Paging All Bookworms! discussion

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Read any good books lately? We want to know about them.
How about real stinkers? We want to know about those too!


Enter your reading list and/or reviews here. Did you like it? Hate it? Feel lukewarm?

Share your thoughts with us.

Happy reading!



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All Quiet On the Western Front – Erich Marie Remarque – 4****
Many have called this the “greatest war novel of all time.” I’m not certain I agree with that superlative, but it IS a powerful, emotional, gripping, disturbing, enthralling, and honest exploration of war and its affects on the young who become the pawns of their leaders.
My full review HERE

Naguib Mahfouz, Respected Sir [1975, tr 1986] 179 pages


This novel begins somewhat comically with the protagonist Othman in almost religious awe before the Director General as the representative of the State, his first day in the Civil Service. We learn that Othman is the orphan son of a poor cartman, who has managed by hard work to gain a certain education and become part of the government apparatus. The book follows his career as he rises through the various grades through his hard work and sacrifices, until at the end he realizes the price he has paid. A satire on the Egyptian government, but at the same time a very human tragedy.

Nawal El Sadaawi, Woman at Point Zero [1975, tr. 1983] 106 pages


Woman at Point Zero is undoubtedly El Sadaawi's best-known book. A strongly feminist novel, based on a true story, it is the final narration of a woman sentenced to death for murdering a man. The treatment of poor women in Egypt (and elsewhere) and the institutions of marriage and the family are subjected to a merciless critique. Of course, Firdaus' opinions are extreme, and don't entirely represent El Sadaawi's own views, but they are provocative.

Naguib Mahfouz, Heart of the Night [1975, tr. 2011] 99 pages

A short novel that is basically a long discussion in a Cairo café. Jaafar al-Rawi is the impoverished grandson of a rich man who left his entire fortune as a waqf, a charitable endowment administered by a government department. He meets a government official to complain and they go out to the Café Wadud, where he spends the night telling his life story. A slight but interesting book.


The Works of Sir William Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan 320 pages

All fourteen of the comic operettas with words by Gilbert and music by Sullivan (although there is no music, just the lyrics, so I suppose it is really the works of Gilbert, which he wrote for his collaboration with Sullivan). There are also the short "Bab Ballads". The ancestors of the modern musical, these plays are somewhat silly, although there is a certain amount of good-natured satire, which may have been more daring at the time, especially of the House of Lords, then in the process of losing the last vestiges of actual governmental power. The book begins with the most popular works, The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, and The Pirates of Penzance (the last of which I will be seeing performed in a couple of weeks) and then has the others in no particular order that I could tell, either chronological or alphabetical. A fun read, although most of the impact is lost without the tunes, and while Gilbert was "liberal" for the period some of the social attitudes are very outmoded.

The White Umbrella – Brian Sewell – 3***
When British filmmaker, Mr B, spots a young donkey being abused in Peshawar, Pakistan, he leaps out of his Land Rover to rescue the animal. Told he cannot take the donkey on the plane home to England he vows to walk, and so he sets off. This is a charming fable of one man’s devotion, determination, and good luck. It was an engaging, gentle read, with a totally satisfying ending. A perfect escape from the hectic and stressful present day situation.
My full review HERE

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Little Big Man – Thomas Berger – 3.5***
Berger’s novel purports to be a memoir/autobiography of Jack Crabb – frontiersman, Indian scout, gunfighter, buffalo hunter, adopted Cheyenne. I was completely entertained by this novel of the American West. Berger gives the reader quite the raconteur in Crabb, with a gift for story-telling and colorful language. By the narrator’s own account, he certainly has a gift for landing on his feet, managing to get out of more than one potentially deadly scrape by his wits or sheer dumb luck. If the scenarios stretch credulity, well that is part of the fun.
My full review HERE

Hala Alyan, The Arsonists' City [2021] 446 pages

The Arsonists' City is the second novel by the author of Salt Houses. Like the first novel, it is about a family originally from the Middle East (the father, Idris, a heart surgeon, is Lebanese, the mother, Mazna, is Syrian) which becomes dispersed because of the political and religious violence in the region. The book begins with a prologue about the murder of a young Palestinian man, Zakaria, living in the camps outside Beirut. It then opens in the present with three chapters, each from the perspective of one of the three children: Ava, married to a wealthy American named Nate whom she suspects of infidelity; the brother, Mimi (Marwan), who is a restaurant manager and leader of a mediocre rock band, and lives with a fairly well-off professional womaa named Harper; and Naj, who has returned to Beirut where she is part of a very succesful band and is a lesbian. These three chapters, grouped as Part One, were not all that interesting; they were focused on the lives and emotional problems of rich second-generation Americans, which I can't really relate to, although the third chapter in Beirut was a little better. They introduce the main plot of the novel: the grandfather has recently died in Beirut and the father wants to sell his house, while the mother, a rather unpleasant-seeming woman, has decided to oppose it, although she has always seemed to hate Beirut.

The novel then returns in Part Two to the mother's childhood in a poor family in Damascus (1965) and her aspirations to be an actress, her meetings with her future husband, Idris, and his best friend, Zkaria (1978); here we begin to understand the bitterness in her character and become more sympathetic to her. It becomes clear that she is the major character in the book.

In Part Three, the family gathers at the grandfather's house in Beirut, and many family secrets are gradually revealed to all the characters; this part also contains flashbacks to Idris and Mazna living in California when the children are growing up.

