Harper Archives - The Gilmore Guide to Books

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

Catherine — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 07:10:39 +0000

Sometimes all you need in your reading is a raucous tale of adventure and fun and I found it in Shannon Chakraborty‘s novel, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. Amina is a middle-aged woman, a mother, a former pirate who once captained the ship that terrorized merchants and the wealthy alike throughout the Indian Ocean. After […]

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October Reading Wrap-Up

Catherine — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 07:43:21 +0000

Such a month was October. I resolved some health issues and have regained a modicum of my energy. Unfortunately, being awake and aware this month came with its own trials. I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember ever being so scared about an election. An election that’s less about issues and more about […]

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Honey: A Novel by Victor Lodato

Catherine — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 07:05:57 +0000

As the daughter of an infamous New Jersey mobster Honey escaped her family’s violent legacy while still a teen, ultimately moving to L.A. and creating a new persona for herself. Now in her 80s, she goes back home in hopes of reconciling her family’s past, but soon realizes it won’t be easy. More importantly as […]

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My 8 Favorite Books of 2023

Catherine — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 08:20:54 +0000

Finally! Let’s talk reading again, specifically my favorite books of 2023 so we can move onto what lies ahead in 2024. It was an interesting year in that I don’t remember another time when I had this many 5-star nonfiction books. I’m not even sure I’ve ever read so much great nonfiction in one […]

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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Catherine — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 08:50:39 +0000

I’m not sure I’ve ever started a review with an apology to the book and, possibly, the author. There’s a story here, so please be patient. I’ve always enjoyed Ann Patchett’s books, both fiction and nonfiction so I thought I was ready for her latest, Tom Lake, when it came out in August. A friend […]

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Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

Catherine — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 07:30:52 +0000

He has no idea where it all comes from—the loyalty and the rage, the brotherhood and the suspicion, the benevolence and the hate. If you’re looking for refined forays into the more delicate human emotions in your reading than Dennis Lehane is probably not an author you read often or at all. He’s a bareknuckle […]

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Light Summer Reading

Catherine — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:09:49 +0000

Apparently, with Tuesday’s review I forgot it’s summer—the time for light, bright reading so I’m back today to fix that. Whether you’re traveling to a new destination for a long getaway or just lounging on the porch, it’s a vacation. And for summer, vacation reading shouldn’t be anything you have to work for. To that […]

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Best Books of 2022

Catherine — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 08:12:15 +0000

I’m going to cut to the chase: it was a challenging year for my reading. Not due to a lack of options, I just lost my reading mojo for a while. However, there were 8 books that broke through my broken brain and gave me all the pleasure I look for in my reading. […]

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Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Catherine — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 08:30:29 +0000

Barbara Kingsolver is back with Demon Copperhead, a serpentine tour-de-force set in the southern Appalachian Mountains. A modern-day David Copperfield, the novel follows Damon Fields from his ignominious birth in a trailer to a single, teenage mother doped out of her mind, all the way through his teens. It’s not a journey for the faint […]

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March Reading Recap

Catherine — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:46:41 +0000

I’m being optimistic with this March graphic as Michigan is mired in low temperatures right now. Earlier we had 70 degrees, but that was a tease from Mother Nature. Now, the sunshine (and reading) are best enjoyed from inside. A circumstance I’m happy to use as an excuse to curl up on the couch! […]

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