40. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr My great aunt loaned me this book; otherwise, I wouldn't have picked it up. I'm not big on hype or bestsellers (though I've read and loved my share), and I've long since overdosed on World War II books. All the Light We Cannot See isn't a World War II novel. It is a set of prose poems composed around the theme of that which we cannot see, but surrounds us. It is a clever and authentic story focused on the lives of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a German soldier skilled with radios. My great aunt asked me why the chapters are not in chronological order, and the best answer I could give was that taking each moment out of time forces the reader to experience each moment one at a time. It's a technique that reminded me of The Time Traveler's Wife , but plot is even less relevant. Narrative tension exists, but this book turns on a light we can feel, if not quite see. 41. Bombay Blues by Tanuj...
Life, Books, and SFF