Review: A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne

I have yet to read a novel by John Boyne that I don't absolutely get engrossed with. After finding and reading The Absolutist I've been a huge fan of his. After missing the deadline to read The Heart's Invisible Furies earlier this year, I thought I could redeem myself by reading A Ladder to the Sky in order to maintain my fan status. Suffice it to say, Boyne does not disappoint.

Review: Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood

I'm not sure where to start with this review. Those of you familiar with the story of Sally Horner aren't should be in familiar territory with her story. Others who have mentioned Lolita written by Vladimir Nabokov, are aware that that story was loosely based on this young girl.

Review: Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Wow! What an incredibly moving and touching story. Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras delivers a vivid, profoundly engrossing coming of age story that is told through two young girls who couldn't be more different, yet, they share a connection that is unheard of given the circumstances

Review: The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat

The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat was captivating from page one. We're introduced to our narrator whose story begins on an undisclosed island where it's clear she and her father might be outcasts of sorts. This unnamed island has become home to the narrator and her father along with other Ethiopians that believed in Ayale.

Review: Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Sing, Unburied Sing… What a beautifully written story of a family that I wanted to last much longer than the pages allowed. I was almost sad this one had to come to an end. I read much of this novel with anticipating the worse to come as Jojo travels with his mother, Leonie, to pick up his father, Michael, from Parchman Prison. Not only was I nervous for Jojo, but also the family left behind in wait, his grandparents.

Review:Stay With Me by Aybami Adebayo

As promised, I am providing a review on Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo. Stay With Me is the gripping literary novel that follows the story of Yejide and Akinyele and their marriage and ultimate dissolution throughout the years. To say this novel isn't interesting a moving would be a lie and those who have read know that "if a lie travels for twenty years, even a hundred years, it will take one day... for the truth to catch up with a lie."

Review: Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor

  Gloria Naylor, author of The Women of Brewster Place, grants the world another chance to read why she's considered a literary champion. When I began reading Naylor's Linden Hills I was not familiar with her works nor had any inclination to be. Oh how foolish I have been all these years. I didn't realize until the last word that I missed her voice.

Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

I know it's wrong what I'm going to say but I don't care. I've come to the point that I am just happy to have made it through. Similarly to the brave slaves that are introduced in The Underground Railroad, my journey through this novel was treacherous, exhausting, and necessary. I know, I know, I gave the novel a 4-star rating. And every star is deserved, I just can't ignore that it took so much out of me to keep going on my journey to freedom to read another book by way of making it to the end of this one.

Review: Black Chalk by Christopher J Yates

Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates is one interesting ride down memory lane with a character named Jolyon who recounts how his life changed dramatically 14 years earlier. Six friends decide to embark on a game where after a series of rounds, consequences will be given in gradual escalation in order to prevent elimination if one of those rounds are lost. The game is meant to be strictly psychological. A game of the mind. But of course, with all good things, the game costs more than these six can pay, even resulting in an unforeseen death.

It is clear that the game has taken its toll on at least one player. Part of Black Chalk is narrated by a person who has completely lost his marbles. At one time this player was the nucleus to his social circle only to have it all taken away by the game. With the impending reunion of the remaining players, we are taken on a journey to regain strength for this broken player. Their life consists of mnemonics, notes, solitude, whiskey, and fear. Oh we mustn't forget the pills. All this in order to go on day to day without dealing with the guilt of the game.

Black Chalk explores the fragility of friendships, competition, and the human mind. What would you do to win? At some point, the jackpot didn't even matter, it was purely all about winning. Yates had me hooked wanting to see what, and why the narrator was a shell of himself. What could be so damning about this game that it cost so much for so little?

Sadly, my biggest gripe with this novel is that I never found the answer to the question. It seemed like jealousy and bitterness kept something going so long that should have ended long before it did. And sadly, there was no character I ever seemed to really like. The only redeeming characters were the ones who had the courage to walk away.

