Recipes for a Sacred Life

Recipes for a Sacred Life by Rivvy Neshama is a little book of inspirations, or recipes as Neshama calls them, taken from her experiences that we all need to remember in order to live a better life. There's nothing new or particularly remarkable here, but they are nice reminders when we need them. The kind of sweet little book you can flip through and return to time and time again.

The Story Hour

The Story Hour is another fantastic book by Thrity Umrigar, one of my favorite authors. Lakshmi, an uneducated Indian woman living in the states far from home and married to a man who doesn't love her, tries to commit suicide. This is how she meets Maggie, who becomes her therapist and friend.

There are few storytellers who have the ability to create such sympathetic characters and draw the reader in the way that Umrigar does. She writes about race, gender, family, class, identity, depression without ever preaching. Told from alternating perspectives, we discover surprising truths about both women. I couldn't put this book down. A highly recommended read.

Britt-Marie Was Here

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrick Backman takes a small character from My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and gives her her own book. This is my favorite so far of the books I've read by Backman. Britt-Marie starts out as a not very likable, fastidious older woman set in her ways and blunt with her opinions of others. When her husband leaves her for a younger woman she must find a job for the first time in decades and this sets her on an unexpected, often hilarious journey.

It's impossible not to fall in love with Britt-Marie by the end. A surprisingly moving, deeply touching, always funny book. A great read.

This is Where We Live

This is Where We Live by Janelle Brown is a book set in LA about a newly married couple, an artist and film maker, both hoping for their big break in Hollywood. They've invested all their money in a cute but overpriced bungalow in the hills. A series of events from an earthquake to the return of the now famous ex-girlfriend leads to serious challenges to their marriage.

Although filled with some cliches, Brown's keen observations and writing skills turn this into a relatable story with even a few moments of wisdom. A decent, but mostly forgettable, read.

Me Talk Pretty One Day

If I'm in the right mood, no one can make me laugh like David Sedaris, and I laughed all the way through Me Talk Pretty One Day. He has a rare intelligence and wit combined with brutal honesty that make his writing original, fresh, hilarious.

The first part of the book is set in the states and tells some funny stories of his family and his teacher's attempts to get rid of his lisp; the second and better half is about his life as an expat in Paris and his attempts to learn French. If you're in the mood for a good laugh, and some slightly raunchy humor, you should enjoy this book.

Spill Simmer Falter Wither

Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume reads more like a long poem than a novel. An abused one-eyed dog gets taken in by a lonely bachelor and the two become fast friends. Living in a small coastal Irish village, people in town begin to feel threatened and the two take to the road rather than be separated.

Full of lyrical passages and wonderful descriptions of nature, this is a beautifully written, but quite sad little book. I really appreciated the writing and the keen observations, but I was left feeling depressed by the end; perfect if you're in the mood for an atmospheric, melancholic read.

Diamond Head

Diamond Head by Cecily Wong is a novel that spans generations and continents from China to Oahu. The Leong family is the wealthiest in the islands, but secrets have followed them from China to Hawaii, with devastating results only revealed decades later. Told by the wives and daughters, this is a story of family, culture, betrayal, and redemption.

Filled with Chinese lore and local Hawaiian culture, lovers of historical fiction will enjoy this book.

Saints and Misfits

Saints and Misfits is a young adult novel by S.K. Ali. The book follows Janna, a hijabi teen who has a non-religious father and a mother and brother who are practicing Muslims. Janna is searching for her own identity and path while keeping a secret that is destroying her inside.

Janna could be any teen coming to grips with her identity and finding it hard to speak out when something bad happens to her. She's unsure of who her true friends are and she has a crush on a boy who her family wouldn't approve of. This is a beautifully written book, highly recommended.

The Sunshine Sisters

The Sunshine Sisters is the latest novel by Jane Green. Three very different sisters that grew up with a semi-famous, self centered mother, return home at her request only to find her very ill. Each has traveled a different journey with their mother and each must come to terms with their life choices and relationships in her own way.

Heartfelt and well written, this is one of Jane Green's best.

The Optomistic Decade

The Optomistic Decade by Heather Abel follows a teen activist at a back to the land Summer camp led by Caleb, the idealistic founder of the camp. The land was acquired from ranchers years ago who now want it back.

Full of ideas about the right way to live, devoting one's life to causes and knowing when its time to give up. This is also a coming of age story and a story of betrayal and discontent, of finding one's identity in troubling times and of becoming disenchanted with one's family.

This could have been a good book, but I couldn't wait for it to end; I didn't like the characters or the story and I found it all tiresome. One to skip in my opinion.