The Overbooked Bibliophile

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Novelist from Berlin  by  V.S. Alexander  is a well-researched work of historical fiction. Based loosely on the life of German novelist Irmgard Keun, the story revolves around Niki (real name Marie Rittenhaus), once an aspiring actress, who eventually becomes a novelist (under a pseudonym) writing about the life of German woman of that era. Her novels are popular and though she continues to write despite Nazi Germany enforcing censorship, her true identity is eventually revealed, and her novels are banned by the Nazi regime on account of her work defying the norms of acceptability as imposed by the ruling party. Her husband, a film producer, bows to political pressure to produce propaganda films. Niki eventually flees but is tracked down by her husband and his contacts and is separated from her young daughter. The novel follows Niki’s journey from 1929 through the end of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazi Germany, the WWII years as she flees to Amste...

Rating: 3.75⭐ Set in New York in the aftermath of WWII,  The Trouble with You  by  Ellen Feldman  revolves around Fanny Fabricant, a young mother, whose life is upended after her husband Max suddenly dies after returning home from the War. Grieving for her husband and with a five-year-old daughter, Chloe- who is heartbroken and misses her father dearly - to care for, she is aware that her existing funds could only support them for a limited interval of time. Fanny. a college graduate, having married a doctor, had been satisfied with life as a homemaker. She had never imagined joining the workforce to support herself. Employment opportunities for women were hard to come by. The rise in employment for women during WWII was essentially a stopgap measure to temporarily fill positions left vacant by men fighting in the war. Once the men returned, female employees were let go and expected to revert to their traditional roles of homemakers. With the help of her Aunt Rose, a...

  Rating: 3.5⭐️ Six-year-old Gracie Lynn has devised a plan to break her grandfather out of the assisted living facility where he currently resides. She intends to go on an “adventure” with him and follow the sun, hoping their proximity to it would prevent the “worm” in her Grandfather’s brain from waking up because it’s the worm that makes him forget who she is – the simplistic explanation her mother, LeeAnn has provided her to explain her grandfather’s “episodes” resulting from dementia and sundown syndrome. Gracie loves her grandfather and his tall tales of his “adventures.” LeeAnn is wary of John, a result of a deep-rooted resentment stemming from her childhood compounded by his diagnosis and a few “incidents” in the recent past. LeeAnn, separated from her husband and responsible for her father, is raising Gracie alone and often at her wits’ end, also having to deal with the judgment she senses from other mothers in Gracie’s circle of friends. Her relationship with her sister i...

  Rating:  3.5⭐️ In 1985, ten-year-old Toussant Wright and his mother Ava are rendered homeless after Ava's husband Abemi threw them out of their home in New Jersey. Penniless and with nowhere to go, they eventually land in Philadelphia, where they are allotted a room in the Glenn Avenue Family Shelter. Forced to survive in the less-than-ideal living conditions of Room 813, Ava struggles to stay afloat and finds it difficult to secure employment despite having worked before she was married and Toussant finds it equally difficult to adjust to his new surroundings. Ava often shares stories of her childhood spent in Bonaparte, Alabama, with Toussant. Her mother, Duchess, who still lives there among friends, takes pride in her community, but her journey has not been an easy one. Times have changed, and many of her near and dear ones have left Bonaparte, but Duchess has stayed on and is fighting to protect their land from the clutches of corrupt land developers. Ava and Duchess are...

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ " As if trying her best to mend a broken friendship from her childhood, she immersed herself into the books, day and night, never leaving their side. It didn’t take long for their treasured relationship to rekindle. The books welcomed her back with open arms without judging the person she’d become, and accepted her for who she was.” In the wake of her divorce and burned out from a demanding career, Yeongju, a woman in her mid-late thirties, decides to make a fresh start and pursues her dream of owning a bookshop. Being surrounded by her favorite books and the responsibility of running her own business gradually prompted her to embark on a journey of healing and self-acceptance. It’s not an easy road and there will be moments of self-doubt, the stress of running an independent bookshop and unresolved past trauma but along the way, she meets several people who will become an integral part of her daily life – peers, colleagues, friends –those who look to her for inspirat...

Rating:  3.5⭐ After the demise of his wife Meli, Hugo Contreras finds himself drowning in debt from her medical expenses. Hugo works at the Miami Botanica & Spa and though he doesn’t quite believe in the practice, has perfected the art of putting on an elaborate act of a Babaláwo ( priest of Ifá), decked in his tunic, his ceremonial orisha hat and his beaded amulets, learning much of what he knows from his employer Lourdes who is well-versed in spiritual practices and respected for her knowledge. When Alexi Ramirez, the debt collector who is pursuing Hugo’s case, offers to clear Hugo’s debt if he can cleanse his house of the spirit who is haunting his home, Hugo takes him up on his offer. Unbeknownst to him the spirit haunting Alexi and his family has a deep connection to Hugo and his past in Bolivia and it will take more than Hugo’s signature trickery to keep everyone safe and he will be compelled to embark on a very personal journey, take stock of his life and confront the tr...

