You know those books that have such great characters that they crawl into your heart and settle there? The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline is one of them. Spanning years and distance and set against the backdrop of British colonization, it tells the stories of three women on the receiving end of that brutality.Evangeline, Hazel, and Mathinna are memorable for their stories, but they tug on your heartstrings even more so because they are based on real people. There’s Evangeline, a governess sentenced to prison after her pregnancy is discovered; Hazel, a young midwife also sentenced for a minor infraction; and Mathinna, an orphan ripped from her home as an experiment in “taming the natives” by the wife of the new … Keep Reading
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‘Midnight Library’ and the Power of Regrets
Do you ever think about where you’d be if you did that ONE thing differently? If you, say, changed your major to match your passions, rather than your expectations? Or if you’d taken that leap of faith and moved to that far off city where you knew no one? The possibilities for how your life could have unfolded are endless, and it's hard not to think about them, sometimes. That's the premise of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and it's a good … Keep Reading
‘The First Day of Spring’ is a Powerful Debut Novel
When Chrissie was 8, she killed a little boy. Twenty years later, she’s a mom trying to do what’s best for her daughter. But how do you forgive yourself for something so awful? Or are some acts so terrible that there’s no coming back? Do the standards for redemption change if you killed someone as a child, rather than adult?Equal parts disturbing and heartbreaking, The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker is told through alternating points … Keep Reading
‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ Infuses Freshness Into the Familiar
Let me start off by saying I really enjoyed The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. My last few books have been duds so I was nervous about continuing my “losing streak”, but this one hit the spot. On its face, the story is tried-and-true: girl meets boy, boy has secrets, girl seeks truth and surprises abound; but Dave infuses freshness into it by going in an unexpected direction. Her approach strikes a balance between the familiar and the … Keep Reading
From the Archives
Landweber’s Debut ‘We’ is Magnificent
Which are better: the memories you have or the memories you want? That's the core question in Michael Landweber's stunning debut, We. Choosing to read this book will take you on a journey into the mind of a young boy. But rather than being told the story by a child, it's told by his adult counterpart. You see, Binky is seven but his mind is occupied by a a 40-something version of himself. As a result of a freak accident, adult Binky (Benedict) is … Keep Reading
Kate Morton Weaves a Rich Tale That Delights
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton is an intricately woven tale of long-hidden family secrets and the quest to uncover them. Told from the viewpoint of 3 different generations, it is an excellent way to disappear from the world and into the garden! When I think of Kate Morton, the words "richly woven tale" come to mind. Her stories are so intricate and leave no stone unturned. But not in that overly-descriptive way that leaves … Keep Reading
‘End of Your Life’ Celebrates Reading
"Reading isn't the opposite of doing; it's the opposite of dying." The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe is another one of those books that has been on every 'Best of 2012' list I have seen. It's also very popular in the world of book blogging, with a few of my bloggy friends having read it already. So, I decided to take the plunge and read the book even though I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about it and couldn't personally … Keep Reading