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In Cloud Cuckoo Land, author Anthony Doerr weaves a complex and inventive tale about the enduring impact a good story can have throughout the centuries. Strong themes of resilience, hope, and compassion make this novel enjoyable and memorable. Continue reading
With Anxious People, Fredrik Backman, who also wrote A Man Called Ove, delivers another poignant and insightful novel about what it means to be decent (albeit “anxious”) people. He even threw in a few plot twists that took me by surprise. Well done, Mr. Backman! I’ll even forgive you for making me cry. Continue reading
This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. (This in no way affects the honesty of my reviews!) All commissions will be donated to the ALS Association.
The Shipping News, published in 1993, is a personal evolution story about Quoyle, who transforms from a downtrodden big oaf to a content, well-regarded man. It took awhile to get used to the writing style and I didn’t care for the first part of the book, but I ended up enjoying this novel. Continue reading
Can you escape your past? That’s one of the major questions explored in The Dutch House. And for the two main characters, Maeve and Danny, the answer is “not really.” Continue reading
Signs Preceding the End of the World is an acclaimed novella by Mexican author Yuri Herrera that tells the tale of a Mexican girl that must sneak across the border to deliver a message to her brother in the US. I thought the book was okay but I am not completely sure what the ending meant. Continue reading
This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. (This in no way affects the honesty of my reviews!) All commissions will be donated to the ALS Association.
A Thousand Acres is a Pulitzer winning re-imagination of King Lear, set on an Iowa farm during the 1970s. It’s a beautifully written tale of one family’s quick and complete implosion. I mostly really liked it but towards the end I disliked the characters so much, including the narrator, that I was ready for it to be over. Continue reading
A dinner party in the capital city of a South American country takes an unfortunate turn when guerrillas storm the Vice President’s mansion and take everyone hostage. Bel Canto explores what happens when these captors and captives spend months together in close quarters. Continue reading
Plainsong takes place in the fictional town of Holt, Colorado, and mostly chronicles the lives of some of the residents in a very direct but poignant way. It’s the kind of book that I mostly liked, but I have a hard time understanding why. Let’s see how I do explaining it. Continue reading
This charming little book (more of a novella, really) was published in 2006 and caught my eye because the writer recently wrote a sequel. It tells the story of Eddie, an 83-year-old amusement park worker, and his experience in heaven after he is killed in a freak accident. Continue reading
All We Ever Wanted examines what happens when parents of teenagers are asleep at the wheel. It also contains some other rather tedious social commentary. Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 