One other thing I couldn't quite get was the actual game. It's unclear what it is. Is it a mixture of poker? Gin rummy? Go Fish? What? The answer never comes. And the consequences seemed to be performed off-screen, but judging by the story in the story, it tears their lives apart. I don't know.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed reading Christopher J. Yates debut Black Chalk. It's an interesting look into the world of what guilt can do to someone; anyone for that matter. I hope this won't be the last we hear of Yates as I think he's got quite some good writing chops. I won't need any mnemonics to remember to look for any future works by him.  ***

Copy provided by Random House UK via Netgalley

Review: The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman

The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman, can be summed up entirely by stating it's a great read. For most, that simple statement isn't enough so... here's my review:

Tooly Zylberberg has found it much easier to live in a world of solidarity with the characters she meets along the way in the many books she's read. It's only befitting that she owns a bookstore where she can cultivate this love of the written word. She has little interaction with any outsiders besides Fogg, her employee, but doesn't seemed too worried about it. That is until a man from her past informs her that he's been looking for her. Something's happened to her father.

The Rise & Fall of Great Powers shifts between three distinct periods in Tooly's life that offer readers a glimpse into her past, even more distant past, and her present. Almost immediately it is obvious that Tooly isn't being raised as most children are. She travels the world with a man named Paul. Never staying in one place longer than a year. It is age ten, during their stay in Thailand, where Tooly's life goes in a completely different direction and she makes a decision that leads her to question everything that's ever happened before and since.

I enjoyed reading every page of this book. Rachman is one helluva writer... for lack of better words. I'm no master lyricist. His writing is poetic, eloquent, and alluring. There wasn't one moment I wasn't completely interested in this novel, nor did I feel the need to race ahead in an effort to get past the boring parts. Don't even get me started on the depth of each character introduced in this novel. Rachman is one helluva writer. 

At the very heart, most basic part, of this novel is a mystery. Who is this woman Tooly? Where did she come from? Why was she with this man Paul only to end up with another strange hosts of guardians? There's Sarah who is one disappearing act after another. The enigmatic Venn that Tooly is completely entranced with. Last, the funny talking russian old man Humphrey who seems to have a new story about his past each time he's asked. Paul, and this band of misfits all had a hand in raising the now introverted Tooly.

It has been a long time since I've read a book that made me want to laugh and cry all on one page. I don't mean to imply that this novel is sad, but my heart really goes out to some of these characters. They were all bonded to each other because of Tooly. Content to playing the background, to blend in as much as possible, she never realized the importance of her role in the lives of the ones she found the least exciting and that made me sad. I admit I'm sensitive like that.

The Rise & Fall of Great Powers is the journey of a woman who's trying to decipher the cryptic nature of her past and in turn finds herself. As she pieces her life together, sorting through the lies and the truth, between the past and the present, Tooly find that maybe the ones who loved her most, were the ones always there. 

Copy provided by Random House Publishing via Netgalley

Review: Ruby by Cynthia Bond

Wow!!!

Ruby by Cynthia Bond is a profound debut novel featuring two beautiful, yet battered souls. On one hand we have Ruby. Evident from page one she comes off as a woman who has seen better days. People of Liberty watch her as she begs Miss P for food. She's no longer the beauty she once was, but still Ephram Jennings only sees her through loving eyes.

Ephram Jennings has loved Ruby since they were children and has never stopped. After seeing her fall so far from glory, Ephram decides to save her. He doesn't so much as want to remake her, but to make her whole again. And in the process, he will be made whole as well.

Cynthia Bond offers readers two unforgettable, unbreakable characters whose story I won't soon forget. Ephram stole my heart from page one with his wish to only be noticed. Besides his overbearing sister, Celia, no one else notices this simple man. Except maybe to make fun of him for taking an interest in Liberty's Ruby.

What is most true to form is the setting Bond has created. Liberty, a small, unassuming town that is riddled with secrets, and folklore... maybe even some haints, and is full of gossip. This southern town has seen it's share of crazies and is sure that Ruby is on the way to making her way into that prestigious hall of fame that Ephram's mother did decades earlier. 

