Customer Comments

brookbrook has commented on (12) products.

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

brookbrook, April 17, 2013

While reading this book I kept asking myself whether we really do change from adolescence, or whether there are characterological traits informing who we are and ultimately creating the circumstances that shape us; traits defining us throughout our entire lives. I'm not sure that is a question Meg Wolitzer was asking herself; regardless, The Interestings had me hooked from page one. It swept me away!

To me this book speaks brilliantly about the intersection and meaning of family and friendship. It is a coming of age story; a story about class, values, gender and sexual politics, and NYC itself. And it felt much smaller than this, too. A story where characters grow and as a reader i am given insights to their minds and motivations in a truly thoughtful and psychologically engaging way.

I also need to mention that it screams to me "i am better than jonathan franzen, i am better than the Corrections!" in that same way Jennifer Egan did with a Visit from the Goon Squad, and i can't help thinking about gender and "success" of the american (or NY, rather) novelist. Funny thing is, this thinking feels like it would come from a character in Wolitzers novel, leading me to feel like i am stuck in her narrative. I suppose there are far worse places I could be.

Point being, I want recognition for Meg Wolitzer and The Interestings, in a prestigious book award kind of way.

The Interestings is as timeless as it is uniquely written. The characters will stay with me for a long time to come, and I thank Meg Wolitzer for writing such an unbelievably beautiful book.

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The Mothers by Jennifer Gilmore

brookbrook, April 16, 2013

jennifer gilmore writes about adoption and motherhood with a raw, fearless and absolutely compelling voice. her characters ask the hard questions, both of themselves and, in turn, of the reader. she writes through the grief, hope and desperation of her characters to tell a story fundamentally fueled by love and human desire. it is an important and meaningful book that feels both deeply personal and profoundly political. and did i mention it is funny, that through the heartbreak and horror of it all, she somehow had me laughing out loud? she is an incredibly gifted writer, and the Mothers is more than well worth reading...

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This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

brookbrook, January 7, 2013

with more machismo than any writer i know, diaz writes like a girl. i say that as the highest form of compliment. his writing is soulful and sexy and sad; he makes me laugh and cry and think. i may sound trite in my review, but he never does. he is brilliant. i love him, i love yunior, i can't wait for more.

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A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers

brookbrook, January 1, 2013

one of the best of the year!

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The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Co Patrick Goudreau

brookbrook, November 8, 2012

everything i have baked from this book has been fantastic. too often i have to try six different versions of vegan baked goods to get a recipe to work just right, but not with the joy of vegan baking. it lives up to the name, really!

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