Despite a very slow start, the novel is interesting, although not as good as her first book. The style is the same, chapters from the perspectives of all the major characters, but it was overly long and could have used some tightening up, especially in the chapters set in the United States -- rich Americans just aren't that interesting, at least to me. The book has some interesting background about the political events in the Middle East -- the Palestinians, driven out of Palestine by the Zionist invasion, overwhelm Lebanon and cause a reaction which ends in religious and ethnic civil war; the Lebanese refugees from that war are looked down on in Syria, but eventually the Syrians in turn become refugees in Lebanon when the civil war begins against the Assad regime. Of course, those who are wealthy enough end up in the United States or Europe. Previous novels I have read this year covered the situations in Palestine and Syria so it was of some interest to read about events from the perspective of Lebanon. However, this was all background and the novel is actually much less political than Salt Houses.

Naguib Mahfouz, The Harafish [1977, tr. 1993] 406 pages

Naguib Mahfouz' The Harafish reminds me strongly of his earlier novel, translated as The Children of Gabelawi or The Children of the Alley. The earlier book was an allegory of religious history, with Adam, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, and modern science replacing one another under the guise of rulers of an "alley" or neighborhood in Egypt. This novel does the same thing. It uses an alley in an unidentified place at an unidentified time and follows ten generations of a family in ten "tales". There is a mysterious but unattainable monastery which corresponds to the House of Gabelawi, an allegory of Heaven or God.

The first character is Ashur al-Nagi. He is warned by a vision to leave the alley, then later returns to take power and provide justice and dignity for the poor. ("Harafish" is the somewhat derogatory mediaeval Arabic term for the lower classes, in modern terms the proletariat and subproletariat.) He also dominates the other "alleys". At the end of the tale, he disappears, and it is rumored that he has become immortal. This seems to be an allegory for Mohammed, the Hegira and the founding of Islam. He is succeeded in power by his descendents (an allegory of the Caliphs?) who at first follow in his footsteps but later become seduced by wealth and end up as oppressors. The third character, who is still somewhat just to the poor and loyal to the memory of Ashur, but is the first to become extremely wealthy and and to effectively rule over all the surrounding alleys, is named Sulayman, i.e. Solomon, so there may also be a secondary allegory of Saul, David, Solomon and the succeeding Biblical kings of Judah.

The historical details, however, (and I'm not sure how closely he follows historical events) are less important than the pattern which repeats over and over: the well-intentioned characters who favor the poor gradually give themselves, their families and their "clan members", that is their military-administrative elite more and more privileges and come to identify less with the harafish than the "notables", marrying into the merchant class and leaving their lower class occupations and lifestyle behind. Although probably true of the kings and caliphs of the allegory, this pattern is also modern, and Mahfouz obviously has the Egyptian Revolution (and other modern revolutionary movements) in mind. While the ending is somewhat ambiguous, a solution is suggested.

The only problem with the novel is that the pattern is repeated with variants too many times, and it is difficult to remember the specific characteristics of the many family members and others from story to story. Nevertheless it is one of Mahfouz' best books and I would highly recommend it.

In Island Christmas – Nancy Thayer – 3***
‘Tis the season for improbable holiday romances with ice skating, decorating a Christmas tree, hot cocoa, snow, at least one person who is “not into Christmas and/or kids,” and one or more missteps on the road to that happy-ever-after ending. If it isn’t already a Hallmark Christmas movie, it would make a good one. Fun, fast, holiday read.
My full review HERE

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Where We Come From – Oscar Cásares – 4****
The setting is Brownsville, Texas, a border town with a mean reputation as a haven for human traffickers and drug runners. But it’s also a community of hard-working, middle-class people who want nothing but a safe home for their children, decent schools, good roads, a thriving business district and reliable city services. Cásares focuses on one such family. I really enjoyed this exploration of a complex issue. There are multiple layers to the novel and much fodder for a stimulating book club discussion.
My full review HERE

Nawal el-Sadaawi, Two Women in One [1975, tr. 1985] 124 pages

This is a feminist psychological novel about a young woman who feels she is two people, one the obedient, well-behaved conventional medical student she appears, and the real her who rebels against the conformity of her life and expresses herself in works of art. A chance meeting at an exhibit of her paintings lets her true self emerge, but of course she is opposed by her family and society. The setting is Cairo, presumably about the time it was written, although there are no specific indications.

Christmas On the Island – Jenny Colgan – 3***
A charming, story set against a holiday season that raises expectations and sometimes sees our dreams come true. There’s quite a lot going on in this book, #3 in the Mure series. I think I might have had an easier time of it had I read the first two books before tackling this one, as Colgan generally builds relationships over the course her series.
My full review HERE

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The Old Gringo – Carlos Fuentes – 1*
The novel is framed as the reminiscence of a woman. An old journalist heads to Mexico during the time of the Mexican Revolution seeking, not a story, but his death. There has been much praise for this work; it was the first translated work by a Mexican author to become a bestseller in the United States. But I had great difficulty engaging with the characters and the plot, such as it was. Our book club struggled to find anything positive to say about this work.
My full review HERE

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (Alf Laylah wa-Laylah) (Richard Burton tr.) v.3 [Kindle, Project Gutenberg]

Richard Burton's translation, the third volume of 10 (or 16 with the supplementary volumes), this volume contains some of the stories that were in the Galland translation and some animal fables from the Egyptian manuscripts. The actual book is worth reading, but the e-book versions, unusually for Project Gutenberg (unless they are changing for the worse) is very badly proofread, with typos (scanning errors) in almost every paragraph -- "shine" for "thine" every time it appears, and it's one of the most frequent words in the book, "c" for "e" or "o" very often, "m" for "in", "m," for "my", weird diacritics, etc. -- and the file description lists four proofreaders! Very difficult to read with this problem.

