John Steinbeck and his poodle Charley take off in a modified RV for a trip around the country. Will the real Jennifer G please stand up? I seem to have lost myself somewhere along the way. When did I become a fan of Steinbeck? Because I now have to admit that I am. I held […]
3.5 Stars. This didn’t quite have the charm and originality of the first book, but it was still good. I think this one felt a bit too dark for me. I typically steer clear of books that involve children’s deaths. I know it happens, but I prefer to read in a world where it doesn’t. I guess I like to keep my head in the sand. The […]
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Posted: The Novel in the Viola (aka The House at Tyneford) by Natasha Solomons: Review–3.5 Stars The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker, read by Carrington MacDuffie: Review–2.5 Stars The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters: Review–3.5 Stars The […]
Nick Carraway moves from the Midwest to Long Island to try to make a living after World War I. He is curious about his neighbor and the extravagant parties he throws every weekend. Eventually the two meet and become something like friends. The neighbor, Jay Gatsby, is shrouded in myth and legend and no one […]
*Possible spoilers for Crocodile on the Sandbank* Amelia Peabody and Emerson have married and had a son, Ramses. They’ve decided to stay home in England with him and live a quiet life, at least until he’s older. They’re both going slowly crazy. Emerson has been reduced to practically begging the neighbor to let him dig […]
Truly Plaice has been larger than life since her conception. The town men wagered on how big she would be when she was born. They all guessed too low. In contrast to her petite, doll-like older sister, Truly looks even bigger. Needless to say, the small town is not kind to Truly as she grows […]
Elise Landau is a Jew living in Vienna before World War II. Her parents realize the danger they are facing and make plans for the family to leave the country. They must all go separate ways and Elise ends up working as a housemaid on an estate in England. Being from an artistic family in […]
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Posted: Red Emmy from Oral History by Lee Smith: Character Connection. Be sure to link up your own Character Connection posts for May! Princess Academy by Shannon Hale: Review–4 Stars Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides: Review–4 Stars The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman: […]
Gustine is a dress lodger (lower class prostitute in an upper class dress) in Sunderland, England in the 1830s. One night she meets Dr. Henry Chiver, a surgeon in disgrace who has promised his small group of students that he will find a human body for them to dissect and study. Unfortunately, there is still […]
Lee Smith’s Oral History meanders through about three generations of Cantrells, an Appalachian family. The lynchpin of their history is Red Emmy, a woman named as a witch by the earlier generation. We’re not told much about Red Emmy in the story. She might be present for about 20 pages. But she sets her mark […]
Calliope Stephanides is born to a family of Greek immigrants living in Detroit. She tells the story of how she came to be by starting with her grandparents in their isolated village. As the Turks and Greeks were fighting, they managed to flee to America and start a new life there. Calliope then moves on […]