Rating: 3.5⭐ Hermine “Herself ” Zook has spent all of her life on her little island in the Great Massasauga Swamp—an area known as “The Waters” to the residents of Whiteheart, Michigan. Herself is known for her skill as an herbalist and has made a living out of selling herbal remedies to those from nearby towns seeking her help. Her marriage of fifteen years ended after she threw her husband out after a scandal that is still fodder for gossip among the townspeople. Her daughters have grown up and have all left home, her eldest Primrose a lawyer, her middle daughter Maryrose (Molly) a nurse and her youngest Rose Thorn who lives in California with Primrose but has left her daughter Dorothy “Donkey” Zook with Herself to raise. As the story begins, we find out that Herself has isolated herself from her community, rarely venturing out of her home with only her eleven-year-old granddaughter for company. Donkey has questions about her family, has heard the whispers and has sensed the strained...

Rating:  2.5⭐️ As the story begins, we meet Beth, a newly divorced schoolteacher and mother of two, as she moves into an old cottage with her two children after her husband buys out her share of their family home. A fixer-upper in need of a lot of repairs, Beth has her hands full what with her children’s unhappiness, the unpleasantness between herself and her ex-husband and the lack of much of a support system in terms of friends or family. When she discovers a bundle of decades-old letters addressed to an “agony aunt” column (addressed to “Evelyn Wright") in an old magazine addressed”, she finds the process of reading about other’s problems (some similar to her very own) cathartic and her curiosity about the real Evelyn Wright motivated her to not only attempt to find out more about the person but also start a blog/advice column of her own. We follow Beth as she discovers more about Evelyn, makes new friends, and gradually rebuilds her life. I really loved the premise of  The...

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I exist as either a small canid with thick fur, pointed ears, and neat to black feet, or a young woman. Neither are safe forms in a world run by men.” Set in early 1900s Manchuria in the final years of the Qing dynasty,  The Fox Wife  by  Yangsze Choo  his novel revolves around Snow/ Ah San as she embarks on a journey to find the man responsible for the death of her daughter. Her grief and quest for revenge take her across Manchuria to Japan and back. In the course of her journey, she enchants many and also encounters others like herself - with whom she shares history and as the narrative progresses, it becomes evident that her quest is not hers alone. Her journey intersects with that of Bao, an aging detective investigating the mysterious death of a young courtesan found frozen to death in the doorway of a restaurant. Bao is a loner who has a special ability to discern when someone is lying - a gift that renders him a successful investigator. Bao is int...

Rating:  3.5⭐️ After a long-time customer passes away while visiting the bookstore where she works, Cassie Andrews finds herself in the possession of a strange little book, “The Book of Doors” – a magical book that leads Cassie and her friend Izzy to wherever they desire, opening any closed door to their destination of choice. Unbeknownst to Cassie, this special book is one of a unique collection - each of which possesses unique magical powers that can be harnessed for good or evil. The books have been hidden throughout history in different corners of the world and several people have devoted their lives to finding and owning them – each with their own agenda - Drummond Fox, the “Librarian” and owner of a magical library, a mysterious ”Detective” with a secret mission, book collectors who’d go to any length to find those books and use their magical powers to further their own interests, among whom is the “Woman” whose quest for the books has left death and destruction in its wake. ...

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Witchcraft relies on the connection among all things, the intrinsic links that tie us all together. And as far as voids go, I would imagine that all of us are mostly made up of space—although whether or not that qualifies as emptiness is another matter.” When it comes to Greek mythology and feminist retellings, I find it difficult to look away. I’ve been looking forward to reading a retelling of Medea, who I consider one of the most complex and fascinating characters in Greek mythology and I’m glad to say that debut author Eilish Quin’s retelling of Medea’s story does not disappoint! Granddaughter of Helios, Titan god of the sun, Medea was born to the sorcerer King Aeetes of Colchis and Oceanid nymph Idyia. The novel follows Medea through her formative years, growing up in Colchis with her older sister Chalciope and younger brother Phaethon for whose care she assumes responsibility after their mother returns to the sea despite the prophetic visions and the sense of forebod...

  Rating:  2.5⭐️ Editor-in-chief of a major magazine and engaged to a member of an affluent and influential family, Charlie Colbert has a seemingly perfect life. But when one of her former graduate school classmates decides to make a movie about the tragic events that transpired on Christmas Eve nine years ago – an event dubbed ”Scarlet Christmas “ by the Press - that resulted in the deaths of three of her classmates, leaving Charlie and other survivors traumatized, she is fearful that the movie, based on a book written about the tragedy, will upend the life she has so meticulously rebuilt. Charlie had distanced herself from her former friends after the tragedy but now not only will she have to reach out to them to prevent the movie from being made but also have to revisit her past to fill in the gaps in memories from that night. To be honest, I liked the premise of  Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead  by  Jenny Hollander  more than the execution. Up until...

