

Review of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
I loved this. Romy's soaring hopes, her vulnerability and then her growing doubts, her self-reliance and quick thinking, and the shifts...
Feb 15, 2021


Three Books I'm Reading Now, 2/9/21 Edition
01 Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton Eli Bell is a young man in a tough spot. His father's gone, his mother's in jail, and his best...
Feb 9, 2021


Review of The Unwilling by John Hart
Hart reliably offers character-driven mysteries with heartbreaking interpersonal complications. The twists and turns here are excellent,...
Feb 8, 2021


Review of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
The interconnectedness of the characters and the details of household life and power structures of the time period were wonderful and the...
Feb 3, 2021


Review of Only Killers and Thieves by Paul Howarth
A book that fascinated me, in case you missed it! This was often brutal to read, but it was beautifully written, in a style that felt...
Jan 27, 2021


Review of Writers & Lovers by Lily King
King immerses the reader in a sometimes-claustrophobic situation while providing enough character connection and appealingly messy...
Nov 24, 2020


Six More Great Fiction Titles I Loved This Year
01 Where the Forest Meets the Stars Joanna is feeling adrift after her mother's death, and she disappears into the constant attention her...
Nov 6, 2020


Review of How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C. Pam Zhang
Zhang's detail was wonderful, and her characters make noble sacrifices and face impossible choices. The book's frequent heartbreak was a...
Nov 4, 2020


Review of Blood: A Memoir by Allison Moorer
Blood reads like an unflinchingly honest journal; Moorer sifts through memories, photos, joyful moments; she feels rage, sadness, and loss.
Oct 15, 2020


Three Memoirs I'm Reading Now, 10/7/20 Edition
01 Wild Life: Dispatches from a Childhood of Baboons and Button-Downs, Roberts 02 Blood: A Memoir, Moorer 03 The Fixed Stars, Wizenberg
Oct 7, 2020


Review of Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass
Some aspects of Surrender Your Sons felt deeply real and intimate, but I couldn't get past the details that didn't fit.
Sep 14, 2020


Review of Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power
I was frustrated by what felt like disjointed cause and effect and lack of clear motivation on the characters' parts.
Aug 13, 2020


Review of Shiner by Amy Jo Burns
The women's lifelong friendship felt like the heart of the story and was a fantastic element.
Aug 3, 2020


Review of My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
The title of the book feels like an important assertion from Lucy; she is finally owning who she is--her story, choices, and essence.
Jul 31, 2020


Review of Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Liz Moore’s writing is thoughtful and the story in Long Bright River is character-driven. Situations aren’t resolved too easily or cleanly.
Apr 2, 2020


Review of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Danny and Maeve are ejected from their fabled childhood home, and they spend the rest of the book hashing out their bitterness and feelings.
Mar 30, 2020


Review of Godshot by Chelsea Bieker
The strongest part of the story was toward the end, with a search and some resolution, strong female characters, and a family of sorts.
Mar 13, 2020


Review of Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Wrobel supplies Münchausen syndrome by proxy, lies, betrayals, and double-crossing, within a claustrophobic mother-daughter relationship.
Feb 28, 2020


Review of 142 Ostriches by April Davila
Tallulah shifts from resenting her future and her obligations to taking charge of her life and how she intends to live it.
Feb 22, 2020


Review of The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
This was creepy and smart and kept me hooked, wondering if the characters were who they said they were. Libby Jones was adopted as an...
Feb 10, 2020
