The Monsters of Templeton – Lauren Groff

No particular reason for picking this one up – it was just on the shelf and I felt a little light on my library selections that week.
I enjoyed it (NY Times Review). Essentially, the story of a girl who moves back home after some disastrous life choices and tries to figure out the mystery of [...]

Devilish – Maureen Johnson

Okay, I love Maureen Johnson. Not only have I met her in real life (NAME DROP! she is friends with a friend – who this book is actually dedicated to!) but I just think she is a really fun YA writer.
Maureen describes Devilish:
At St. Teresa’s Preparatory School for Girls in Providence, Rhode Island, rebellious senior [...]

The Gravedigger’s Daughter – Joyce Carol Oates

I may have read “Blonde” but I think this is the first Oates book I have read. I don’t want to say too much about it, because I am pretty sure that most of my readership is also in my book club, and this is this month’s pick. But, for posterity’s sake:
At the beginning of [...]

Water Witches – Chris Bohjalian

I think this is the second or third book I have read by this author. The first one I read, I really really liked (Midwives). The second one (Before You Know Kindness), also with an environmental theme, I remember enjoying reading – but had to look up what it was about on BN.com.
I fear that [...]

Revenge of the Spellmans – Lisa Lutz

I totally forgot to blog about this book. I think I read it last Wednesday or Thursday?
I love this series, and read the second in it almost exactly a year ago. To briefly recap, the premise of the story is that it’s the adventures of a family of private investigators. In this one, Rae is [...]

The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri

This was suggested for our office Book Club, and came highly recommended by my friend Jill, but didn’t make the Book Club cut. That never stopped me from reading something!
Originally a novella published in The New Yorker and later expanded to a full length novel. The book explores many of the same emotional and cultural [...]

Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman

Since I enjoyed American Gods so much, I put another Gaiman book on the list (and yes, I am following @neilhimself on Twitter).
I liked this one. Not loved it, but liked it. I think he has a very, very specific writing style, that if you aren’t really in the mood for it, can be annoying.
The [...]

Mistress Shakespeare – Karen Harper

I saw this book at Barnes and Noble’s, then put it on my library list (because I am cheap, and support my local libraries!) and have kind of been “saving” it when I was in the mood for something good to read. It was! It was everything I wanted.
From Publishers Weekly
On November 27, 1582, the [...]

The Love Wife – Gish Jen

This is the one of the 5 books that I brought with me on my cruise. It ended up being the only book I managed to read. I wanted something that had some meat to it (as in, no “chick lit”) but that wouldn’t make me think too much. I am a simple girl. [...]

Hero – Perry Moore

I don’t remember where I heard about this, but I remember thinking “I don’t read enough books about boy teenagers or gay kids. I should do read this.” And so I did.
The description that reeled me in:
Thom Creed is used to being on his own. Even as a high school basketball star, he has to [...]