I came out of a romance reading dry spell when I landed on Helen Hoang's The Heart Principle. And thank goodness; with the days getting shorter and the nights getting longer, I needed this novel to bring a little loving light into my life. Hoang doesn't disappoint: her characters deliver, and her storyline compels even... Continue Reading →
If you're looking for a novel that is intelligently written, comes replete with fully-formed characters, features memorable locations, and passes the Bechdel Test, then look no further than Sarah Penner's debut novel, The Lost Apothecary. I think it's well documented that I favor a novel with parallel narratives (see The Ex Talk and anything by... Continue Reading →
Coming out of a deep freeze with temps as low as -17F (without the wind-chill factor), the warm fuzzies I felt from reading The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomn fueled my days - even though I was remiss to leave the cozy cocoon her pages and my sheets had wrapped around me. Solomon captures... Continue Reading →
March 26 would've been Opening Day 2020 but for The Virus. And while I've found a routine that is somewhat satisfying considering the circumstances of quarantine, the incongruity of beautiful, crisp spring days without the solid *thwack* of a baseball bat is harrowing to my baseball-loving soul. Thank the heavens for The Resisters by Gish... Continue Reading →
Pam Grossman's Waking the Witch is an all-in examination of pop culture, history, and literature in their connections to women of ill-repute: witches. And it's glorious. Since 2017 Grossman has hosted The Witch Wave, a podcast "where Art is Magick, Magick is Real, and Reality is Stranger than Dreams." Her guests include tattoo artists, dominatrices,... Continue Reading →
As the end of Black History Month approached, I wanted to celebrate the genius of a woman of color. I found this desire's fulfillment in Luster by Raven Leilani, a debut novelist. The back cover touts an ingenue, an artist, a self-loather searching for meaning and love in the hustle and bustle and (roach-infested) frenzy... Continue Reading →
Savor this book. Let Roshani Chokshi's language roll around on your tongue, and let the underground world of Paris 1880s come to life in your imagination. It's worth it. The Gilded Wolves, a masterful tale of life and death, love and loss, and the inter-workings of The Order, tells the story of five exceptional, though... Continue Reading →
Cactus League pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Scottsdale, AZ in a mere 12 days on February 12. The spring air is slowly, slowly trying to gain momentum. And I can almost hear the crack of the bat. I can almost smell the hot dogs and peanuts. The Cactus League, a debut from... Continue Reading →
I'm a sucker for a romance novel. Give me a forlorn woman in search of a man to take on a date, show off at a wedding, or flaunt in front of an ex, and I'm in. Yes, I realize this all seems very anti-whateverism that people often expect from me, but these kinds of... Continue Reading →
Sarah Moss's sparse novel Ghost Wall is the story of Silvie - short for Sulevia, an ancient British goddess - her soft-spoken mother, and her Iron Age-loving father. The three inhabit the northern ends of Britain, Northumberland, and Silvie's father, a truck driver, volunteers them to partake in an Experiential Archaeological study conducted by a local professor during his two-week vacation.
shelly. walston. writes. 