White Boy Shuffle ~ Paul Beatty

Date Completed: (10/24/2015) Rating: 10/10 White Boy Shuffle is truly an amazing read. I highly recommend giving this book a try if you’ve never experienced Beatty’s way with words before. As a white person, this book made me uncomfortable at times, but mostly I was just thinking how a lot of the really heavy statements …

The Strange Library ~ Haruki Murakami

Date Completed: 10/25/2015 Rating: 6/10 Along the same lines as La Cabeza, por Pedro Cabiya, The Strange Library is a whirlwind fantasy. Murakami spins a story like something out of a nightmare, a very strange nightmare where people and animals are interchangeable and everyone understands each other without speaking the same language. His language choice was …

The Raven Stole the Moon ~ Garth Stein

Date Completed: 10/31/2015 Rating: 6/10 Although not as enjoyable as his more popular book, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein’s The Raven Stole the Moon spun a fantastical tale of ancient spirits that had me on edge as I sat on a couch in house that is not my own. By the end …

Gone Girl ~ Gillian Flynn

Date Completed:  11/23/2015 Rating: 8/10 Although initially filled with patriarchal bs, Flynn hit the mark with this book. A recommendation from a friend, I was pleasantly surprised at the depth to which the plot went. The twists were amazingly unpredictable (no pun intended). Her writing style was excellent, but more than that, her story felt relatable, …

SkirtSteak ~ Charlotte Druckman

Date Completed: (10/22/2015) Rating: 4/10 At first glance, this book is oozing feminist thought, from the pink accent pages to the concept behind the book: women chefs in America. Unfortunately, the book does not deliver its promise. Druckman brutally reinforces gender roles and gender stereotypes. The way she compiles the information she gathered from 73 female …

If Today Be Sweet ~ Thrity Umrigar

Date Completed: (10/16/2015) Rating: 7.5/10 A mother’s story chronicling her children’s lives and the lives of the children next door, Umrigar spins a fabulous tale that removes the importance of chronology and gives a breath of fresh air to those of us whose minds jump from one decade to the next constantly. Although I initially felt …

The Immigrant ~ Manju Kapur

Date Completed:  (10/3/2015) Rating: 6.5/10 TW: Rape This novel tells the tale of a young orphan who moves from India to Canada to start his dental practice. Soon, he realizes how lonely he is, and begins searching for a wife. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t feel comfortable with any of the women around him and resorts …

Their Eyes Were Watching God ~ Zora Neale Hurston

Date Completed: (9/8/2015) Rating: 7.5/10 Written in 1937, the writing style of this book was incredible. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a fantastic tale of a woman named Janie born and raised in the South who goes through three marriages and the lessons she learns along the way. Although I found the spelling during this …

Life After Life ~ Kate Atkinson

Date Completed (9/12/2015) Rating: 5.5/10 A fairly popular book, this story intrigued me. I initially picked it up because of it’s cover, and checked it out from the library without so much as reading the inside cover.  I was not so much a fan of her writing style as I was the story she wrote and …

Moloka’i ~ Alan Brennert

Date completed: (8/8/2015) Rating: 10/10 This was truly an amazing read. A rollercoaster of ups and downs, crying sessions, moments where I just wanted to throw the book against the wall. I would recommend this book to anyone. Rachel Kalama is very young when she discovers she has leprosy. She is sent to Kalaupapa, where she …