3 works of fiction + 1 work of nonfiction on a particular subject I absolutely love reading about Asian history and culture. However, I find that stories written by men and women—like in every other culture—are extremely different. I find that one of the things that books written by Asian women have in common is […]
Tag Archives: literature
January
12
Magical, murderous tornadoes in Kansas: The Virgin of Small Plains, Nancy Pickard
posted by lasesana
**** Ballantine Books, 2006 ISBN 0345470990 (ISBN13: 9780345470997) Part of the Mysterious USA Mystery reading challenge Let me start by saying The Virgin of Small Plains has very little—if anything—to do with religion. The novel opens in the middle of a blizzard; it is January 1987 in Kansas and the weather is threatening to kill […]
January
04
3 + 1 good books about bad people
posted by lasesana
3 works of fiction + 1 work of nonfiction about a particular subject I love books about characters that are kind of bad. I think that what attracts me to these books as a reader is how the author makes a character that we should hate endearing. Some authors do it better than others, and […]
December
30
Top 10 books read in 2013
posted by lasesana
10. The Wall Street Journal Complete Real Estate Investing Handbook, David Crook I thought this book was going to bore me to tears, but surprisingly enough, I devoured this one, reading it in one day. I’m planning to re-read it again soon—really. While not a particularly exciting read, this book is fundamental for anybody thinking […]
December
29
DC, My Hometown: The Night Gardener, George Pelecanos
posted by lasesana
****1/2 Little, Brown and Company, 2006 ISBN 0316156507 (ISBN13: 9780316156509) In an interview with Scott Butki of Blogcritics magazine, Pelecanos is asked to comment on his detailed descriptions of Washington D.C. in The Night Gardener. “I’m trying to leave a record of this town,” he answers, making this novel perfect for my Mysterious USA Reading Challenge because […]
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
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 […]
August
03
Mysterious USA Reading Challenge
posted by lasesana
Inspired by an article about a writer who read books from 196 countries to broaden her horizons, I decided to challenge myself as well. Not being a native of the USA, but living here for the past 16 years, I want to read and review one mystery novel from each of the 50 states. I’m […]
August
02
Mary L. Tabor, Who by Fire
posted by lasesana
***** ISBN 0982993145 (ISBN13: 9780982993149) I absolutely LOVED this book. In fact, it has been the best book I’ve read in a long time and wished I hadn’t finished it as quickly as I did. I feel lucky to have discovered this author and can’t wait to read her next piece of work! Mary L. […]
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