Tamara’s Comments (group member since Mar 26, 2019)

Tamara’s comments from the 2025 Reading Challenge group.

79/70. Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley.

A feisty, energetic translation of Beowulf replete with contemporary idioms, raucous rhymes, and refreshing language. An absolute riot and definitely not your father's Beowulf.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

78/70. Apeirogon by Colum McCann.
Based on the true story of the tragic deaths of two young girls and the unlikely friendship and collaboration forged by their respective fathers--an Israeli Jew and a Palestinian Muslim. A challenging read that leaves a profound impact.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

77/70. Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar.
A hybrid combining memoir and fiction presenting a raw and gripping portrait of America and of life post 9/11 for an American born Muslim son of immigrants.

My 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

76/70. The Still Point by Amy Sackville.
Her style of writing is unique. She weaves different narrative threads together, but it is in the telling of the story that Amy Sackville demonstrates her truly exceptional talent.

My 5 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

75/70. The Wind That Lays Waste by Selva Almada, translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews.
A wonderful story, skillfully executed in vivid imagery and concise diction. The narrative is deceptively simple but it packs a powerful punch.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

74/70. Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky.
It is her debut novel and is translated from the German by Tim Mohr. It's good, but I think her later novels are much stronger. She is generally very good at doing first-person narratives.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

73/70. The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd.
Historical fiction set in late 18th/early 19thC London. A little disappointing because I had hoped it would be about Charles and Mary Lamb. Instead the focus was on William Ireland, the man who claimed to have discovered some never-before-seen manuscripts by Shakespeare.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

72/70. Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States by James C. Scott.

A study about state formation. Scott's analysis of state formation focuses primarily on ancient Mesopotamia. He challenges the narrative that states were formed as a result of the domestication of animals and plants. The study is replete with fascinating insights.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

71/70. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie. I've loved nearly everything I've read by her. I thought this was a great read.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

70/70. The Happy Marriage by Tahar Ben Jelloun, translated from the French by André Naffis-Sahely.
A thought-provoking novel which interrogates class and racial tensions, age-disparity, and a traditional versus a modern view of a Moroccan marriage. I thought it was an interesting approach, skillfully handled.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

With that, I have completed my challenge of reading 70 books for the year. But I have no intention of stopping. I want to see how many books I can read before the year is up.
Well done, me!

69/70. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende, translated from the Spanish by Nick Caistor and Amanda Hopkinson.
I think it got bogged down with recounting the political events in Spain and Chile to the detriment of the narrative.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Blagica wrote: "
Keep being awesome!"

Thanks, Blagica!

67/70. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. I've been re-reading it for a couple of months as a group read. I think it is as relevant today as it was when Jonathan Swift first wrote it.

68/70. American Indian Women by Patrick Deval, translated from the French by Jane-Marie Todd.
I recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about the contributions of American Indian women. The photographs alone, dating from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, were amazing.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hello, Dhiya. Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I'm having a blast with reading this year. I've almost completed my challenge. And I still have a few months to go!
Take care and stay safe.

66/70. How It All Began by Penelope Lively.
An elderly woman's mugging in a London street triggers a series of events with characters whose lives intersect. Penelope Lively weaves an entertaining tale illustrating the butterfly effect. Her narrative voice is funny and engaging. I recommend it if you're looking for something light to read.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

65/70. An Imaginary Life by David Malouf.
Malouf envisions the life of the Roman poet Ovid after he has been exiled to the outskirts of the Roman Empire. An interesting re-creation that can be interpreted on many levels.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

64/70. The Book of Night Women by Marlon James.
A slave narrative set in Jamaica. Very graphic violence. An amazing narrative voice and a remarkable achievement.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

63/70. Sisters by Daisy Johnson.
A haunting, psychological drama of the relationship between two sisters. Although not quite as riveting as Johnson's Everything Under, I thought it was still a compelling read.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

62/70. Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck.
It depicts life in an upper class family in 1940s China. It focuses on Madame Wu, the overtly calm and sophisticated head of the large family household and the momentous decision she makes on her 40th birthday.
I enjoyed it, especially the first half of the novel because of Pearl Buck's detailed description of the traditions and customs of upper class Chinese families.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

61/70. The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder.
It takes place on an unnamed island where things keep disappearing and where the population is under strict surveillance by the Memory Police. Weird and haunting but very good.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...