Each character presented in this novel served a purpose. I love that there were no words, actions, or scenes that didn't matter. Ruby is often full of suspense, mystery, intrigue, and hope. There were no good opportunities to stop reading. In the moments when I had to come back to my own world, Ruby and Ephram weren't far from my mind. Their spirits lingered, similarly to Ruby's own ghosts. 

I can go on and on about this book. I can mention how vivid, provocative, haunting, and gripping Ruby is, but my words could not do this novel justice. Ruby stands on its own and invites readers to believe there is love, and redemption in us all. Thank you Cynthia Bond for inviting me on the journey through the lives of Ruby, Ephram, and the citizens in Liberty. Ruby is a wonderful debut novel that will remain in the minds of readers long after the last page is turned. ****

Copy provided by Crown Publishing via Netgalley

Review: Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore by Walter Mosley

Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore, is the first novel I've read by Walter Mosley. I know, I know. What rock have I been living under? And to begin with this? What about the Easy Rawlins novels that are more my speed?

Debbie Dare thrills the world with exhilarating pornographic scenes as a living. After filming a scene with a costar, she goes home to find that her husband has died in a "freak" accident involving an underage female, and a camera. You put two and two together. Almost immediately after news of Theon Pinkney's death, Debbie finds that the life of luxury they lived is a lie. With the weight of her husbands death and financial ruin, Debbie decides she won't do it anymore. You all know what it is. Don't act shy now.

Generally, I'm not one who reads erotic novels or smut. I don't want to be the one caught reading an erotic novel at work... or anywhere else for that matter. Thinking that this novel may fall into that category made me a little skeptical initially. After reading the first ten pages, I knew Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore was written to tell a porn star's journey in finding her self and not simply racking up scenes in which the character could do it. Thank you Walter Mosley.

Sandra Pinkney, best know as Debbie Dare, goes through a profound transformation in the days after her husbands tragic demise. What is hard to understand about her is that she seems so emotionless. I don't remember her once playing the victim or sad widow and it is because of this I loved her. The victim card is too overused in most novels. 

This novel is told as a narrative. Readers are inside Debbie's head at all times. She doesn't apologize for her lifestyle, nor does she find it shameful. Debbie only understands that her last link to the world of pornography is gone. In the midst of the chaos that has ensued after Theon's death, constantly flirting with the idea of suicide, and living with the guilt of abandoning her son, Debbie prevails. 

Ultimately I really enjoyed reading Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore. Walter Mosley introduces us to a woman who sees a world she no longer belongs in and refuses to go back to a place that could bring her to her knees. 

Copy provided by Doubleday via Netgalley

Review: Kinder Than Solitude by Yiyun Li

Kinder Than Solitude by Yiyun Li is the enthralling story of three friends who's lives are forever bound by the history they have tried to run from since youth. The news of the death of Shaoai, which is possibly caused by one of the three, jump starts the novel. After more than 20 years in a coma, the one tie holding these three together, is finally severed. 

The premise of a mystery is what attracted my attention to this novel initially, by Li's writing kept me engrossed and in need of savoring every word written. Each character in their own way, has chosen a life of solitude as opposed to a true existence filled with love, laughter, and humanity. Boyang, has risen from meager beginnings to become a man who is more wealthy than ever imagined. Moran, once a courteous teen, morphs into a chemist who finds solace in her small apartment and the occasional visits with her dying ex-husband. Finally, the most interesting yet mysterious of the three, Ruyu, lives as the odd-job queen. 

Kinder Than Solitude is more than just a mystery of whodunnit but rather a delving into what it means to be human; to seek lasting connections and have a meaningful life full of people who matter. Instead, these characters have chosen a life of being untangled. After failed marriages,passing flings, or basic emotionless disregard, the one thing that they do remain tethered to is the death of Shaoai.

Yiyun Li provides a vivid character study of three people that are unlike any character I've come across to date in the multitude of texts I've read. Who stand out the most for me is Ruyu. She's sent to live with Shaoai's family at the age of 15. Shaoai constantly berates her for her lack of emotion or caring. Ruyu is an enigma the entire novel and never once deviates from that trait. She's logical to a fault and this makes her prime suspect number one. She seems not to care about anyone but not in the cunning way. It's more so that she's even tempered and this baffles all who come across her.

