Salt Houses

By Hala Alyan

This novel covers four generations of one Palestinian family, whose members move from one place to another in the wake of wars and other conflicts. Displacement, loss, attachment, identity, guilt, are all things the family members deal with, each with their own personality and aptitude. 

As an Israeli reader, it wasn't easy for me to read parts of this book. Atrocities that my people committed are described there that I'd rather believe are untrue, even though I know other atrocities were and are committed by them, and I know that I've been fed myths growing up about the purity of the fighting of the IDF that I later learned didn't really hold. Still, it's hard for me to think that they would do that kind of atrocity. These were just a small part of the book, and most of it deals with personal struggles and more mundane life occurrences, but the overall arch emphasizes the Palestinian identity and what it might mean.  [fiction; 320 pp.]

 

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From Here

By Luma Mufleh

A memoir of a woman who grew up in Jordan and was forced to leave due to her sexual orientation. It's an interesting look at the nuances of familial relationships and the complications brought in by cultural norms (which of my beloved male relatives would perform the honor killing when they found out the shame I am bringing to the family?)  [306pp.]

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An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege

By Heidi Ardizzone

A fascinating biography of a woman who was a trailblazer for professional women, vivacious party-goer, and a celebrated personality, for whom maintaining huge portions of her life secret was crucial. [Fiction; 580 pp.]

 

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The Great Gatsby

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Well, I had to read this book twice to start appreciating it and its symbolic intricacies. I still don't understand some of the choices made here, but appreciate the general sentiment of the book (i.e., the class struggles, etc.) and the use of a secondary character as the narrator. [fiction; 180 pp.]

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Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants

By Robert Sullivan

The author studied rats in the financial district area of Mahnattan and joined rat professionals (researchers, pest control operators) on their missions. The book is full of stories and historical accounts. [nonfiction; 246 pp.]

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American Delirium

By Betina González

In the beginning the story reads like some sort of magic realism, telling 3 separate stories. Slowly it clears up as connections between the stories emerge and the magic and seeming exaggerations make way for a realistic view of the state of things. [fiction, 211 pp.]

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Tired Ladies Take A Stand

By Gretchen Anthony

The story of a group of 4 women friends who stood together for 20-30 years, and are now in their mid-fifties and each going through a midlife crisis of sorts, through which they learn more about themselves and the power of standing up for themselves and being there for each other. [fiction; 330pp.]

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