Books Read 8/1/2020-12/31/2020

****Breasts and Eggs, by Mieko Kawakami, 2020 Japanese Literature 

****Follow Me to Ground,  by  Sue Rainsford, 2020, Irish Literature 

*****Flowers of Mold, by Seong-na Ha, 2019, Korean Literature 

***Better Luck Next Time, by Julia Claiborne Johnson, 2021, American Fiction 

****Hamlet, by Maggie O'Farrell, 2020, Irish-British Literature 

*****Rag: Stories,  by Maryse Meijer,  2019, American Literature 

***The Exiles, by Kristina Baker Kline, 2020, American Fiction

****Lust for Life, by Irving Stone, 1934, Biography

*****Young Adam, by Alexander Trocchi, 1954 Scottish Literature 

**Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, 2020, Mexican Canadian Fiction

****Shuggie Bain, by Douglas Stuart, Scottish Literature,  2020

****The North Water, by Ian McGuire, 2016, English Literature 

****Strange Weather in Tokyo: A Novel, by Hiromi Kawakami, 2012, Japanese Literature

****Bless Me, Ultimate, by Rudolfo Anaya, 1972, Chicano Literature

*****Nervous Conditions, by Tsitsi Dangarembga, 1988, Zimbabwean Literature

*****The Lying Life of Adults, by Elena Ferrante, 2020, Italian Literature 

****Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata, 2016,  Japanese Literature 

***Bass Rock, by Evie Wyld, 2020, English Fiction

****Eileen, by Ottessa Moshfegh, 2015, American Literature

****Fruit Rot, by James R. Gapinski, 2020, American Literature 

*****Death in Her Hands, by Ottessa Moshfegh, 2020, American Literature 

***The Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes, 2019, Historical Fiction 

***The Book of Rosy, A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border, by Rosayra Pablo Cruz, 2020, Guatemalan Memoir 

****Actress: A Novel, by Anne Enright,  2020, Irish Literature 

***Kintu, by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, 2014, Ugandan Literature 

****The Theory of Flight, by Siphiwe Ndlovu, 2019, African Literature 

*****The Vagrants, by Yiyun Li, 2009, Chinese Literature 

****His Only Wife, by Peace Adzo Medie, 2020, African Literature 

****Necessary Lies, by Diane Chamberlain, 2013, American Fiction

****The Theory of Flight by Siphiwe Ndlovu

 LibraryThing.com Early Review 

Ndlovu combines her skills as a Zimbabwean filmmaker and writer to tell a generational story depicting extreme loss and love.  She incorporates her childhood experiences, general history and the HIV epidemic to illustrate how seemingly disparate events are interrelated. Ndlovu reveals how our choices determine not only the course of our own personal history, but the histories of those around us and beyond – the domino effect. This is a complex and unique work of literature filled with engaging characters, depth and creative use of visual language. I suspect we will see much more from this talented artist.

****His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

LibraryThing.com Early Review

Medie adeptly portrays Ghana’s contemporary patriarchal polygamous culture in her debut novel, His Only Wife.  In this slowly changing rigid society, she illustrates the difficulties women face as they choose between traditional expectations and personal ambitions. Medie's writing style is subtle yet effective.  Her characters are rich and engaging. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to future work by this talented author.

****Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

LibraryThing.com Early Review

Indigenous Canadian Literature

A social commentary on the exploitation and oppression of indigenous people through religion. Developers use the work of Christian Missionaries to purposefully attract and distract aborigines in order to buy up their land for industrial and domestic expansion. The author adopts the legends from her native Metis culture to tell this contemporary story of colonial racism. A captivating, insightful read.

