“Into the Beautiful North” by Luis Alberto Urrea (Mexico) Review Describing it as a charming story, readers said they enjoyed this book. They liked the descriptions of place especially the ones the protagonists pass through on their way north. They loved the easy language and weren’t bothered by the use of Spanish phrases scattered throughout the dialogues. Readers loved the different characters finding some quirky … Continue reading Into the Beautiful North
“The Story of My Teeth” by Valeria Luiselli (Mexico) Review From a classic plot-driven novel to an unusual collective ‘novel-essay,’ the four shortlisted books for this year’s Summer Reading Group varied greatly in structure, style of writing, and point of view. Our summer readers also noticed a recurrent theme in all four of dreams and their many meanings. “The Story of My Teeth” is an … Continue reading The Story of My Teeth
“Malinche” by Laura Esquivel (Mexico) Review There were mixed reactions from readers about this book. Some liked it while others found it tedious. Those who liked it enjoyed the historical characters and the descriptive passages about the customs and ways of life of the Indian peoples. They also liked the relationship between Malinalli and her grandmother, which they described as tender. They felt it was in … Continue reading Malinche
“The Eagle’s Throne” by Carlos Fuentes (Mexico) Review Readers began by saying that they felt the book would really need a second read for them to get the most out of it. They found the structure both interesting and challenging. Some readers thought that the written style of the letters did not fit so well with the futuristic setting of the novel, saying it felt … Continue reading The Eagle’s Throne
“Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel (Mexico) Synopsis and Review “Like Water For Chocolate”: boiling over with recipes and passion First published in 1989, “Like Water For Chocolate” was the number one bestseller in Mexico for almost two years, and subsequently became a bestseller around the world. It is a romantic, poignant tale, touched with moments of magic, graphic earthiness and bittersweet wit that … Continue reading Like Water for Chocolate
Members of the Summer Reading Group enjoyed the selection of books this year, though most did not manage to read all five (on average they read four)! They voted “The Harmony Silk Factory” by Tash Aw the Best Summer Read 2006. The story has three parts with three different narrators and members enjoyed the suspense the author manages to build up in the first two … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2006 – The Harmony Silk Factory
Nicola's Book Club 