For someone who’s been leery about literary fiction for the past six months I have two novels this week that epitomize the genre and what I love about it. With Central Park as the backdrop, This is a Love Story unfolds in alternating chapters from the novel’s three main characters: Abe, Jane and Max. Abe and Jane are creatives—he’s a writer and she’s an artist and they ... Read More...
My 9 Favorite Books in 2024
As I started reviewing my reading year there was one stat that jumped off the chart at me. Of the 13 five-star books I read this year my favorite 9 were backlist (published before 2024). I’m sure publishing analysts could provide an easy explanation (fewer books published in an election year) or a psychologist something more detailed (possibly around escape and avoidance) but ... Read More...
Tomorrow There will be Apricots
Tomorrow there will be Apricots is a portrait in sadness, the kind inflicted by others and the kind brought on by self. Lorca is a 14-year-old girl who is trying to gain the attention of her distant mother, who is a chef, and so turns to Victoria, an Iraqi woman who once owned a popular restaurant in the neighborhood and is now offering cooking classes. Her husband has recently ... Read More...
