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

Bear by Julia Phillips

November 22, 2024

bear

Small, character driven novels have not been good reading for me recently so I was surprised to be drawn into Bear. Somehow, author Julia Phillips makes the unexpected presence of a large bear in the lives of two downtrodden women magnetic. Elena and Sam are sisters living on an island off the Washington State coast. Bears are an unusual sight on the island, but the appearance ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, literary, Pacific Northwest

October Reading Wrap-Up

November 1, 2024

October

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 what democracy means. The fact that this is even up for discussion ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: American life, fantasy, literary, mini-reviews

Honey: A Novel by Victor Lodato

October 3, 2024

honey

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 the weeks pass and the drama ratchets up in Honey, Victor Lodato’s ... Read More...

3 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: family saga, literary

September Reading Wrap-Up

September 30, 2024

september reading

Having binged the final two seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel this was the only possible graphic I could use for my September recap. Plus, it's been quite chilly and grey here. So many big book releases this month and I didn’t read most of them. I’m embracing the new normal of my reading—whatever keeps me turning the pages. In this case, it was lots of fantasy with a ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary, literary, mini-reviews, mystery

Blue Sisters

September 23, 2024

blue sisters

Often a dysfunctional marriage makes the bonds between siblings stronger than usual. This is the case for Avery, Bonnie, Nicky, and Lucky Blue, whose childhood was spent in one such household in Coco Mellors new novel, Blue Sisters. As adults, they embraced vastly different lifestyles, but had maintained their closeness until Nicky died. Her loss splinters the remaining sisters ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, family, literary, women

There Are Rivers in the Sky

September 9, 2024

rivers

  Elif Shafak is one of my favorite authors for the kind of writing that makes me marvel at its beauty while reeling at its impact. Whether it’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, about how long the brain works after death or The Island of Missing Trees, set in Cyprus, she embraces difficult topics and weaves them into incomparable stories. In her latest, ... Read More...

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: historical, literary, social issues

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • …
  • 74
  • 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