The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is often seen as the go-to book for feminist literature. Published in 1985, it makes numerous “must read” lists; upon reading it, I can see why. Offred is a handmaid—that is, her only function is to breed–in the republic of Gilead, an extremely oppressive,…
A generational family history told by the narrator, born as intersex and raised as Calliope later turned Cal, Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex is a rare, unconventional gem of fiction. The family saga is rich and full of drama. It ran seamlessly when the book picked up its pace, despite its inconsistency…
I looked up because of the laughter, and kept looking because of the girls. Emma Cline, The Girls It is 1969, and 14-year-old Evie Boyd is thrust into a cult-like group of girls. Evie, being the child of recently divorced parents and scurrying for acceptance from her peers, finds herself…
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee — international bestseller, book club favorite, proclaimed the best book of the year 2017. This book has consistently received stellar reviews and has even become an AppleTV drama. Reading this, I really wanted to enjoy it as much as others seemed to have. But it…
“Chess isn’t always competitive. Chess can also be beautiful.” Walter Tevis The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis follows the story of a prodigious girl as she explores the world of chess and gradually loses herself to addiction. It is an analytical and fast-paced novel that wraps itself around Elizabeth Harmon’s…
Right off the bat, the premise of this book caught my attention. Two magicians, bound for a life-and-death duel in a breathtaking circus…end up falling desperately in love. Who wouldn’t love a story so fairytale-like? Reading this book, I was impressed at how smooth a read it was. A large…