Here are some books I have enjoyed a lot -- or not so much:
2) The Oleander Girl, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, is the story of a young Indian woman who is poised to marry until she discovers a heart-breaking reality about her life, setting her off on a journey of discovery. This is the type of book I most love: a poetic page-turner! You can relish the language while you hold your breath waiting to see what happens next!
3) Winter Wheat, by Mildred Walker
But that's just one reason I loved this book. Mildred Walker, a native of Montana who wrote several books from that state, is a writing weaver, knotting highly lyrical language into her deft prose. Consider the first paragraph: "September is like a quiet day after a whole week of wind. I mean real wind that blows dirt into your eyes and hair and between your teeth and roars in your ears after you've gone inside. The harvesting is done and the wheat stored away and you're through worrying about hail or drought or grasshoppers. The fields have a tired, peaceful look, the way I imagine a mother feels when she's had her baby and she is just lying there thinking about it and feeling pleased."
This book immerses you in wheat growing. You feel that dirt in your eyes and hair and between your teeth. You feel the wheat between your fingers! And you feel through and through the life experiences and psychological ups and downs of the first-person protagonist, Ellen Webb. Do yourself a favor and read this classic! (Wow, I'm starting to sound like the literature professor I used to be!)
4) The Winged Bull, by Dion Fortune
5)The Oracle of Stamboul,by Michael David Lukas
A debut novel, this book -- magical and magnficently written -- sweeps you up in the charming story of a young girl who ends up as a confidante and advisor of the sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1877. This book is such an impressive work, particulary for a young writer. It too has poetry melted into the prose. Anyone who knows me knows that I try to wrap my storytelling in poetic language, and hats off to Michael David Lukas for doing such an amazing job, while also telling what amounts to a historical fairytale!
6) Hell of a Book, by Jason Mott
Winner of the 2021 National Book Award
A mix of fantasy, meta-fiction and intertwining narratives, this novel is a wildly creative exploration of the tragedy that is America's legacy of racism. As the stories proceed, they gather speed and intensity displaying an all too familiar portrait of what it means to be black in the U.S.
7)Maison Cristina, by Eugene K. Garber
8) The Eight Mountains, by Paolo Cognetti. Translated from Italian, this novel appealed in part because it is a story of mountains and mountain life and people. It is also the story of a long friendship between a man of the mountains and a man who divides his time between the mountains and a metropolis. As one reviewer noted, the author's "true achievement is understanding mountains' perpetual hold both on those who never leave and those who do."
10) The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd. Kidd's novel is a fictionalized account of the lives of the Grimke sisters, Sarah and Angelina, who forge leadership in the abolitionist and women's rights movements. As the NPR review notes, "Kidd has fleshed out mountains of research -- facts, figures, dates, letters, and articles -- into a believable and elegantly rendered" work of fiction. Like this reviewer, I had never heard of the Grimke sisters before this book, and it is with deep gratitude to the author that I recommend her novel.
11) This Must Be the Place, by Maggie O'Farrell. Narrators switch to tell this lively story of a couple, Daniel and Claudette, living in a remote part of Ireland; Daniel's voice in chapter one sweeps you right into the story revealing a secret that carries you throughout!
12) The Vanishing of Esme Lennox, by Maggie O'Farrell a fabulous story told in short impressionistic sections; the story is immensely interesting and found myself flying through the pages. The ending surprises in a thoughtful way. This book makes me think of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, and that's quite a stunning book too.
14) The Henna Artist, first in The Jaipur Trilogy, by Alka Joshi, a lively story set in Jaipur, India, about a woman who leaves her husband and becomes a henna artist, doing designs on the bodies of wealthy women.
15) Secret Keeper of Jaipur, second in the trilogy by Alka Joshi, the story picks up after Lakshmi Shastri has married an Indian doctor and moved to Shimla and become a healer in a community clinic.
16) The Sweet Taste of Muscadines: A Novel, by Pamela Terry. I picked up this novel and just loved the opening, but as it was labeled "Women's Fiction," in Bookbubs (where I get a lot of recommendations for what I read) I wasn't sure I would like the whole read. I need not have worried because Pamela Terry is a consummate storyteller and the tale she weaves about three children who lose their mother and return to the small Southern town where they were raised doesn't fail to disappoint. The narrative voice is smart and sassy and carries you along at a fast clip. I highly recommend this read!