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “But the era/ of progress/ and the world's/ conscience/ does not contain/ the full history of their land” Aednan  by  Linnea Axelssonn  (translated by  Saskia Vogel ) is a brilliantly penned novel-in-verse that shall definitely go on my list of favorite reads this year. To be honest, I was hesitant to pick this one up as I’ve never been completely comfortable with the format, but I have to say that reading Aednan (which means the land, the earth and my mother in Northern Sámi) is an experience that will stay with me. A story about family, community, displacement and forced migration, intergenerational trauma and the struggle to preserve and protect one's cultural identity, this saga is shared through several voices, spanning over a century and tells the story of the nomadic Sámi community through the eyes of the members of two families. “We were to be driven/from the forest fells/lakes//migration paths and songs/had to be stifled/stricken from memory” T...

Rating:  4.5⭐️ Ten-year-old Thomas and Bess, the woman was supposed to be looking after him, disappear during a blizzard in the Interior Alaska region. Benedict, the boy’s only family, his neighbors Cole and Clifford and Vietnam War veteran Freeman who has recently relocated to Alaska, brave the elements as they search for Bess and Thomas all the while aware that chances of survival in this weather are slim. Unbeknownst to them, Bess got separated from Thomas after leaving the house with him and is also searching for him. As the narrative progresses, we get to know more about these characters - their past traumas, secrets, and motivations - and it is gradually revealed that the inclement weather isn't the only threat in their midst. Blizzard   by  Marie Vingtras   (translated by  Jeffrey Zuckerman ) is an exceptionally well-written novel that I would not hesitate to recommend to those who enjoy character-driven fiction. Despite its short length, this is a h...

  Rating:  3.5⭐️ Tommaso “Tommy” Puglisi and his wife Kate respond to an advertisement for One-Euro real estate in the fictional town of Becchina in Sicily. Happy to leave the stressful life in the USA behind for what they hope would be a quiet and slower-paced lifestyle among Tommy’s family on his late father’s side, they invest in an old decrepit mansion they hope to restore. Unbeknownst to them, their new home has a history and was known to the locals as “La casa dell’ultima risorsa” or “the house of the last resort.” Soon after moving in, Kate and Tommy begin to sense something not quite right in the house and their friends and family would rather keep their knowledge of the house’s history to themselves. But after they discover a hidden chapel behind a corridor, the frequency of eerie occurrences in their home begins to increase. As the narrative progresses we follow the young couple as they begin to uncover the secrets buried underneath their new home and it is only a ma...

  Rating: 3.75⭐ After the sudden death of her mother Lilith, twenty-four-year-old Mattie Russell returns to her mother’s family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia with the intention to move on after her mother’s funeral and related formalities are over. Mattie has led an eventful life with her mother, constantly on the move and with nearly no friends or place to call home except Ivy Ridge, where she spent her childhood summers with Penelope. However, she is forced to shelve her plans temporarily after the list of seemingly strange and unrelated tasks stipulated in her mother’s will sends her on a very personal journey of self-discovery but also leads her to the answers to some very important questions about her mother and the identity of her father. Mattie also comes face to face with Jonathan, who broke her teenage heart ten years ago – the very person she had hoped to never run into again. Lilith’s sister Penelope, who stayed back in the family home after Lilith left at the age of eighte...

Rating:  4.5⭐ “It’s time to tell the truth.” Sixteen-year-old Margaret Murphy has spent most of her young life haunted by the memories of a tragic episode from her childhood – an event that resulted in the death of her friend Agnes when they were both only four years old. The whispers, the rumors and her mother’s silent judgment would have made Margaret’s reality even more difficult to bear, but Margaret is an imaginative child with a love for fairy tales. The stories she weaves – the alternate realities in which she chooses to live in her own mind, stories with happy endings, help her cope with her trauma. But her respite, of sorts, is short-lived because an unwelcome character “Poor Deer” has found its way into her life and her story, reminding her of all she wants to forget. Margaret is pushed by Poor Deer, a magical manifestation of her conscience, to confront her past and come to terms with the tragedy that has shaped her life. As Margaret struggles to separate truth from fict...

Rating  4.5⭐️ Held  by  Anne Michaels  opens on a battlefield in France in 1917, where John, a soldier, lies injured after a blast leaves him floating in and out of consciousness. His mind wanders as he reflects upon the significant moments and people in his life. We meet John again in 1930, running a photography business in Yorkshire with memories of battle and the devastation and loss that followed haunting his every thought, even finding their way into the pictures he takes. Though married to Helen and attempting to lead a normal life – not an easy journey for a man whose physical and emotional scars serve as a constant reminder of how much he last lost. We follow John's family and those connected to them through four generations following the tragedies, relationships and challenges they face and the choices they make as they find their way in the world and how the past and memories of the people they have loved and lost leave an indelible imprint on their lives. ...