Circe by Madeline Miller
My knowledge of Greek mythology is minimal: I know only the broadest of strokes. I mean, I’ve read the Odyssey (bits of it at least?) and I’ve seen “O Brother Where Art Thou.” I was a bit skeptical that I would enjoy this book, but it had such rave reviews and a lot of ladies I know really enjoyed it, so I joined the pack and I’m glad I did. In fact, not really knowing about mythology made it even more fun to read and […]
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
What a wild and crazy ride this book was! Equal parts, horror, humor, coming of age, and a nostalgic love letter to the 1980s. Looking back at that sentence it is clear that Hendrix was being a bit ambitious in scope, as this is a lot to balance, but he does so with ease. I don’t remember ever vacillating so quickly and constantly from laughter to terror, but the pendulum swings back and forth again and again over the course of this book. What starts […]
There There by Tommy Orange
I learned of this new (summer 2018) book in a recent podcast episode of Literary Disco, but it has made an impression having received props (technical term) from a bajillion publications, such as The Washington Post, NPR, Time, O, The Oprah Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Entertainment Weekly, The Boston Globe, GQ, The Dallas Morning News, Buzzfeed, BookPage, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews. Suffice it to say, Mr Orange was on a lot of lists for his debut novel. I found it to be a little […]
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Reese Witherspoon’s book club has been on my periphery, it’s been great seeing a beloved actress that I grew up on (I mean…Man in the Moon? Fear? Formative) become such a literary champion and icon. That said, I enjoy being a contrarian so I’m more likely to eschew something everyone likes then subscribe to it, even though Reese is obviously a goddess, I was hesitant to go all in on her book club recommendations. But after this one, which was her first ever back in […]
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik
For Christmas, my husband got me dissent collar stud earrings as a stocking stuffer. I was delighted, but a little chagrined. I didn’t think I knew enough about Ruth Bader Ginsberg to call me one of her fans, and make me legitimate enough to rock the earrings. But rock them I did, because they make me feel powerful, and they are also adorable – the perfect accessories. But, I wanted to fill a bit of my RBG knowledge gap, so I jumped in the queue […]
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
This book is outside of my usual favorite genres (post-apocalyptic, dystopian, thriller, non-fiction, speculative fiction, and the like) but I reached out to the Facebook hive mind for pre-wedding brain candy reads and this one was recommended by one, and endorsed by many, so I threw it into my suitcase. I haven’t read “Confessions of a Shopaholic” or seen the movie as it’s not the kind of material that appeals to me, but Kinsella’s book was a nice, albeit predictable cotton candy departure for me. […]