I consumed The White Hot (publication day 11/11/25) by Quiara Alegría Hudes in one sitting, completely engrossed in the short novel (176 pages). It’s told as a letter from a young mother to her daughter for her to read when she turns 18. April Soto had her daughter, Noelle, at 16 and dropped out ofContinue reading “The White Hot”
Tag Archives: literary fiction
Shark Heart
I’ve seen Shark Heart (2023) by Emily Habeck around, but didn’t think of reading it until my book group picked it. It is an unusual premise–right after getting married, Lewis and Wren face a difficult diagnosis due to a genetic abnormality he carries–Lewis will retain his consciousness and all of his memories, but over theContinue reading “Shark Heart”
All My Mother’s Lovers
I thought so highly of All My Mother’s Lovers (2020) by Ilana Masad that I recommended it to my book group, so was a bit disappointed when their reviews were much more mixed. It did spark a lengthy discussion, though. As the book opens. Maggie, a queer twentysomething, finds out that her mother, Iris, hasContinue reading “All My Mother’s Lovers”
A Gentleman in Moscow
I struggled through A Gentleman in Moscow (2016) by Amor Towles despite its beloved status by many (Goodread Choice Nominee for Historical Fiction, Kirkus Nominee for Fiction), having to switch formats from print to audio version so that I could speed it up. It was just so slow! Many in book group really loved it,Continue reading “A Gentleman in Moscow”
The Mighty Red
I really enjoyed listening to The Mighty Red (2024) by Louise Erdrich. I think I’ve read nearly every novel she’s written. so my expectations were high, and I was not disappointed. Centering on a teenage love triangle, with goth Kismet Poe marrying football player Gary Geist and fooling around with homeschooled genius Hugo, right afterContinue reading “The Mighty Red”
Disappoint Me
I was charmed by Disappoint Me (publication day May 27, 2025), much more so than Nicola Dinan’s first book, Bellies. Max and Vincent are the two main characters. Max is a trans woman, a lawyer who analyzes contracts as an AI, and is in between boyfriends, bored by the queer London scene. She falls downContinue reading “Disappoint Me”
The Cemetery of Untold Stories
Julia Alvarez’s newest novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories (2024) was a delight! I so loved her In the Time of the Butterflies and Afterlife that I knew I couldn’t miss this one. Alma, the celebrated writer known as Scheherazade, is in the twilight of her career, and has boxes and boxes of unfinished draftsContinue reading “The Cemetery of Untold Stories”
Demon Copperhead
I don’t know if I can say anything about the 2023 Pulitzer-winning Demon Copperhead (2022) by Barbara Kingsolver that hasn’t already been written. Just Google it for several excellent reviews. It’s a modern retelling of David Copperfield by Dickens. Although I have been a Kingsolver fan for many, many years, I was a little apprehensive,Continue reading “Demon Copperhead”
The River We Remember
I loved The River We Remember (2023) by William Kent Krueger, which was a selection for my library book group. I didn’t have any previous knowledge of the book or the author, but I devoured it after the last line of the prologue, which describes the story as how the channel catfish in the riverContinue reading “The River We Remember”
Luminous
Luminous (publication day March 11, 2025) by Silvia Park, starts out slowly, but as it picked up speed I was enthralled. Set in a hypothetically reunified Korea, robots have become ubiquitous, so much so that the police have a “robot crimes” unit to investigate crimes against robots. Jun is a detective assigned to the robotContinue reading “Luminous”
Reading While Fat 