He’s quiet. He’s shy. He’s insecure. He’s David Federman, one of the most gifted students to come out of his New Jersey high school. Determined to make a fresh start at Harvard, he tries to fit in and open up to others. He reveals his talents to others. He socializes. Unfortunately, he still finds himself inContinue reading “Loner by Teddy Wayne”
Category Archives: Reviews
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
Wayvonna Quinn was born in the back of a stranger’s car while her parents hitchhiked across Texas. Eight years later, her circumstances have improved. Barely. Now living in a dilapidated farmhouse, Wavy’s trying to parent her infant brother. Her father runs a meth lab on the property and her mother barely functions. To say herContinue reading “All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood”
The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock
Despite only having two published books, Donald Ray Pollock is one of my favorite authors. For over a year (about two seconds after I heard he was publishing one), I’ve been looking forward to the release of his new novel, The Heavenly Table (with thanks to Doubleday Books for my copy). I was not disappointed,Continue reading “The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock”
The Girls by Emma Cline
Being a girl is a tricky business, being a teenage girl even more so. If you got mad, you were crazy, and if you didn’t react, you were a bitch. The only thing you could do was smile from the corner they’d backed you into. Implicate yourself in the joke even if the joke wasContinue reading “The Girls by Emma Cline”
Marrow Island by Alexis M. Smith
Twenty years ago, Lucie was a young girl living on an isolated island in the Puget Sound. Twenty years ago, an earthquake devastated that region, sending tidal waves that ranged all the way from the coast of Alaska to the coast of California. Now an unemployed journalist, she returns to her childhood home after receivingContinue reading “Marrow Island by Alexis M. Smith”
The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church
Meridian Wallace is a brilliant student studying to be an ornithologist when she meets a physics professor and falls in love. Early in their relationship, he moves to the remote southwest to work on a top secret project. Putting her dreams on hold, she follows him and takes on the traditional role of wife, notContinue reading “The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church”
The Exiled by Christopher Charles
Have you ever picked up a book outside your typical reading genre for quite a few unconnected reasons? I do not, typically, but one of my latest reads, The Exiled*, was just such a case. First, I recently took a road trip to West Texas (from Denver) by way of Alamogordo, NM (I’ll save youContinue reading “The Exiled by Christopher Charles”
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
Of all my many murders, committed for love and for better reasons, the first was the most important. So begins Lyndsay Faye’s brilliant Jane Steele*. In this clever reimagining of Jane Eyre, Miss Steele, the accidental vigilante, life parallels that of the classic Gothic heroine. Where Eyre does not often reveal her strong opinions, SteeleContinue reading “Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye”
International Women’s Day
Celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. A favorite (literary, of course) quote in honor of the day: I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is indestructible.
Dog Run Moon by Callan Wink
I unabashedly love short stories. For many reasons, they fit the style in which I read and my current season of life*. Some of my favorites can be found here, here, here, and here (and an entire list can be found here). So while I doubt that anyone will be surprised that I am recommendingContinue reading “Dog Run Moon by Callan Wink”
flannel and folklore 