Oh William! – Strout’s Lucy Barton is back in a stand-alone novel of depth and texture, drawing the reader into a compelling story of past
The Decent Inn of Death – Rennie Airth’s sixth in the detective John Madden series and as baffling as ever, with a near-oxymoronic title. Have
Salazar and Ackerman – The Flight Girls – Radar Girls, two authors, two books, two historical fictions of rarely acknowledged stories of the secret but
When We Were All Still Alive – A thoughtful and moving take on the ways the death of friends and spouses grows more intense as
Clock Dane – Anne Tyler’s latest novel, proving once again, that even folks like us are worthy of novelhood. I cannot think of an Anne
Washington Black – Esi Edugyan’s tale of a Barbados youth taken by an inventor/scientist to be his slave, only to find that the boy will
Things We Do in The Dark – a scary title that means more than we think. Hillier has written a novel with as many secrets
Fox & I, An Uncommon Friendship – Catherine Raven’s strong narrative voice engages and educates readers in her moving nature-writing memoir. I have always been
The Emerald Mile – Kevin Fedarko’s pitch-perfect prose describes the 1983 fastest white-water run down the Grand Canyon. A must-read for white-water enthusiasts. I wish
The Postmistress of Paris – Meg Waite Clayton’s novel of WWII France, German occupied/Vichy Free Zone, and the seldom exposed side of an unarmed French
The Weight of Snow – Christian Guay-Poliquin’s novel: an existential story whose antihero protagonist is, as this reviewer puts it, “a man in a hell
The Exiles – The incarceration of women from 19th century Australia to 21st century California. Christina Baker Kline’s story proves that the more the world
The Opposite of Fate – Rape, a resulting pregnancy, and a 16-year coma. Alison McGhee stretches the reader’s emotional imagination in profound ways. Alison McGhee’s
Wonder Dogs – Maureen Maurer’s memoir about the business of training assistance dogs and True Stories of Extraordinary Assistance Dogs. Wonder Dogs is both a
When The Stars Go Dark: superb writing with fascinating characters is enough to make a reluctant reader recommend this novel. As a matter of personal
The Girl Who Wrote in Silk – two different centuries, two different ladies, and one idyllic island, I have a soft spot in
Since 2011, the very best in reviewing – connecting good readers with equally good writers
