"We have a saying here: sumeba miyako. It means, wherever you live becomes home." The year is 1890. Western influences are flooding into Japan. A nomadic Irishman arrives to record this unique culture before it vanishes. In this richly imagined novel, late nineteenth century Japan is brought vividly to life. Based on the remarkable experiences … Continue reading Pages Review | “Black Dragonfly” by Jean Pasley
"...having roots wasn’t holding her back." Rose Alban, 41, has been happily living alone and single in Manila. When her entire family moved to the US she became responsible for their house and since then she's transformed it into her home, her sanctuary, and base for a new and more fulfilling career. She was even … Continue reading Pages Review | Totally Engaged (Six 32 Central #4) by Mina V. Esguerra
"All this time she’d thought death was coming for her, but perhaps it was she who was death coming for everyone else." Vern - seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised - flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans … Continue reading Pages Review | Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon (eARC)
"The less I hate who I was, the more I can like who I am." By being her anxious, honest, and just plain silly self, Jackie Davis’ egg-shaped character proves that, even though opening up to others is scary at first, vulnerability can be a superpower. A sweet, instantly relatable diary comic about self-discovery, mental … Continue reading Pages Review | Vulnerability is My Superpower: An Underpants and Overbites Collection by Jackie E. Davis ARC
“Gradually the waiting began to feel less like waiting and more like this was simply what life was: the distracting tasks undertaken while the thing you are waiting for continues not to happen.” A sharply intelligent novel about two college students and the strange, unexpected connection they forge with a married couple. Frances is twenty-one … Continue reading Pages Review | Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