Essentially, Kinder Than Solitude is a well-written expose of human nature and the beauty of solitude. I enjoyed this novel tremendously and look forward to what's next from this author. ****

Copy provided by Random House via Netgalley

Review: The First True Lie by Marina Mander

Determined not to become a full orphan, Luca decides that his mother's decaying body is best kept secret. The First True Lie by Marina Mander takes on an emotional roller-coaster with this heartbreaking yet inspiring novel. Through Luca's narrative, we come to understand why Luca chooses not to tell the world he is no longer only missing a father, but a mother as well. 

The thing I can't shake about The First True Lie is how beautifully written it is. Often times I wonder how a child could be so insightful and true. Luca warns readers that it's been said that he's sensitive. He often finds his self sad, just like his mother, but knows he can't be too sad or else the sadness will drown the both of them. She tells him she suffers from loneliness. Luca would love to just be normal. To have a father that hasn't disappeared into the void leaving him half an orphan. Or to have a mother that loved him enough to stick around. It almost choked me up thinking a child could ever feel the guilt of not being good enough to make their parent want to stay.

The tension in The First True Lie is thick enough to cut with a knife. Between moments of Luca reminiscing about life before his mother just never woke up again or other childhood thoughts, there is a huge sense of loss. What would happen to their cat Blue? Cats aren't allowed in an orphanage. What happens to his childhood? He's already proven he can endure life as a single adult. He could lose his home, his friends, and his neighborhood just by letting the world in on his secret. In the midst of all these potential losses, he realizes that he can find a new life. He can become whoever he wants to be.

It's clear from page one that Luca will be a character who will forever be imprinted on the minds of all who read this novel. He's intelligent, observant, responsible, and good enough to stay alive for. There are moments of pure brilliance in this text that is often found only in the minds of children uncomplicated by "the real world". I hope Mander completes his story since The First True Lie feels so incomplete.  ****

Copy provided by Crown Publishing via Netgalley

Review: Perfect by Rachel Joyce

How many times have we convinced ourselves that we'd only missed a change so profound to our lives by a few second? Or that if only we'd been somewhere at a certain time could our luck have gone differently? This is the idea that cripples Byron Hemmings when he's sure that the 2 seconds added on to time have caused a chain reaction of events that forever change his life. Rachel Joyce's Perfect explores time and how it affects us all. Good or bad.

In June of 1972, Byron's overactive imagination convinces him that the alter in time will only end with horrible consequences. He asks his best friend James Lowe, who's also the person who told him the news of 2 additional seconds, how can they add 2 seconds that don't exist. It wasn't safe. If only he hadn't been told about the 2 seconds, his life could quite possibly have gone in a different direction.

While rushing from the home one morning, Byron's mother, Diane, decides to take a shortcut through a part of the town that's considered to be seedy. Digby Road is one to be avoided at all costs says his father and their other upper-crust friends. While trying to recoup the loss of time, Diane's new Jaguar seemingly collides with something. Byron is sure that his mother has either ignored that she hit something/someone or is just oblivious to what has happened. They continue on this forbidden road but Byron is unable to forget that something tragic has happened. 

Perfect alternates with an equally interesting story of a man named Jim. Jim has been in and out of psyche institutes and bases his life on rituals. These rituals he must perform is in order to avoid mistakes or misfortune. Ironic since he lives out of a van and seems like a shell of a man. His story is heartbreaking yet I still had hope for this man. He seemed to be so damaged and in need of a friend. Anyone who would care about what time has done to him or cost him.

A few short months after the time change life changes drastically for both boys Byron and James. Because Perfect primarily focuses on Byron, we readers are able to take the journey with him. It's almost like a coming of age story at times when Joyce describes the inner struggles that Byron goes through. We also see how protective of his mother he is. Lovely Diane...

