Sweetbitter

Spoiled. Have you ever had high expectations about a meal, and while eating, kept building the impression that those expectations would not be met? That’s how I felt while reading Stephanie Danler’s debut novel, Sweetbitter, set mostly in a New York City high end restaurant. I read some reviews that raised my expectations, but as I read, I found the prose over-seasoned, the characters under-baked, and the action usually unappealing. On one level this is a coming of age story, involving naiveté and the chance to make many mistakes with drugs, drinking and sex. I just never cared enough about the protagonist to enjoy her experiences. Life is often sweet and bitter, but in this novel I kept thinking it was just all spoiled. Rating: Two-star (I didn’t like it) Click here to purchase Sweetbitter from amazon.com.

The Queue

Authority. The pain of living under political repression builds on every page of Abdel Aziz’ novel, The Queue. A populist uprising failed, and the authoritarian regime has installed a bureaucracy that presents citizens with the absurdity of their harsh reality. The pain Aziz describes is both physical and psychological. This examination of power and control contains deep insight and understanding. Readers looking to understand better our complex human condition, especially when under the stress of authoritarian rule, will find insights from this finely written novel. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase The Queue from amazon.com.

In Other Words

Creativity. Language, identity and culture are all elements that combine into making one feel at home. Our creative artists help us understand those elements, and Jhumpa Lahiri does that extremely well in her book titled, In Other Words. Raised speaking Bengali, Lahiri has won prestigious awards for her writing in English. Living in Italy, she chose to immerse herself in Italian, and wrote this book in Italian. She had someone else provide the English translation, which is side-by-side with the Italian in this book. Being in a new place can create feelings of exile, and for a creative writer, it is words that tie one to a place. Lahiri offers to all exiles a chance to reflect on the words in our lives and in this book she shares her love of languages in ways that any reader can appreciate. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase In Other Words from amazon.com.

The Sellout

Re-segregation. After reading just a few pages of Paul Beatty’s novel, The Sellout, I knew I was reading something special, and I slowed down my reading pace to enjoy his satire. Beatty’s humor is well honed and his uses that along with superb writing skills to turn readers’ minds inside out. It’s tricky business to offer satire on race and identity in America, and Beatty navigates that landscape with dexterity. The narrator’s scheme to reinstate slavery and re-segregate schools is presented with such aplomb that I found myself absorbed in the community and aligned with the people in the fictional town of Dickens on the southern edge of Los Angeles. Readers who like satire and sharp humor are those most likely to enjoy reading this finely written novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Sellout from amazon.com.

The Last Mile

Persistence. David Baldacci reprises his serial character with perfect memory, Amos Decker, for a second novel titled, The Last Mile. Decker has joined a special FBI team and uses that opportunity to pursue a case that has similarities to his own life. Once on the case, Decker doesn’t give up, no matter what. Baldacci riffs on racism and power in this novel, while presenting a fast-paced plot to meet readers’ expectations. Decker’s character development goes deeper in this novel, and as a result what had been a freaky skill becomes a useful tool. With Decker on the case readers don’t need to remember every detail, we just need to relax and enjoy the story. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Last Mile from amazon.com.

Mothering Sunday

Alive. Readers who enjoy finely written prose are those most likely to enjoy reading Graham Swift’s novel titled, Mothering Sunday. The descriptive language brings both the setting and emotions to life. One afternoon, Mothering Sunday 1924, changes protagonist Jane Fairchild’s life forever. This short novel explores what it means to be alive and Swift uses romance as the key to that question. Along the way, Swift explores class, gender, memory and sex. I was entertained and delighted from beginning to end. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Mothering Sunday from amazon.com.

How to Set a Fire and Why

Voice. I can’t get the voice of Lucia Stanton out of my head. This teenage protagonist in Jesse Ball’s novel, How to Set a Fire and Why, is smart, angry, trying hard to find her place in the world, and weighed down by personal loss. Ball’s prose develops this intelligent and complex character with care and precision through journal entries. There’s a place for each of us to fit into the world, and Lucia dreams of finding her place. Fans of literary fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase How to Set a Fire and Why from amazon.com.