May (second half) 2016 Reads

From the Library

Beauty Is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan, Annie Tucker (Translator)
Indonesian history winds its way through this epic family tale. Plenty of ghosts, love, violence, and more. Fantastic.

The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
Delightful. Family secrets in Templeton (Cooperstown) NY.

Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue, Natasha Wimmer (Translator)
Didn't care much for this acclaimed novel.

Alice in Bed: A Novel by Judith Hooper
Liked this novel based on the letters and journals of Alice James.

Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett
On Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist (2016). I didn't find it prize worthy. Just ok. I learned a bit about Australian whaling history.

Good Sam by Dete Meserve
Sappy story about a good Samaritan--wish I hadn't bothered.

All the Presidents' Gardens: Madison’s Cabbages to Kennedy’s Roses, How the White House Grounds Have Grown with America by Marta McDowell
Most of the text was familiar to me, but I still enjoyed the book for its illustrations.