Look who‘s part of a Facebook ad! 🙂

Day-amn! This is on the Booker Longlist, and I think it‘s got a really good shot. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dystopian, because she‘s possibly the last human. But there‘s so much more to this- loneliness vs. solitude, relationships with others, our place in nature...I‘ll be thinking about this for a long time.

Where to start? A beautifully written story of father and daughter, Iran, and the search for home. One of the best books I‘ve read this year.

#southkorea #readaroundtheworld
Oh my goodness. This is so hard to explain. It‘s about grief: specifically the loss of the narrator‘s older, premature sister. At times it‘s heartbreaking. Others, it‘s a little out there. But the flow of the language is captivating- I‘m going to assume that the translator did a fantastic job. I will be thinking about this for a long time.

#GoTCaD Now I‘m REALLY finding it hard to just read one chapter a day! Joffey‘s a spoiled brat, and his mommy needs her butt kicked, too. Maybe a direwolf can sneak into her room while she‘s sleeping and scare her with its glowing eyes.. @BookwormM @Chili @BookwormAHN @Traci1 @InBooksILive

Shortlisted for the Women‘s Prize (formerly Bailey‘s, formerly Orange Prize) in Fiction. This is a novel, a fact I had to remind myself frequently while rooting for the narrator to get out of her abusive marriage. The writing style is simple, but deceptive- there is nothing simple in this family drama. Really well done. TRIGGER WARNINGS: all of them.

#4newfavesin4days One of my new favorite authors- can‘t wait for Spring and Summer! Tagging @BookwormAHN @Traci1 and @InBooksILive -

#4newfavesin4days One Of the most beautiful, heartbreaking, feel-all-the-feels books ever. Today I nominate @Chili and @JenP if you haven‘t already been nominated...

#4newfavesin4days This was my most recent 5 Star read. How can you go wrong with advice like: “Me secret ingredient for cookie is LOVE. And tiny bit of sea salt on top.” I‘d like to tag @Kristelh @BookwormM and @CafeMom if you aren‘t already participating.

#GoTCaD
My Dire Wolf. She weighs eight pounds (3.6kg) on a fat day... Hell on shoelaces, though!

Aristophanes pokes fun at the Socratic scholars in this play, and it is very funny. It‘s not as good as Lysistrata, but still good. For April (Greece) in #readAroundtheworld

This is one of those books that you want to call in sick to work so that you can read all day. Loved it!

Anna becomes a diver, helping the Navy keep NYC waters safe for ships and the ships in good repair, during WWII. Dexter Styles is a syndicate man who might know what happened to Anna‘s father. Part mystery, part history lesson, lots of Girl Power. Put together by a talented wordsmith. I enjoyed this more than Goon Squad- it wasn‘t as innovative, but a more satisfying read!

Fangirling BIG time! Next week: Thursday: Marlon James will be speaking at the college in my town. Friday: Roxane Gay will be there! I‘m so EXCITED!

#marchmadnesschallenge @JenP When souls gets 10000 lives to reach perfection, most do it well before that last one. Milo, however, is slow on the uptake. At first, I wasn‘t sure I‘d like this, but it hooked me. It could have been shorter, but it was good- kinda like Neil Gaiman.

#marchmadnesschallenge What a deft handling of some tough topics! The writing was sensitive, and there were surprises. I strongly recommend this one! It‘s long in pages, but a fast read.

#marchmadnesschallenge I enjoyed this one- it would be a great discussion: what would you do with your life if you knew the exact date that it will end? Each of the four siblings in this book had a different path, and their stories were each heart wrenching, in their own ways.

I was apprehensive. I disliked both Humboldt‘s Gift and Herzog. But this surprised me. Maybe because it was compact: at 114 pages, Bellow reigned in his wordiness. Wilhelm, the main character who is a failure at everything, has another day. Maybe today will be different. He does a lot of navel gazing, whining and worrying about money. But he has hope. #1001bookswap

#marchmadnesschallenge This retelling Of Antigone is unique- it combines the age old tale of family first with the issues in the UK, and in the US, of prejudice and hate toward immigrants and Muslims. What a great book to make a person think.

Short, but it packs an emotional wallop. Her writing is simple, elegant and eloquent. Well worth reading, but there may be some trigger alerts.

I think I found a reference to Infinite Jest- two of the characters visit a Russian store that rents videos- with suspicious, grumpy, weird clerks. The two novels are set in Boston/Cambridge at about the same time (ish). 🤔

#1001books This was a gem. Margaret is grieving the loss of her father, her job and possibly her relationship. She takes a train ride to London, ordering her memories, and receives a boost from a physically disabled boy named James. This touches on many issues that are still current, and Kennedy writes with such a deft hand. Fans of Ali Smith would like this.

What a wild ride! Apollo and Emma have a baby, but at some point, Emma notices something is off. Soon, Apollo finds himself in an ancient style fairytale in modern NYC. I had to do some research to catch some of the references to the changeling fairytale, but it was worth it. This is getting some Pulitzer buzz. I don‘t know what the chances are, but it was a fun read!

#readaroundtheworld Turkey
A story of family, and a look at old ways vs. the modern world, especially the dynamics between the sexes. I enjoyed this story of how there are so many ways to honor your family, and to dishonor it. Written in 2012, it was longlisted for the Asian Booker Prize. I will be looking for more by Ms. Shafak.

