Month: October 2024

Wandering Stars – Tommy Orange


This is a brilliant follow-up to Orange’s There There with some of the same characters. The first part of the book is historical, the legacies of the Sand Creek massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Industrial School for Indians. Misguided attempts at assimilation by governments and adoptions are devoted to the eradication of Native history, culture and identity. The next section of the book entitled Aftermath is even better, detailing the brutal reality of contemporary life in Oakland for two grandmothers and their three grandsons. When is life more than surviving?

This book is both shattering and wondrous – highly recommended.

The Husbands – Holly Gramazio


Lauren returns to her London flat to discover her husband Michael but … she is not married! When Michael enters the attic, a different “husband” emerges. Amazingly, her attic is capable of creating an infinite supply of husbands so Lauren recycles them, looking for an ideal (or acceptable) married relationship. This is an original and totally entertaining book.

Julia – Sandra Newman


In Orwell’s classic novel 1984, the protagonist Winston Smith has a brief relationship with Julia Worthing and then betrays her. Ms. Newman now provides an imaginative insight into Julia’s story. The iconic dystopia of Oceania is revealed but with twists, a unique female perspective that is both haunting and provocative.

Before The Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi


A small basement cafe in Tokyo offers time travel, to travel back in time subject to specific rules. For example, nothing that is done in the past can change the present, and the duration of the trip is brief, limited to as long as it takes for a cup of coffee to become cold. Given these profound constraints, what is fascinating is the motivation for time travel as explored in four scenarios. Thanks Amy, for this book.