Nawal el-Saadawi, The Circling Song [1973, tr. 1989] 88 pages

A children's game-song was the inspiration for this short, nightmarish surrealist novel, which is her most experimental. Hamida and Hamido are twins, although they seem sometimes to switch identities and genders, in a circle in which time and memory constantly change directions and life and death, childhood and age lose their meaning. There are allusions to genital mutilation, rape, honor killings, domestic slavery and military and police violence. The two siblings seem to exist at various times in history and in a way to represent all women and all men in Egypt. The writing is very powerful.

Make Them Pay (Lucy Kincaid #12) by Allison Brennan
4 ★

When Eden Rogan, Sean’s estranged sister, shows up at Lucy’s door claiming to be there for the wedding, Lucy lets her in and asked her to stay with her and Sean. Noah Armstrong has a history with Eden and known right away that Liam Rogan, Eden’s twin brother, must be around as well and they are bother probably up to no good. Noah’s instincts are good and Liam ends up kidnapping Lucy and putting her in danger.

This story is non-stop from cover to cover. The action starts quickly and keeps you hooked. I really like how the Rogans and Kincaids came together to rescue Lucy and bring Eden and Liam to justice. I wish I could say that I liked Liam and Eden, but they are nothing like the other Rogans. They are selfish and thieves. I did feel a bit bad for Liam though. He really thought that what he was doing was going to make him look good in Kane’s eyes. It was sad to see him so determined to prove Kane wrong.
Poor Lucy. She always seems to get pulled into trouble and this time she is really scared. She holds herself together well and is able to think clearly. She makes some really good decisions that would have helped her out if one of the bad guys hadn’t recognized her.
Kane makes a huge life decision in this book and I looked forward to seeing where that goes.

Nawal el-Saadawi, She Has No Place in Paradise [tr. 1987] 177 pages [Kindle, Open Library]

A collection of eighteen short stories, mostly concerned with women or the relationships between men and women. Some are in a fairly realistic style, while others are in a more surrealist vein.

Coming Home For Christmas – Fern Michaels – 2**
This is a collection of three novellas all set during the Christmas season. If you’ve seen even one Hallmark Christmas movie you know the basic plot line here. I found the scenarios pretty unbelievable and the chosen novella length left some significant holes in the plots. Still, they’re fast reads, and moderately enjoyable.
My full review HERE

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Heaven, Texas – Susan Elizabeth Phillips – ZERO stars
Book # 2 in the Chicago Stars romance series. No. Just No. A “gentleman” does NOT play mind games for his own amusement to trick a virgin into succumbing to him so that he can then drop her like a hot potato when the fun is over. There is nothing remotely romantic or appealing about these scenarios. Shame on Phillips for propagating such a misogynistic message.
My full review HERE

Saud Alsanousi, Mama Hissa's Mice [2015, tr. 2019] 377 pages [Kindle]

Mama Hissa's Mice is very different from Alsanousi's earlier novel The Bamboo Stalk which I read back in May of last year; while that was written in a traditional narrative style and set in a Kuwait that seemed more or less at peace, with the personal conflicts largely between wealth and poverty, this book is written in a more modernist style and focuses on the rise of sectarian hatred and violence, reminding me more of Khaled Khalifa's In Praise of Hatred. The book alternates between the events of one night of violence in the present and chapters of the protagonist Katkout's novel (which actually is not so much a novel as an autobiography and is divided into parts called "The First Mouse", "The Second Mouse" etc..) The present-day events are also told from the consciousness of Katkout and deal with the same characters as the "novel."

The first two chapters of Katkout's novel have supposedly been removed by the publisher for fear of the censorship, which is odd since the remaining chapters are very political and those first chapters would presumably have been about his earliest childhood; what we are given begins with him starting middle school, in the early 1980's. The major characters are three families which are neighbors at the beginning in the Surra neighborhood: two older women friends, Mama Hissa and Bibi Zaynab (who is from Iraq originally, although the family pretends she is from Saudi Arabia), Mama Hissa's children Am Saleh and Fawzia, Bibi Zaynab's son Abbas, and Katkout's parents. Am Saleh's son Fahd, Abbas' son Sadiq, and Katkout are close friends, despite the dislike of their parents: Am Saleh is a bigoted Sunni and Abbas an equally bigoted Shi'ite. Katkout's parents are more secularized and simply identify as Moslem; he is never sure which sect he actually belongs to, so he often acts as a peacemaker and go-between. The two grandmothers are also peacemakers who oppose the hatred of their sons (although they are not perfect; they hate "Jews" whom they identify with the Israelis.) In the later chapters we are introduced to two other friends, Katkout's cousin Dhari and a young man named Ayub. Other characters are Am Saleh's wife Aisha and daughter Hawraa.

