Rise and Shine By Anna Quindlan

I really like Anna Quindlan, so the book automatically gets a good mark from me. I did not think this was her best novel, however, it was still very readable, and very enjoyable. She paints very "large" characters this time around, not entirely within my realm of reality, but she works a lot of New York city into the novel, almost like another character and I think some of the believability of the place, time and character work because it is set in NYC.

Thumbs up. Try it and see what you think.

The space between us. by Thrity Umrigar

Two thumbs up.

I really enjoyed this novel of two women from different "worlds" within India.... and the stories their lives weave. I think it was well-written. It is a sad and poignant account of a friendship that can never really be a friendship. Easy to recommend

Mangoes and Quince

I bought this from a bargain bin, but with great hopes since it was billed as a "cooking/food" novel, a genre which I love.

Anyway, I'll gladly lend anyone my copy. In fact, the book was pretty weird; the food aspect was a restaurant started by a woman who is abaondoned by her crazy husband (who married her when she was 15). The young daughter's perspective, of course is a big aspect of the novel as she copes with abandonment, the realization that her father actually was into some crazy, ritualistic, transcendent spirituality /sex thing..... The food was not as present as I would have liked, although that picked up in the latter half of the book, and recipes are included at the back....

So...... it was a bargain book....... and it gets a bargain review from me! Others may disagree!

Nineteen Minutes

I am not a huge Jodi Picoult fan, and the last few I read left me "wanting". But I actually enjoyed this one reasonably well. She brings back a few characters from previous novels, and maybe that helps having some already developed depth or something. It's an easy read, and I think for the masses, probably a good one to read, given the topic (bullying) is of huge importance. So, keep reading, all you others, and tell me what you thought!