***** Soho Press, 2012 ISBN 161695129X (ISBN13: 9781616951290) WASHINGTON, March 9, 2014—I usually do not read books about mental illness, but this was on sale on Kindle one day, and, given the glowing reviews, I thought I’d see what all the hype was about. I absolutely LOVED this book. It was heartfelt, beautifully written, witty, […]
Tag Archives: book review
February
06
A good editor is hard to find in New Hampshire: Before and After, Rosellen Brown
posted by lasesana
* Picador, 1992 ISBN 0312424418 (ISBN13: 9780312424411) Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge This is another review I was writing in my head since the 10th page. I read it on Kindle and I can honestly say that I have never read such a poorly, carelessly edited book in my entire […]
January
24
A snapshot of 1980s south Florida: LaBrava, Elmore Leonard
posted by lasesana
Harper Torch, 1983 ISBN 0060512237 (ISBN13: 9780060512231) Part of the Mysterious USA Reading Challenge Having spent a little of my childhood in early 1980s Miami—I am Colombian, after all—this novel brought back a lot of memories and highlighted how much Miami has changed since then. Elmore Leonard’s LaBrava perfectly captures a time and a place, […]
December
22
Rugged, Wild and Scenic Wyoming: The Cold Dish, Craig Johnson
posted by lasesana
***** Penguin, 2004 ISBN 0143036424 (ISBN13: 9780143036425) Part of my Mysterious USA Reading Challenge As always, NO SPOILERS… Craig Johnson’s The Cold Dish has been my favorite book I’ve read for this challenge so far. Being a fan of the show inspired by the Walt Longmire series, I was expecting this novel to be good, […]
December
20
3 + 1 Books about the ocean: 3 works of fiction + 1 work of nonfiction on a particular subject
posted by lasesana
Every culture has depicted and described the ocean in art and literature; the ocean is the setting for many classic and unforgettable stories. Mysterious, calm, bountiful or foreboding, the ocean can be portrayed in countless ways. In many works of literature, the ocean takes on the force of a character in the story and is […]
October
16
Noir and charming L.A.: The Lincoln Lawyer, Michael Connelly
posted by lasesana
**** 2005 by Little, Brown ISBN 0739465511 (ISBN13: 9780739465516) Part of my Mysterious USA Reading Challenge I didn’t really think I was going to like this book, but I was wrong; I really liked it. It was fast-paced, exciting, funny at times, and conveyed a sense of being in L.A. that was perfect for this challenge. The […]
October
04
Tomorrow There Will be Apricots, Jessica Soffer
posted by lasesana
***** ISBN 1469249936 (ISBN13: 9781469249933) 2013, Brilliance Corporation This book was so beautiful that I wept openly when I finished it—my husband thought I was crazy. I immediately went online and Googled Soffer and tried to find out as much as I could about her. The first thing that struck me is that she’s incredibly young. While […]
September
29
Kind of boring Wisconsin but keeps you guessing: Uncommon Grounds by Sandra Balzo
posted by lasesana
** ½ Part of my Mysterious USA Challenge Macavity Award Nominee for Best First Mystery Novel (2005), Anthony Award Nominee for Best First Novel (2005) Maybe I’m being a little unfair. It’s not that Uncommon Grounds as a mystery novel is boring, it’s more that Wisconsin is not depicted as a very fun or interesting place. […]
August
07
Gritty Maryland: What the Dead Know, Laura Lippman
posted by lasesana
***½ Part of my Mysterious USA Challenge William Morrow, 2007 ISBN 0061128856 (ISBN13: 9780061128851) Literary awards: Barry Award for Best Novel (2008), Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel (2008), Anthony Award for Best Novel (2008) Two young teenage sisters go missing in the mid- 1970s after their father drops them off at the mall on a Saturday afternoon. […]
July
10
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury
posted by lasesana
**** Avon, 1962 ISBN 0380729407 Known as Bradbury’s “masterpiece of Gothic literature,” Something Wicked This Way Comes is the story of two boys and the evil carnival that comes into their town one night. The carnival seems to offer everyone their wildest dreams while trapping them inside it forever. Throughout the novel Bradbury reveals […]
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