Book Review: Abyss by Pilar Quintana

Abyss - Pilar Quintana (World Editions, 2023) I received an Advance Readers' Copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Publication date is February 17, 2023. translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman. Set in Cali, Colombia, Abyss is a story about eight-year-old Claudia and particularly her relationship… Continue reading Book Review: Abyss by Pilar Quintana

Book Review: Forgive by Timothy Keller

Forgive is the latest book from Timothy Keller. Keller is pastor and theologian, based in New York City. He's written many books now and I found him to offer the most balanced and Biblical approach of any Christian writer currently living. Forgiveness is a huge topic to tackle. It is one of the most painful… Continue reading Book Review: Forgive by Timothy Keller

Book Review: River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

River Sing Me Home - Eleanor Shearer (Berkley, 2023) I received in Advance Uncorrected Proof of this book. All opinions are my own. Publication date: January 31, 2023 They knew what it was to search for something - to be exhausted, bent double by the weight of loss, but somehow still crawling on their knees,… Continue reading Book Review: River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

Book Review: Haven by Emma Donoghue

After enjoying The Pull of the Stars so much recently, I decided to read Emma Donoghue's most recent book. While also set in Ireland, Haven reminded me more of The Wonder in the way Donoghue explores questions of faith and Irish Catholocism in particular. Artt is a well-known and highly respected monk when he arrives… Continue reading Book Review: Haven by Emma Donoghue

What I Read – January 2023

Read: The Marriage Portrait - Maggie O'Farrell (Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2022) The End of the Affair - Graham Greene (Heinemann, 1966) The Pull of the Stars - Emma Donoghue (Harper Avenue, 2020) Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owen (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018) Classic Crime Short Stories (Canongate Books, 2007) The Three Lives of… Continue reading What I Read – January 2023

Book Review: The Final Solution by Michael Chabon

This short novel is a sort of throwback to Golden Age mysteries. Set in the late stages of the Second World War, in a small English community outside of London, we have the usual odd assortment of characters. A foreign vicar who probably drinks too much. His ne'er-do-well son, the young mute Jewish refugee who… Continue reading Book Review: The Final Solution by Michael Chabon

2023 Highlights: Weeks 3 & 4

Girls started their swim lessons again, which is always fun. This time they are both on Saturday…but 2 hours apart. Which is not ideal for having family swim time. So far, we are taking a Divide and Conquer approach and hope to use it as an opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with them. Manicures… Continue reading 2023 Highlights: Weeks 3 & 4

Book Review: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel (Harper Collins Publishers, 2022) ...this is what the Time Institute never understood: if definitive proof emerges that we're living in a simulation, the correct response tothat news will be So what. A life lived in a simulation is still a life. -Emily St. John Mandel, Sea of… Continue reading Book Review: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Book Review: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre - Natasha Lester (Forever, 2023) I received an Advanced Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own. This was a fun historical fiction that blends secret service and fashion along with romance and some real-life historical characters. Alix St.… Continue reading Book Review: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester

(Audio) Book Review: Classic Crime Short Stories

This was an excellent collection of 10 short crime stories. There were mostly names I recognized, such as Ruth Rendell and Grahame Greene and G.K. Chesterton and others that I probably would recognize if I read more mysteries. I'm not sure that audio is the right format for me when it comes to short stories… Continue reading (Audio) Book Review: Classic Crime Short Stories