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The Virgin Cure

December 21, 2012

virgin

The late 1800s have long provided fodder for historical fiction authors given that the time was rife with conflicting social mores, a wide economic divide, and the yet undefined role of women beyond marriage. In the style of Slammerkin and The Crimson Petal and the White, Ami McKay explores the dismal world and limited life choices of a young girl named Moth in her newest book ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 19th century, historical fiction, Knopf, New York City

Accelerated

October 29, 2012

accelerated

Sean is an artist working as an editor at a celebrity rag while trying to take care of his 8-year-old son, Toby. Several months ago his network executive wife decided she needed “time away” to find herself and abandoned father and son. Sean is left trying to manage his job and the care of his son, which includes negotiating the piranha-like waters of the posh private school ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, family, New York City, Pegasus, social issues

In Sunlight and In Shadow

October 1, 2012

in sunlight

And if you were a spirit, and time did not bind you, and patience and love were all you knew, then there you would wait for someone to return, and the story to unfold. Mark Helprin’s Winter's Tale was a magical enthralling ode to New York City and the first and only book I wanted to read after 9/11, despite having originally read it when I lived in NYC . It’s a timeless tale ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 20th century, book clubs, family saga, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, literary, New York City

Rules of Civility

August 9, 2012

rules of civility

  It is a rare occasion when the title of a book not only hints at the plot but perfectly describes the stylistic tone as well. The Rules of Civility is just such a book and it is a grand first effort for author Amor Towles. Towles takes us into Manhattan in 1938. Wealthy Manhattan, where what is said and seen on the surface is often not what is happening underneath. ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1930s, book clubs, debut, historical fiction, New York City, Viking

Semi-Charmed Life

August 3, 2012

Beatrice Bernstein, of the art world Bernsteins, is faced with a difficult decision: spend her senior year living in a roach and mold infested basement apartment or ghost-write a blog for the chic and mysterious socialite, Veruca Pfeffernoose. Balancing her ethics against sleepless nights fully clothed to avoid any contact with anything in her closet-apartment and Beatrice’s ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: chick lit, debut, New York City, St. Martin's Press

Gossip

July 19, 2012

gossip

I’m fairly certain that Tolstoy spent less time on War & Peace then I have spent trying to review Gossip. My problem is this: on the surface you have a cool-toned, witty look at three women living in the upper echelon of New   York society. They are each interesting, diverse women, wearing fabulous clothes, and if that’s all you need from a book, then stop right here and go ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, contemporary fiction, fashion, friendship, literary, New York City, William Morrow, women

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