Perfect seems to focus heavily on Diane. She's the forgotten housewife who's husband only comes home on the weekends. Sure she gets to live in a magnificent home in the English countryside and has two wonderful children. But why does she seem so neglected? Byron seemingly wants to protect her from everything. He almost takes on the role of being man of the house especially where her new friend Beverly is concerned. The two, Diane and Byron, are definitely close. It is because of Byron's intentions of her well-being that things fall apart.

Overall, Perfect was the perfect book to start off 2014. Although it is heavy and dark there are moments where hope prevails. The best way to welcome the new year is to realize that time waits for no one. What's done is done. What will be will be. Sometimes it's better to just live out the mistakes instead of working to repair them. ****

Copy provided by Random House via Netgalley

Review: House of the Hunted by Mark Mills

Won through a Goodreads Giveaway House of the Hunted is the first novel I've read by Mark Mills. While sleeping one night Tom's past comes back to haunt him with a vengence. He's tried to put to rest the man he used to be and the constant memories of his one love. The man who's paid to kill him is proof that he can no longer hide as he's sure there will be more looking for him. What he's most concerned with is who in his circle has sold him out. House of the Hunted takes place in the south of France during 1935, 16 years later from when we initially meet Tom who was a spy at the time. Traipsing from one party to another it seems, Tom is no longer a cold-blooded killer but sure knowes when to call on those skills when necessary. What I liked most about Mark Mills writing is how descriptive it is. Most thrillers are really shy on details. I felt that I lived Le Rayol with Tom and his friends. It almost felt like these people partied a little too much but when in France... There is an underlying romance that gives readers a whole nother layer to Tom's character. He's an emotionally damaged man after word that his first love Irina has been executed. Her ghost lingers in a haunting way that it allows readers to feel sorry for Tom. It is this attention to character development that makes Mills a master of his craft. It is why literary snobs that still love suspense flock to titles such as this. I'm no literary snob, but I do have gripes. Although I appreciate detail and character development as much as the next person, I couldn't help but feel like there was not enough of the espionage, or thriller feel. The moments of action were brief and over in a blink. I know this is not supposed to be some David Morrell novel where Tom's automatically turned into Rambo but I did expect a lot more of this person the book sleeve suggests Tom once was. I'm certain that because House of the Hunted is geared towards a more literary audience it's trying to make a point. What I found to be a recurring theme was that we never quite know the people we surround ourselves with or even love. I very much so enjoyed reading House of the Hunted and look forward to reading others I may have missed by this author.  ***

Review: What I Had Before I Had You by Sarah Cornwell

*Won Through a Goodreads Giveaway* WOW!!!! What an eye-opening literary account of bipolar disorder and how it has manifested itself in a family! Olivia returns to Ocean Vista with her two children, Carrie and Daniel, in tow. She decides that a stop on the beach may be just what the doctor ordered before they make the final trek to New York City where the beginning of a new life is on the horizon. During this time at the beach, her nine-year-old son Daniel, goes missing. The last thing Olivia needs is to be searching for her son when she's still coming to terms with the death of her marraige, and Daniel's recent bipolar disorder diagnosis. What I Had Before I Had You is beautifully narrated by Olivia. She recounts the time when she was fifteen and had to begin facing the truth of the world she lived in. As an only child to a whimsical mother who often disappeared for days, was her reality. Reflecting on the days of her youth in an abandoned hotel, as she searches for Daniel, is how we learn of her troubled past. Sarah Cornwell brilliantly fuses a tense, yet heartening, plot with eloquent prose and dynamic characters. The younger Olivia is trying to find her way in a world where she never quite felt she belonged. Actually, many of the characters find they are trapped in worlds that aren't suitable causing them to be tourists in lives in which they don't belong. As a teen, her escape is found in running with a fast crowd and as an adult, it's in the arms of random lovers. Olivia maintains the guilt for so many instances in her life. Leaving her ill mother at a young age, subjecting her children to that same abandonment, and presently losing Daniel. Her one ally. Carrie is someone she barely recognizes anymore. Olivia can feel the resentment and embarassment that permeates from her teenage pores. Unlike her own condition, whatever ails Carrie can't be fixed with pills. What I Had Before I Had You is not only about bipolar disorder. It's an insightful and detailed chronicle of a family that's trying to put back together the pieces of their lives. In very few pages Sarah Cornwell sucks readers in and forces us to care about Olivia and her family. What I Had Before I Had You is going to be on the minds of readers long after the last page.   ****

