#modernfiction

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...

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 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 21: "Home"

With everything going on in the news, today feels like a particularly good day to share a particularly good book from the particularly...

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 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 Days Day 12: "My Name is Lucy Barton"

Inspired by yesterday’s review and recent languid summer days, we’ll continue the trend of simplicity with today’s review of Elizabeth...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 11: "Gilead"

Today, on a slow and sun-drenched Sunday, it is time to share one of my favorite books of all time. I wrote my college senior thesis on...

30 Books in 30 Beach Days Day 10: "Where'd You Go, Bernadette"

Where’d You Go, Bernadette is the perfect beach read: funny and fun, part mystery, with strong messages of self-love and...

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