At the beginning, Kuwait, at most a minor player in Middle Eastern politics, is a relatively peaceful and neutral country with people from all countries in the region: Iraqis, Iranians, Palestinians and so forth. The hatreds are second-hand, imported from outside, beginning with the Iran-Iraq war. While it is obvious to outsiders that the war was largely economic and promoted by the Western powers, in the region it is taken for granted that it is a religious conflict between Sunni and Shi'a: Abbas's house has a portrait of Khomeini and Am-Saleh's a portrait of Saddam Hussein, and during the war Fahd and Sadiq are not allowed in each other's houses. Later, with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the portraits disappear and there is a brief period of patriotic unity, which disappears after the Americans force the Iraqis out. From there events lead to the present day which follows fairly closely on the last chapter of the "novel."

On the whole, the book is very pessimistic, but there are also elements of hope. Well worth reading.




The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (Alf Laylah wa-Laylah) (Richard Burton tr.) v.5 [Kindle, Project Gutenberg] approx. 300 pages

After the intensity of Mama Hissa's Mice, it was a relief to go back to this collection of mediaeval fantasy, where the dangers are from djinns and evil magicians, or occasionally robbers. This fifth volume is very uneven; it begins with one of the most interesting stories in the 1001 Nights, "The Ebony Horse" about a mechanical flying horse, but soon becomes a series of very short anecdotes, some moralizing, some comic, and some obviously just an excuse for the included verses, followed by a long tale which is essentially a Moslem catechism, before returning to the fantasies about djinns and so forth.

A Long Petal Of the Sea – Isabel Allende – 4****
A family epic covering six decades of history from 1930s Spanish Civil War to 1990s in Chile. This is the kind of historical fiction at which Allende excels. She seamlessly weaves the real historical events into the story line, while giving the reader characters that come alive on the page and about which we come to care. Central to this work, as to all of Allende’s novels, are the strong women. Roser and Ofelia certainly take center stage. But the older women – Carme, Laura and Juana – are equally strong, resilient, intelligent and determined.
My full review HERE

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare
5 ★

The start of The Dark Artifices trilogy takes the reader to the Los Angeles institute where Emma Carstairs and the Blackthorn family live. It has been 5 years since the Dark War and Julian Blackthorn is still trying to get his brother, Mark, back from faerie. There have been several murders in the area and when it is revealed that some of the deceased have been half faerie, Mark is brought to the Institute as an incentive for Julian and Emma to solve the case.

The reader met Emma Carstairs and the Blackthorn family in the City of Heavenly Fire, but now we get to really get to know them. The Blackthorn family has been through so much, but they still love each other so much. Emma may not have Blackthorn blood, but she is very much a part of the family.
There are many new characters introduced in this book. Cristina Rosales is visiting from Mexico and Malcolm Fade is the High Warlock in Los Angeles. For a while I wasn’t sure if I liked him or Magnus Bane more (definitely Magnus). We also get to see a few of our favorite people from previous books: Clary, Jace, Magnus, Jem and Tessa.
The mystery behind the murders is very interesting, but what intrigued me the most was the way the author created this whole story around the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. It was creative, well researched, and well written. There aren’t many authors who can write like this.
Emma and Julian’s relationship is strong, but dangerous. I’m looking forward to see what happens.

A Gathering Of Old Men – Ernest J Gaines – 4****
A dead man. A running tractor. A white woman who claims she shot him. A gathering of old men with shotguns. A sheriff who knows everyone is lying. A father who needs revenge. What is so marvelous about this work is that Gaines tells it from a variety of viewpoints, as different characters narrate chapters. One by one they tell their stories simply but eloquently.
My full review HERE

Adequate Yearly Progress – Roxanne Elden – 3***
A year in the life of teachers at a struggling urban high school in a large Texas city. I’m not a teacher, but I have friends who have worked as teachers, and Elden includes scenarios that are familiar to anyone who has ever been required to attend yet another motivational speech or meeting to discuss implementation of a new process. There are moments of serious reflection, scenes of tenderness and of hilarity.
My full review HERE

Book Concierge wrote: "

A Long Petal Of the Sea
– Isabel Allende – 4****
A family epic covering six decades of history from 1930s Spanish Civil War to 1990s in Chile. This..."

I'm planning to read some of Allende's novels later this year, and I will certainly want to read this one. Thank you for the great review.

Salma Khadra Jayyusi, ed., Modern Arabic Poetry: An Anthology [1987] 498 pages

An anthology of about 300 poems (or excerpts from longer poems) by 93 different poets, from the end of the nineteenth century to shortly before it was published in 1987, in new English translations, Jayyusi's book gives a good overview of the poetry being written in the Arabic world. It begins with a 40 page introduction giving the history of modern Arabic poetry, which Jayyusi divides into four periods: the revival of poetry at the turn of the century (neo-classic poets such as Ahmad Shauqi, the earliest poet included); the Romantics, influenced by European Romanticism, beginning with the Arab (mainly Lebanese) expatriates in North America, most notably Kahlil Gibran; the Symbolists, also influenced by European models; and finally the free-verse movement and modernism. Unfortunately, the division of the book itself is less informative; it is divided simply into two parts, poets established before 1950 and poets who became active after 1950 -- the real dividing event is the Palestinian nakba of 1948 -- the arrangement within each section being alphabetical rather than chronological or stylistic.

