It seems ironic to choose this cliched aphorism as a title to compliment a book, but Anna Gavalda wrote this novel as if she were painting. Hunting and Gathering has, ostensibly, no plot; it’s a character piece, a window into the lives of four main characters living together in Paris over the course of a few months, and a loving observation of their relationships and effects on each other. One of the main characters, Camille, is, herself, a painter. She’s very talented, and her portraits are […]
When matricide isn’t an option
Bet Me had a pair of horrible, horrible mothers. I finished the book a few weeks ago, and moreso than many other details, the utter heinousness of both the hero and the heroine’s mothers sticks with me. I’ve met supercilious and cold women like the hero’s mother, so she was at least someone who I believe exists on the planet, but Minerva Dobbs — our heroine — is cursed, having been born of the nastiest caricature of a human. If this story is to be […]
“…once you learn your answers, you can never unlearn them.”
From Goodreads: “Shadow gets out of prison early when his wife is killed in a car crash. At a loss, he takes up with a mysterious character called Wednesday, who is much more than he appears. In fact, Wednesday is an old god, once known as Odin the All-father, who is roaming America rounding up his forgotten fellows in preparation for an epic battle against the upstart deities of the Internet, credit cards, television, and all that is wired. Shadow agrees to help Wednesday, and […]
“You have to find your own rules.”
I became interested in American Dervish because I wanted to read something from a different perspective: in this case, a novel by a Pakistani author reflecting on a young American Muslim boy’s experience. The story opens with Hayat Shah when he is college-aged, as he attends an Islamic Studies class. The professor, with whom Hayat is friendly, makes statements that are blasphemous to some of the other Muslim students in attendance, but Hayat himself has a somewhat blasé attitude toward his professor’s claims. Afterward, a friend […]
“I want everyone to meet you. You’re my favorite person of all time.”
I want everyone to read you, Eleanor & Park! I have so spoiled myself over the past few weeks, reading brilliant wordsmiths like Rainbow Rowell and Laini Taylor whose emotive descriptions are devastatingly apt. This book is ADORABLE. It seems like almost everyone I knew in high school fell in love exactly like this; teenagers have a way of each feeling uniquely disenfranchised, and meeting someone else who complements your weird and loneliness feels like finally the universe has done you a solid. Eleanor and […]
“To really be a nerd, she’d decided, you had to prefer fictional worlds to the real one.”
To me, this book was perfect. Between Rowell’s flawless turns of phrase, her on-point descriptions of adapting to college, and her loving nods to fandom, I tore through this novel and loved every moment. The premise is this: Cath and her identical twin sister Wren had been, for most of their lives, mega-fans of the Simon Snow series (a Harry Potter analog.) Both were avid fanfiction writers and consumers, and they were also involved with cosplay, creating and sharing fanart, the works. Upon entering college, […]