My January reading wrap-up includes fewer books than I would have liked, but that’s what happens when a new semester begins! I'm teaching three new courses, so preparing for those has been time consuming. Here are my five-word reviews of what I read in January. They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple: adulting is hard; cruelty... Continue Reading →
When I was working on my Master's degree, I took a world literature class in which we read books by Anita Desai (Indian), Khaled Hosseini (Afghan-born American), and Edna O'Brien (Irish). I've also engaged with more popular and award-winning authors, like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigerian) and Jhumpa Lahiri (American of Indian origin). Nevertheless, I really... Continue Reading →
I’ve read a few Pulitzer Prize winning books for fiction this year, and realizing that got me wondering: how many of the winners have I read? I’ve pasted the list of all wining books below by year. The bolded ones are those I have read. It looks like I have read 34 of them. I... Continue Reading →
I’ve been calling these my five-word reviews, but sometimes they are descriptive rather than evaluative. In fact, that is what happens most of the time; I guess these are really summaries. Anyway, here’s what I read in June and July! June Idaho by Emily Ruskovich: murder and family don’t mix Stay with Me by... Continue Reading →
When my oldest daughter was a baby, and I was bored being at home all of the time, we used to go to the thrift store and look at books to pass the time. And we'd buy them. Who am I kidding? I wasn’t just looking. I was buying. I'd put my little daughter in a shopping... Continue Reading →
To see previous posts in this series, click here. This is my bookshelf. Here is a snippet of what’s on it. They Knew Mr. Knight (1934) by Dorothy Whipple Frost in May (1933) by Antonia White Greenbanks (1932) by Dorothy Whipple Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (1938) by Winifred Watson The Hundred Secret Senses... Continue Reading →
To see previous posts in this series, click here. This is my bookshelf. Here is a snippet of what’s on it, ten at a time. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943) by Betty Smith All the Little Live Things (1967) by Wallace Stegner Angle of Repose (1971) by Wallace Stegner Crossing to Safety (1987)... Continue Reading →
To see previous posts in this series, click here. This is my bookshelf. Here is a snippet of what’s on it, ten at a time. We Were the Mulvaneys (1996) by Joyce Carol Oates Wise Blood (1952) by Flannery O'Connor The Book of the City of Ladies (circa 1405) by Christine de Pizan Good-bye, I... Continue Reading →
To see previous posts in this series, click here. This is my bookshelf. Here is a snippet of what’s on it, ten at a time. A Family Daughter (2006) by Maile Meloy Half in Love (2002) by Maile Meloy Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It (2009) by Maile Meloy Liars and Saints... Continue Reading →
To see previous posts in this series, click here. This is my bookshelf. Here is a snippet of what’s on it, ten at a time. Broken for You (2005) by Stephanie Kallos The Secret Life of Bees (2003) by Sue Monk Kidd The Poisonwood Bible (1998) by Barbara Kingsolver Can You Keep a Secret? (2005)... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 