#generalfiction

Terrie

Oct 23, 2020

Buddy Read: The Little Paris Bookshop

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George Genre: General Fiction Published 2013, 392 pages Over the years my sister and I have found that we often recommend books to each other but since we don't read them at the same time, it's hard to have satisfying discussions because one of us read it too long ago to remember quotes or details. So now, we planned ahead and picked a year's worth of Buddy Read books, 2 a month, so that we can enjoy talking about them together. The Little Pa

The Latecomers: deep love, mysticism, and challenges face a 60 year old couple

Terrie

Mar 3, 2020

The Latecomers: deep love, mysticism, and challenges face a 60 year old couple

The Latecomers by Rich Marcello Genre: General Fiction (ARC) Published Jan 15, 2020, 294 pages I received this book as an ARC through #BookSirens - all opinions are my own. From the jacket copy it sounded interesting and something different for me. After reading it, I was right - it's definitely not something I usually gravitate toward. THE PLOT: A MATURE LOVE STORY This is a love story of a 60-something couple at a crossroads. Deeply in love and happy in their relationship,

Is Kingsolver too political in this novel, Unsheltered?

Terrie

Jan 22, 2020

Is Kingsolver too political in this novel, Unsheltered?

Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver Genre: General Fiction Published 2018, 480 pages I'm a longtime Kingsolver fan, primarily due to The Poisonwood Bible. For me, this book is a mixed bag. Set in alternating time frames, the 1870s and 2016, the two storylines have similarities. I liked that format for this book. In both cases the male characters are teachers and have lost or are losing their jobs. In both cases there are female characters who are bucking the establishment, trying

Street Lawyer: A lawyer on the way up has an unsettling event with a homeless man

Donna

Nov 21, 2019

Street Lawyer: A lawyer on the way up has an unsettling event with a homeless man

Successful anti-trust attorney on the fast track to a partnership and big money has a dangerous and unsettling encounter with a homeless man that changes his life. The Street Lawyer, John Grisham Genre: General Fiction Published 1998, 384 pages In general, I find Grisham’s books very readable and this one was too. Michael and his surgeon wife Claire’s marriage is in trouble; they both work too many hours. While dealing with that issue in his life, Michael and several other la

Sibling love, a broken family all revolved around The Dutch House.

Terrie

Nov 19, 2019

Sibling love, a broken family all revolved around The Dutch House.

The Dutch House, Ann Patchett Genre: General Fiction Published 2019, 337 pages Wow. This is one of the best sibling stories ever. AND, it's an excellent dysfunctional family story. Danny and Maeve, the brother and sister of the novel, (she's 7 years older) forge an unbreakable bond as they struggle through the abandonment by their mom, their dad's second wife, dad's death, and their effort to just survive. "The story of my sister was the only one I was ever meant to tell." An

A story of survival, resilience, and personal growth for a lonely young woman

Terrie

Nov 15, 2019

A story of survival, resilience, and personal growth for a lonely young woman

as she strives to overcome a truly horrendous childhood. Eleanor is a closed-off, formal, socially awkward woman who makes a friend - and her world opens up. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman Genre: General Fiction Published 2018, 325 pages This book made me laugh out loud (a pretty rare occurrence when reading) and get teary (a more common occurrence) and made me think. I'm not sure how a book can be all over the internet and on my shelf for months and when

A newlywed black couple, a wrongly convicted husband, big emotions: An American Marriage

Terrie

Nov 11, 2019

A newlywed black couple, a wrongly convicted husband, big emotions: An American Marriage

What follows is a heartbreaking story of love, trust, and a marriage broken. An American Marriage, Tayari Jones Genre: General Fiction Published 2018, 308 pages "Human emotion is beyond comprehension, smooth and uninterrupted, like an orb made of blown glass." This book is SO beautifully written and explores so many conflicting emotions that I found myself pausing and rereading passages to absorb the language; I have so many quotes marked throughout the book! None of the hard

The Last Child: 13-year-old Johnny searches for missing twin sister while dealing with family issues

Donna

Nov 7, 2019

The Last Child: 13-year-old Johnny searches for missing twin sister while dealing with family issues

