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The Tally Stick by Carl Nixon

January 26, 2022

tally stick

The Chamberlains are beginning a new life in New Zealand, but before they do John Chamberlain decides they should explore the country. He sets off with his wife Julia, and their four children, Maurice, Katherine, Tommy, and baby Emma. After dinner in a local diner, they drive off in a pouring rain and disappear without a trace. The area they were in is rugged, undeveloped ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: historical fiction, mystery

Notes on an Execution: A Novel

January 24, 2022

execution

In twelve hours Ansel Packer will be executed. As the time unwinds, three women parse the life of a serial killer. Lavender is his mother, Hazel the twin sister of his wife, and Saffron the police captain involved in his capture. In Notes on an Execution their stories strip the filters from Ansel’s own Auto-tuned portrayal of himself and his life’s Theory, leaving behind ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, crime, literary, women

No Land to Light On

January 17, 2022

land

Despite being five months pregnant Sama goes to the airport to surprise her husband, Hadi, on his return from his father’s funeral. Only to be met by a large crowd of angry people, with signs, yelling. She can’t enter the building so tries calling him. Amidst the noise, they only speak long enough for Hadi to tell her they won’t let him out, that his passport has been taken ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, cultural, debut, literary

My 6 Favorite Debuts of 2021

December 20, 2021

debut

  Happy Monday and welcome to my first yearend best-of lists. Today is a favorite category: best debuts. Finding new authors is one of my greatest reading pleasures and 2021 proved to be a very good year. Of all my reading, 38% was debut authors and of those debuts I rated 36% 3.5 stars or higher, with 3.5 being my baseline for a book I’d recommend to others. Finally, of ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Feature, Reading Tagged: book clubs, childhood, debut, favorite books, historical fiction, literary, mystery

The Chosen and the Beautiful

December 17, 2021

chosen

Wouldn’t you know it—as soon as I post my overlooked books of 2021 another slips in under the wire. I finished The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo Wednesday morning after my post went live. This marvelous novel is a retelling of The Great Gatsby but from the perspective of Jordan Baker, seen in the original story mostly as Daisy Buchanan’s sidekick. Now, she is Asian and ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1920s, debut, historical fiction, literary

The Island of Missing Trees

November 30, 2021

island

Cyprus is a country literally divided, right down to its capital. In 1960 when the British finally left they repeated their practice of leaving a political vacuum by not resolving issues between existing groups to ensure a peaceful transition. As a result, the island’s population, mixed between a Greek majority and a Turkish minority, lived with simmering resentments until the ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, cultural, historical fiction, literary

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