One of three children born to interracial parents, Lydia was clearly the favorite. She was obedient, disciplined, talented, and never caused her parents to worry. When she goes missing and is subsequently found dead, it goes without saying that her parents were truly shocked. It is upon her disappearance that Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng begins, and what follows is … [Read more...]
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (Book Review)
Last week was gloomy and rainy, so I was in the mood for a good, short ghost story. I'm a big wuss when it comes to this genre, but Rory at Fourth Street Review assured me that, as far as horror goes, this one isn't so bad. She's right, although if I had seen this version of the cover before reading the book, I definitely wouldn't have picked it up.Despite its scant 120 … [Read more...]
Take an Emotional Journey With ‘Marigolds’
Today I'm participating in a blog tour for a new book by award-winning novelist Susan Meissner who’s here with me today to talk about her newest book from Penguin NAL. A Fall of Marigolds is a part historical novel, part contemporary novel set on Ellis Island in 1911 and in Manhattan a hundred years later.Susan Meissner is the multi-published author of fifteen … [Read more...]
‘Eve in Hollywood’ is Enticing
Oh, how I love Amor Towles. Granted, I've only read two things by him, but I've loved both of them. Last summer I raved about Rules of Civility and it made my Top 13 Books of 2013 list without a fight, so when he released this novella as a follow-up on my birthday, I was thrilled. Even though it took me a few months to get around to reading it, I devoured it in one sitting and … [Read more...]
Jackson’s ‘Castle’ is Captivating
Lately, I've been finding myself reading more books about the dark side of human nature and when I heard about We Have Always Lived in the Castle on the Books on the Nightstand podcast, I knew I would buy it. Rather than try to explain Shirley Jackson's place in the literary world, I'll quote the introduction of the book, instead: While celebrated by reviewers throughout her … [Read more...]