In My Copious Spare Time
... I've been reading a ton of books for BlogHer Book Club. And I do believe I've forgotten to link some of my reviews. (swears under breath)
First! Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. It's historical fiction about the first Native American to graduate from Harvard.
Here's an excerpt:
Bethia and Caleb reminded me a bit of Katniss and Gale in the Hunger Games trilogy, if you're familiar with that, although this is definitely literary women's fiction and not young adult fiction. But we all love a star-crossed-friendship-maybe-based-on-sexual-attraction, don't we?
Second! Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (spoiler alert). It's literary fiction about an immigrant Chinese girl who works in a sweatshop before entering the Ivy Leagues. (Jean Kwok is my new favorite author -- and she's become a friend.)
Here's an excerpt:
Though it's eye-opening and interesting to read about the life of a new immigrant in modern America (Kimberly's friend remarks, "people don't live this way in this country!" with the shock and dismay I felt upon reading it), the strength of Girl in Translation is the force of Kimberly and her ability to see herself for what she is and what she is not.
The stack of books in my to-read pile just keeps getting bigger and bigger. This is why I can't get into Angry Birds. What if the world ends in 2012?