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

Sirens & Muses: A Novel

September 7, 2022

sirens

The bucolic landscape surrounding Wrynn College of Art a private, elite school in New England disguises an atmosphere of intensity in Antonia Angress’ novel, Sirens & Muses. Louisa and Karina are sophomores and roommates, but that’s where their surface commonality ends. Louisa is from New Orleans and can only afford school through loans and part-time jobs. Karina is from ... Read More...

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: art, contemporary fiction, debut, literary

March Reading Recap

April 1, 2022

march reading

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!   Dear William supposed to be a memoir about his son’s death from a ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: art, historical fiction, memoir, mini-reviews

Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson

April 19, 2021

metropolitan

Regardless of where you live, if you love the art and artifacts of human history, then you’re probably familiar with Metropolitan Museum of Art. When I lived in NYC it was one of my favorite places to go and explore. Where you could sit on a bench for as long as you wanted and look at some of the most amazing art in the world. Or stroll through two of my favorites—the Costume ... Read More...

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: art, debut, humor, magic, Manhattan, short stories

The Talented Miss Farwell

October 16, 2020

talented

Sometimes, despite being gifted, life doesn’t work out the way you want. For Rebecca Farwell her father’s ineptitude in business and later, a stroke, mean that despite her talent with numbers college is not an option. Instead, she keeps their farm equipment company in Pierson, Illinois solvent and even pays off the farm when her father dies. All this before she turns 18. But ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1980s, art, book clubs, literary, Midwest, suspense

Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami

November 7, 2018

killing

Where to begin about Killing Commendatore? This chunkster of a book is about a portrait artist who breaks with his current life after his wife leaves him. He moves into a remote home that allows him a quiet life away from his work. Until, he discovers a hidden painting in the attic and a man offers him an astronomical sum to paint his portrait. He agrees and a tenuous ... Read More...

9 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: art, contemporary life, Knopf, literary, Southeast Asia

The Collector’s Apprentice: A Novel

October 24, 2018

collector

Before I share my thoughts on The Collector's Apprentice, B.A. Shapiro's new art world novel, I need to fess up that this books contains two big pieces of literary kryptonite for me. One is kind of obvious—the cover. I love the era of well-dressed, elegant women in pearls, even if I spend 95% of my days in what can only kindly be called athleisure wear (read: really old ... Read More...

1 Comment
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: Algonquin Books, art, historical fiction, mystery, Paris

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 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