November 2022 archive

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Not quite 30 years ago I was backpacking around southeastern Europe when something unfortunate happened: I ran out of books. Well, technically, I did not run out of books; my backpack still held what a reasonable person would probably consider more than enough books. But since I had last replenished from the freebies at a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/30/the-brothers-karamazov-by-fyodor-dostoevsky/

Everyday Hero Machine Boy by Irma Kniivila & Trí Vương

Oh gosh, what an affecting middle grade graphic novel! Honestly, some of the most entertaining and moving writing out there today is in middle grade literature, and this title is absolutely part of those ranks. Everyday Hero Machine Boy starts out with an older couple, Mei and Goh, who are mostly in retirement from running …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/22/everyday-hero-machine-boy-by-irma-kniivila-tri-vuong/

Making Love With The Land: Essays by Joshua Whitehead

I didn’t understand what “creative non-fiction” was supposed to be until I read the first two magnificent essays in this collection, ironically even before Joshua Whitehead begins his somewhat disparaging essay on the subject. As with any art, there’s a strong sense of “I know it when I see it”, and I definitely knew I …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/21/making-love-with-the-land-essays-by-joshua-whitehead/

The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili

The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili

A country and a century, told through what happened to a family, narrated by a member of that family’s next-to-youngest generation, dedicated to a member of the youngest generation who is trying to both escape and understand the legacy she is bearing. In The Eighth Life (For Brilka), Nino Haratischvili brings her native Georgia to …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/20/the-eighth-life-by-nino-haratischvili/

Making Friends (Making Friends #1) by Kristen Gudsnuk

Was absolutely delighted to find this in my Sharing Library, and can’t wait to get my eldest to read it before putting it back in for the next lucky household to enjoy. Our heroine Danielle is having a hard time adjusting to life in the seventh grade. Sixth grade was fine as she had the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/14/making-friends-making-friends-1-by-kristen-gudsnuk/

Into The Forest: Tales Of The Baba Yaga edited by Lindy Ryan

I love the idea of this anthology that collects works from 26 different women worldwide, all on the theme of the mythical Baba Yaga. It’s a really rich subject open to different, intriguing interpretations. For those of you unfamiliar with the myth, our subject is the old wise woman of Slavic lore, who lives in …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/10/into-the-forest-tales-of-the-baba-yaga-edited-by-lindy-ryan/

Bipolar Bear And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Health Insurance: A Fable For Grownups by Kathleen Founds

As someone who has had the most frustrating experience with the United States’ health insurance system — my insurance company refused to pay for the $200+/month asthma medication my doctor prescribed because it can… also be used to treat COPD? Cigna is garbage — I found this book deeply relatable. Theodore Bear is bipolar, and …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/08/bipolar-bear-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-health-insurance-a-fable-for-grownups-by-kathleen-founds/

Stolen Words / kimotinâniwiw itwêwina by Melanie Florence & Gabrielle Grimard

with Cree translations by Dolores Sand & Gayle Weenie. Happy Native American Heritage Month! Meant to post this earlier but had the worst time finding this book in the mess that is currently my household, the result of two busy working adults and three small children who can make an outsize mess. Anyhoo, my eight …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/04/stolen-words-kimotinaniwiw-itwewina-by-melanie-florence-gabrielle-grimard/

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

The Grief of Stones begins with the execution of a murderer uncovered by Thara Celehar in The Witness for the Dead. His friend Anora is trying to talk him out of attending, saying Celehar is punishing himself, and Celehar replies that he believes he has a responsibility. The friend loses the argument, though both of …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/03/the-grief-of-stones-by-katherine-addison/

Ralph Azham Vol 2: The Land of the Blue Demons by Lewis Trondheim

Wonderfully translated from the original French by Joe Johnson, and with truly magnificent colors by Brigitte Findakly. Now that Ralph has discovered the truth behind not only the identity of the ruler of Astolia but also the fate of the other children marked by their superpowers as Blueys, he’s decided that the enemy of his …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/11/02/ralph-azham-vol-2-the-land-of-the-blue-demons-by-lewis-trondheim/