In Sweetness in the Skin, Ishi Robinson tells one of the most original and compelling coming-of-age stories that I’ve read in a long time. Robinson, who was born and raised in Jamaica, sets the story of Pumkin Patterson in the city of Kingston. At eleven-years-old, Pumkin lives in a small apartment with her grandmother, mother and Aunt Sophie.
When my friend Gevvie recommended Good Dirt, I was excited to learn that Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake (read review here) had a new novel out. Then when I saw it on display at my local library branch, I knew it was time to scoop it up and dive in. As much as I loved Black Cake, I think Good Dirt is even better.
Real Americans starts out as a better-than-average love story between Lily Chen, a young, unpaid intern at a media company in New York City, and Matthew Allen, a successful, slightly older man. Despite their vastly different backgrounds—she was born in America but her parents are from China and she struggles to get a financial foothold, and his family is wealthy and waspy—they end up marrying and having a child.
When I bought Julie Chan Is Dead at Hudson News in the Billy Bishop airport in Toronto, I was looking for a light read for my trip home to Boston. Reading the book’s flap copy, I thought it would fit the bill. And, although I am not recommending the book as a great piece of literature, I do recommend it as both an outstanding commentary on today’s phenomenon of social media influencers and a real page-turner.
Like so many Reece Witherspoon book club picks, The Last Thing He Told Me is a gripping and entertaining read. While I wouldn’t call it great literature, I absolutely could not put this book down and highly recommend it as a perfect book to take to the beach this summer.
Wow! Huge thanks to my friend Pam who gave me The Frozen River as a gift. It is one of the best historical novels I have ever read. I had never heard of Ariel Lawhon until now, but am already on the hunt for all of her previous books.
Dirtbag, Massachusetts is the most stunning memoir I have read in a long time—maybe ever. I had never heard of the book or the author until recently when they were both praised on a podcast. Of course the title intrigued me, being a proud resident of Massachusetts for most of my life. But when I opened the book, it was Fitzgerald’s writing that grabbed me in the very first sentence.
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent was a perfect recommendation that I received from a long-time subscriber to L&L! Listening to the audiobook not only got me through packing up our house to move, it also made my heart extremely happy.
I picked up Galore from my shelf with some trepidation because the only other book by Michael Crummey I had read, Sweetland, was excellent but bleak and depressing. But Crummey is my father-in-law’s favorite author, so I wanted to give him another try. I’m so glad I did because this book is a wonder.
Jacqueline Woodson is the master of the tiny book that packs a big emotional punch. She writes brilliantly for young adults as well as adults, and this book felt like a perfect bridge between two genres.
In one of the most beautifully written memoirs I’ve ever read, Ketanji Brown Jackson invites the reader into her life and describes her journey from being a young girl living in a segregated Miami neighborhood to becoming the first Black woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
I had seen The Berry Pickers recommended a few times, but it hadn’t yet made it to my stack of books when my mother-in-law gave it to me for Christmas. Books are always a good bet as a gift for me, but this one was such a wonderful choice that I gave it back to her as soon as I finished it so she could read it too!
In the Unlikely Event takes place in Elizabeth, New Jersey in the 1950s. Blume creates three generations of endearing characters, all of whom connect to 15-year-old Miri Ammerman and her mother Rusty.
are you there god? it’s me, margaret. is the iconic story of a young girl on the brink of adolescence who moves from New York City to the suburbs.
I know I’ve mentioned before how once I fall for an author based on an amazing book or two that she has written, I can’t wait to read other titles by her. Honestly, I often find these books to be fine, but not as powerful as the “breakthrough book,” or the one that propelled the author to fame. This is not the case with Maggie O’Farrell.
Novels set in another time and place that are so realistically drawn as to cause me to have a visceral response are rare and wonderful. For me, they make the storyline feel like an extension of the setting. Or is it the other way around? Does the story feel compelling because the author portrays the setting with such authenticity? Whatever the explanation, Pip Williams has mastered the balance of both factors in The Dictionary of Lost Words.
When my husband Dan gave me Super Sushi Ramen Express for Christmas, I looked at him and said, "Didn’t I buy you this book a long time ago?" Neither of us really remembers but now that I've read it, I’m so glad he bought it (again?).
I am going to do my best to describe this book in a way that will make every one of you want to grab a copy because it is one of the most interesting pieces of nonfiction I have read in a very long time. But every time I try to describe this book, I find it extremely hard to do it justice.
I firmly believe that Louise Erdrich should be on every reader’s “go to” reading list. Just when I think she can’t possibly write a better book than her last, she does. Not only does she always tell a compelling story filled with memorable characters, but she unfailingly writes masterful prose.
My most recent celebrity memoir on audiobook, Be Ready When The Luck Happens, was a delight from beginning to end. I’ve long known Ina Garten was charming from her TV shows and Instagram, and she brings that charm to bear on the telling of a surprising and compelling story.
