Mad Mabel is a heartfelt novel with strong themes of acceptance, friendship, and redemption. It features 81-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, who was once Australia’s youngest convicted murderer but is now her neighborhood’s resident curmudgeon. When her “archenemy” neighbor is found dead in his house, she comes under suspicion, and the past she tried so hard to conceal is revealed in all its scandalous glory.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Contemporary Fiction
Audio Book Review: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Narrated by Lynn Chen
Crazy Rich Asians is a humorous novel about rich Chinese and their obsession with the wealth and ancestry of other people. It’s short on plot and long on dialog that pounds you over the head to emphasize the main theme of shallow snobbery. I felt like I was listening to a modern version of The Gilded Age on steroids, and with Asian characters rather than insufferable New Yorkers.
Continue readingAudiobook Review: The Wedding People by Alison Espach, Narrated by Helen Laser
The Wedding People is a current best-selling contemporary fiction novel about Phoebe who, with the help of the members of a wedding party, pulls herself from the brink of suicide and even falls unexpectedly in love. The fantastic narration makes this a story best listened to rather than read. Continue reading
Audiobook Review: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker, Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
All the Colors of the Dark is a novel that’s part suspense, part contemporary literature, and wholly immersive. A unique plot and memorable characters make it a satisfying – but long – read. Continue reading
Book Review: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Interpreter of Maladies is an insightful collection of short stories that examines the experience of Indian immigrants from multiple angles. This is author Jhumpa Lahiri’s first published collection of stories, and it won a Pulitzer Prize. To quote the musical “Hamilton” – “Immigrants…we get the job done.” Continue reading
Audiobook Review: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, Narrated by Rachel L. Jacobs
The Wishing Game is a charming story about the impact good books can have on young lives and the importance of never giving up on your dreams. If you need a break from dark, heavy novels, The Wishing Game can help cleanse your reading palette while also providing whimsical entertainment. Continue reading
Book Review: Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Beartown is Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel about life in a small town where hockey is king and winners are revered, sometimes at the expense of the people they have hurt. The author explores some dark themes in this story, with the characteristic wisdom and insight that make all of Backman’s novels thought provoking. Continue reading
Book Review: The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
The Hotel Nantucket is light and deeply entertaining, with just the right amount of romance, food, intrigue, interesting characters, food, and the supernatural to make it a page turner. Not just a “beach read”, The Hotel Nantucket is escapist literature that can satisfy your need to immerse yourself in something not so heavy for a while. Continue reading
Book Review: The Push by Ashley Audrain
The Push is an immersive psychological drama that explores mental illness and the bond (or lack thereof) between a mother and her children. If you’re thinking about having your first child, DO NOT read The Push until your child is grown and out of the house. 😉 Continue reading
Audio Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Narrated by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie
Filled with human decency, Remarkably Bright Creatures is Shelby Van Pelt’s “remarkably bright” debut novel. Add in terrific narration by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie, and you have a fantastic audio book. Continue reading
