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Fast Fiction: Mini-Reviews

May 20, 2021

fast

  Fast fiction may sound like a pejorative, but I don’t mean it that way. Sometimes, particularly after deeper literary fiction I’m happy to jettison character development and lyrical prose for books that go down like any of my favorite sugary snacks—easily, mindlessly, and with no nutritional value. Empty calories, but yummy, and just how much kale should any one person ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: mini-reviews, mystery, science fiction

Mirrorland: A Novel

April 28, 2021

mirrorland

Cat and El are identical twins raised by their mother in their grandfather’s old, sprawling mess of a house. Their only friend was the boy next door. Both couldn’t wait to grow up and get away which is why when Mirrorland begins Cat lives in L.A. She hasn’t seen or spoken to El since they had a falling out over a decade ago. El, however, never left and Ross, the boy, is now her ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, mystery, suspense

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

April 26, 2021

stars

Paula McLain is well-known for her historical fiction about women.  This month she flips the script on her readers with When the Stars Go Dark, a complex mystery set in 1990s Northern California. There, Anna Hart is a missing persons detective who needs time off after a devastating personal loss. She heads to Mendocino to leave everything behind and hibernate. But on her first ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 20th century, crime, mystery, suspense

Spring 2021 Books I’m Ready to Read

April 2, 2021

spring

  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m looking forward to this spring far more than I did last spring. At this point in 2020, I still had no full understanding of what lay ahead—except it wasn’t going to be good. Thankfully, there seems to be relief in sight. My husband and I are scheduled for our first Pfizer vaccine next week, we’re both healthy, our families ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: literary, mystery, thriller

March Reading Recap

March 31, 2021

march reading

March was a great month for reading in that I ran from one book to another, but not so good for reviewing as my interest in writing fled in the opposite direction. Which now means I have a head full of tangled plots, character confusion, and dense clusters of missing information about what I’ve read. There will have to be some rereading in my future, combined with cursing ... Read More...

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

Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison

March 24, 2021

dark lies

Monday was fun day for reviews, but today’s a bit different. Still fun, but as you can probably tell from the title, Her Dark Lies is not a light-hearted romp through the craziness of reality TV. This is a thriller about a young woman marrying an older man with an insane amount of wealth and a lot of secrets. Basically, Rebecca on steroids and set in the modern-day world. ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: mystery, suspense, thriller

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