Year: 2015
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When Claire first arrives in the 1740s (from the 1940s), it naturally takes her a while to adjust and figure out exactly where she is. When she is brought to the laird of clan MacKenzie, she is brought refreshment and questioned about her presence, but not before she does some snooping and finds out that…
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I find that it always takes me a while to get through Donna Tartt’s books, but that the effort is always worthwhile. Her writing is so intelligent, so tightly controlled, and you get drawn into this parallel universe where insane things can happen and seem quite rational. Her characters are flawed, interesting, and dynamic. She…
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St Martin/St Maarten was the second stop on our trip. We booked a short tour of the island and then had planned to spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach. We didn’t make it to the beach in the afternoon, but I’m glad we stopped by one on the tour. St Martin has…
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My mom has wanted to read this series for ages, so when Hanukkah rolled around, we knew exactly what to get her. She’s since read the next one in the series and purchased (and watched) the first season of the Starz series. She loaned me this book, quite certain I’d be hooked, and, as usual,…
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Pineapple upside down cake tends to be a standout dessert no matter where you encounter it, but in Renee Rosen’s book Dollface, it’s a standout dish for reasons beyond its distinct and colorful appearance. Vera, the main character, leaves her childhood behind to enter the dangerous world of the 1920s flapper. It’s only a matter of…
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San Juan was our first stop on my family’s Caribbean cruise. We’d already spent a full day at sea, so we were more than ready to get off the ship and explore. As we approached the shore, we saw Fort San Felipe del Morro. The fortress, built in the 16th century, is strategically located on…
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(Sorry I don’t have a picture of the book–it was just one of the things I forgot to do before leaving on vacation. Picture ocean waves and the title on the cover, and you’ll get the idea.) Generally (and I mean very generally, I can think of loads of exceptions), books about middle-aged white male…
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Every once in a while, you’ll read a book and be extremely grateful for the things you have. Meg Vandermerwe’s book is a heartbreaking look at what it means to be poor in South Africa, as well as what it means to be an outcast in your own hometown. The protagonist is an albino, and…
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I’ve read a lot of books with a similar premise to Alice McDermott’s (like Cynthia Ozick’s The Puttermesser Papers and Mary Costello’s Academy Street). The focus on a single life gives an author room to show how each of our lives are significant, and how they are interesting in all of their distinct particulars. What…
Allison Burris 