Category Archives: Fiction

Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch, Translated by Sam Garrett

Posted on May 20, 2022 by bseat

Herman Koch is an extraordinary writer. His books, however, often leave you disconcerted and uneasy. Koch does this not by using shock tactics or gruesome descriptions, but by exploring the human heart, particularly the parts that seem civilized but have … Continue reading →

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The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming

Posted on May 13, 2022 by bseat

Books about spies and spying always fascinate to me. But there are very few authors who get behind the glamour and illusions into the soul of spying.  John Le Caré is of course at the top of the list and … Continue reading →

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Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

Posted on May 6, 2022 by bseat

Whenever I find a book about interpreters and translators I want to read it. There really aren’t that many novels about this kind of work, but since I was an interpreter and translator, I am always interested in seeing another … Continue reading →

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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Posted on April 29, 2022 by bseat

Some books just take you back to another era. They transport you to a time that is just a memory and somehow unlock a door and you are reliving that time again. That is what happened when I read Daisy … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Read, Books to take on vacation, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Posted on April 15, 2022 by bseat

I am at an age now where, in liking back on my life I see opportunities not taken, paths not taken and decisions, that although at the time seemed inconsequential, had a major impact on my life. Even though I … Continue reading →

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Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doer

Posted on April 8, 2022 by bseat

Stories that intertwine are always fascinating, but often encounter difficulties in their execution. Not only do the stories need to intertwine in a way that makes sense but they need to show that the intertwining has a purpose. Often authors … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Literary Fiction, Prize Winner, Prize winner | Tagged | 1 Comment

Go Tell the Bees I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon

Posted on April 1, 2022 by bseat

Sometimes you just bond with an author and their characters. I did that many years ago when I read the first in Gabaldon’s series, Outlander, and every time I  read one book I look forward to the next book. So … Continue reading →

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The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Posted on March 25, 2022 by bseat

There seem to be a steady stream of books that place the main character, mostly female, in dangerous, disorienting situations not of their own making. It is a clever plot line, but one that can quickly become hackneyed if not … Continue reading →

Posted in Books to take on vacation, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller | Tagged | 1 Comment

Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley

Posted on March 18, 2022 by bseat

The sounds of the surf and the feel of the soft, warm sand of vacation are now just a memory and I am back home to a cherry tree in full bloom and the bulbs I planted in the fall, … Continue reading →

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Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka (author) and Sam Malissa (Translator)

Posted on March 4, 2022 by bseat

Bullet Train is one of these books people who know and understand Japanese culture will love, and those who love complicated, twisty suspense will also appreciate for its intricate plot lines. The premise: murder on a train, would seem to … Continue reading →

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