17) The Storyteller's Death, by Ann Davila Cardinal, a lovely coming of age story in which the narrator, Isla, inherits the Sanchez family's gift for telling stories. Set in Puerto Rico (where the narrator spends every summer), the story is propelled by successive visions that the narrator experiences after successive elderly relatives -- cuentistas (storytellers)-- die. There is mystery and romance and youthful rebellion in this well-told tale, and the story brought a few tears at the end!!!
18) One Amazing Thing, by Maggie O'Farrell. I made it through half of this novel but decided it was just too depressing to finish. The book follows about a dozen individuals trapped by an earthquake. The premise of the book is that each person will tell a redeeming story about his or her life. Earthquakes are way too much in the news right now to want to immerse myself in one that's fictitious.
19) The Island of the Sea Women, by Lisa See. An extraordinary epic tale of the Haenyeo female divers of Jeju Island, a province of South Korea. Women have been diving for shellfish for more than 1700 years on Jeju, feeding their families in a strict matriarchy. The book follows the life of Young-sook and her family, and her relationship with another diver, whose family collaborated with Japanese invaders. The history of Jeju is heartbreaking, and Lisa See does an amazing job of drawing you into the lives of one group of divers. I highly recommend this book!
20) Transcendent Kingdom, by Yaa Gyasi. A novel by a Ghanaian American writer whose debut novel, Homegoing, was highly praised and award-winning. In the new book, Ghanaian American narrator Gifty tries to sort out how religion and science have informed her life, and the terrible tragedy which befalls her family. The author came to this country with her family from Ghana when she was a child. In the novel, the family's origin is Ghana, but the family is split, and the sadness in this book never ends. Nicely written, but don't read this book looking for spiritual uplift.
21) I'm Not Scared, by Niccolo Ammaniti. Translated from the Italian, this book reads very poetically and perfectly captures the voice and thoughts and moods of a young boy, confronting his friends and his parents and life's ordinary challenges. But just about half-way through the book, the horrorifying crime his father and his cronies have committed emerges. It turned my stomach and so I am here to say I cannot recommend this novel by Ammaniti, who is, according to The New Yorker, "one of Italy's most acclaimed younger writers."
22) Memphis, by Tara M. Stringfellow, a multigenerational story that hovers around Miriam and her two daughters, Joan and Mya, who flee the abusive husband/father, Jax. The book is a tapestry of voices, weaving in the stories of Miriam's mother, Hazel, and grandmother, Della. This is a heartfelt book, the writing often very poetic.
23) Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard,by Kiran Desai, a mischievous tale about a sensitive and rather detached young man named Sampath who climbs a tree and becomes a popular guru. Ultimately, though, his own father leads a campaign to exploit his popularity; that combined with a band of raucous -- ad alcoholic -- monkeys in the trees cause chaos throughout the larger community. The writer must have smiled while writing this book, which frames social ills in symbolic ways. This is a charming read but it's the kind of novel that is fundamentally cynical about everything including spiritual pursuits; it feels like it keeps me at arm's length, and thus, isn't completely satisfying.
25) At the Edge of the Orchard, by Tracy Chevalier is an incredibly powerful story, told in novel that unfolds in a fascinating way. It begins in the Spring of 1838 in the Black Swamp of Ohio, where the Goodenough family, originally from Connecticut (and before that, England) has settled. Tension runs high in this family -- the husband and wife are at sharp odds. James Goodenough loves apple trees, especially the Pippins that came with him from England. His wife, Sadie, hates the orchard he is trying to cultivate, but welcomes hard cider and anything alcoholic. At a certain point, the book goes fast forward in time, following the life of the oldest son, Robert Goodenough. And then, after a few decades following Robert on his adventures out West, the action switches back to the Fall of 1838 to deliver some hardhitting scenes. The culmination of the book is fascinating, and completely memorable. Trace Chevalier, author of the international best seller, Girl with the Pearl Earring deserves all the many accolades she gets. 26) Small Fry, by Lisa Brennan-Jobs, a wonderful coming-of-age story by the daughter of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Beautifully written and so often poetic, the book captures in great detail the life of a girl who struggled so valiantly to gain acceptance and love from her famous father.
