#bookreview

Review: "Manhattan Beach"

I’ve only read one other novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. But my love for that book had me certain I would love the...

2-Minute Tuesdays: Volume 1

Trying something new today! I'm kicking off a video series of 2-minute micro-reviews of books I've recently read. To start, check out...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 30: "The Sense of an Ending"

Today, on the last day of August, my "30 books in 30 beach days" series is coming to a close. Never one for subtlety, I'm taking the...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 29: "Neapolitan Novels"

I've saved this, my favorite read of the year, for the penultimate day in this 30 books series. If you are a book-lover, it's assured...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 28: "The Underground Railroad"

Today's selection, Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad, will have you speeding along at a breakneck pace to discover the fate of...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 26: "We Were Liars"

A few summers ago, I read with interest about We Were Liars, a much-lauded young adult book set in the most idyllic of places for a New...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 25: "Twenty Poems to Bless Your Marriage and One to Save It"

On this beautiful summer day, you'll forgive me for an incredibly cheesy (but incredibly appropriate!) inclusion in this series. I got...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 24: "Netherland"

Today's review is of Joseph O'Neill's beautiful post-colonial novel, Netherland. Most of the novel is told in an extended flashback,...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 22: "A Gentleman in Moscow"

"Delightful" isn't often a word you'd think of to describe a post-revolutionary Russian novel. But Amor Towles' year-old novel A...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 20: The Marriage Plot

Ah, the good 'ol marriage plot: something every diligent English major knows (and has read) intimately. The traditional marriage plot...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 19: "Wait Til Next Year"

Are you shocked? This is the first time I've ever written a review for a work of non-fiction here. It feels weird. But summer wouldn't...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 18: "Like Water for Chocolate"

Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate is a beautiful, vivid picture of magical realism, set in Mexico. It is a star-crossed love...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 17: "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett

I'm torn about today's review of the epic Ken Follett novel The Pillars of the Earth, because I liked the story and appreciated the...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 16: "A Prayer for Owen Meany"

After a few days in New Hampshire, back to our regularly-scheduled programming! Hiking through the White Mountains in New Hampshire this...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 15: "The Golden Compass"

On the verge of the weekend, I have an exciting suggestion for your beach read: a throwback to the mid-90s, a time before even Harry...

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