the community building you have to walk around back to the separate entrance. There are free adult classes, a farmers market some days and a large room that … Continue reading What You Are Looking For Is in the Library – Michiko Aoyama (Audible narrators -Hanako Footman, Susan Momoko Hingley, Kenichiro Thomson, Wilson Ting, Shiro Kawai)
They Called me Bookworm 