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March Reading Recap

March 30, 2020

march reading

Well, of all the things I thought might happen this March I could never have come up with where we are now. I'll spare you the contents of my brain churning with the anxiety I have not only over family and friends flung across America, but all the people who have lost their jobs, the people sick and struggling. I feel helpless. So, while it feels a little frivolous to write ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary life, family, memoir, mini-reviews, short stories

My Dark Vanessa

March 18, 2020

five best

Fiction has always been known for expanding on fact so it’s not surprising that the fiction of the last four years, with all the political and social upheaval, has gotten more and more outsized. Author Kate Russell joins the fray with, My Dark Vanessa, her debut novel about a young woman who has an ongoing relationship with a man that began when she was 15 and he was 42. Not ... Read More...

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

February Reading Wrap-Up

February 28, 2020

february

The roller coaster that was my January reading ground to a halt in February. I can’t even blame the weather because Michigan has had one of its most mild winters (so far!) in years. Instead, it seems as if it’s something larger in the air because most of the readers and bloggers I know reported the same thing. Sadly, this means I’m going to sound crankier than ever in this ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary life, historical fiction, mini-reviews, thriller

The Gimmicks: A Novel

January 22, 2020

gimmicks

I didn’t plan this, but I’m back today with another unusual book (Monday's review). The Gimmicks is about two teenage brothers in Armenia in the 1970s. One is a giant, standing over 6’6” tall, while the other is a competitive backgammon player. The novel moves between their lives and the life of a former pro-wrestling manager in 1980s America. When the book arrived I actually ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: cultural, debut, Harper, historical fiction, literary

Nothing to See Here

January 20, 2020

nothing to see

Friday’s book review was a little dark so I’m starting the week with something much lighter. Not only did I never think I’d read a novel where children spontaneously combust, I definitely didn’t think I would chew through it one night and fall in love with it on page four. Which is to say, don’t underestimate Kevin Wilson’s ability to create improbable worlds and make them feel ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, ecco, family, humor, magical realism

The Sacrament: A Novel

January 17, 2020

sacrament

Set in Iceland, The Sacrament is a spare and chilling novel about the Catholic Church. An elderly nun, Sister Johanna Marie, is called from her convent in France to look into an accusation at a Catholic school in Iceland, where she taught decades ago. During her tenure, a young boy witnessed a priest fall to his death from a tower. This boy, now a man, sends a letter for Sister ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, ecco, literary, social issues

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