Salt Houses by Hala Alyan (2017) told the story of one Palestinian family over multiple generations, beginning in the late 1960s through the 2010s, centered around Alia and her husband Asif, who is best friends with Alia’s brother Mustafa. Alia and Mustafa’s mother is forced to leave with the Six-Day War in 1967, and MustafaContinue reading “Salt Houses”
Category Archives: Weight-Neutral
State of Wonder
State of Wonder (2011) by Ann Patchett has been on my TBR stack forever, so I was really glad when it was a monthly book group pick. I even knew lore about it, as the writer Elizabeth Gilbert writes about her exchange with Ann Patchett about this book, in her 2015 creativity book Big Magic:Continue reading “State of Wonder”
My Big Fat Desi Wedding
My Big Fat Desi Wedding, ed. by Prerna Pickett (pub. date 1/16/2024) was exactly as described–an anthology of short stories set around South Asian weddings featuring primarily young women and men. The stories were each pretty light and didn’t delve into a lot of controversy, generally. I enjoyed the cultural aspect of them, since I’veContinue reading “My Big Fat Desi Wedding”
Now You See Us
Now You See Us (2023) is the newest novel written by Balli Kaur Jaswal (Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters) and is just as good as the others of hers that I’ve read, in a completely different way. Set in Singapore, Jaswal tells the story of a murder throughContinue reading “Now You See Us”
Master Slave Husband Wife
Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo (2023) read like fiction, although it is an exhaustively-researched true story. Ellen and William Craft were enslaved in the same town in Georgia, married, though living in different households. Ellen, a seamstress, was a very light-skinned woman and the half-sister ofContinue reading “Master Slave Husband Wife”
Zero Days
Zero Days by Ruth Ware (2023) had a cover review and interview with the author earlier this year in my favorite place to find recommendations: BookPage. I was completely intrigued by the idea of a penetration tester on the run and having to use her skills to save herself. Jacintha (Jack) Cross and her husband,Continue reading “Zero Days”
Rock, Paper, Scissors
I wouldn’t have picked up Rock, Paper, Scissors (2021) by Alice Feeney on my own, because I don’t usually gravitate to twisty domestic thrillers, but it was an acceptable book group selection. Told in alternating first person perspective, Mr. and Mrs. Wright are headed for a weekend away in Scotland at a converted chapel, drivingContinue reading “Rock, Paper, Scissors”
The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino, translated by Sam Bett (2019. originally published in Japanese in 2012) is a sweet, poignant novel about how one person can make a difference in someone else’s life. Higashino is a popular novelist in Japan, comparable to US blockbuster author James Patterson–I thoroughly enjoyed hisContinue reading “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store”
Rise to the Sun
Rise to the Sun (2021) by Leah Johnson (You Should See Me In a Crown) is a contemporary sapphic YA romance that takes place over the three days of a summer music festival. Both Olivia and Toni are from the Indianapolis area, but they don’t know each other. Olivia goes to the festival with herContinue reading “Rise to the Sun”
Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden
I loved Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden (2023) by Camille T. Dungy so much that I had to buy my own copy after reading my library copy. Soil really defies categorization–it’s a memoir (much of which she wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic), but she also writes about black history and social justiceContinue reading “Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden”
Reading While Fat 