The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
07 Aug, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Jewish
Here's how I finally came to read The History of Love ...
BookDragon Siblings Tag
Chanda’s Wars by Allan Stratton
02 Aug, by in African, Canadian, Fiction, Young Adult Readers
In the six months since Mama passed away, Chanda's life has changed completely. As the sole provider for her sister Lily and brother Soly, Chanda is unable to continue her own education and instead substitutes at the primary school. With Mama gone, Chanda's best friend...
Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton
02 Aug, by in African, Canadian, Fiction, Young Adult Readers
If it hasn't happened already, soon enough Chanda's Secrets will be coming to a theater near you ...
Author Interview: Tahmima Anam [in Bookslut]
01 Aug, by in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi American, British Asian, Fiction, Repost, South Asian, South Asian American
In spite of the fierce, wrenching content of her books, Tahmima Anam in real life is a gentle, warm, incredibly youthful presence. We met in livetime a few years ago in Washington, DC, as her debut novel, A Golden Age, was winning major international awards,...
The Good Muslim [Bengal Trilogy, Book 2] by Tahmima Anam
18 Jul, by in Adult Readers, Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi American, British Asian, Fiction, South Asian, South Asian American
Tahmima Anam continues her outstanding Bengal Trilogy, which began with A Golden Age, her glowing 2008 debut that propelled Anam into a privileged literary circle filled with international accolades. From Rehana Haque, the protagonist mother in Age, Anam shifts her focus to the grown Haque...
The Widower’s Tale by Julia Glass
16 Jul, by in Adult Readers, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific
Just sigh with me a moment. Deep breath in, deep breath out ...
Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis
08 Jul, by in Afghan, Canadian, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers
The second part of Canadian anti-war activist Deborah Ellis' lauded Breadwinner Trilogy continues with Parvana's odyssey to reunite with her surviving family. Parvana and her recently released father leave Kabul at the end of The Breadwinner, determined to find Parvana's mother, older sister, younger sister, and toddler...
The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho
05 Jul, by in Cambodian, Chinese American, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Southeast Asian
Twelve-year-old Dara, her older brother, and their mother are the only ones left of their once-large family. Although the Vietnam War officially ended in 1975, neighboring Cambodia – decimated by Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime – is still plagued with uncontrolled violence. Dara’s diminished family flees...
The Storyteller’s Beads by Jane Kurtz
30 Jun, by in African, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers
My recent mini-Ethiopian self-study (from the heartwarming No Biking in the House Without a Helmet to the shattering Beneath the Lion's Gaze to the wondrous Cutting for Stone) continues with an older title written for younger readers about the saving power of friendship – as well as redemptive...
Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron
27 Jun, by in African, Canadian, Jewish, Middle Grade Readers, Nonfiction, Young Adult Readers
In her small native village, young Wuditu – and the rest of her family – are called falasha, a derogatory term reserved for Jewish people. Their own name for themselves is Beta Israel, meaning 'the house of Israel.' In spite of a centuries-long history grounded in Ethiopia,...
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
23 Jun, by in Adult Readers, African, Audio, Fiction, Indian African, Indian American, South Asian American
Truth: if not for Sunil Malhotra, I would never have finished Abraham Verghese's bestselling first novel, Cutting for Stone. Immediately opened upon receipt more than two years ago, for some reason, my bookmark never moved beyond the first few chapters ...
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
18 Jun, by in Adult Readers, African, Audio, Black/African American, Fiction
Without a doubt, this is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s best work to date. While her debut, Purple Hibiscus, was engrossing, and her short story collection, The Thing Around Your Neck, included stand-out gems, both titles pale to the exceptional Yellow Sun. Gentle, innocent Ugwu enters the home of...
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
27 May, by in British, Fiction, Filipina/o, Hapa/Mixed-race, Middle Grade Readers, Southeast Asian
As we head into the holiday weekend, here's a debut novel to help you celebrate ...
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
25 May, by in Chinese American, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers
Talk about timing ...
I Have the Right to Destroy Myself by Young-ha Kim, translated by Chi-Young Kim
20 May, by in Adult Readers, Fiction, Korean, Translation
In densely populated Seoul, a mysterious man makes a lucrative living by helping "clients" commit suicide. He’s not exactly Dr. Death Kevorkian offering physically depleted bodies reprieve; instead he has a special talent for finding lost, disconnected souls ready to leave behind their unfulfilling existence...
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
09 May, by in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific
Confession: Every once in a while, I do actually read mass-market bestsellers. I'll even admit this is my second Dan Brown – had to see what all the hubbub about The Da Vinci Code was about! Am still rolling my eyes over that one (egads! as if names...
No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene [in Christian Science Monitor]
04 May, by in Adult Readers, African, European, Jewish, Memoir, Nonfiction, Repost
As her children grow, author Melissa Fay Greene decides to extend parenthood by adopting five more You just know that a book’s going to be good if you’ve already guffawed and the type has started to blur (even though you’re trying not to get overly emotional)...
Author Interview: Jenny Han [in Bookslut]
02 May, by in Author Interview/Profile, Fiction, Korean American, Middle Grade Readers, Repost, Young Adult Readers
In case you were unsure, that’s Jenny Han as in “Han Solo,” not Han as in “hand.” Befitting of the bestselling young adult author that she is, she can recite all the dialogue from the cult film Clueless, and she gladly admits her adoration for...
The Cardturner: A Novel About a King, a Queen, and a Joker by Louis Sachar
01 May, by in Audio, Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers
Leave it to master storyteller Louis Sachar (National Book Award and Newbery Medalist for his phenomenally successful Holes) to make bridge (yes, bridge! – as in the card game!) heart-thumping fun! Listening to Sachar himself read the audible version is definitely an added bonus, not to mention you get to...
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
20 Apr, by in Adult Readers, Afghan, Audio, Memoir, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction, Young Adult Readers
I picked up Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's already-bestselling debut title with a mission: after reading too many death-and-destruction books one after another, I needed some inspiration to reverse me out of a downward spiral. Our mutual involvement in a fabulous project which puts us on the same web...