27) People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks, a very special manuscript called the Sarajevo Haggadah, created in 15th century Spain, must be conserved by an Australian rare-book expert. "Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author," says Bookshop.org.
28) The Last Runaway, by Tracy Chevalier is a wonderful story about a Quaker woman who leaves England in 1850 to come to America with her sister. Honor Bright ends up alone, living with strangers in Ohio, where she confronts the realities of slavery and becomes involved with the Underground Railroad. I highly recommend this novel; characters are well drawn and interesting and the story line is compelling while also revealing an important era in American history.
29) Gardens in the Dunes, by Leslie Marmon Silko, such a rich and beautifully written novel about two Native American sisters who are separated, and their journeys back to each other. At the heart of the story is young Indigo, who is part of the Sand Lizard people. A friend who recommended the book described it as a Victorian story turned upside down to focus on a person of color. The writing is very poetic and the author's knowledge about all things growing is absolutely astounding. A review in the NY Times criticized the book for having too many causes and axes to grind. I didn't mind that at all, especially the strongly feminist focus. Definitely give this book a read!
30) The Family Izquierdo, by Ruben Degollado, is a novel told as a cluster of interrelated stories. It deals with the fallout after a Mexican American family is cursed by a deeply envious neighbor. The elder of the family has a nervous breakdown, and other family members also suffer from dysfunction. The author freely uses Spanish words, so I frequently consulted a dictionary as I read. The characters are rich and compelling, and the storytelling is good, but the many descriptions of family life are tinged with lots and lots of sadness.
31) The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich, a fabulous novel about the author's grandfather, who helped fight an effort an attempt to dispossess Native tribes from rural North Dakota. Erdrich's grandfather took the fight all the way to Washington, D.C.
32) Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid, a well written "fantasy" (of sorts) about two young people from an unknown Muslim state, Nadia and Saeed, who fall in love and decide to flee from the country plagued by war. Tried reading this during the period when Hamas invaded Israel, and Israel retaliated. Had to stop reading!
33) The Engineer's Wife,by Tracey Enerson Wood, a novel that tells the true story of Emily Warren Roebling, the woman who was instrumental in guiding the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. A good and entertaining read, this book needs to be read, and Emily Roebling's story is an important one that needs to be heard.
34) The Last Crossing, by Guy Vanderhaeghe, a masterfully written saga of the North American West, but unfortuately, because of its brutal grittiness, it just wasn't for me.
35) Rescuing Riley, Saving Myself, by Zachary Anderegg, a wonderful (true) story about a courageous man who goes to extraordinary lengths to save a young dog's life. There is no putting this book down, and when you're done, you are cheering for Zachary and Riley, who end up saving each other.
36) Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel, what a romp this book is. The first chapters are so gripping, and so inventive and unexpected. The author is a gifted storyteller, but the novel is a short sci-fi, heavily plot driven. The characters lack depth, and I found there wasn't a single one that I could identify with (or care about.)
37) The Far Field, by Madhuri Vijay, a very impressive debut novel by an Indian writer from Bangalore. The story follows a troubled young woman whose mother, who appears to be bipolar, sets her up for failure. I found the early part of the book rather uninteresting, but by half-way through, I was hooked. Ultimately, though, I found that I lost patience with the narrator's endless naivite about the effects of her behavior on others, specifically those individuals she meets in the troubled region of Kashimir, where she goes in search of a man who befriended her mother.
38) Early Warning, by Jane Smiley, presents a story that is organized by dates, starting with 1953 and ending up in 1986. The novel lays out the intertwined stories of a host of characters in one family. Smiley is a good writer, and a great storyteller, but several times during this nearly 500-page tome, I asked myself why I was bothering to read the book. I didn't love or particularly cotton to any of the characters. Several of them were rather sad, or worse. That being said, Smiley creates a very believable world, backdropped by some of the most important events of the period, namely the Cold war and the War in Vietnam.
39) A Peculiar Grace, by Jeffrey Lent, tells the story of a middle-aged man who at the start of the book is still yearning for the love of his life he hasn't seen in 20 years. Beautifully written, this novel has a very strong character at its core, but I found myself disliking him for the first half of the book. I warmed up to him eventually but later was disappointed with the way the book resolved.
