Betrayal Archives - Page 34 of 47

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz

04 Jan, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Caribbean American, Fiction, Short Stories

Thus far, mega-award winning Junot Díaz (also recently bestowed the "Genius" moniker by the MacArthur Foundation) hasn't written a book without his sort-of autobiographical stand-in Yunior de las Casas. Díaz's 1996 fiction debut, Drown, introduced Yunior through interlinked short stories; a decade-plus later, Díaz turned over full narrative control to his...

The Book of Jonas by Stephen Dau

03 Jan, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Middle Eastern, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers

Need the verdict first? READ THIS. Stephen Dau's The Book of Jonas is one of those rare, shattering, lingering, breathtaking-at-unexpected-moments debut novels that arrive so perfectly formed you're left both haunted (wondering what you could possibly read next to dispel the terror) and grateful (utterly so, that...

Little Century by Anna Keesey

31 Dec, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Native American/First Nations/Indigenous Peoples, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers

On this final day of 2012, this could easily be me (replacing 'Esther' with my name and 'her journey' with this year): "Though she would not have admitted to any fixed expectations, Esther is still confounded by what meets her at the end of her...

Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani

27 Dec, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Iranian, Iranian American, Persian, Persian American

"Based on the life of Princess Pari Khan Khanoom" seems to be the dominant short-hand description (even on its own back cover) of Anita Amirrezvani's historical novel set in 16th-century Persia, now modern Iran. Some might find that description misleading, and expect this to be...

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

17 Dec, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Native American/First Nations/Indigenous Peoples

"Just yesterday a white guy asked me if I was a real Indian. No, I said, Columbus made a mistake. The Indians are in India." Presented as humor during a community festival, the deep irony remains striking throughout Louise Erdrich's award-winning, bestselling books that explore...

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (vol. 13) by Eiji Otsuka, art by Housui Yamazaki, translated by Toshifumi Yoshida, edited by Carl Gustav Horn

16 Dec, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation

For someone who eschews horror films, I sure am addicted to (certain) scary manga. Devoted groupie that I am for the Kurosagi team, I just hope the series isn't ending anytime soon! For anyone new to the series, rather than starting at (unlucky) #13, might...

The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

12 Dec, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Native American/First Nations/Indigenous Peoples

Only when Louise Erdrich won this year's National Book Award for The Round House, did I learn that House is the middle of a planned trilogy that begins with The Plague of Doves which, most serendipitously, was already loaded on my iPod. A bit of...

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

09 Dec, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

OMG. Think gruesome wreck you can't turn away from and you probably won't even get close to the horrors of Gillian Flynn's debut novel, which pubbed six years before her mega-breakout Gone Girl, which is currently turning up on new major 'best-of' lists daily. So freaked out...

The Rose Hotel: A True-Life Novel by Rahimeh Andalibian

29 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Iranian, Iranian American, Memoir

In the genre of memoirs (which includes based-on-a-true-story, autobiographical novels), I've noticed two distinct categories: the titles you read for the importance of the story, and the memoirs that also turn out to be fabulous examples of great literature. Psychologist Rahimeh Andalibian's writing debut represents the former;...

The Headmaster’s Wager by Vincent Lam

26 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Canadian Asian Pacific American, Chinese, Fiction, Southeast Asian, Southeast Asian American, Vietnamese

Although Vincent Lam's first novel hit shelves months ago, I waited (and waited) to read it because I was afraid – seems to be my modus operandi for follow-up titles to books I've cherished, unable to move on for fear of grave disappointment. Lam's interconnected story...

A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison

02 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Indian, Nonethnic-specific, South Asian

Of the debut novels by non-Asian men writing about Asia and Asian characters that I've read thus far this year, three stand out: Adam Johnson's The Orphan Master’s Son, Brandon Jones' All Woman and Springtime, and most recently this title by Virginia attorney Corban Addison. The one...

Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro

29 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, British, British Asian, Fiction, Short Stories

How wrenchingly ironic that this was the book I happened to be reading when I learned of a sudden death in our family. On the flight, in the car, during the rare moments of aloneness over the last four days, Kazuo Ishiguro's stories that spoke...

The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken: A Vish Puri Mystery by Tarquin Hall

23 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, British, Fiction, Indian, South Asian

Not being much of a mystery aficionado, I admit my grumbling tummy is what initially drew me to this toothsome series. Earlier this year, one of my various listservs announced the July 2012 publication of this very title, and I diligently decided I had better read Vish...

The Salvation of a Saint [Detective Galileo 2] by Keigo Higashino, translated by Alexander O. Smith with Elye J. Alexander

05 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Japanese, Translation

Just like last year's The Devotion of Suspect X, mega-award winning Keigo Higashino will expertly manipulate you, making you constantly rethink your suspicions. While the final exposition might not be as drop-jaw shocking as Devotion, Salvation is still unquestionably an addictive page-turner, enticingly paced to keep you reading...

20th Century Boys (vol. 22) by Naoki Urasawa, with the cooperation of Takashi Nagasaki, English adaptation by Akemi Wegmüller

28 Sep, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Confession first: even though I'm posting after the fact, reading this was a little birthday present to myself. The older I get, oh how I loooovvvvve the manga that much more! Must be an age-escapist thing! The Friend has shockingly confessed that he's the mastermind behind...

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng [in Library Journal]

17 Sep, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Japanese, Malaysian, Repost, Southeast Asian

* STARRED REVIEW Like his debut, The Gift of Rain (2007), Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng's second novel is exquisite and, like Gift, arrives stateside with Booker Prize longlist approval. Recently retired judge Teoh Yun Ling has at most a year before she will lose all language...

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng + Author Interview [in Bookslut]

04 Sep, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Fiction, Japanese, Malaysian, Repost, Southeast Asian

I can count on one hand the books that I've given by the dozens to lucky relatives and friends over the decades. One of those counting fingers belongs to Tan Twan Eng's debut stunner, The Gift of Rain. With the impending American release this month of...

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

01 Sep, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

Now that we're in the final weekend of summer, I figured today was the right day to choose what was apparently the title this season (yes, I do open the occasional mega-bestseller, the few times I crawl out from under my rock). Since Reese Witherspoon's production company...

Gold by Chris Cleave

26 Aug, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, British, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific

Exactly two weeks have passed since the London 2012 closing ceremony; still feeling Olympic withdrawal? Might I suggest a literary antidote: Chris Cleave's latest novel, made even more timely as the Olympic sport of choice here is cycling (albeit indoors). Road cyclist Bradley Wiggins emerged...

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (vols. 11-12) by Eiji Otsuka, art by Housui Yamazaki, translated by Toshifumi Yoshida, edited by Carl Gustav Horn

21 Aug, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation

I don't know how I never noticed before, but Kurosagi comes with a "Parental Advisory | Explicit Content" warning sticker (volume 11 had it on the outside plastic shrink-wrap; volume 12 got more serious and placed it on the actual book!). True enough that some...

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