Books Read 1/1/2020-7/31/2020

*****The Family,  by Ishmael Beah, 2020, West African Literature of Sierra Leone

*****Bluebeard's First Wife, by Seong-nan Ha, 2020, South Korean Literature 

****Four by Four, by Sara Mesa, 2020 Spanish Literature 

***Dear Edward, by Ann Napolitano, 2020, American Fiction 

****My Dark Vanessa , by Kate Elizabeth Russell, 2020, American Literature 

***The Triumph of the Spider Monkey, by Joyce Carol Oates, 1976, American Literature 

*****Plexus,  The Rosy Crucifixion, II, by Henry Miller, 1953, American Literature 

***The Book of Longings, by Sue Monk Kidd, 2019, American Fiction 

****Frankissstein,  A Love Story, by Jeannette Winterson , 2019, English Literature 

*****The Endless Summer,  by Madame Nielson,  2014, Danish Literature 

*****The Jump Artist , by Austin Ratner, 2009, American Literature 

****Radiance of Tomorrow , by Ishmael  Beah, 2007, West African Literature of Sierra Leone 

****The Front Seat Passenger, by Pascal Garnier , 1997, French Literature 

*****Waiting for Eden, by Elliot Ackerman, 2018, American Literature 

***The Oysterville Sewing Circle, by Susan Wiggs, 2019,  American Fiction 

****Empire of the Wild, by Cherie Dimaline, 2020, Indigenous Canadian Literature

****American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins, 2020, American Literature

****Redhead by the Side of the Road,  by Anne Tyler, 2020, American Literature

*****The Golden Lotus, Volume I, by Lanling Xiaoxiao Cheng, 1596, Chinese Literature

*****A Long Way Off, by Pascal Garnier, 2010, French Literature

*****Apeirogon, by Colum McCann, 2020, Irish Literature

****Sexus, The Rosy Crucifixion I,  by Henry Miller, 1949, American Literature

*****What Belongs to You, by Garth Greenwell,  2016,  American Literature

*****Break Shot, My first 21 Years,  by James Taylor, 2019, American Autobiography

*****Ragged Company, by Richard Wagamese,  2008,
Canadian Literature

*****Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto, 1993, Japanese Literature 

*****The House of the Sleeping Beauties and Other Stories, by Yasunari Kawabata, 1961, Japanese Literature

****Everybody's Fool, By Richard Russo, 2016, American Literature 

****A Woman Is No Man, by Etaf Rum, 2019, American Literature

*****Virgil  Wander by Leif Enger,  2018, American Literature 

***Chances Are, by Richard Russo, 2019, American Literature

*****The Golden Lotus, Vol I, by Lanling Xiaoxiao Cheng

There is a Ravel like rhythm and repetition that pervades this 16th-17th century Chinese novel. Eat lasciviously, have adulterated sex with any and everyone, use one’s corrupted wealth for bribery, intimidation and violence, now repeat. At times it feels like a little too much of the same thing. Yet, to fully understand and appreciate this novel it has to be read in context. The author is making a statement about society during his lifetime (cloaked as 12th-century China). He depicts a wealthy man who is lazy and foul and wastes his inheritance on excessive food, alcohol and women. He lives in a veritable house of cards. One sees chinks in his life-structure immediately. He manages to superficially and repeatedly mend these chinks through successful bribes and corruption, which only serve to further embolden him. He will stop at nothing to protect his life style, including violence. This story has a dramatic telling. It is a saga whose purpose is to depict corrupt individuals, especially those in government and other places of power. It does that and more. It illustrates how history truly does repeat itself while providing a glimpse of the social customs of the time. I am intrigued and look forward to reading the next installment of this early satiric social commentary.

*****Apeirogon by Column McCann

McCann is a beautiful storyteller. In Apeirogon, he retells the story of the Israeli – Palestinian conflict through two contemporary real-life fathers and activists. He brings together seemingly incongruous elements to show how, like the butterfly effect, all things are interconnected. The message in his book: to make a difference, to really reach people, it is necessary to tell a story, a history, over and over until we really do hear it, learn from it and take positive action accordingly.

“Ignorance is a terrible acquaintance.”

Researched in detail, woven together like a powerfully poetic piece of tapestry, this book is a literary work of art.

*****A Long Way Off, by Pascal Garnier

LibraryThing.com Early Review
French Literature

A page turner, A Long Way Off is a quirky novella of the noir genre. Pascal takes his reader on a dark, yet funny, unusual ride. One disappears for a short time with an odd, aging father and his mentally unique adult daughter, only to experience a sudden turn of events which transforms the comic into sinister. This is my first book by Pascal and I am hooked.