Oh, I love an unreliable narrator! I think Patrick Bateman (American Psycho),Hal Incandenza (Infinite Jest),and Lester Ballard (Child of God by Cormac McCarthy) had a moment of simultaneous coherent thought and out popped Stephen Florida...

A must read to help understand what slavery was really like, and what life was like for African Americans during that time. Louis Gosset, Jr was the narrator, and he was so good.

#readaroundtheworld January : Iceland. This is the story of the last person to be executed in Iceland. A notorious woman, an unreliable narrator, and moral ambiguity on the part of nearly every character- what‘s not to enjoy?

In an unnamed, probably Egyptian city, people are told to line up outside the Gate whenever they need government paperwork done. But the Gate never opens. Meanwhile, the movements of certain citizens are tracked constantly, and people are disappearing, but no visible government officials, just edicts. This was very disturbing- those in the queue didn‘t consider protesting, or even leaving. Even more scary: the events in this could easily happen.

1. Infinite Jest
2. Eimear McBride
3. Americanah
4. Paper Girls (only series I read)
5. The Essex Serpent
6. Lincoln in the Bardo
7. Autumn by Ali Smith

This is NOT a kid‘s comic book. It is a graphic novel for adults, with a mature story and STUNNING artwork. I highly recommend it!

This is the memoir of a Cuban refugee of the change of power from Batista to Castro. He details his life in America somewhat, but mostly his affluent childhood. It was actually easy to read, with the humor and foibles of childhood. There were some very serious parts- televised firing squads, bombs, gunfire- all terrifying, but tempered with a child's POV. Read for #readaroundtheworld @JenP

Like @JenP I hesitate to give out 5 star ratings- so I grabbed authors that are proven favorites, with descriptions that promise reading euphoria. #fivestarpredictions

If you're a former little girl who spent hours playing Little House on the Prairie and also loved every single book about Anne Shirley, this is a perfect blend. Four siblings leave Wisconsin to homestead their Uncle Jim's claim in 1910 South Dakota. It was a Newbery Honor book, but is more YA/grownup than a kids' book. I love this type of book, and I'm thrilled to have found it- not sure why I hadn't before now! ❤️

I'm sensing a cover theme...
Loving Autumn so far (halfway through) and just got Elmet today. Man Booker long list goals...

#bookcolortag @CafeMom Yellow! Happy Saturday!

#bookcolortag @JenP @Kristelh Lime green it is! Along with some of today's green food harvest, and a red hot chili pepper! Challenge to @CafeMom : purple!

Pascual Duarte is a murderer, at least twice over, and probably more. This is his attempt to force the reader to feel sympathy, by confessing, but making the murders sound "natural". It didn't work. He was executed before he could finish writing his pile of..yeah. The writing was amazing, but I really need to read a book with puppies and rainbows now. #readaroundtheworld #spain @JenP (Please sign me up for the Don Quixote!) ?

Yup. At least I have an excuse to lay around and read on my day off.

This is shaping up to be a great romance. The story is so simple- how these two men met in the 40s, and how they have grown to be an old married couple. The big difference is that they've had to hide their love for over 50 years. The author clearly cares for these two- the writing is funny and tender, even though Frank's a bit of a curmudgeon.

The story of citizens, and documented workers, all Latinx, living in an apartment complex in Delaware, trying to make ends meet and find their American Dream in the 2008 economy. This doesn't hold back on the prejudice directed at these characters, and it addresses brain injury with class. The audio was full cast, and acted beautifully. Beware: this will hit your emotions hard, and make you ugly cry. Finish it at home!

I'm about halfway through this, and really liking it. It's based on The Iliad and the Greek plays based on the Trojan War and the Odyssey. Told from the POVs of Clytemnestra, Orestes, and Electra, it focuses on revenge, family, and misinformation. I think @sprainedbrain would like this one- it has a similar setting and feel.

Just read the play, so it's time to read the book. So far, it's a winner. That's no surprise, it is Jeanette Winterson!

This was a children's book set in Thailand, by a Thai author. Kati lives with her grandparents, because her mother has ALS. It was a touching and universal look at how a nine year old copes with change and loss. #readaroundtheworld

This beautifully written family saga begins in 1962 Palestine and ends in 2014 Beirut, with multiple displacements along the way. At heart, it's the story of a family trying to find normality in the midst of chaos. 5 stars

Took my niece shopping at my two favorite bookstores this week. Haunted Bookshop and Prairie Lights in Iowa City are now her favorites, too!

What an interesting premise: Women have electricity in their hands, and aren't afraid to put men in their places. What woman hasn't dreamed of this? Of course, there is opposition, and power struggles. The plot and characters are well drawn, the settings are described beautifully. This was a fun read, though I doubt too many men would agree...
This is on the Bailey's Prize Short List. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

I honestly dreamed I was attacked by a feral hamster last night. Fortunately, it wanted to be cuddled. @JenP
#infinitejestbuddyread

I don't think this qualifies as a spoiler: I just flew through pages 601-619. Maybe the pace will continue to pick up like this!?! #infinitejestbuddyread

Just ok. I felt like an intruder on this man's life, and that the author maybe pushed too hard, so he could get the story. Listened on audio, and the reader did a good job. #marchmadness @JenP