40) Belleweather, by Susanna Kearsley, a novel with a double narrative, the modern story told in the first person (a woman named Charley), and one set in 1759 during the Seven Years War. The stories are intertwined, and revolve around a New York colonial house and the Wilde family dynasty in Long Island. Two love stories are woven into the stories. It's a good read overall, but the author's resolution of the two stories feels truncated.
41) Buddha in the Attic, by Julie Otsuka, a story about the Japanese women who came to California in the 19th century. This book is written in a very interesting style; there are no individual characters. Details accrue about the group as a whole.
42) Time Present and Time Past, by Dierdre Madden, a finalist for the Orange Prize, this short novel tells the tale of a man who has lost his grip on time. The characters are well drawn and the plot is interesting enough, however I ultimately found the book a bit disappointing, as it promised to deliver insights on the nature of time, and it didn't in the end deliver them.
43) Americanah, by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie, a very gripping story about a young Nigerian woman who comes to the US and ends up living there for 15 years. The book takes you through her love affairs, because it is a love story, but also spends lots of time on matters of race in the U.S. The narrator, Ifemelu, is a writer who starts a blog, offering an African perspective on the plight of African Americans.
44) The Pumpkin Eater, by Penelope Mortimer. An early feminist, Mortimer writes a story in the first person about a woman with a slew of children (she never says how many) and a rather unsupportive husband (it's her third marriage.) I found the story less than fascinating, but the voice of the narrator carried me steadily along.
46) A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki, a truly fantastic novel that combines a variety of voices into a luminous whole. A 16-year old Japanese girl writes a diary that is found on the beach in the Pacific northwest by a writer who is fighting writer's block. The diary tells the story of the girl's father, who is trying to commit suicide after losing his job. It also tells the story of the girl's great grandmother, a Buddhist nun, (Ozeki is a Buddhist) and the girl's great uncle, who was part of a suicide air squad in Japan during WWII.
47) The Forty Rules of Love, by Elif Shafak, a magical novel that tells the story of Shams, a 13th century dervish who converts Rumi from an academic into a poet; the story highlights the battle between the Sufis and the conservative Islamic empire. A tale within a tale, the story is being read by a modern woman who is fed up with her husband and her life as a housewife. She flees the marriage to be with the author of the book. All this captures the the longing for love and intimacy, as well as a connection to the divine.
48) Bread Upon the Waters, by Irwin Shaw, is a story about a family that opens up to a wealthy man who can make all kinds of wonderful things happen for them. The problem is that by the end, the family isn't very happy. Irwin Shaw was a prolific playwright, screenwriter, novelist and short story writer. He is best known for his book, Rich Man, Poor Man
49) The Spanish Daughter, by Lorena Hughes, a historical novel
50) Sula, by Toni Morrison, one of my all-time favorites of Morrison's. The anti-hero of this bold novel, Sula Peace, is anything but peaceful. She wreaks havoc with her wanton ways, and raises all kinds of intriguing questions about the nature of good and evil. I taught this book countless times while on faculty at the University at Albany, where, ironically, Morrison was a visiting professor in the 1980s when I first began working on campus.
51) Sea of Poppies, by Amitav Ghosh, the first in a trilogy of incredible novels by a highly acclaimed Indian writer. The books tell the story of the opium trade in the mid-19th century, and the years of suffering imposed on China and India as Great Britain exploited both countries, one as a supplier of opium (India) and the other, China, the country that endured endless opium oaddiction among its people.
52) River of Smoke, by Amitav Ghosh, second in the trilogy, a continuation of the many interlocking stories of the characters who sailed together on the Ibis, an Indian ship.
53) Flood of Fire, by Amitav Ghosh, third in the trilogy. This volume was a bit disappointing as the resolution of the story is dominated by one battle after another. Had I been the editor, I would have pushed the author to resolve the action with more of the characters, specifically, Deeti, the young woman who appears in the first book of the trilogy.
54) The Final Confession of Mabel Stark, by Robert Hough, a fictional account of the life of Mabel Stark, a person in history noted for her life in the circus, particularly her extraordinary performances and her way with multiple tigers.
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