A few of these poets I had already read quite a bit of (books by Nizar Qabbani, Adunis, Samih al-Qasim and of course Mahmoud Darwish) but there were no poems I recognized as having read; others I had heard of; but most were completely new to me. As with any wide-ranging anthology, the quality was somewhat uneven, but there was a lot of good poetry in this.

Nawal El Saadawi, The Dramatic Literature of Nawal El Saadawi [Eng tr. 2009] 191 pages

In addition to novels, stories, and nonfiction, Nawal El Saadawi wrote seven plays, two of which are translated in this book. Isis (1987) uses the myth of the Egyptian goddess as an allegory for religious and political tyranny and the struggle against it; God Resigns at the Summit Meeting (1996) deals with the use of religion to oppress women and the poor. Both are very interesting.

Stealing Home (The Sweet Magnolias #1) by Sherryl Woods
4 ★

Maddie Townsend’s world has been turned upside down. Her husband has just asked for a divorce after getting his much younger lover pregnant and now her kids are hurt, angry and acting out. When her son’s baseball coach steps in to help with his behavior issues, Maddie starts to feel things she hasn’t felt in 20 years. Maddie’s 2 best friends, Helen and Dana Sue, have also talked Maddie into opening a new spa in Serenity.

This book is a feel good book and a really good start to a series. Everything about this story it true to real life. The conversations between Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue are real conversations that best friends have. They are honest with each other and extremely supportive of each other. Every girl needs friends like this. Also, because of these two Maddie is able to move past Bill’s betrayal and move on for herself and her kids. She finally puts her foot down with him and I loved seeing her strength.
Serenity is a small southern town, which means everyone knows everyone and the gossip gets around quick. Maddie is a southern girl and knows that southern girl must act a certain way. Unfortunately the gossip that goes around about her and Coach Maddox causes a stir and makes her doubt everything. I’m a northern girl, so her doubt and self-conscience worries bothered me a bit. Thankfully Helen and Dana Sue think like me. There were many “hoorah” moments.
For those who have watched the NetFlix series first, you will not be disappointed. The TV show follows the book almost to a tee. There are some minor changes but they do not take away from the story. I am very much looking forward to continuing this series and see where these incredibly real characters go from here.

Lady Osbaldestone’s Christmas Goose – Stephanie Laurens – 3***
Set in 1810 England, just on the cusp of the Regency period, this delightful Christmas mystery focuses on the recently widowed Lady Therese Osbaldestone, her three young grandchildren, a flock of missing geese, a “spinster” forgoing her own happiness to look after her younger brother, and a wounded war veteran. Lady O is a marvelous character; bright, opinionated, kind, inquisitive (some might say nosy), and confident in her right – nay, duty – to oversee everyone’s business. From the marvelous characters to the charming scenes of Regency village holiday life I found it entertaining and engaging.
My full review HERE

Salma Khadra Jayyusi, ed., Anthology of Modern Palestinian Literature [1992] 754 pages

This anthology of Palestinian writings from both within Palestine and from the diaspora is divided equally between poetry and prose, mostly short stories with selections from two novels and excerpts from some memoirs. Although I recently read an anthology of Arabic poetry by the same editor, Salma Khadra Jayyusi, there were only eight poets in common between the two books and only three short poems were actually duplicates. This anthology had about 230 poems by over 60 authors; as with the other book the arrangement is alphabetic by name of the author, and despite some unevenness much of the poetry was quite good, although the themes were rather similar and I got a bit tired of all the birds, trees, seas, and suitcases.

The second half contained 25 short stories, all by different authors; as far as I could tell there were no stories duplicated in any of the four other anthologies of Arabic literature I have on my shelf waiting to be read (I'm hoping to finish my project in reading Arabic literature in the next month and a half.) There was less unevenness in the stories than in the poetry -- nearly all were good and although the same themes predominated the approaches were quite different. The book ended with thirteen excerpts from "Personal Accounts"; while most were about the disasters the Palestinians have suffered there were also some about the traditions of Palestine before 1948, the feasts and so forth, which were quite interesting to read.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
5 ★

Nora is confused when she receives an invitation to an old friend’s hen party. They haven’t spoken in 10 years and Nora never received an invitation to her wedding. Nora doesn’t really want to go, but her friend Nina makes a deal with her and they go together. Secrets from the past come out during the party and tempers flare. Then the unthinkable happens…

I read this book in 3 days and probably would have finished it in 2 if I didn’t have to work. The first few chapters were good, but a bit slow. It got more interesting after Nora got to the hen party (bachelorette party) with Nina. There are only 5 people, 6 with the bride-to-be Clare, at the party and they are all so very different. It was hard to believe that one person could be such close friends to such a variety of people. This is explained at the end of the book. Clare’s best friend, Flo, was a very distressing character. Her obsession with Clare was uncomfortable. I felt it as much as the other characters did.
The mystery of who “did it” was the best. I had a hard time figuring it out myself. Nora runs though many possibilities and they all made sense. It ends up being a tragic story of secrets, betrayal, and love.
I did not find this book scary like some readers did. There are a few “stranger in house” moments, but nothing spine tingling. I will definitely be add Ruth Ware to my favorite authors list.

