Tamara's Trek through 70 Reads and Reviews

[Tamara]

81/70. Freedom Hospital: A Syrian Story by Hamid Sulaiman; translated by Francesca Barrie.
A graphic novel blending fact and fiction about the carnage and devastation during the Syrian civil war. A heartfelt attempt, but I didn't think it was entirely successful may be due to the nature of the medium.

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

[Tamara]

82/70. The Whispering Muse by the Icelandic author, Sjón, translated by Victoria Cribb. It is a curious blend of fiction with mythic elements. I thought it was quite good, but I didn't enjoy it as much as The Blue Fox.

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

[Tamara]

83/70. Painter to the King by Amy Sackville. A portrayal of the court of King Philip IV of Spain by focusing on the artist Diego Velázquez and his portraits of Philip and his family. The writing was very clever, but I think it was a little over the top. She seemed to favor style over substance.

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

[Tamara]

84/70.The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I thought it was fantastic up until the last 150 pages. But, on the whole, it was a great reading experience.

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

85/70. I'jaam by Sinan Antoon. The subject matter is difficult. It is about the experiences of a young Iraqi university student held in detention during the time of Saddam Hussein. It captures the fear and brutality of living under a totalitarian government.

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

[Tamara]

86/70. Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela. About three Muslim women living in Scotland who make a road trip to visit the grave of Lady Evelyn Cobbold, a Scottish convert to Islam and the first British woman to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca.
I didn't think the novel was as good as any of her other books. Her plunge into magical realism didn't work for me.

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

[Tamara]

87/70. Iceland's Bell by Halldór Laxness, translated from the Icelandic by Philip Roughton.
I absolutely loved Laxness' Independent People and was really looking forward to this. But I found it to be a bit unwieldy and difficult to follow.

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

[Tamara]

88/70. Burger's Daughter by Nadine Gordimer.
I found the style a bit confusing and didn't enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed her other novels.

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

[Tamara]

89/70. Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell.
It is a poignant portrayal of an upper middle class woman in the 1930s who has internalized patriarchal socialization and can't figure out why she is unhappy. It is subtle, sad, funny, and really well-written. I loved it.

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

[Tamara]

90/70. Possessed by Memory: The Inward Light of Criticism by Harold Bloom.
A sort of literary memoir in which the famous literary critic discusses excerpts from some of his favorite poems and how they informed his life. It was his last book. He died in 2019.

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

[Tamara]

91/70 The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin.
Set in Nigeria. A sympathetic treatment of the desperate plight of illiterate women. A quick and easy read.

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

[Tamara]

92/70 Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated from the Japanese by Jinny Tapley Takemori.
A delightful novella with an autistic Japanese heroine.

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

[Tamara]

93/70 The Possessed: Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them by Elif Batuman.
I was excited to read it because I thought it would explore Russian authors, Russian books, and people who read them. Instead, it was more about Elif Batuman's experiences with grad school and travel. A bit disappointing.

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

[Tamara]

94/70. Impossible Owls: Essays by Brian Phillips.
An eclectic collection of engaging, well-written essays full of interesting nuggets of information.

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