Curlygeek04

LATEST ARTICLES ( 1002 )

• The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

  

  I read this book for the Read Around the World challenge, where a specific country is selected for each month. May’s selection was Colombia. Read more

  Posted on 06 June 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• My 20 Books of Summer

  

  746 Books is once again hosting Twenty Books of Summer, which is a good way to think about and organize my summer reading. I hope I’ll be able to cover more tha... Read more

  Posted on 02 June 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• May Reading Wrap-up

  

  May was an eventful month, beginning with a DC blogger happy hour, Zezee with Books, and Grace from Books without Any Pictures. Read more

  Posted on 31 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Long Drop by Denise Mina

  

  This was a really interesting novel about a real-life serial killer in Scotland in the 1950’s. I say interesting because it wasn’t quite like anything else... Read more

  Posted on 26 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Reading the Bailey’s Longlist: The Lonely Hearts Hotel and The Gustav Sonata

  

  Both of these books were on this year’s Bailey’s Prize for Women longlist, although neither made it to the shortlist (in addition to Hag-Seed). The winner of th... Read more

  Posted on 23 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Literary Links: Looking for Some Good Science Fiction and Fantasy?

  Warm weather means outdoor reading, and if you’re looking to pick up some new science fiction or fantasy, these links will help. Read more

  Posted on 20 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

  

  This was a difficult book to review, because it’s 1) about slavery, which is hard to talk about; and 2) it won the Pulitzer Prize. So I’m a bit intimidated,... Read more

  Posted on 17 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Leavers by Lisa Ko

  

  This is a really thoughtful, moving novel about a Chinese family that is torn apart in the United States. Peilan grows up in China in a small village but... Read more

  Posted on 13 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

  

  For some reason I started this book several times; it didn’t quite grab me at first. I suppose a story about a theater director seemed like it might be... Read more

  Posted on 09 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right

  

  Like many of you, to say I was surprised by the results of the November election is a profound understatement. What kept echoing through my mind the next day wa... Read more

  Posted on 05 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• My April Reading Wrap-up

  

  I’m not sure how I managed to read so much in April, although two long flights including a three-hour delay certainly helped. We visited Seattle for a lovely... Read more

  Posted on 01 May 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Last Days of Café Leila by Donia Bijan

  

  Part of my Reading All Around the World Challenge, this is a book written by a chef in the U.S. who was born in Iran. Café Leila tells the story of an Iranian... Read more

  Posted on 26 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero

  

  With the current news about deportations and ICE arrests, it felt important to me to read a book from the perspective of someone who has experienced it... Read more

  Posted on 20 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Reading Diversely: Around the World Reads

  This year, I’m focusing on reading more diverse books, which includes reading books about other countries. And so far this year I’ve made a good effort. Of the... Read more

  Posted on 17 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova

  

  Kostova’s new novel is reminiscent of The Historian, in that it’s a big, sweeping tale that will take the reader all over modern-day Eastern Europe. It’s quite... Read more

  Posted on 14 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Ten of the Most Unique Novels I’ve Read

  

  This week’s Top Ten topic, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is books that are unique. What makes a book unique? Some books are told in a unique way, like... Read more

  Posted on 11 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

  

  Trevor Noah’s memoir of his childhood in South Africa is compelling reading for anyone who wants to know more about South Africa and apartheid. Read more

  Posted on 06 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• My March Reading Wrap-up

  My reading was thematic this month. I started with 1984 and then moved to a book about rural America, Strangers in Their Own Land. Read more

  Posted on 01 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• 1984 by George Orwell

  1984 has to be one of the most disturbing books I’ve read, between the creepy parallels with our current political situation, and the torture and brainwashing. Read more

  Posted on 30 March 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

  

  This is a book I ended up feeling torn about. The writing is beautiful and I was deeply engaged in the story. If you like a good anti-hero story, this is one yo... Read more

  Posted on 27 March 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE