I finished this book with so many conflicting thoughts/emotions and most of them were unpleasant. First of all, I appreciate what Sarah Schmidt is trying to do—tell the story of Lizzie Borden and her whacks in such a way that you see (or more accurately feel) that the line between victimizer and victim is blurry and complicated. Schmidt is a strong writer and by telling the story of the famous murder from the point of view of four characters and in an overlapping but nonlinear […]
Setting the World Right, One Dog at a Time
I picked up this book about three days after my sister and I made the decision, with the help of a wonderfully kind vet, to put down the 12-year-old spaniel mix we were fostering for a local rescue, Placing Paws. Taking on Hoppy happened suddenly in late May, and Hoppy’s story was far from happy. She was abandoned in a high kill shelter in Missouri after her owner died and came to Placing Paws with many issues—including a congenital deformity in her front leg that […]
ABC After-School Special on Steroids (and I mean that in a good way)
As I read this young adult novel, I had no idea that it had won the National Book Award. All I knew was that I found the main characters compelling and that a few passages caused some serious tears. It felt like an “ABC After-School Special” (yes, I’m totally dating myself) done by a really skillful indie director. Far from the Tree tells the story of three teenagers, all abandoned by the same mother, but ending up in three very different situations. As a baby, […]
Every time I see you falling, I get down on my knees and pray
I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. On paper, there’s lots to love. It’s an alternate history set in present day Canada (or maybe a notch in the future) where the British Empire didn’t fall and instead the monarchy made much more humane and multicultural decisions about how to incorporate the subjects of their colonies into the Empire as a whole. There’s still a royal family but over the years the royals have made strategic marriage alliances with their […]
Try to See Past What She Is, On to What She Can Be
Reading the dust jacket for The Space Between the Stars, you might expect this science fiction novel to be your typical post-apocalyptic tale of survival in a world, actually multiple worlds, devastated by a deadly virus that kills 99.999 % of the human population. However, the heart of this story could take place in any time or any place. It’s about loss and loneliness and about a woman trying to run away from her past but realizing that she can never fully escape it. Of […]
The Zeppo
Not everyone has to be the Chosen One. Not everyone has to be the guy who saves the world. Most people have to just live their lives the best they can, doing the things that are great for them, having great friends, trying to make their lives better, loving people properly. All the while knowing that the world makes no sense but trying to find a way to be happy anyway. (The Rest of Us Just Live Here, p. 216) It’s only fitting that I […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- …
- 43
- Next Page »