On rare occasions, I experience what I call “novel dilemma.” This happens when I reach the end of a book, and I have no idea how I feel about it. Did I like it? Did I hate it? There’s no clear verdict. Sometimes novel dilemmas can arise from mediocre stories with compelling characters, or stellarContinue reading “Book Review Time: Standard Deviation”
Tag Archives: book review
Book Review Time: The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle
I’m sure it is obvious to most that I write under a pseudonym. Ginny Malbec sounds about as authentic as a 3 dollar bill. Yet, in spite of the name, the message I deliver is 100% the real deal. It took me quite a bit of time to find my voice. My authentic self. IContinue reading “Book Review Time: The Secret Life Of Albert Entwistle”
Book Review Time: Lessons In Chemistry
Elizabeth Zott, the protagonist of Lessons In Chemistry, is a literary heroine for the ages. In early 1960s America- an America that had yet to feel the full force of the feminist movement-Zott stands as a vanguard. A reluctant television personality with a super-successful cooking show, Zott would just prefer to be recognized as aContinue reading “Book Review Time: Lessons In Chemistry”
Book Review Time: Open Water
Amid the smooth rhythms of hip-hop, soul, and R&B, a love story emerges. Two artists (a photographer and a dancer) meet. Their connection is immediate. Their movements are in tempo. Their conversation flows to a place beyond words. But what’s a love story without conflict? In the case of the couple depicted in Open Water,Continue reading “Book Review Time: Open Water”
Book Review Time: Cassandra At The Wedding
Oh boy, was this an intriguing selection. Cassandra…found its way to me via the podcast, Backlisted. I’m quite pleased that it did. As is the case with fictional works that lean heavily on character study, the analysis within the pages, at times, becomes unnerving. As a reader, there is the edgy consciousness of the voyeur,Continue reading “Book Review Time: Cassandra At The Wedding”
Book Review Time (condensed version): The Stolen Lady
The other storyline follows Anne, a typist in the archival department of the Louvre during WWII. With the French Occupation looming, Anne is enlisted to join her colleagues on a courageous endeavor to hide several valuable works of art from the invading Nazis. Often narrowly avoiding discovery, this team of brave museum workers travel throughoutContinue reading “Book Review Time (condensed version): The Stolen Lady”
Book Review Time: Dial A For Aunties
Lemme tell ya…if you’re in the market for an absolutely hilarious novel, that will have your rapt attention, from beginning to end, look no further than Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A For Aunties. The main character, Meddy Chan, is a photographer in her family’s wedding business. Over the years, Meddy has been witness to aContinue reading “Book Review Time: Dial A For Aunties”
Book Review Time: Instructions For Dancing
In a previous life I was a ballroom dancer. It was a few months after the birth of my first child. I was looking for a form of exercise and a bit of fun to go along with it. Ballroom dancing provided both. Through the fast-paced rhythms of Salsa and Merengue, I discovered that IContinue reading “Book Review Time: Instructions For Dancing”
Book Review Time: Memphis
(Warning: This novel contains subject matter that may be triggering for certain audiences.) Memphis, by Tara M. Stringfellow resonated with me on many levels. As an African-American woman with strong southern roots, the sights, sounds, and smells rendered by this debut novel prompted memories of my own childhood. Early mornings on summer vacations, sitting inContinue reading “Book Review Time: Memphis”
Book Review Time: The Guncle
The Guncle is absolutely adorable. Hilarious and sweet. Heart-felt and tender. This novel is so good I didn’t want it to end. Patrick O’Hara is the title character. A former sitcom star, Patrick now lives a life of leisure in self-imposed exile in Palm Springs. Apart from the requisite weekend brunch, and idle moments spentContinue reading “Book Review Time: The Guncle”