The Gilmore Guide to Books

Connecting Books and Readers One Review at a Time

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
  • Podcast
  • Policies
    • Review Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy

Sunburn: A Novel by Laura Lippman

March 15, 2018

sunburn

The game in Sunburn begins in a small dead-end town in Delaware when Polly and Adam meet at the only bar/restaurant. Both are staying across the street in a ratty motel, but why are they there? Author Laura Lippman doesn’t waste time in giving us the details:  Adam is there for Polly and Polly is there to get away from a tedious marriage and a toddler she doesn’t want to raise ... Read More...

3 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: mystery, William Morrow

The English Wife by Lauren Willig

January 17, 2018

english

At a time when much of my reading seems centered on dystopia, trauma, or pathos it’s welcome to read a novel that is simply enjoyable. No hard thinking or difficult emotions to process, just a well-constructed story that you can settle into. It isn’t as easy as it sounds because often this kind of book can be badly written or just written without enough thought and so has gaps ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: historical fiction, mystery, St. Martin's Press

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka

August 23, 2017

girl

In real life, the victim of murder should always remain at the forefront of the story, but in fiction there is no such rule. The girl in Girl in Snow is Lucinda Hayes, a pretty teenager found dead on a school playground. Someone has killed her and while the townspeople may care, author Danya Kukafka is more interested in Cameron, an odd boy who likes to watch people in their ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, debut, literary, mystery, Simon & Schuster

Emma in the Night

August 18, 2017

emma

  Apparently, I’ve moved from dystopian novels this summer to thrillers. On Monday I reviewed See What I Have Done a novel about Lizzie Borden, which I found fascinating more for its bizarre family dynamics than the actual murders. Now I’m back with Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker, a contemporary novel with a family that makes the Bordens look like the Brady Bunch. ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, family, mystery, psychology, St. Martin's Press

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

July 7, 2017

midnight

  I’m a sucker for fiction about books and bookstores so to find a novel about them that is also set in Denver, Colorado (where I lived and still have family living) means I didn’t have any choice but to read Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. Add in the fact that in the first ten pages, Lydia, a kindhearted bookseller, discovers Joey, one of her favorite misfit ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, murder, mystery, Scribner

The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor

July 5, 2017

lost

  In the present Kate’s father is succumbing to dementia. As his memory flickers on and off, she wants to give his life’s work meaning and so takes his enormous and beloved stamp collection to an appraiser to see if any of the stamps are valuable. In the past, Kristoff is an orphaned artist working as an apprentice for the renowned master stamp engraver, Frederick Faber. ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: historical fiction, Riverhead Books, WWII

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • …
  • 28
  • Next Page »
  • Bluesky
  • Email
  • Goodreads
  • Instagram
  • Substack

Save time and subscribe via email

No time to keep checking for new reviews? Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Bookshop

Currently Reading

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
by Emily Nagoski
The Dutch House
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
by Adrienne Brodeur

goodreads.com

Affiliate Disclosure

I’m an affiliate for Bookshop. If you click on a link that takes you to their site and make a purchase I’ll earn a small fee, which goes towards the costs of maintaining this site. Your support is appreciated. Thank you!

Archives

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2026

Copyright © 2026 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in