Category Archives: Adult

The Hundred-Foot Journey, by Richard C. Morais

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Thistle

Hassan Haji, a middle-aged chef, recounts his life from his boyhood in India to his current fame in the Parisian restaurant world. While fictional, this reads as a food memoir, and also discusses discrimination and conflict of heritage. It’s hard … Continue reading →

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Notes on a Scandal, by Zoë Heller

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Thistle

When Sheba, a pottery teacher in London, is discovered having an affair with one of her high school students, her life is understandably torn apart. She loses her job, she splits with her husband, and she’s denied all but limited … Continue reading →

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Dead Souls, by Nikolai Gogol

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Thistle

When the Classics Circuit chose to visit Imperial Russia, I knew immediately I wanted to read Dead Souls by Gogol. It’s a book I’ve wanted to read for awhile now, both for my GLBT Challenge (Gogol was gay) and because … Continue reading →

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Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Thistle

Okonkwo is a strong, angry man, famous and important in his tribe in Nigeria. He has three wives, many children, and a successful farm, mostly due to his relentless determination to keep everyone in his family (including himself) working harder … Continue reading →

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Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Thistle

This is the story of two women. Little Bee is a refugee from Nigeria in Britain. Sarah is a wife, mother, and magazine editor, also in Britain. This is the story of how their lives collide and intertwine. I’ve seen … Continue reading →

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Nana, by Émile Zola

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Thistle

Nana doesn’t really have a plot I can describe. It involves a woman named Nana, a cheap “tart” as she’s called who sells her body for money but not on the streets like a prostitute. She’s picked up by a … Continue reading →

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Carnet de Voyage, by Craig Thompson

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Thistle

Carnet de Voyage is Craig Thompson’s illustrated travelogue/travel journal over two months visiting France, Spain, and Morocco. He was partly doing research for his upcoming book Habibi (which I’m very much looking forward to) and partly on tour for international … Continue reading →

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Shortcomings, by Adrian Tomine

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Thistle

I hardly know how to describe this graphic novel. I suppose it’s about two Asian-Americans who are dating each other, Ben and Miko. Ben is cynical and pessimistic. He’s also obsessed with non-Asian culture (ie he likes to fantasize about … Continue reading →

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Voodoo Season, by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Thistle

Marie Levant moves from Chicago to New Orleans during her medical residency. Once there, she begins to have strange dreams that haunt her, and her knowledge of the patients that come into the emergency room border on sixth sense. Indeed, … Continue reading →

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Seeking Sara Summers, by Susan Gabriel

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Thistle

Sara’s life as a middle-aged mom, wife, and teacher is thrown into upheaval when she gets breast cancer. Over the last year, she’s fought the illness, continually apologized to her husband for being sick, and downplayed the seriousness of the … Continue reading →

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