***** 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: novels
February
22
Snowy, Remote Minnesota: The Vanishing, Wendy Webb
posted by lasesana
Hyperion, 2014 ISBN 1401341942 (ISBN13: 9781401341947) ***1/4 Part of the Mysteries from Every State Reading Challenge Julia Bishop has recently lost her husband, her friends, and her entire life. The “Bernie Madoff of the Midwest,” her husband had swindled hundreds out of their life savings before killing himself once his scheme was discovered. Hounded by […]
January
15
3+1 books with strong Asian (American) Female Voices
posted by lasesana
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 […]
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 […]
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
02
Kathy Reichs’ Déjà Dead, TV’s “Bones:” Read THIS, don’t watch THAT
posted by lasesana
*** ½ Pocket Books, 1997 0671011367 (ISBN13: 9780671011369) SPOILER ALERT I went on a bit of a rant with this one… I’ve been writing this review in my head since page three. First and foremost, what jumps off the page the most in Deja Dead is how different Kathy Reichs’ Dr. Temperance Brennan is from the […]
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 […]
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 […]
January
25
Divergent, Veronica Roth
posted by lasesana
***** Divergent Author: Veronica Roth First Edition: 2011 Original language: English Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Favorite Book of 2011 and for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2011), ALA Teens’ Top Ten Nominee (2012), Children’s Choice Book Award Nominee for Teen Choice Book of the Year (2012), DABWAHA (Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award […]
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