Category Archives: 2009

The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Thistle

Renee is a concierge in her mid-50s. She’s spent most of her life maintaining her invisibility, hiding her intelligence under a mask of stereotypical peasant ignorance. Paloma is a super-smart twelve year old girl who lives in the building where … Continue reading →

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Thistle

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a classic coming of age story set around the turn of the century in immigrant-heavy Brooklyn. It’s so much more than a coming of age story, though. This is the third time I’ve read … Continue reading →

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Asleep, by Banana Yoshimoto

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Thistle

Included in Asleep are three longer short stories by Banana Yoshimoto, translated from the Japanese by Michael Emmerich. Each in some way deal with sleep (whether physical or metaphorical). This is my first read by Yoshimoto, and I’m delighted to … Continue reading →

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A Step From Heaven, by An Na

Posted on December 6, 2009 by Thistle

I am in a reading slump. A terrible one. I keep picking up books and saying never mind. After doing this with about 4 in a row, I decided I needed to do the old book roulette from the Random … Continue reading →

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Born on a Blue Day, by Daniel Tammet

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Thistle

I was born on 31 January 1979 – a Wednesday. I know it was a Wednesday, because the date is blue in my mind and Wednesdays are always blue. Daniel Tammet has savant syndrome. He can recite the numbers of … Continue reading →

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Amphigorey Too, by Edward Gorey

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Thistle

Amphigorey Too is the second collection of Edward Gorey graphic novel shorts. It includes 20 stories. While I didn’t enjoy Amphigorey Too as much as Amphigorey (the first collection), it did have some memorable stories in it. I’m going to … Continue reading →

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Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle, by Vladimir Nabokov

Posted on November 29, 2009 by Thistle

I did it! I conquered my nemesis book: Ada! It only took me a decade to get through it, but in the end – Nabokov, I sunk your battleship!!!!! Okay, so maybe that’s a bit too enthusiastic, especially for a … Continue reading →

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Wicked Lovely, by Melissa Marr

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Thistle

Aislinn has always seen fairies, but she can’t let them know. These are not fairytale fairies, but scary, monstrous, mischievous creatures that Aislinn is terrified of. And then two begin to follow her… Okay, so I have issues with fairies … Continue reading →

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Protected: Clubbing, by Andi Watson

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Thistle

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

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Lock and Key, by Sarah Dessen

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Thistle

When Ruby’s mother abandons her, Ruby is sent to live with her older sister Cora, who she hasn’t seen in ten years. Life changes for her so drastically she feels like she must be dreaming. Whereas once she lived in … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009, Prose, Young Adult | 1 Comment