Review: The Book Thief

Available now: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak *****5/5 stars Don’t be put off by the young adult category or the experimental format: this one is worth your time. Recommended readers: If you’re open to experimental fiction and alternate formats, If you’re looking for something new and utterly original in Halocaust literature, And if you hope to be completely undone by a book once in … Continue reading Review: The Book Thief

Review: Charleston

Available now: Charleston by Margaret Bradham Thornton ***3.5/5 stars The debut novel from the editor of Tennessee Williams’ Notebooks has a hint of romance with a heavy dose of sense of place, and at least one  answer for that age old question: can you ever really go home again? Recommended readers: If you like southern lit, if you like just a touch of chic lit, and … Continue reading Review: Charleston

Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Available February 3rd: The Nightingale ***3/5 stars “How can I start at the beginning, when all I can think about is the end?” Recommended readers: If you liked The Girl You Left Behind, If you are a fan of WWII fiction, And if you might be interested in reading about the war in France from a unique angle, this one is for you. Here’s my Rankings: … Continue reading Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Review: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

Available Now: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sara MacLean ***3.5/5 stars- liked to the edge of love- call it a stage I crush Next in rhyming romance, a near-spinster takes her future firmly in hand (See also Rogue with Brouge). Recommended readers: If you like an English rogue, If you’ve ever fancied yourself a reformer of rakes, and if you’re a sucker for an empowered … Continue reading Review: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

Coming January 13th: The Magician’s Lie

Available January 13th:  The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister ***3/5 stars A beautiful and famed magician accused of murder has but one night to convince a small town has-been of her innocence. Recommended readers: If you like a bit of intrigue in your historical fiction, with just a bit of romance for good measure, if you enjoy a dual storyline, and if you appreciate good old-fashioned storytelling , this … Continue reading Coming January 13th: The Magician’s Lie

Short Fiction Review: Margaret Atwood’s The Stone Mattress

The Stone Mattress: Nine Tales is available now ***3/5 stars Leading lady Margaret Atwood returns to short fiction in nine cautionary tales. Recommended readers: If you’re a fan of Margaret Atwood, If you enjoy short stories, If your sense of humor tends more to the dark side, and if you need to be made more aware of your own human failings and mortality, this book is for … Continue reading Short Fiction Review: Margaret Atwood’s The Stone Mattress

Nonfiction Review: When Books Went to War

Available December 2nd:  When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II ****4/5 stars Books can be weapons: The story of the role of literature during World War II, when a a program that brought  books to soldiers– in pocket sized editions reportedly as popular as chocolate, cigarettes, and pin up girls– served to remind us of the power of storytelling in human history. Recommended … Continue reading Nonfiction Review: When Books Went to War