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee – Dee Brown – 5*****
Subtitle: An Indian History of the American West. Brown’s interest in the history of the American West took him to many resources that were previously ignored in crafting the official textbooks from which millions were taught American history. This work is one attempt to correct the information so many thought they knew. Brown relates the systemic plunder of Native lands region by region, tribe by tribe, battle by battle, broken treaty by broken treaty. It is a very personal account. And it is heartbreaking.
My full review HERE

Women Of the Silk – Gail Tsukiyama – 3***
This work of historical fiction takes us to early 20th century China and the unique position of the women who worked in the silk factories in lieu of marriage. I loved the unexpected strength and determination of these young women as they made their own way in a culture that restricted opportunities for women. The independence they gained, though initially forced on them, became their most prized attribute.
My full review HERE

E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime [1975] 320 pages

I saw the movie adaptation of Ragtime shortly after it came out in 1981, and last month I saw a performance of the Terence McNally play based on the book, but I had never read the novel itself. It is a very powerful novel, not only about racism but also about class conflicts in the decade before World War I, with a chapter about the Lawrence textile workers' strike. While both the movie and play focus almost entirely on the main story of Coalhouse Walker, the Black man who resorts to violence after his car is vandalized by white firemen and the police and court system refuse to give him justice, there is much more in the novel.

The structure of the book reminded me of The Grapes of Wrath, with historical chapters interspersed with the chapters about the fictional or real but fictionalized characters (Emma Goldman is an important character, and there are many references to Houdini and to J.P. Morgan). The important fictional characters include a rich family in New Rochelle and a Jewish immigrant and his daughter.

One thing I found rather disconcerting was that the Coalhouse plot seems to take place over a few months, and at the end he asks about his son born at the beginning learning to walk and whether he has said any words yet, while the other simultaneous plots and the history chapters seem to occupy several years, from 1906 to at least the election of Wilson in 1912. Perhaps this explains why much of the other material is omitted in the movie and play.

Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain – 3.5***
Subtitle: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. This is a wonderful memoir, as well as a bit of a tutorial, a travelogue, and a warning of what NOT to do. Bourdain is honest, profane, funny, enlightening and engaging. As a plus, he narrated the audio version himself.
My full review HERE

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A Nantucket Christmas – Nancy Thayer – 3***
Thayer writes charming Christmas-themed stories where the reader knows in advance that things will all work out in the end. In addition to the blended family tension, this one also has a charming subplot involving a stray dog.
My full review HERE

Denys Johnson-Davies, ed., The Anchor Book of Modern Arabic Fiction [2006] 486 pages

The first of four anthologies of Arabic fiction I am reading in August and September, this contains selections by 79 authors; 13 countries are represented, although Egypt predominates with about half the authors (39) being from that country. The selections are divided evenly between short stories and excerpts from novels; I don't really like that decision because novels aren't meant to be read in excerpts without context and because, since the excerpts are often the climax of the book, they are all spoilers if I ever were to read the actual books they are taken from (I skipped the selections from Mahfouz because the novels are on my list for next month.)

The selections were very diverse, both in content -- although there were many which dealt with political struggles and war, it was not as prominent as in the anthology of Palestinian writings I finished last week, and there were many that were love stories, coming-of-age stories, and other domestic sorts of stories -- and in style, with realist and romantic stories balanced by modernist and surreal stories. The selections were alphabetical by author rather than chronological or geographical; unlike the anthologies edited by Salma Jayyusi, there was no general introduction, although each author was prefaced by a one or two paragraph biography.

Ronak Husni and Daniel L. Newman, edd., Modern Arabic Short Stories [2008] 296 pages

This bilingual reader contains twelve short stories by major Arabic writers, in Arabic with English translations. It is obviously designed for people learning Arabic, with language notes after each selection, and it is in order from least to most difficult in the original language. Of course I don't read Arabic, but the stories were all good in translation, including one I hadn't previously read by Naguib Mahfouz about a pair of Siamese twins.

Notorious (Max Revere #1) by Allison Brennan
4 ★

Max Revere heads back to her hometown to attend the funeral of a high school friend. Kevin was charged, but not sentenced, for the murder of another high school friend of Max’s, Lindy. Kevin’s sister does not believe that Kevin killed himself and asks Max to look into it. When she does she starts looking into Lindy’s murder as well and uncovers secrets and lies that may destroy her own family.

Max Revere has some serious family issues. She comes from money and they aren’t happy that she got part of the inheritance. There is not a whole lot of trust in the family and her Uncle Brooks is still mad at her for telling everyone his secret years ago. I can see why Max stays away.
This was a good mystery with many characters and many twists. They all came together at the end and the author did a fantastic job keeping everything on the same level and not confusing the reader. The story concludes on a good note, but you can’t help but feel sorry for all involved. The injustice to Kevin, the lies, betrayal, lost friendships. Even after all the work Max put into finding the truth, her family still looks down on her.
Max’s fierce determination for truth and her research skills make this story interesting and informative.

