Goodnight June by Sarah Jio is a novel that imagines how the classic children's book Goodnight Moon came to be. June is a successful banker in NYC when her Aunt Ruby, who raised her, dies and leaves June her Seattle bookstore, Bluebird Books.
While going through her late Aunt's papers, June finds a series of letters between her Aunt Ruby, and Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon. This discovery alters the course of June's life in more ways than one.
A very fun read for fans of Goodnight Moon. The story is a little too good to be true, but everyone enjoys a happy ending, especially when the fate of a beloved children's bookstore hangs in the balance.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
The Silver Star
The Silver Star is the new novel by Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle. I wasn't sure how Walls' novel would compare to her memoirs, and although it doesn't pack the emotional punch of her earlier books, it doesn't disappoint.
It is the story of 12 year old Bean, her 15 year old sister Liz and their flaky musician Mom, in 1970's California. When their Mom takes off and leaves the girls, they make their way alone across country to their Uncle's house in Virginia where they find family and they find out why their Mom left town so long ago.
Walls is a wonderful writer, she captures the voice of these adolescent girls beautifully. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but it is a worthwhile read nonetheless.
It is the story of 12 year old Bean, her 15 year old sister Liz and their flaky musician Mom, in 1970's California. When their Mom takes off and leaves the girls, they make their way alone across country to their Uncle's house in Virginia where they find family and they find out why their Mom left town so long ago.
Walls is a wonderful writer, she captures the voice of these adolescent girls beautifully. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but it is a worthwhile read nonetheless.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Fools
Fools is a collection of short stories by Joan Silber. I'm not generally a fan of short stories, as they always leave me wanting more and I find it is the rare writer who is accomplished at writing in this format. Silber is one of them.
This is a great collection of seemingly simple stories about ordinary people going about their lives. There is the daughter of missionaries who grows up to be an anarchist, and in later stories we meet her daughters. I loved how the characters overlapped and Silber was able to weave the tales seamlessly, with great emotional depth.
One of the better collections of short stories that I have read.
This is a great collection of seemingly simple stories about ordinary people going about their lives. There is the daughter of missionaries who grows up to be an anarchist, and in later stories we meet her daughters. I loved how the characters overlapped and Silber was able to weave the tales seamlessly, with great emotional depth.
One of the better collections of short stories that I have read.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
The House of Impossible Loves
The House of Impossible Loves by Cristina Lopez Barrio is a saga about the Laguna family. A family of women cursed to have only girl children and to be unlucky in love. When Santiago is born, it seems the curse has been lifted, but not entirely.
Lopez Barrio is a good storyteller, and although it is reminiscent of Isabelle Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, she is not really in their league. Although it was well written, it was hard to care about most of the characters in the story, so I found myself waiting for it to be over.
Lopez Barrio is a good storyteller, and although it is reminiscent of Isabelle Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, she is not really in their league. Although it was well written, it was hard to care about most of the characters in the story, so I found myself waiting for it to be over.
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