Review: The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel

Received through a Goodreads Giveaway When reading literary fiction it is either hit-or-miss for me. Luckily (no pun intended)The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel was a definite hit and I'm sure nothing I can write in this review will suffice. But... I must try and throw my views on this novel into the fray. Larry Bloom is in love with Starshine Hart and to prove that love has written a manuscript detailing her day up until the moment they have dinner. This dinner is not like any other because this is the one where he's determined to profess his love for her. And hopefully in return she will do the same. No Larry is not charismatic, memorable, good looking, or rich. He's a man who hopes that the letter he holds in his pocket from the publishing company Stroop & Stone, will seal the deal with Starshine. The Biology of Luck cleverly alternates between Larry's reality and the fiction of Starshine's life by using situations in his own life to fill in the gaps that he couldn't possibly know unless having been told. The fiction of Starshine's life, Larry's manuscript, is named The Biology of Luck. It is where we are fall victim to the beauty that is Starshine and are introduced to all the people she's left in her wake. Starshine is a beautiful, bike riding, odd-job queen, who has hopes and dreams of becoming any sort of star (still no pun intended). Aware of her ability to melt hearts, often using it to her advantage when asking money for the Cambodian Children's Fund, also fears the impending doom of those powers fading. I'm never sure I actually like Starshine most of the novel, but I too was drawn to her like every person in this novel seemed to be. What's most fascinating about this novel is the level of depth given to each character. The characters Larry and Starshine encounter are real and they seem as interesting as our leads. From the insane landlord Bone to the dilettante Colby Parker, Appel seems to have produced a character study on the moving parts of New York. Their interactions and happenings eventually come full circle in both novels culminating in a hilarious scene that is just too good to believe and very romance movie-ish. Among these characters is also an Armenian florist who can determine someone's level of luck in their biology just by looking at them. I would love to hear what my biology says of my luck. Please introduce me to that guy. Amidst all the chaos that does happen on the day that Larry hopes to win Starshine's heart, is the vivid picture painted of New York by Jacob M. Appel. Larry is a tour guide so this detail could not be ignored. I felt that I came alive just as the patrons of Harlem did in the opening chapter. I have never been to New York but The Biology of Luckrestores the incessant need to see its architecture for myself. To encounter the crazies roaming the streets. To have a conversation with people who are the embodiment of unique. Thank you Jacob M. Appel for writing such an interesting, multilayered novel that does end without resolution. The Biology of Luck leaves a HUGE unanswered question in the end but I'm hoping his next novel (feauturing these characters) will answer it for me. After reading The Biology of Luck I am certain the need to hold on to hope in matters of love and life are what gets us up in the morning. Also, I should really acquaint myself with the poetry of Walt Whitman. ****