The Last Child (#1 Merrimon), John Hart Genre: General Fiction, Mystery Award: Edgar Published 2009, 373 pages He watched the grief take her down. It broke her at the waist. She splayed her hands on the ground, dug her fingers into soft earth. “Make it stop,” she whispered. Boy, this book just rips at your heart. Johnny’s family is torn apart after his twin sister goes missing. Then, a while later, his father leaves. Both Johnny and his mother are devastated by these two loss

October Mini Reviews - SIX short book reviews

Terrie

Oct 30, 2019

October Mini Reviews - SIX short book reviews

This month we have six mini book reviews including The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida, Driving Miss Norma by Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie Liddle, Most Dangerous Place by James Grippando, A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz, Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane, and The Other Wife by Michael Robotham. The Reason I Jump, Naoki Higashida Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir Published 2005, 135 pages Terrie's read I read this short book to satisfy a category in the #BookRiot #ReadHarder annual chall

Where the Crawdads Sing: A young woman survives alone in the marshes of N Carolina

Terrie

Oct 28, 2019

Where the Crawdads Sing: A young woman survives alone in the marshes of N Carolina

A young woman from an abusive home who basically raises herself finds her life complicated when she meets a young man - and someone ends up dead, with her as the main suspect. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens Genre: General Fiction Published 2018, 384 pages This book certainly got a lot of hype so I picked it up as my first read of 2019 and I think it mostly lived up to all that attention. As a debut novel, it's amazingly perceptive and satisfying. It's not a book I would

Eleven people board a private jet which crashes leaving only two survivors.

Donna

Oct 24, 2019

Eleven people board a private jet which crashes leaving only two survivors.

Eleven people board a private jet flying from Martha’s Vineyard to New York. When the plane crashes into the ocean only two survive. Before The Fall, Noah Hawley Genre: General Fiction Award: Edgar Award Winner Published 2016, 401 pages On a private jet flying to New York, Scott, a down-on-his-luck painter and JJ, the 4-year-old son of a billionaire survive a plane crash. Scott rescues the crying JJ from the water carrying him on his back as he swims for hours to land. Haile

Set in Tokyo, Convenience Store Woman is a simple story with complex subtext

Terrie

Oct 21, 2019

Set in Tokyo, Convenience Store Woman is a simple story with complex subtext

Written and translated by a woman, this story is set in Tokyo and is all about a woman who starts working at a convenience store in college and never leaves even though friends and family try to get her to see the error of her ways. Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata Genre: General Fiction Published 2016, 163 pages I'm torn with my opinion. A quirky book with weird characters, I found it entertaining and sort of a societal commentary about sexist expectations....get a goo

Get Shorty, a classic Leonard book is our Buddy Read - this one of movies and mob guys

Donna

Oct 18, 2019

Get Shorty, a classic Leonard book is our Buddy Read - this one of movies and mob guys

Another Buddy Read is this classic Elmore Leonard story. A Miami mobster ends up in LA as he's hunting for a guy who owes him money. He finds a sleazy movie maker and the fun begins! Get Shorty (Chili Palmer #1), Elmore Leonard Genre: General Fiction Published 1990, 384 pages Donna's Thoughts Chili: “Jesus, what you had to go through with actors. The ideal situation would be if you could make movies without them.” Whether you’ve seen the movie with John Travolta first or rea

Terrie

Oct 17, 2019

Two Books by Thrity Umrigar

A couple who loses their son moves to India to "start over" is the framework for The Weight of Heaven, which Donna read. Terrie read The Space Between Us, the story of a wealthy Parsi woman, her valued servant of 20 years, and their changing relationship. The Weight of Heaven, Thrity Umrigar Genre: General Fiction Published 2009, 365 pages Donna's read I have read several books by this author and they have all been wonderful. This is a heart-wrenching story of an American cou

All My Puny Sorrows - Sisters and the strong bond they share is the theme in this book

Donna

Aug 15, 2019

All My Puny Sorrows - Sisters and the strong bond they share is the theme in this book

One wants to end her life and the other wants to save her and give her a reason to live. All My Puny Sorrows, Miriam Toews Genre: General Fiction Published 2014, 321 pages “It was my father and my sister who constantly beseeched my mother and me to read more, to find succor for life in books, to soothe our aches and pains with words and more words.” Sometimes a downer of a story about dealing with a family member’s multiple attempted suicides and simultaneously the death of a

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