Once upon a time (oh-so many decades ago), Baby Boomers captured the attention of writers. That time is waning as the next fascination generation crowds at their aging heels. But if Boomers seemed to be a relatively homogenous group, Millennials are not so easily pegged. Recently, I read two novels that staked their ground at opposite ends of the field, with one going ... Read More...
George & Lizzie by Nancy Pearl
George and Lizzie of Nancy Pearl’s debut novel, George & Lizzie are one of those couples that can only be attributed to opposites attract. George is open, gregarious, and endlessly upbeat. Lizzie is quiet, self-absorbed, and largely aimless in what she wants to do with her life. George comes from loving parents and a nurturing environment while Lizzie has grown up ... Read More...
The Answers: A Novel by Catherine Lacey
Catherine Lacey’s new novel, The Answers appealed to me because of its premise: intimacy in the modern world of technology. At the novel’s center is Mary, a young woman, who used to be known as Junia, born in the Tennessee mountains to a father who believed the only way to truly worship God was to be removed from all that is manmade. This should be FULL. STOP. all Lacey ... Read More...
Fake Plastic Love
After almost five years of writing about books I kind of thought I’d seen it all. Not literally or in every way, but I firmly believed that plot and prose were inextricably intertwined. The best prose couldn’t save a bad plot and vice versa. Today I have to back off that belief because I just read a book that I really liked, but with writing that made me a little nutty. ... Read More...
It’s Monday, May 8th: What Are You Reading?
Monday again and May already?! Mentally I’m still in March and while I’ll be happy for some sunshine I’m not sure I’m ready for summer. What I am ready for is a solid streak of great reading. Currently, I’m stalling out and DNFing most new releases or finding them OK at best. Here’s hoping today’s picks will be game changers! I'm taking a break from ... Read More...
Startup: A Novel
If your goal in writing a novel is to start conversation than Doree Shafrir succeeds in Startup. On the surface the novel is a quick-read satiric look at the young tech industry springing up in NYC, but underneath, business is the least of the issues Shafrir explores. At the center of the novel is Mack McAllister—the creator of TakeOff, an app that helps ease the stress ... Read More...
