Author Archives: beckylindroos

The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow 2006 / 320 pages read by Dennis Boutsikaris 9h 12m rating: B / crime Why would anyone want Frank Machianno,  a bait-shop owner and aging surf-bum in San Diego,  dead?   He’s a nice … Continue reading →

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria/US) 2013/ 496 pages rating: 9.5 / contemp. immigrant fiction I read both of  Adiche’s prior novels,  Purple Hibiscus and Half a Yellow Sun,  years ago – when they were published to much acclaim.  This one is … Continue reading →

The Second Chair  (Dismas Hardy #10) by John Lescroart (US) 2003 / 624 pages read by David Colacci – 14h 11m rating:  A / crime fiction I was reading he Dismas Hardy books in order until I came to the … Continue reading →

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Brit) 2013 / 544 pages read by Fenella Woolgar 15h 34m rating:   6   – historical-speculative fiction Well,  I’m 2 hours into this and so far nothing has happened at all –  only … Continue reading →

The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Russia) 1862 / (Kindle – about 300 pages?) Rating  9/  (classic fiction) (This was/is also published as “Memoirs from the House of  The Dead”  and “Notes from the Dead House.”) I’m reading this … Continue reading →

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (US) 2013 / 496 pages read by George Guidell Rating 7 –   historical fantasy I can’t help myself –  “Once upon a time in New York…”  there arrived, separately,  a golem … Continue reading →

At some point  last week I realized I had some time on my hands before July 1 when I could start on my next scheduled reads – (see READING NEXT).  I was real tired of crime novels.  I also realized I had … Continue reading →

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (US) 1952/124 pages Rating:   9.5 / classic Oh my.  I saw this and realized that I read this so long ago I couldn’t remember the ending –  I’m thinking high … Continue reading →

Beowulf by anonymous – 8th century?/3182 lines Rating  9/classic – Scandinavian heroic myth I have no idea why this book was sitting in my shelves – I probably bought it at some point – a long time ago.   It’s … Continue reading →

The Teahouse by Lao She  (Manchu-Chinese) 1957 / 197 pages (bi-lingual/but a good intro) Rating: 9 /   historical play What treasures I’m finding on my TBR shelves!   This is a play purchased prior to my trip to China. … Continue reading →

Poppa John by Larry Woiwode  (US) 1980/204 pages rating: 8 –  literary Christian These days Larry Woiwode,  North Dakota’s poet laureate,   lives west of Jamestown, ND  where he raises horses.  In the late 1960s and early ’70s he lived … Continue reading →

Waiting For the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee (South Africa/Australia) 1980/152 pages Rating:   8.5 –  20th century political fiction In an Empire there arise border disputes with the barbarians who live in the forests and deserts outside the gates. … Continue reading →

Fly Away Peter by David Malouf  (Australia) 1982 / 134 pages rating:  7.5 / historical fiction This stayed on my tbr shelf for so long because for some reason I thought it was by O.E. Rolvaag and the third of … Continue reading →

The Zen Teachings of Jesus by Kenneth S. Leong 1998 /239 pages rating: 5    religion I’ve had this on my shelves for a long time – probably a decade.  I know I bought it fully intending to read it … Continue reading →

Scenes From Village Life by Amos Oz  (Israel) 2009 / 192 pages Rating:  9 /literary -short stories In the fictional village of Tel Ilan,  situated in the hills of Menashe south and east of Haifa,  times are changing – actually … Continue reading →

The Immense Journey by Loren Eiseley  (US) 1957 – 152 pages Rating;  9 / literary -classic natural science I got this book from a friend several years ago and am finally getting around to it.  It’s a classic written by … Continue reading →

Stagecoach Heyday in the San Joaquin Valley 1853-1876 by William Harland Boyd (US) 1983 / 74 pages Rating 5 / history This is a real honest-to-god hard-cover little book published by the Kern County Historical Society.   I have no … Continue reading →