REVIEW The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri

 

This book is certainly long but it didn't feel long to read at all.  It is an epic novel about three enigmatic sisters and a young man's relationship relative to them. It is specifically about the Mikkola sisters - Ina, Evelyn and Anastasia - and a young man named Jonas (the author perhaps) who has lived his life being completely obsessed and enthralled by them, living in their orbit but hoping eventually to live in their world. It spans decades of time - it starts at one year and then the time covered goes down. It also spans a multitude of places - Sweden, Tunisia and New York to name a few. 

I absolutely loved the characters and couldn't get enough of them. They were so real and the narrator (Jonas) was subtly placed as the observer.  It simply added to the story in a way that was not heavy handed and was absolutely subtle. What I additionally enjoyed was how it absolutely captured the messiness of marriage. One of the sisters visiting their mother as an adult was absolutely haunting and stays with me even now. 

Definitely worth the commitment!

Links I love

 

This has been quite a week here. My son started his first day of classes at college this week and my daughter is doing driver's ed! I owe you at least two reviews - they should be out next week.

• If you like memoirs, here are some to try.'
• Scots, historical fiction and more.
• The books that shaped you in high school.
• 14 new books that will help you ease your way into fall.
• Your guide to Dolly Parton's crime movies.
• What is true crime literature?
• 28 pictures of people posing at the WTC prior to 9/11.
• The significance of dogs in literature.
• The trailer for East of Eden is here.
• Gothic Horror set across the Globe.
• Gloria Steinem has passed away. Later in life, she found herself free from gender constraints.
• What the heck?
• The benefit of reading over coffee can sharpen your focus all day.
• Where to start if you are interested in reading books by Emily St. John Mandel.

I hope everyone has a good week.

Links I Love

 

This was a big week in our house. School started, my son moved into college and my daughter started driver's education!  CRAZY I tell you. In memory of Tim Cruise, I rewatched Clue - which I LOVED as a child.  

• Five page turning crime books involving nature.
• What can the ghost of Sylvia Plath teach us about grief?
• The Kirkus short list prize finalists are out.
• The book club picks this month.
• Some fantasy/sci fi mystery books.
• 5 mysteries that blend cozy, horror and romance.
• We lost Tim Curry too. An Ode to Tim Curry's Pennywise..
• 6 common pets in medieval times. 
• The most popular album in the year you graduated from high school.
• Some books that explore women's horror fiction.
• 7 great horror novels set in the American South.
• How Dolly was mourned. 
• 15 books that the folks at Electric Literature loved from this summer,
• I would also break into fisticuffs over Anne PAtchett
• 15 novels featuring dogs.
• Finalists from the 2026 Kirkus award have been announced. 
• Check out these supplements if you're like me and over 40 trying to build muscle. 

Have a great week!

Rest in peace, Dolly.

 

Dolly Parton, a national treasure, has passed away at the age of 80. The world has lost a phenomenal force - I admired her for her brains, class, talent, and her fight to increase literacy among children.  

Dolly, thank you for all that you have done for us and for trying to make this world a better, kinder place.  I hope that  you find peace in heaven.  Godspeed.

REVIEW: Whistler by Ann Patchett

 Ann Patchett is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. I loved The Dutch House and Whistler is also a new favorite of mine.  In the nature of full disclosure, I love literary fiction about families and this is most assuredly what this novel is.  

This novel focuses on the relationship between Daphne Fuller and Eddie Triplett, who are a daughter and stepfather with a love that transcends trauma, a divorce and a weird twist. They reunite after a span of 45 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in what is one of the most serendipitous moments that I can remember. The precipitating event was a car accident on a snowy road that left both Eddie and Daphne trapped inside and a divorce very shortly thereafter which Daphne believes is her fault (I mean, Eddie crashed the car with her inside and they could have died, so it's a reasonable assumption). We learn about Eddie and Daphne during dialogue between the characters that contain vague references and flashbacks to the actual accident.  I LOVED this - it was perfect in keeping me interested and wanting to know more, the pacing was on point and, as usual, Patchett's writing is just lovely.

I felt like the characters were very real and relatable characters.  They were well developed and I found myself often nodding along with them and their statements. The whole book also felt just very...KIND and it shown in how the characters interacted with each other. I loved the themes of love within families and how that can look differently to different people within different relationships or even within the same relationship.  It is also about second chances.

I cherished this lovely book and I hope that you will too.  

Links I love

 

This weekend we spent time in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and just relaxed.  I have a lot of stuff going on in my mind right now so it was a welcome relief.  I've been doing a lot of reading too. 

• Lindsey Clancy's trial highlights the gaps in treating post-partum psychosis.
• The best crime fiction of 2026. 
• The new ACOTAR book covers are out!
• Mass. passed a right to read law.
• Dark Academia reads for the book club for fall.
• Did smartphones really kill reading?
• Tom Hanks may star in a movie adaptation of Theo of Golden.
• The LT Governor in Texas is coming for the books.
• 60 of the most anticipated books of the upcoming fall.

I hope that everyone has a great week!

REVIEW: Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

 

This was  the first book by Kylie Lee Baker that I've ever read and I can't wait to read her other books. When I think of Gothic horror, I think of fever dream, death, unhappiness, hallucinations and all the things. This book had EVERYTHING. 

First and foremost - the setting. Absolutely spooky - it's a Japanese cottage in the middle of the woods - near an ocean or maybe not.  I wasn't ever entirely clear. And the characters?!  To die for (literally and figuratively). They were absolutely fascinating and I was drawn into them. They were beautifully written, as was the storytelling.  Ms. Baker uses a dual timeline narrative to tell the story, which was very effective in keeping my head spinning and me on my toes. However, when the two timelines finally collide, you better watch out!  

The themes that were explored also very much hit hard for me. The novel dives deeply into themes surrounding perception, regret, mistakes and the role that the land/property plays in holding onto the atrocities that are committed upon them. It points out the consequences of our choices and how the place bears witness, often holding onto it. The writing itself is beautiful. It's lucid, flowing and super easy to get lost in.  I found that chapters would go by before I remembered that I had to get ready for work. 

This is a novel that will warrant a second reading for me so that I can pretend to maybe understand more the novel and I look very much forward to her other novels.