What a good reading month! Lots of social, genre, gender, mood, geographical, and historical variety. There was even a wide variety in length from the numerous short stories to a 700 page history.
Of the over 30 books read most got three or more stars. Four got only two stars. There were none with only one star but two or three I didn't finish. (They weren't terrible they just weren't to my taste.) I also had to return a few to the libraries because I didn't have time to get to them. Those went on my TBR lists (which never seem to get shorter).
Fiction:
Change: A Novel by Louis, Édouard; translated from the French by Lambert, John
Gay coming of age in Amiens and Paris.
The Waiter by Faldbakken, Matias; translated from the Norwegian by Menzies, Alice
A traditional waiter, a traditional Oslo restaurant, traditional are pretty much set in their ways until they aren't.
Wives Like Us by Sykes, Plum
A fun farce among a trendy Cotswold set.
A House for Alice by Evans, Diana
After living most of her adult life and raising a family in London, Alice wants to return to her homeland.
Pete and Alice in Maine by Shetterly, Caitlin
New York couple flees to Maine during Lockdown. It doesn't go well.
Blue Ruin by Kunzru, Hari
More folks from NYC fleeing Covid. In this one it's an artist, his wife (another Alice), a gallerist and his girlfriend on a large property in Upstate New York. Alice's long ago lover Jay (an artist ) accidently stumbles into their retreat. Twenty years ago it was not a happy breakup and it's not a happy reunion.
Women and Children First by Grabowski, Alina
A small New England town copes with the death of a high school girl. Told from several women's points of view.
Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Charles, Janet Skeslien
Women war volunteers working among French civilians on the edge of the Zone Rouge during World War I.
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Simonson, Helen
Post World War I British women dealing with the loss of men and jobs.
The House of Broken Bricks by Williams, Fiona
A mixed race family strugles with loss and hardships in the UK marshes.
The Good Deed byBenedict, Helen
An American woman seeking a retreat from her poblems is staying on the Greek island Samos. Seh rescues a drowing child and becomes involved in the world of a nearby refugee camp.
The Titanic Survivors' Book Club by Schaffert, Timothy
A group of people who "survived" the Titanic disaster by having had tickets but never actually having boarded the ship form a reading group based in a rather unsuccessful book shop in Paris.
Library for the War-Wounded by Helfer, Monika; translated from the German by Davidson, Gillian
Post WW2 Austria.
Daughters of Shandong by Chung, Eve J.
Historical novel set in mainland China and Taiwan during the late 1940s
The Cursed Friend by Salvioni, Beatrice; translated from the Italian by Pala, Elena
Coming of age in 1936 Italy.
Again and Again by Evison, Jonathan
Is the old man delusional or did he really live several lives?
The Paris Novel by Reichl, Ruth
Coming of age in Paris in the 1980s, surrounded by fashion, food, and family secrets.
Infinite Country by Engel, Patricia
A Columbian family is separated by US immigration policies.
The Spoiled Heart by Sahota, Sunjeev
Meh
All Fours by July, Miranda
The premise was good--a woman set out from LA on a solo ceoss country road trip and makes it as far as Monrovia. Goofy choices follow as she spends her entire trip there. The writing was good EXCEPT: too much graphic sex. Yuch!
Indian Burial Ground by Medina, Nick
Strange things happen on the Rez. Paranormal? Imagination? Hallunication? Whatever, it was a good read and makes me wonder whaat good books I may be missing because I shy away from things tagged as "horror."
The Twilight Garden by Adams, Sara Nisha
A shared garden in London comes back to life.
So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men by Keegan, Claire
Contents: So late in the day -- Long and painful death -- Antarctica.
The Faraway World: Stories by Engel, Patricia
Contents: Aida -- Fausto -- The book of saints -- Campoamor -- Guapa -- La ruta -- Ramiro -- The bones of Cristóbal Colón -- Libélula -- Aguacero.
Soul Food: Life-Affirming Stories Served with Side Dishes and Just Desserts by Gibbs, Beth
Fifteen inter-related stories.
Green frog : stories by Chung, Gina
Contents: How to eat your own heart -- Green frog -- After the party -- Rabbit heart -- Presence -- Human hearts -- Mantis -- The sound of water -- Attachment process -- The arrow -- Names for fireflies -- Honey and sun -- You'll never know how much I loved you -- The fruits of sin -- The love song of the Mexican free-tailed bat.
The 2023 Larry Brown Short Story Award Issue (Pithead Chapel; Volume 13, Issue 1; January 1, 2024)
Award Winner: Orange by Siamak Vossoughi
Second Prize: Cosmic Acceleration by Bec Bell-Gurwitz
Third Prize: Lady Luck by T.E. Wilderson
Finalist: The Wall at the Back Garden by Mary Hannah Terzino
Finalist: Full Tour with Death House by Mark Doyle
Nonfiction:
Native Nations: A Millennium in North America by DuVal, Kathleen
An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Goodwin, Doris Kearns
The Sister: North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World by Lee, Sung-Yoon
A Wealth of Pigeons: A Cartoon Collection by Bliss, Harry and Martin, Steve
Fine: A Comic About Gender by Ewing, Rhea
Stranger on a Train: Daydreaming and Smoking Around America with Interruptions by Diski, Jen
The Secret Life of the Savoy: Glamour and Intrigue at the World's Most Famous Hotel by Williams, Olivia
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Schlanger, Zoë
The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age by Wolraich, Michael
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