We live in a culture that is obsessed with happiness. I'm guilty of it, as I am sure you are. But what if happiness isn't what we think it is? What if happiness hides itself in heartache? What if happiness isn't enough? This last statement used to be a controversial, but in the recent past there has been a shift in the conversation from living a happy life to living a … [Read more...]
‘Dear Mr. M’ Blends Koch’s Best Features with Wider Appeal
Dear Mr. M is my third book by Herman Koch, and I think it's safe to say that I'm a fan. I previously read The Dinner and Summer House With Swimming Pool, both of which were captivatingly disturbing in their own rights. Like these books, Dear Mr. M is a complicated story made up of flawed characters and sinister acts, but it's far less disturbing than his previous books. In … [Read more...]
How to Declutter, Tidy Up, and Get Happy
When it comes to cleaning, I think I hate it as much as the average person with an aversion to it. It pains me to vacuum and mopping is pretty much unheard of (luckily my husband doesn't feel the same way). But when it comes to organizing and tidying, I love it. I can spend hours reorganizing my bookshelves and my closet and was that child who actually wanted to … [Read more...]
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
As a vegetarian, I was looking forward to picking up The Vegetarian by Han Kang (tranlsated by Deborah Smith). The premise sounded interesting - a woman who gives up meat following a disturbing dream, thus uprooting her life and affecting those around her. Living in a culture where vegetarianism isn't widely accepted and in a society where women are expected to … [Read more...]
The Shore by Sara Taylor (Book Review)
Sara Taylor's debut novel, The Shore, has been getting some rave reviews and I was thrilled to snag a copy of it. Set in a remote set of islands off the coast of Virginia, it offers up a series of short stories that overlap to create a wonderful novel about the importance of home, the conflicting desire to run away and stay where you are, and the joys and sorrows that … [Read more...]