This is my fourth Strout book, and I continue to enjoy her every word. I was glad to find this on my bookshelf this weekend, as I had started it back in April and so could finish it in a couple of mornings (and also satisfying the leftover category, one I missed last year). In... Continue Reading →
Killing Stella, by Marlen Haushofer. Pub 1958. Translation by Shaun Whiteside, pub 2025.
I read about this in the NYT, and while I don't usually use that as a guide (they have led me astray often, and they tend to be (in the podcast at least) breathlessly ecstatic about everything), this intrigued me due to its recent rediscovery. The author died in 1970, but her novels have remained... Continue Reading →
Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. Pub 1992. 25th anniversary edition, with foreword and afterword, pub 2017.
This book was a gift from someone who suggested I read it while or after I finished the bible. It was certainly an interesting counterpoint. While not great literature, its ideas are highly original and thought-provoking. There is not much of a story in the novel, as it consists almost entirely of a conversation between... Continue Reading →
The Bible, new standard revised version, Catholic edition, Anglicized text. Printed 1995.
My pop used to say that a hallmark of a smart person is that they've read the bible. In the spring, when going through some of his things with my sister, we found his bible - a Jerusalem bible, from 1966. I decided to take on reading it this year, but didn't want to risk... Continue Reading →
A Season for Spies, by Iona Whishaw. Pub 2025
A banner year with two Lane Winslow stories! This one is a prequel of sorts, going back to Lane’s years during WWII. Here we read about her inaugural mission, where she of course goes above and beyond to thwart the Nazis and save the day, impressing some superiors and irritating others. I hope that there... Continue Reading →
Black Diamond, by Martin Walker. Pub 2012
The third book in the series picks up where The Dark Vineyard left off. Bruno becomes embroiled in both an Asian gang war and a fraudulent truffle market. The histories are complex and difficult to follow; while it was interesting to learn about the background between France and Vietnam, it got convoluted with references to... Continue Reading →
Aftertaste, by Daria Lavelle. Pub 2025
A friend posted a list of 10 recommended books from 2025, and this one caught my attention. It was available locally, and I wanted something good to fill the Food category on my list. This was the perfect fit. Konstantin has a unique “gift” – clairgustence, meaning he senses tastes from the dead: foods and... Continue Reading →
Sleeping Children, by Anthony Passeron. Pub 2022. Translation by Frank Wynne, pub 2025.
Another gift from my fellow bookclubber, this autobiographical and historical novel tells the story of the early years of the AIDS pandemic. In parallel chapters, we read about the narrator's uncle, Désiré, the family's golden boy and eventual heroin user, who becomes an early case of AIDS, as well as the entire family saga before, during,... Continue Reading →
The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore. Pub 2024
A gift from a friend and fellow book lover, both he and his wife recommended this as a vacation read and it fit the bill. A multigenerational mystery story set in the third quarter of the 20th century, the novel covers many characters and timelines, and offers several layers of exploration. The vastly privileged (and... Continue Reading →
Orbital, by Samantha Harvey. Pub 2023.
I received this book from a friend earlier this year. She enjoyed it, and thought I might, too. The novel is quite unusual, in that there is no real story or plot, more a character study and paean to the Earth. The setting is the International Space Station (ISS), populated by six astronauts from various... Continue Reading →
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