Scribner Archives - The Gilmore Guide to Books

Daughters of the Sun and Moon

Catherine — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:27:21 +0000

Three young Chinese women find themselves brought together in the earliest days of the city we know as Los Angeles. Petal, Moon, and Dove are the central characters in Lisa See’s Daughters of the Sun and Moon. In 1870, Dove arrives as the second wife of an older Chinese merchant, while Petal’s desperate family has sold […]

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The Top of the World by Ethan Joella

Catherine — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:29:35 +0000

When Maggie’s older brother, Chip disappears for the summer after the end of his senior year in high school it’s a big deal. Because it’s probably the last summer he’ll ever have and she and her parents are left alone and wondering if they’ll ever see him again. They do, but he never says anything […]

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The Satisfaction Cafe

Catherine — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:06:04 +0000

Joan is a Taiwanese woman in America in The Satisfaction Café. Her first marriage, through no fault of her own goes horribly wrong, leaving her destitute and living hand to mouth. She then meets and marries a wealthy, older man. They have their own children before he dies, leaving her very wealthy, but insecure, as […]

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July Reading Wrap-Up

Catherine — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:40:17 +0000

My surprise over the disappearance of July probably comes as no surprise as I seem to lament how quickly the months go on a regular basis now. It’s a disconnect from the feeling that we’re years into this president’s term based on the chaos and toxicity. The only thing keeping my poor psyche from exploding […]

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My 9 Favorite Books in 2024

Catherine — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:18:40 +0000

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 […]

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The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella

Catherine — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 07:39:49 +0000

As evidenced by Wednesday’s review I’m always up for dark dark fiction if there’s humor somewhere in the horror. At the same time, I appreciate a gentler approach—slice-of-life novels if you will. Ethan Joella’s The Same Bright Stars fits in this quieter space perfectly. Jack Schmidt has been in the restaurant business since he was […]

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June Reading Wrap-Up

Catherine — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:32:35 +0000

That’s it for June, another month in the books (sorry couldn’t resist). We’ve been fortunate here in Seattle with weather that’s been chillier than usual, but with plenty of sunshine. For someone who doesn’t like too much heat it’s been perfect. Apologies to all of you sweltering in various parts of the country. It’s also […]

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A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella

Catherine — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 08:29:13 +0000

We live so much of our lives without telling anyone. Apparently, this is going to be an emotion drenched week of reviews. When A Quiet Life opens, a Pennsylvania suburb is locked in the throes of winter, while three of its residents are just as frozen in their grief. Chuck is a man in his […]

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Holly by Stephen King

Catherine — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:53:31 +0000

I know many people have moved towards cozy holiday reading in the last month, but my reading has remained varied and a little bit dark. So, I have a compromise today: a book with a Christmas-y title, but written by the master of suspense and horror. It’s Stephen King’s Holly and while it won’t warm […]

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November Reading Wrap-Up

Catherine — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:12:40 +0000

It’s odd to say, but for the most part November felt like a normal month. So, either I’m acclimating to chaos or my memory has blanked out the month. What I do know is that it was a Wild West rodeo for my reading. There was the fun of getting to read whatever I […]

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