My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
a bookclique pick by Lindsey Mead My Absolute Darling is a fever dream of a novel, as difficult to read as it is impossible to put down. I read it in two days, a couple of long, breathless gulps, and since I finished I haven’t been able to stop thinking of the world Gabriel Tallent created. My Absolute Darling traces the maturation and growth of a scrappy, formidable protagonist, 14 … Continue reading My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Joukhadar
a bookclique pick from Katie Noah Gibson I’ve always loved maps. Since I was a child sitting in the backseat of my parents’ car, tracing our summer road-trip routes on the pages of my dad’s United States atlas, I’ve been fascinated by those collections of lines and space. They help us navigate the physical world, but they tell us so much more than where we’ve … Continue reading The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Joukhadar
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
a bookclique pick from Vicky Waldthausen Reading a book once doesn’t usually result in a character sticking with me, no matter how much I enjoy the story. Slowly the names fade, the descriptions become generic, and soon the characters are defined more by the plot of the book than anything else. There are anomalies, of course — characters who stay with me even though I … Continue reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
a bookclique pick by Tanya Boteju The most striking element of Cherie Dimaline’s young adult book, The Marrow Thieves, is perhaps its premise: the earth has been ravaged by global warming. While most humans have lost the ability to dream, the indigenous people of North America have not. As a result, they are hunted and harvested for their bone marrow, their ability to dream laced … Continue reading The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
a bookclique pick by Jessica Flaxman A young girl is seduced by an older man in fine clothing. A kind but sickly visitor to the girl’s mother’s boarding house marries the girl and raises her illegitimate son as his own. The spurned biological father haunts and protects the girl, now woman, and her family throughout their long lives. Set against the backdrop of the Japanese … Continue reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
a bookclique pick by Ari Pinkus You don’t have to be a Jane Austen fan to become enraptured in The Austen Escape. Katherine Reay’s latest women’s fiction novel is very much a classic coming-of-age story with historic and modern twists. Even the two settings are emblematic of old and new eras. The novel opens in Austin, Texas, a tech hub, where the main character, Mary … Continue reading The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell
a bookclique pick by Katrina Smith I am, I am, I am… determined? Adventurous? Courageous? Or at least I intend to be more so after reading Maggie O’Farrell’s memoir I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death. The acclaimed Northern Irish author of novels such as This Must Be the Place and After You’d Gone has spun together a series of autobiographical tales … Continue reading I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
a bookclique pick by Ann Klotz I bought Turtles All the Way Down in an airport last fall, expecting to donate it to my school library. I read it in one gulp on the plane. Since then, I’ve shared the book with three high school students and acquired a second copy that I keep lending to girls who say, “Oooh, can I borrow that?” Green’s depiction of … Continue reading Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Bookclique’s Best: First Quarter Roundup
bookclique presents… the most popular reviews from January to March 2018. People are definitely craving good fiction so far this year! #1) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas — a bookclique pick from Karen Marquis Derby #2) Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan — a bookclique pick from Jessica Flaxman #3) Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng — a bookclique pick from Lindsey Mead #4) … Continue reading Bookclique’s Best: First Quarter Roundup
Love, Africa by Jeffrey Gettleman
a bookclique pick from Rhoda Flaxman I’ve always been fascinated by Africa and count my trips to Kenya, South Africa, and Morocco among the most rewarding adventures of my life. Therefore I quickly devoured Love, Africa, Jeffrey Gettleman’s memoir of his ten years (2007-2017) as New York Times bureau chief for the twelve countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Primarily based in Nairobi, Gettleman vividly takes us, … Continue reading Love, Africa by Jeffrey Gettleman
