I’m sure most of us would immediately answer “no” to the question the title poses. I do. I think self-care and self-love are important in order to be able to share love and affection with others, but I don’t think selfishness leads to happiness. However, one of the characters of Anita Brookner’s Hotel Du Lac... Continue Reading →
I’ve always thought that Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, was crazy. In a bad way. I dismissed her and often thought negatively of her. This point of view is usually reinforced by what I’ve read about her, mostly fictional appearances, like in The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. But thanks to... Continue Reading →
Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad (2016) tricked me for a moment. It portrays the famous underground railroad, a network of abolitionists and volunteers who helped slaves escape the south and head north in nineteenth century America, as an actual railroad with trains and tunnels. I thought that I had somehow missed something in history classes,... Continue Reading →
I began this novel with a sigh. After reading the first few pages, I thought, “Not another novel written from a female perspective that is all about how important her husband is.” I wanted to read something about an actual wife, not a wife just telling us about her husband. Well, it turned out that... Continue Reading →
I’ve decided that there is a type of book that I like more than any other. It is a book that explores art/literature and artists/writers and that jumps back and forth between time. It is a book that includes old letters that somehow inform the present day of the characters. It is a book that... Continue Reading →
American Housewife (2016), a collection of short stories by Helen Ellis, is the Literary Wives bloggers' pick for this month. It is witty, poignant, hilarious, dark, timely, and accessible. Please see more of the Literary Wives discussion at the following blogs. Naomi of Consumed by Ink Kay of What Me Read Lynn of Smoke & Mirrors Ariel of One... Continue Reading →
It has been a long time since I’ve cried while reading a book. However, it happened recently when I finished The Light Between Oceans (2012) by M. L. Stedman. I did not just leak a few tears. I sobbed. I found out about the book from a movie trailer. The book is a movie now,... Continue Reading →
What happens when two children who murdered another child together grow up, are released from prison, and then find each other again? That is the premise of Alex Marwood’s thriller The Wicked Girls (2012). My sister Afton recommended it to me, and I’m glad she did. I could not put it down. The book flashes... Continue Reading →
I started "building" a miniature house in one of the rooms of my basement. I got the idea after reading this book with my six-year-old daughter. The photos are of a real miniature "mouse mansion" that the author built. Amazing! I showed it to my husband. I thought the book was enchanting. He said, "Don't... Continue Reading →
As I begin reading Zadie Smith’s first novel White Teeth (2000), I realize that I have not yet posted about reading her book On Beauty (2005). For some reason, when I opened it, I expected some sort of feminist critique of media and advertising. I thought it was nonfiction. To my surprise (and delight) it... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 