Salt Houses - Hala Alyan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017) Salt Houses is a book with a tight, compact feel, despite its many characters, locales, and timelines. It follows the lives of one family, through four generations, along with a snapshot of Middle Eastern history from 1963 to 2014. The story begins with the wedding of… Continue reading Book Review: Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
On Reading Well - Karen Swallow Prior (Brazos Press, 2018) In On Reading Well, Karen Swallow Prior examines the idea of virtue by examining twelve works of fiction, one for each virtue. The book is divided into three sections: The Cardinal Virtues (Prudence, Temperance, Justice, and Courage); The Theological Virtues (Faith, Hope, and Love); and… Continue reading Book Review: On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior (+ a new reading challenge)
The Arsonists' City - Hala Alyan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021) I received an Advanced Readers' Copy of this as book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This book will be available for purchase March 9, 2021. A family spread out across the globe is reunited in Beirut when their patriarch declares… Continue reading Book Review: The Arsonists’ City by Hala Alyan
Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe (Doubleday, 2019) Patrick Radden Keefe's delve into the history of the Irish Troubles is immensely readable and formative. This isn't a topic that particularly grabs my attention and as such is one I know very little about. I can recall, as a child, hearing about Ireland or seeing snippets… Continue reading Book Review: Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
Halfbreed - Maria Campbell (McClelland & Stewart, 2019) I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Halfbreed is a memoir by Maria Campbell, the story of her life from childhood into early adulthood. Originally published in 1973 this edition was re-released in 2019 with a new introduction and some… Continue reading Book Review: Halfbreed Maria Campbell
Real Life - Brandon Taylor (Riverhead Books, 2020) Real Life takes place primarily over a single weekend in the life of Wallace, a grad student in the Midwest and a young, gay, Black man. He's an introvert and someone who always feels on the outside, no matter who he is with. Over the course of… Continue reading Book Review: Real Life by Brandon Taylor
Prayer - Philip Yancey (Zondervan, 2007) I’ve read several books by Philip Yancey now and I keep coming back to his work because I truly appreciate his honesty, humility, and willingness to admit what he doesn’t know. In this book Yancey tackles the subject of prayer. (Probably could have guessed that.) What is prayer? Why… Continue reading Book Review: Prayer by Philip Yancey
Hamnet & Judith - Maggie O'Farrell ( In the 1580s, a couple living in Henley Street, Stratford, had three children: Susanna, then Hamnet and Judith, who were twins.The boy, Hamnet, died in 1596, aged eleven.Four years or so later, the father wrote a play called Hamlet.Hamnet & Judith - Maggie O'Farrell With this historical note… Continue reading Book Review: Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O’Farrell
Molly of the Mall - Heidi L.M. Jacobs (NeWest Press, 2020) Molly MacGregor is in her early twenties, a student of literature at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. The year is 1995 and Molly has taken a full-time summer job at Le Petit Chou Shoe Shop in "the mall". We follow Molly through her… Continue reading Book Review: Molly of the Mall by Heidi L.M. Jacobs
True Story - Kate Reed Petty (Viking, 2020) I received an Advance Uncorrected Proof of this book. All opinions are my own. This book is stunning. It’s a thriller, a horror story, an indictment on rape culture. It explores women’s stories and how they’re told, how they’re received. It looks at domestic violence, alcoholism, relationships.… Continue reading Book Review: True Story by Kate Reed Petty
Karissa Reads Books 