Tag Archives: comfort

The Dream, by Émile Zola

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Thistle

In a small town outside of Paris, a nine-year-old orphan named Angelique sits outside a cathedral the night after Christmas. It’s snowing, and she has nothing on but rags. She stares up at the images carved into the cathedral’s wall, … Continue reading →

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Readathon: Chocolat, by Joanne Harris

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Thistle

Vianne and her daughter Anouk move to a little town in France and open a chocolate shop, which offends the priest in town because she does this right at the start of the Lent season. The two lock into a … Continue reading →

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Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Thistle

Oh Jane Eyre, how I love you!! Sigh. This is my second time through Jane Eyre (if I don’t count the graphic novel version and the several movie versions I brought home), and I love it just as much as … Continue reading →

Posted in 2008, 2011, 2013, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Host, by Stephenie Meyer (audio)

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Thistle

Wanderer is a Soul, a parasitic alien who has lived through multiple lives on multiple planets before coming to earth to invade a new host, a girl named Melanie. Earth has been mostly taken over by the new alien race, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011, 2016, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Tapestry of Love, by Rosy Thornton

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Thistle

Divorced and with her children grown and out of the house, 48-year-old Catherine Parkstone leaves England and settles into a mountain home in Southern France, where she plans to set up a business in tapestry. I know that doesn’t seem … Continue reading →

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Callback: Crossed Wires

Posted on September 5, 2010 by Thistle

I first read/reviewed Crossed Wires last fall, and it ended up being one of my favorite books of 2009. I remember debating at the time whether or not I should do a giveaway – I wanted more people to have … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in 2009, Adult, Prose | Tagged , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in 2009, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Housekeeper and the Professor, by Yoko Ogawa

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Thistle

The Professor was once a brilliant mathematician, but an accident in 1975 left his short-term memory damaged. While he is able to clearly remember events prior to the accident, his memories since then are limited to the past 80 minutes. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Time of My Life, by Allison Winn Scotch

Posted on September 6, 2009 by Thistle

Spoilers. Jillian has the seemingly perfect suburban life with a supportive husband and a cute toddler that she gets to stay home with. But underneath the facade, she’s dying. Slowly withering away trying to keep up the perfect-wife-and-mother act. She … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , | 2 Comments