Friends Like Us – Lauren Fox – 3***
I really enjoyed this exploration of friendship and the choices one makes as one matures. I remember close friends I had in my twenties … I have witnessed (and been part of) break-ups that hurt so badly you wondered how you would ever survive. And I recognized how a best friend can say just the right thing to help you through what you believe to be the darkest moments. So, the relationships between these people and their emotions were completely relatable to me.
My full review HERE

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The Secret Life of Violet Grant – Beatriz Williams – 3.5***
Williams uses a dual timeline and dual narrators to tell this story of Vivian Schuyler, Manhattan socialite and wanna-be advertising exec in 1964, and her aunt Violet Schuyler Grant, who endured an unhappy marriage to pursue her dreams of scientific research in 1914 Europe. I was quickly engaged and continuously interested in this story line. While I’ve grown tired of the dual timeline that is so popular these days with historical fiction, I thought Williams did a very good job of using this device.
My full review HERE

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (Alf Laylah wa-Laylah) (Richard Burton tr.) v.6 [Kindle, Project Gutenberg] approx. 300 pages

The sixth volume contains four groups of stories, the Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor, a second version of The City of Brass, The Seven Wazirs from the Book of al-Sindibad the Sage, and the long tale of Gharib and his Brother Ajib, which describes the conquest of the world by "Moslems" from before the time of Moses.

Naguib Mahfouz, In the Time of Love [1980, tr. 2010] 122 pages

In the postmodern tradition, this seems like a simple story of a love triangle but it is a bit more.

This Tender Land – William Kent Krueger – 4****
Krueger references both The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Homer’s The Odyssey in this epic adventure set in America’s upper Midwest during the Great Depression. Krueger is a marvelous storyteller, and he keeps the plot moving with a variety of incidents. The travelers show intelligence, resourcefulness, and tenacity. They are also children - immature and prone to misunderstanding or misinterpretation of information they gather. And, of course, they are vulnerable. I loved watching them grow, both individually and in their relationships, through these experiences.
My full review HERE

James wrote: "Naguib Mahfouz,
In the Time of Love
[1980, tr. 2010] 122 pages

In the postmodern tradition, this seems like a simple story of a love triangle but it is a bit more."

The only book by Mahfouz that I've read is Midaq Alley. I rated it 4 stars, so I think I should try some of his others. Thanks for the reminder.

Unnatural Causes – P D James – 3***
Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh’s planned seaside holiday goes awry when a headless, handless body washes ashore. First is the mystery of who the victim is; then comes determining the culprit. Plenty of suspects, some red herrings, and a thrilling climactic scene. I’ll keep reading this series.
My full review HERE

Interlude in Death (In Death #12.5) by J.D. Robb
3 ★

Eve Dallas, Peabody and the gang head to one of Roarke’s off planet resorts for a police conference and Eve finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. The investigation turns personal when the commander pins the murder on Roarke. This short story covers brings back a lot of history for both Eve and Roarke. History of their childhoods and the pain and sadness associated with it.
This was a nice quick mystery that doesn’t keep the reader wondering for too long who the bad guy is. It’s quick pace and action packed pages keep the story flowing and the intrigue high.

Book Concierge wrote:
The only book by Mahfouz that I've read is Midaq Alley. I rated it 4 stars, so I think I should try some of his others. Thanks for the reminder.

He's one of my favorite novelists. I'm working my way now through all his books. He wrote in many different styles; his major realist work is The Cairo Trilogy, which is one of my favorite works, telling the story of Egyptian history through one family from WW1 to WW2, A more allegorical work, based on the history of the three religions, is Children of the Alley, also translated as Children of Gebelawi, which is the book that nearly got him assassinated by the fanatics.

Sandy Tolan, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East [2006] 362 pages

This nonfiction book, the final reading in the Arabic literature project of the World Literature group on Goodreads, tells the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the meeting and eventual friendship of two families, the Khairis, especially Bashir, and the Eshkenazis, especially Dalia. At the beginning, the Palestinian family is living in the village of al-Ramla, and the Eshkenazis are living in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian Jews are collected to be sent to Treblinka, but at the last minute through the intervention of "righteous Gentiles", particularly the Orthodox bishop, the deportations are postponed, and with the growing defeat of Germany are eventually abandonned. I had been unaware of this history and the fact that Bulgarian Jews, unlike Jews elsewhere in Eastern Europe, were not exterminated in the Holocaust, although the fascist government enforced anti-Jewish laws modeled after the German Nuremburg laws. After the war, Jewish emigration to Israel is permitted by the Stalinist regime with the approval of Stalin, and all but about 5000 Jews chose to leave. One thing I found very interesting is that in Bulgaria, perhaps unlike elsewhere, the Jews did not leave because of fear or trauma after the Holocaust but largely because as small shopkeepers they were unable to compete economically with the new state-run enterprises.

Meanwhile, in a more familiar story, the Khairis are driven out of their home by the Israeli terrorists during the 1948 Nakba and settle in Ramallah. The Eshkenazis arrive in Palestine and eventually move into the Khairis' house, which they believe was abandonned because the Arabs "ran away." The house has a lemon tree in the back yard, which becomes a symbol in the book. Dalia, a baby at the time of the emigration, grows up believing the official Israeli version of events and even serves in the Israeli army. After the June 1967 War, when Israel annexed the West Bank and ironically it became easier for Palestinians to travel into the Israeli-controlled territory, Bashir and two friends return for a visit to al-Ramla and he asks to look at the house. Dalia makes the decision to allow him in and they begin a thirty-five-year connection between the two families.