Review: A True Novel by Minae Mizumura

A Japanese retelling of my favorite classic Wuthering Heights? Where do I sign up? Minae Mizumura writes beautifully about the life of Taro Azuma. Taro’s a man who intrigues her family with his enigmatic and sometimes dark personality. Mizumura meets this man as a private chauffer for her father’s boss. As time goes on, the only chattering heard about Taro is that he’s slowly making a name for his self and acquiring massive amounts of wealth. The information of Taro’s history is unknown until Mizumura runs into a past student who tells her the story he’s heard of the cryptic Taro Azuma. This handsome man who hails from Japan and is talked about as if a legend, is Mizumura’s starring character in an attempt to write a “true novel”. Mizumura explains in the prologue (perhaps the longest one I’ve ever read) that “Inovels” are very popular in Japanese literature and are primarily stories that are true to life and neither have a beginning or end since that is of course how true to life they are. Mizumura found that the classic novel Wuthering Heights was a story that is so true to life and told thousands of times. This is where she got the idea of how to structure Taro’s life into a “true novel”. “True” in the sense that it is based off of an actual true story or a man’s wonderful rise in a new world that would not let him remain unconscious to that fact that he was an outsider. Yusuke happens upon a cottage in a remote part of Karuizawa. His bike is in disrepair after a torrential rain leaves him stranded, keyless, and at the mercy of two strangers. These strangers turn out to be Fumiko, a woman assumed to be the maid, and the legendary Taro Azuma. Yusuke is offered lodging at this home and is baffled by the presence of a woman and man. He was certain there was no one else at this small home. He inquires to Fumiko about the presence of these other people. She explains they are the ghosts of Taro’s one true love and her husband. It’s here she takes over the novel and narrates the past life of the infamous, mysterious Taro Azuma and how these ghosts came to be. From page one A True Novel is enthralling and hard to step away from. Although I’ve read Wuthering Heights many times, I was more interested in the lives of these characters than comparing what Mizumura kept from the original Bronte novel or decided to abandon. Similar to the original 19th century novel, there is so much more to this novel than the surface of a love story. Essentially, there are many true loves in this novel. Mizumura mentions the talk of a Japan that she longed for dearly as a child growing up in New York. She tried to hold on to the memories of that Japan for as long as possible only to find the Japan she once knew was no more. This place of her childhood was now a westernized-concrete jungle. She’d lost her true love to time and change. Similarly to Taro Azuma who lost his one love to the same circumstances. Taro’s enduring love for Yoko pushed him to the limit and embodies the true agony of not being loved wholly in return. He was raised in a home where he suffered abuse, was undereducated, poor, and essentially cast off as a non-person because of his questionable heritage. His only salvation from this hell was in the old woman Mrs. Utagawa, the wealthy grandmother of Yoko. A he matures into an adult, it is in this world Taro realizes he doesn't belong. After an abhorrent fight with Yoko, Taro journey's to the land of opportunity in the hopes of someday returning a man worthy of her stature. Upon his arrival, he finds that she is married with no plans of ever leaving her husband. I could go on and on about the characters, the plot, the themes, and how much I love A True Novel by Minae Mizumura but… that would be a disservice to future readers. Ultimately, this novel explores the circle of love and how time is unwilling to allow anything to remain the way we hope they would. ***** FYI: This novel also has photos of the different scenery!

Review: Bitter Like Orange Peel by Jessica Bell

Bitter Like Orange Peel the debut novel by Jessica Bell, is the story of six women who's lives have all been changed because of one man. The novel begins with Kit looking at a defaced photograph of her father and decides to call her half sister Ivy. She tells Ivy that she is interested in finding their father. Wanting to find that missing piece is how we begin to see secrets revealed and revelations brought to light. Bitter Like Orange Peel essentially is a well-written story about female adults dealing with the challenges of their lives that may, or may not, have anything to do with the abandonment of this guy, Roger. Kit is in her mid-twenties and is still unsure of what to do with her life. She's encouraged by her mother Ailish to do something purposeful with her field of study in archaeology. Ironically, the same profession as her older sister Ivy, and their father. Kit may in fact be the most relatable and well developed character of this novel. The idea that finding our lineage and answers to burning questions is coherant, if not obvious for a plot. Ivy represents the woman who seemingly has her life together. She's taking a break from getting her PHD after divorcing her husband Amir. Ivy runs off to Seattle in search of a new life and figure the one out that she has. While waitressing she meets Brian. Eventually, Ivy doesn't seem so put together at all. Bitter Like Orange Peel would have been a 3-star review for me if it had a little more focus, especially the end. The different view points broke up the flow of the novel and left me wondering at times was that person's insight even necessary. I commend Jessica Bell for bringing to life in Bitter Like Orange Peel the importance of family and just being there. We don't always see the affects the relationships we have, or don't have, with the people we have no choice in being related to. Bitter Like Orange Peel does not deter me from reading Jessica Bell's other works. Bell's definitely a unique voice in the literary world that I would love to explore further.  **