nomadreader

The backstory: I saved  Strangers at the Feast  to read over Thanksgiving, when the book is set, even after everyone has been gushing about it . The basics: Strangers at the Feast is the story of three generations of the Olson family on Thanksgiving day. My thoughts: I adore novels told from multiple points of view, and Jennifer Vanderbes did a fantastic job with these characters. The reader is drawn into their present lives and treated to backstory and family history. For such a short novel, Vanderbes was able to manage an immense amount of depth for all of the characters. I often find myself identifying with one character more than others in multiple narrator novels, but this novel was completely balanced. Foreshadowing was prominent throughout the novel, and it was clear something bad happened on Thanksgiving. Despite my eagerness to solve the mystery, there were no unnecessary diversions. I was as invested in the characters and the story. I read the book in a sin...

Thanksgiving is one of the few days of the year I look forward to waking up early (and by early I mean before 9 a.m.) For reasons that baffle even those who know me best, I adore watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. Yes, it's horribly commercial, silly and cheesy, but there is something magical about it I've never quite outgrown. My favorite part is always the showtunes from current Broadway shows, but I love the floats adorned with teen pop stars I've never heard of, the high school marching bands, the Rockettes, and, yes, the balloons. Today, I'm sitting ready with a glass of sparkling wine, a cinnamon roll (or three) and a giant smile on my face. After the parade, I'm enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with family and settling in to read. I saved Strangers at the Feast by Jennifer Vanderbes, a novel set on Thanksgiving Day, to read this week, but I managed to finish it yesterday because I could not put it down. Today I hope to enjoy The Orange Ea...

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine to highlight an upcoming release we can't wait to read. My pick this week is Tabloid City by Pete Hamill. I didn't pick this novel because he is a favorite author of mine, but I did pick it because Pete Hamill has been an author I feel like I should read for fifteen years now. So many of his books have sparked my interest, but there's something I find almost intimidating about him that prevents me from doing so. Still, I seem to be a reader obsessed with the new, so a new Pete Hamill novel seems the perfect place to start with his works. Here's the description: "In a stately West Village townhouse, a wealthy socialite and her secretary are murdered. In the 24 hours that follow, a flurry of activity circles around their shocking deaths: The head of one of the city's last tabloids stops the presses. A cop investigates the killing. A reporter chases the story. A disgraced hedge fund mana...

The basics: Fair Game  is the story of Valerie Plame, an undercover CIA operative, whose cover was blown by the Bush White House is retaliation for her husband's editorial stating he didn't find uranium. My thoughts: I was fascinated by this story when it was in the news. I haven't read Valerie Plame's book about the ordeal, but I was eager to see the movie. Although I was quite familiar with the story, the film maintained a wonderful amount of suspense. The story begins by giving the viewer glimpses into Plame's life as a wife, mother and spy. Although their small group of friends had minor roles, I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes of them discussing politics and current events at the dinner table with no idea Valerie was a covert operative who actually knew what was going on. Despite my prior knowledge of the story, Naomie Watts and Sean Penn shined most as actors in the story of a marriage. The film was based on memoirs by both of them, and one never really k...

As I've started working on my Best of 2010 list (it will be published here on December 31), I've been taking a look back on my reading year. Books read (as of today): 68 I'm quite a bit behind my reading total for 2009, but one of my goals was to read deliberately , and I've done that. I've prioritized reading the major book award finalists. I may be reading less, but I'm reading better, reading more challenging literature and enjoying reading more than I did in 2009. Genres: My reading this year has been predominantly contemporary literary fiction originally written in English.There has been a fair mix of historical and contemporary settings, but my focus on reading the prize winners and finalists has returned me to old favorite genre: literary fiction. When I started blogging, I explored genres outside of my comfort zone, and I enjoyed it. I found, however, that I spent so much time reading what everyone was talking about, I lost myself as a reader. 2010 ha...

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine to highlight an upcoming release we can't wait to read. My pick this week is When Tito Loved Clara by Jon Michaud.  Jon Michaud is the headl librarian at The New Yorker , but I didn't pick this book because I hope it's so successful he quits his job and The New Yorker wisely decides to hire me as their next librarian (although that longshot scenario would be fine with me). I picked it because I do have a fondness for books by and about librarians, but the plot of this novel sounds so interesting: "Clara Lugo grew up in the Dominican neighborhood at the far northern reaches of Manhattan in a home that would have rattled the most grounded of children. Through brains and determination, she has slipped the bonds of her confining ethnic neighborhood and lives a quiet, professional life with her American husband and son in the suburbs of New Jersey--often thwarted by her constellation of relatives w...

Book Blogger Holiday Swap I participated in last year's holiday swap and had so much fun. The deadline to sign up is tomorrow , November 14, so don't delay. Questions? The FAQ is a wealth of information about what to expect. A Year of Feminist Classics Reading Project Amy , Iris , Ana and Emily Jane have a wonderful reading project set up for 2011. As someone who majored in women's studies as an undergraduate, I've read most of the selected books, but I'm looking forward to reading them again and having wonderful discussions about them. I also think it will be fun to compare my 2011 reading notes to my notes from college. I plan to read (or re-read) all twelve classics, but participants are welcome to pick and choose which books to read and discuss. I'm so glad these ladies have put in the time and effort to organize and host this reading project, and I hope you'll join us for some or all of the fun in 2011! Here's the reading list ...