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

Powell’s comic magnum opus is beautifully  illustrated with reflective passages that weave back and forth through time effortlessly.  In short, Dance is a meditative social history which depicts the rhythm of life. It is an understated work that sometimes feels tedious, yet is often hilarious and quietly infectious.  Patience is required when reading Powell, but his literary prowess is an apt reward.

*****From the Shadows by Juan José Millás

Darkly humorous and surreal, this novel delivers! It is psychological and allegorical fiction rolled into one as is revealed through these alluring themes: family secrets, jealousy, love, voyeurism, madness and murder. I thoroughly enjoyed and savored the skill, pure imagination and creativity of this talented author. From the Shadows is the first of Millás' novels to be published in North America. I look forward to future translations of his other work. A true treat!

*****Things That Fall From the Sky by Selja Ahava

Finnish Literature

Ahava’s novel centers around two main interconnecting themes:  grief – our need to make sense of, and clearly define, life and death; and the randomness of life – its haphazardness, whether good or bad. These themes overlap and converge and are affected by the weight of time.  The author explores our human desire to fully comprehend the incomprehensible; to define what cannot be fully defined. 

Ahava’s skill at normalizing the very randomness of life is both intuitive and sensitive.  She has created a highly relatable novel with nuance and subtlety. I enjoyed this work and look forward to future translations by this talented author.

****City of Jasmine by Olga Grjasnowa

An intensely moving novel that shares the fictionalized experiences of individuals who live and lived under Assad in wore-torn Syria. The violence, despair, ruined dreams, escape experiences, and then their lives as refugees is nothing less than horrifying.  Ms. Grjasnowa’s writing style is unpretentious and direct, yet not overbearing. She writes with fluidity and care.  This is a relevant read considering today’s national and international political climate. City of Jasmine is an interesting, well thought out novel, that tells a story and informs.

*****The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima

Mishima uses a real event in history to construct and portray the inner workings of a young adolescent struggling existentially and emotionally with the concept of beauty.  His obsessive and disturbing thoughts are revealed through the author's exceptional philosophical prose that relies heavily on visual, audio and psychological atmosphere. Beautifully crafted, Mishima's work mesmerizes the reader from beginning to end. An exceptional work of art.

****Learning to See -Dorthea Lange, by Elise Hooper

LibraryThing.com Early Review

This work of historical fiction is not so much about Dorothea Lange's work as an artist -her aesthetic-  but her life as a woman raising children while being the primary bread winner before and during the Depression, and the difficulties that continued throughout her life as a photographer, wife and mother.  It illustrates how challenging it was for women to work and raise children during the earlier part of the 19th century and the obstacles they faced. Despite a woman's position or pay the primary childrearing responsibilities was left to the female.  While not a new concept it continues to be a relevant issue, especially in today's social and political climate.   As one reads this book one is reminded that, while a great deal has improved, there is still much to be done regarding the rights and expectations of women, both culturally and economically.  A well-thought-out novel.

Books Read July 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018

  ****The Woman Next Door, by Yewande Omotoso, 2017,  African Literatures 

*****The Late George Apley , by John P. Marquand, 1937,  American Literature

*****Frankenstein in Baghdad, by Ahmed Saadawi, 2018, Arabic Literature 

*****Half a Lifelong Romance, by Eileen Chang, 1951, Chinese Literature

****Pamela, by Samuel Richardson, 1740, English Literature

***My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh, 2018, American Fiction 

 ***** Jesus's Son, by Denis Johnson, 1992, American Literature 

***Unsheltered,  by Barbara Kingsolver, 2018, American Literature

*****Train Dreams, by Denis Johnson, 2011, American Literature 

****The Mars Room, by Rachel Kushner, 2018, American Literature 

****Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Márquez,  1985, Columbian Literature 

***The Column of Fire by Ken Follett, 2017, Historical Fiction 

***The Letter, by Kathryn Hughes, 2016, English Fiction

****Anything is Possible, by Elizabeth Strout, 2017, American Literature 

****Praise Song for the Butterflies,  by Bernice L. McFadden, 2018, African American Literature

***Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, 2006, Biography 

***Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate, 2017, American Historical Fiction

****The Elusive Moth, by Ingrid Winterbach, 2014, Afrikaans 
Literature 

****Pretend I'm Dead, A Novel, by Jen Beagin, 2018, American Literature

****West, A  Novel by Carys Davies, 2018, Literature 

***Being Mortal, Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande, 2014, American Nonfiction 

****Stay With Me, by Ayobami Adebayo, 2017, Nigerian Literature 

***** Three Floors Up, by Eshkol Nevo, 2017, Israeli Literature

***Orphan Train Rider, A Boy's True Story, by Andrea Warren, 1998, American History

****Gorilla and the Bird: A Memoir of Madness and a Mother's Love by Zack McDermott, 2017, Memoir

*****Swann's Way, I Search of Lost Time, Vol. 1, Marcel Proust, 1913, French Literature

****Educated, A Memoir, by Tara Westover, 2018, American Memoir

****Warlight, by Michael Ondaatje, 2018, Canadian Literature 

****The Mars Room, by Rachel Kushner

A disturbing fictionalized look at what often happens to those raised on the "wrong side of the tracks". Where poverty, lack of education, imprisoned family members, crime, addiction, violence and sexual abuse are as commonplace as dance and music lessons, after-school sports, theater and educational vacations for the upper middle-class.  It doesn't always work this way, but the odds are stacked against one born into a family with generational poverty.  An engrossing and intuitive story.

****Praise Song for the Butterflies, NY Bernice L. McFadden

LibraryThing Early Review

A fictional account of the fetish shrines that were legally in existence in West Africa until 1998. These shrines forced female children into ritual servitude after they were left there by their families in hopes of appeasing the gods for the misdeeds of their ancestors. Innocent girls were considered slaves and abused in every way imaginable while lining the priest's pockets and satisfying their dangerous sexual appetites.

McFadden’s narrative is sparse; she does not use lengthy descriptions, nor is she poetic.  I am not a fan of this writing style, but she handles it with skill and builds a powerful revealing story that is, ironically, visual. While excelling here, she falls short by employing a questionable literary contrivance to open and close her work, one that is not consistent with her usual authorial craft. In fact, it is so out of place and character, I am not sure why it was used. She is, however, redeemed by the intervening pages which house a powerful voice with unforgettable imagery worthy of reading.

As we try to bring the world and the way women are treated and portrayed into the 21st Century, this is an important story that will someday remind us of where we came from and not where we are today.

****The Elusive Moth by Ingrid Winterbach

Afrikaans Literature

Winterbach’s narrative is like a series of images which encapsulate the essence of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s decisive moment.  Each scene is depicted with tension, balance and spontaneity, capturing a moment in time. The essence of the moment is revealed, yet its full meaning remains elusive.

I was not surprised to learn that the author is a visual artist. Her work is hyper-visual and full of symbolism. Her descriptions of art are captivating, especially as they mirror the surrounding events. There is so much to this novel, I will be dissecting it for weeks to come. Well done!