I wasn't expecting Lords of Discipline to be one of my top 3 favorite Pat Conroy books, but indeed it is. Though it’s one of Conroy’s earlier books, it has come nearly last in my reading of his works, and it can be difficult to extricate the fact from the fiction, as this autobiographical novel has many details that overlap with Conroy’s actual memoirs, as well as the autobiographical details in many of his other novels. The first parts of the book follow this standard Conroy autobiographical format, but the last 150 pages or so shift into a thriller centered on a brutal secret society. This last section is especially affecting and devastating. Even if this is a work of fiction, military colleges sound awful, and it’s no wonder that Conroy’s experience at the Citadel had as profound an impact on his life as his father, the Great Santini, did.
This is a time travel book that focuses on how changing the past can impact the future, while also addressing how we as humans handle things that can’t be changed or avoided, and how important it is to recognize and know what makes you happy, rather than constantly searching for a better life (what even is a “better life” when one is far beyond striving for survival?). It’s a very well-written and very NYC book that’s both enjoyable and thought provoking, and also a little sad.
This sweeping story encompasses modern Korean history from 1918 to 1965, but mostly focuses on the Colonial Period, when Korea was occupied by Japan. The story follows a small group of characters from various social classes whose stories & lives are linked by love, loss, and fate. Overall, this book tells the story of a country by showing how the tides of history impacted individuals, both at pivotal moments and over longer periods of time. I recommend this one for anyone who likes James Clavell or Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.
This is a gorgeous, touching book that imagines a dystopia not far removed from our own world. It’s about libraries and folktales and parent-child bonds and courage and so much more. This book feels extremely relevant to our present moment in America, and yet also feels like a timeless, inherently human story. A must read.
Astral Season, Beastly Season is a slightly twisted coming of age story that is a perfect blend of darkness and innocence. The tone of the writing and the voices of the characters perfectly capture the wonder, confusion, and uncertainty of young adulthood.
This is a wonderful post-war British novel written by the grandmother of the guy who wrote The Hare With Amber Eyes. I love the three main characters in this book, and even though their lives within a country house seem quite simple, there is so much going on emotionally just below the surface, which makes this book an unexpected page-turner. Highly recommended, but you might have to order it from England.
Another gorgeous novel from Hwang Sok-yong: an immigrant story crossed with a fable, the story is set against famine in North Korea, 9/11, and the Iraq war, as seen through the eyes (both open and closed) of a young woman with a special gift, who nevertheless struggles to understand her own suffering and that of those around her. This book presents characters from a wide range of cultures around the world and contains some beautifully written passages that borrow from Buddhism and Eastern Philosophy. The translation of the text is elegant, nuanced, and evocative.
Kurkov writes in a new introduction he penned this March, “Journalists, interviewing me about the war, often ask: what else can we do for Ukraine? And I answer: you can read more books about Ukraine, read more books by Ukrainian writers. … Even my depressed penguin Misha from Death and the Penguin can tell you more about Ukraine than Google can.” Indeed, I highly recommend this absurd, melancholy, lovely, and dear little story about Misha and his master. The continuation of their adventures, Penguin Lost, is also excellent and brings their saga to a satisfying, yet melancholy, conclusion.
This is a fun YA fantasy, this book has everything: magic, mystery, colonialism, loose inspiration from The Tempest, women aviators in pantsuits, love triangles, and more! Plus, it's all set over the course of one day and evening. Definitely a engrossing, entertaining summer read.
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