I was expecting that this would be a story about "typical" Jews and Palestinians, but while that may be true of Dalia, Bashir in fact became a leader of the Palestinian movement and close associate of Yasser Arafat, spending probably a quarter of his life in various Israeli prisons. The two families are essentially just a framework for a history of the conflict, which is fairly detailed; everything is documented in the source notes at the end. Tolan is committed to the view that personal friendships like this give a hope of reconciliation and peace, and Dalia shares this view, but Bashir and his family are more realistic and insist that no peace is possible without justice for the Palestinians. He insists on the return of the Palestinians and a single secular and democratic country in which all ethnic and religious groups would have equal rights, while Dalia insists that the Palestinians should sacrifice for a peace in which there would be two states, one exclusively Jewish on most of the land and one Palestinian on a small part of the land which was taken from them. She never leaves the position that any return of the Palestinians to their country would lead to the "destruction" of Israel as a Jewish state and thus is not to be considered. In the end, there is really no reconciliation or agreement, as there never will be without recognition of the right of the Palestinian exiles to return to their lands; but Dalia does recognize the injustices that the Israeli government was and still is committing and opposes the hatred. Tolan tries very hard to be "balanced" and give equal weight to both "perspectives", but in fact the book documents the many atrocities committed by the Israelis. It was a much better book than I had expected given the viewpoint.

Sisters of the Snake by Sarena & Sasha Nanua
4 ★

When thief Ria decides to enter the palace to steal jewels, she never thought that doing so would bring her face-to-face with her identical twin, Princess Rani. The two decide to switch places so that Rani can prove herself to her father and Ria can learn the truth about her birth and abandonment. They both end up learning more than they bargained for.

This is not your typical “Princess and the Pauper” story. It is a very well written story of two strong women who are determined to make their own futures. Ria and Rani may be from different walks of life, but genetics prove to be strong in their bloodline. Watching Ria trying to make change in the palace and make friends with a servant girl was heartwarming and sad. Watching Rani trying to navigate the outside world for the first time was eye opening.
The male leads are supportive, but also trusting and forgiving. It’s funny how sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone to find love. Rani’s snake familiar, Shima, is a fabulous character that helps Ria as much as she helped Rani. She has a bit of a sense of humor as well.
The villain of the story is a conniving woman who will do anything to get what she wants. There is a twist at the end that leaves the story open for book 2 and I can’t wait.

Salma Khadra Jayyusi, ed., Short Arabic Plays: An Anthology [2003] 466 pages

A collection of twenty short plays by sixteen authors, all but one translated from Arabic. Most are written in an experimental modernist or surrealist style; some deal allegorically with the question of Palestine, others are satires on bureaucracy or public apathy. Nearly all are in some way political, although a few are more existential. All were worth reading; I wonder if I will ever see any performed.

Death And Judgment – Donna Leon – 3.5***
Book # 4 in the Commissario Brunetti mystery series, set in Venice, Italy. This was definitely one of the darker works in this series. As usual, the Commissario relies on his wife for advice and comfort, but his daughter insists on helping and that gets uncomfortable very quickly. Leon crafts a good mystery, with enough clues keep the action moving forward and a logical solution. It’s a series I’ll continue reading.
My full review HERE

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Death Cruise – Lawrence Block (editor) – 3***
This is a collection of short stories, all of which take place on a cruise ship. Authors come from multiple nations, starting off with Agatha Christie and including writers from Cuba, Belgium and the Netherlands. I enjoyed reading them and was happily surprised that there was sufficient difference from story to story to hold my interest – and keep me guessing.
My full review HERE

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (Alf Laylah wa-Laylah) (Richard Burton tr.) v.7 [Kindle, Project Gutenberg] approx. 350 pages

The seventh volume contains two good humorous "trickster" tales, the tale of Dalilah the Crafty and her daughter Zaynab the Coney-catcher, and its sequel, the tale of Mercury Ali of Cairo, and two supernatural romances, the tale of Julnar the Sea-Born and Her Son King Badr Basim of Persia which was also translated in the Galland version, and the tale of Prince Sayf Al-Muluk and the Princess Badi’a Al-Jamal which has several Sindbad-like episodes. The rest of the volume is fairly boring and some of the stories are essentially duplicates of earlier tales with different names.

The Next Thing On My List – Jill Smolinski – 3***
After her passenger dies in an auto accident, guilt drives June to complete the dead woman’s bucket list by a certain deadline. This was about what I expected. I was not a big fan of the main character, June, who really seemed to have her priorities backwards. The plot moved along and there were some entertaining scenes. All told, it was fine, but not stellar.
My full review HERE

Nawal el-Saadawi, The Fall of the Imam [1987, tr. 1988] 208 pages

Written after Nawal el-Saadawi's imprisonment under the Sadat regime, The Fall of the Imam takes on the religious patriarchal state of Egypt. The Imam at one level is of course Anwar el-Sadat, but also more generally the representative of all religious totalitarianism, and all the characters are symbolic. Passages of relative realism alternate with and are ultimately replaced by dreamlike or more often nightmarish surrealist chapters, where allusions and metaphors morph into reality (at one point, the Imam becomes King Shahryar of the Thousand and One Nights) and the same episodes repeat endlessly with variations. We see many times the Imam being assassinated and at the end he seems neither dead nor alive. There are many scenes of dark comedy, especially with regard to the Imam, the Great Writer, and the Leader of the Official Opposition; the scenes at the gates of Paradise are a highpoint of the novel. The book was widely banned for "blasphemy" and Saadawi was threatened by the fundamentalists, eventually spending most of her time in the West.