Can marriage survive cultural expectations? That is the central question of Stay with Me (2017) by Ayobami Adebayo, the June 2018 read for the Literary Wives Series, hosted by these bloggers. Check out their posts on this book. Naomi of Consumed by Ink Kay of What Me Read Lynn of Smoke & Mirrors We attempt to understand and explore... Continue Reading →
Is a good wife somebody who is exact in self-sacrificing and serving her family? Is a bad wife one who is crazy, perhaps while pursuing autonomy? These are the choices presented in the character of Marta Bjornstad in Emma Chapman’s How to Be a Good Wife (2013). We review this novel as part of the... Continue Reading →
Today is the next installment of the Literary Wives series (click to see details). I will get right to the book for today, Ahab’s Wife or, the Star-Gazer (2000) by Sena Jeter Naslund. I hated it. With a passion. I must qualify that by saying that my life is crazy-hectic right now. I am taking... Continue Reading →
What exactly does it mean to be a wife? From what we’ve read in the Literary Wives series over the last few months, it means (from my interpretation) that one is or must be deceitful. The theme of deceit runs through all of the novels we’ve read so far, and I’m not sure what to... Continue Reading →
I’m developing a weird love-hate relationship with historical fiction. I’m bugged by authors presuming to know the minds of famous historical women. Because three of the four novels we have read for the Literary Wives series fall into this type of novel, I’ve had a lot of time to think about this genre and my... Continue Reading →
Today is the first day of the Literary Wives series! The first book to be reviewed is American Wife (2008) by female author Curtis Sittenfeld. It is the first of four books to be reviewed by a group of bloggers, including me. Please click the links below to visit the other posts on this book... Continue Reading →
A few years back, when it was still on television, Desperate Housewives was one of my favorite shows. (I know, I know.) But I do enjoy a good prime-time soap opera. Because of this, I’m excited to announce a new collaborative series on my blog: Literary Wives. My friend and blogger Ariel noticed that many... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 