The Haunting of Tram Car 015

I’d checked this one out of the library a few months ago and never got around to it before another hold got placed on it, so I had to bring it back. But then I saw that Clark is apparently coming out with a full novel set in this same world and it gave me…

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House

A few months into working at my local library, I found the stash of ARCs we’ve been sent that are “free to a good [employee’s] home” and it’s been hard to not grab them all and run, honestly. I try to be judicious about what I take, so that there are options left for other…

Between Shades of Gray

This is the book we voted on for March in my long-distance book club. Honestly, I have had it on my shelf for years, meaning to read it, so this is awesome. I originally was interested in it because I'd read that it was by an author of Lithuanian descent, writing about the Lithuanian experience under Russian and/or German (depending…

The Thirty Names of Night

I read Joukhadar's first novel, The Map of Salt and Stars, a few years ago and LOVED IT. It made my Top Ten Reads of 2019 list, actually. So, I was freaking PSYCHED to see his second novel get published. And, this cover is gorgeous. That's about all I have to say about this "I knew…

A Girl Is a Body of Water

My 11th Aspen Words Literary Prize 2021 longlist read! I actually have had an earlier novel by Makumbi, Kintu, on my TBR for years. Having read this one first, due to my personal longlist challenge, I have to say that I am blown away by Makumbi’s work and am now planning to pick that one…

The Vanishing Half

I read The Mothers a few years ago and generally enjoyed and was impressed by the debut. Bennett did a wonderful job writing real, flawed, “regular people” characters in a genuine and interesting way. So, I definitely knew that I’d look into whatever she wrote next. And then The Vanishing Half came out this past…

Against the Loveless World

This is the 8th book from the Aspen Words Literary Prize 2021 longlist that I have read (halfway through the list!)…and I am pretty sure it’s going to make it onto my shortlist prediction. Because holy *deep breath* this is a powerhouse of a novel. Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa “I indulge an…

The Night Watchman

My 6th Aspen Words 2021 longlist read! I feel like it’s gonna be cutting it close to get this whole longlist read, but I am doing my best. This is my third novel by Erdrich. I read The Round House before joining starting this blog, years ago now, so I don’t have an official review…

Shuggie Bain

I spent months watching @dsweet_library hype this book up. I am not sure I’ve ever seen a reader go so hard for a novel before. It was awesome. So anyways, of course I added it to my TBR. Since then, it also won the 2020 Booker and was a National Book Award Finalist, so other,…

Hamnet

This book was not really on my TBR, to be honest. I had it on my radar, but just didn't think I was going to be feeling it...really ever. But a few things happened in conjunction that basically made me feel like I was going to have to give it a try. First, and mostly the…