****Sexus: The Rosy Crucifixion I, by Henry Miller

Henry Miller is a skilled, intelligent and creative writer. His philosophy of art and social criticism are relevant for the 30 year old struggling artist he depicts and is beautifully written, as is his self-analysis and criticism.  His alleged sexual exploits are unfortunate.  Usually sexual literature does not bother me.  However, this time, I took exception.  I believe Miller’s self-doubt caused him to feel an obsessive need to relate his imagined, or real, sexual escapades and abuse ad nauseam. He had something to prove to himself and his readers. It was not art he was sharing, it was his immaturity.  It is my hope that, over time, Miller self-actualized and wrote Nexus and Plexus with more self-respect and full use of his illustrious, imaginative writing faculties.  Outside of this mild rebuke (humor), I do enjoy his writing and will continue to explore his work.

2019 Books Read

 ****Us Against You, by Fredrik Backman, 2017, Swedish Literature 

****Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains, by Cassie Chambers, 2020, American Memoir 

*****The Sudden Travelor, by Sarah Hall, 2019, English Literature 

***Ordinary Girls: a Memoir, by Jaquira Díaz, 2019. American Memoir

***Florida, by Lauren Groff, 2018, American Fiction 

*****The Translators Bride, by João Reis, Portuguese Literature,  2019

****The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead,  2019, American Literature 

****The Sparsholt Affair,  by Alan Hollinghurst, 2017 English Literature 

*****Daring to Drive, A  Saudi Woman's Awakening, by Manal Al-Sharif, 2017, Saudi Arabian Literature 

****The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer, 2013, American Fiction

***The Secrets We Kept, by Lara Prescott,  2019, Historical Fiction 

****Another Brooklyn, by Jacqueline Woodson, 2016, American Literature 

*****To Keep the Sun Alive, by Rabeah Ghaffari, 2018, Iranian 

*****The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,  by Bauby, Jean-Dominique, 1997, French Memoir

*****In Life We are Briefly Gorgeous,  by Ocean Vuong,  2019, Vietnamese-American Literature 

*****Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl,
American Literature, 2006

****Lost Children Archive, by Valeria Luiselli, 2019, Mexican Literature 

***The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick DeWitt, 2012, Canadian Literature

*****A Dance to the Music of Time, 2nd Movement  by Anthony Powell,  1957, English Literature

****The Quiet American,  by Graham Greene,  1955, British Literature 

*****From the Shadows,  by Juan José Millás, 2019, Spanish Literature 

**In Pieces, by Sally Fields,  
2018, American Memoir

****Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2013, Nigerian Literature 

****Fly Girls,  by Keith O'Brien, 2018, American History 

****Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owen's, 2018, American Literature 

***Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee, 2017, Korean Literature 

****The Fisherman,  by Chigozie Obioma, 2015, Nigerian Literature 

***Bogota 39: New Voices From Latin America, Various Authors, 
2018, Latin American Literature

****Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah, 2016, South African Memoir

***Mohawk, by Richard Russo, 1986, American Literature 

***Maid, Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive, by Stephanie Land, 2019, Memoir 

*****Things That Fall From the Sky, Selja Ahava, 2019, Finnish Literature

****City of Jasmine,  by Olga Grjasnowa, 2019 German Literature

****There There, by Tommy Orange, 2018, Native American Literature

**Clock Dance, by Anne Tyler, 2018, American Literature

*****The White Book, by Han King, 2018, Korean Literature

****My Sister, a Serial Killer,  a Novel, by Oyinkan Braithwaite, 2018, African/Nigerian Literature 

***Camino Island, by John Grisham, 2017, American Fiction

*****The Temple of the Golden Pavilion,  by Yukio Mishima, 1956, Japanese Literature 

****A Ladder to the Sky, by John Boyne, 2018, Irish Literature 

****My Life on the Road, by Gloria Steinem, 2015, Autobiography

****Becoming, by Michelle Obama, 2018, American Autobiography 

****Learning to See: A Novel of Dorothea Lange, the Woman Who Revealed the Real America, by Elise Hooper, 2019, Biography 

*****Friday Black, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyan, African-American Literature,  2018

*****Hunger, by Knut Hamsun, 1890, Norwegian Literature

****Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan,  2018, Canadian Literature