We Only Know So Much: Quirky, Funny Family Drama

We Only Know So Much

by Elizabeth Crane

Genre: Literary Fiction

Review: A dysfunctional family drama in the style of Arrested Development or The Royal Tenenbaums, but even more enjoyable. The novel is narrated in a unique manner, using third person plural, which is not intrusive, but very effective. A self-absorbed daughter who yearns to star on reality television, a crossword-making little brother falling into bittersweet first love the way only a 9 year old can, a mother grieving over her lost love, and a father full of facts but not emotions. They share a home with an ailing grandfather and a spritely, controlling great-grandmother.

 This novel is strikingly original, hilarious at time, and sad at times. You won't want your time with this quirky family to end!

Treasure Island!!! Super Quirky and Fun

Treasure Island!!!

By Sara Levine

 

Genre: Literary Fiction

 Review: A 25 year old young woman is losing her way in life, and after reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, she decides to emphasize the values she finds in the book, and let these traits guide her life: independence, boldness, resolution, and horn-blowing. As she strives to be more independent, she comes into conflict with her boyfriend Lars, her sister, and her parents. Her boldness leads her to quit her job, and she floats along, holding on to the “boys’ adventure story” for dear life. This book is hilarious, quirky, absurd, and unlike anything you’ve ever read. It encapsulates the way many 25 year olds feel right now, but it is just weird (not too realistic) enough to let the reader experience enjoyably.

Kate Morton's New Book U.S. Release Oct 16!

Get excited!

One of my favorite authors, Kate Morton, has a new book coming out VERY soon! I have already pre-ordered from Amazon, so I should receive the book on the 18th.



The release date for the U.S. is Oct 16th!

Please see the cover below and the overview from Kate's website. http://www.katemorton.com/blog/

The Secret Keeper

1961: On a sweltering summer's day, while her family picnics by the stream on their Suffolk farm, sixteen-year-old Laurel hides out in her childhood tree house dreaming of a boy called Billy, a move to London, and the bright future she can't wait to seize. But before the idyllic afternoon is over, Laurel will have witnessed a shocking crime that changes everything.

2011: Now a much-loved actress, Laurel finds herself overwhelmed by shades of the past. Haunted by memories, and the mystery of what she saw that day, she returns to her family home and begins to piece together a secret history. A tale of three strangers from vastly different worlds--Dorothy, Vivien and Jimmy--who are brought together by chance in wartime London and whose lives become fiercely and fatally entwined...

Thriller Set in Ireland! Tana French is Back!

Hi Everyone, I have been on hiatus for this book blog, because I just started a Ph.D. program. However, I will still update, just less often; even with piles of research articles to read, I still can't resist reading novels, even if that means staying up 'til 1 in the morning!

 

Broken Harbor

by Tana French

 

 

Genre: Literary Thriller/Mystery

 I love Tana French's books. The Likeness is my favorite. If you want something creepy to read around Halloween time, Broken Harbor will fit the bill!

Review: Overall, I didn't like this book quite as much as French's others, yet it is worth it to read until the end, because there the characterization fully develops.

A family caught in the despairing throes of the recession find themselves living in a deserted neighborhood. A detective with the best solve rate on the squad, Mick Kennedy, heads to the site of a possible murder-suicide with rookie partner Richie Curran. Two angelic children are gone and the kitchen is a bloody mess. At every turn, something unexpected occurs. You cannot guess the twists and turns of this book. Once again, French raises police prodedural to a higher art.

Song to Read By: Mumford and Sons, "The Cave"

Four Friends, One Yoga Class, Big Life Changes

Balancing Acts

by Zoe Fishman

Genre: Women's Fiction

Review: Four college friends reunite after ten years and join a yoga class, which opens them up in more ways than one. Charlie, a former Wall-Streeter turned yoga teacher, is hanging onto a long ago relationship. Single-mom Naomi is dealing with her child's absent father coming back and mixed feelings about her career and photography. Sabine, a romance editor, crushes on Subway Guy and tries to write, while Bess' plan to revive her journalism career might threaten her new friendships.

The metaphor of "balancing acts" will resonate with women, readers who strive to balance what they want with what they need. These characters were inspiring as they pursued their dreams even when its hard.

Sorry if it is over 100 words!

Post-Freshman Year Summer: Saving Ruth

 
                                        Saving Ruth
                                      by Zoe Fishman

Genre: Women's Fiction

Review: Zoe Fishman's second novel follows Ruth, a freshman at the University of Michigan who is returning home to Alabama for the summer. Reunited with old friends, much has changed, including the weight Ruth has lost (too much). As summer passes, Ruth and her brother David's relationship is tested as they lifeguard and coach together at the local pool. 

This novel has everything I look for in an enjoyable yet thoughtful, fun novel: witty dialogue, realistic relationships, true family dynamics, and real issues.

Song to Read by: "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey

Back to Barcelona: the Prisoner of Heaven

The Prisoner of Heaven

By Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Genre: Adult Fiction

The third book in the series of related books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. You don’t need to read The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel of Mist first, but it may add to your enjoyment.

Review: Daniel Sempere is back, working in his father’s bookstore and raising his son with the lovely Bea. Then a stranger enters the bookstore, searching for beloved, mischievous rascal Fermin Romero de Torres—his past may be coming back to haunt him. We learn more about Fermin’s backstory as Daniel attempts to solve the mystery and deal with his wife’s possible infidelity.

Once again we are led into the labyrinthine Gothic streets of Barcelona and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, with flashbacks to the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath. Finally, Daniel learns more about his mother as well.