(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) William Stoner enters the University of Missouri in 1910; before he knows it he has been there 40 years, as(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) William Stoner enters the University of Missouri in 1910; before he knows it he has been there 40 years, as a student and then a professor of English. Throughout the book the quiet non-events of this individual life contrast with momentous events in wider history, with professional disappointment joining family dysfunction as sources of conflict. This might sound depressing, but Stoner’s raw truth and brilliance make it essential reading. ...more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Parsons’s debut collection of short stories profiles the loners and failures of South Dakota, Michigan, and(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Parsons’s debut collection of short stories profiles the loners and failures of South Dakota, Michigan, and Minnesota – a sort of mosaic of modern life in the North Country. Some of the incidents are so unusual as to be unforgettable, but the collection is hampered by wooden dialogue, unrealistic plot twists, strange imagery, clichéd romantic situations, and frustrating endings: Parsons strives for profundity but does not always succeed....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) This little gem won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2006, and it definitely deserved it. Green manages to sp(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) This little gem won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2006, and it definitely deserved it. Green manages to speak to the teenage experience without downplaying the real emotions that teenagers feel. Are these characters a little pretentious? Yes. Too quick-witted? Yes. But I’ll tell you right now that these kids do exist in the real world. And John Green captures those kids perfectly in the pages of Looking for Alaska....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) On the Jellicoe Road is hard to describe. It's a book that doesn't make any sense...until it does. Set in r(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) On the Jellicoe Road is hard to describe. It's a book that doesn't make any sense...until it does. Set in rural Australia, it's the story of one girl's mission to unlock the secrets of her life. Somewhere around the half-way mark, the pieces of Taylor's puzzle begin to come together. From this point, the story spirals into a satisfying conclusion where every loose end is tied up perfectly. A unique, satisfying read, well deserving of the 2009 Printz Award....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Jane Austen meets Downton Abbey. Here we get the servants’ perspective on the events of Pride and Prejudice(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Jane Austen meets Downton Abbey. Here we get the servants’ perspective on the events of Pride and Prejudice and a fuller picture of early eighteenth-century life, with multiple classes and races. The terrific, feisty heroine may remind you of Jane Eyre or Lizzie Bennet herself, and we get more three-dimensional portraits of some favorite characters. However, devout Austenites may be dismayed by Baker’s adoption of earthy realism....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Where Things Come Back is the story of three things: A giant woodpecker. A missing brother. An African miss(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Where Things Come Back is the story of three things: A giant woodpecker. A missing brother. An African missionary. These three stories start in different places, but each is crucial to the tale Whaley weaves in his unforgettable debut novel. Excellent writing, multi-dimensional characters, phenomenal plot, and a killer ending. This novel may be short and it may be a little difficult to get started, but trust me: it’s worth it....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) A thorough fictional biography of H.G. Wells (1886 to 1946). Wells had contact with the late Victorians (su(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) A thorough fictional biography of H.G. Wells (1886 to 1946). Wells had contact with the late Victorians (such as Thomas Huxley, who taught him the sciences), lived through both World Wars (even anticipating some of the technological innovations thereof), and saw many developments such as the women’s movement and socialism. The number and variety of his sexual conquests makes for a gossipy, confessional narrative....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) The story of George Mallory's fatal obsession with Mount Everest, with historical gaps filled in by the ima(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) The story of George Mallory's fatal obsession with Mount Everest, with historical gaps filled in by the imagination. He tries not once, not twice, but three times to conquer the mountain, leaving a wife and three small children behind for months at a time. The novel mainly focuses on that crucial final attempt in 1924. It is beautifully written (at times too flowery), gripping, and suspenseful even though the ending is well-known....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Those who enjoy traditional English literature should love this novel despite its strangely metaphysical el(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Those who enjoy traditional English literature should love this novel despite its strangely metaphysical element. Since the novel takes place between 1910 and 1945, those who enjoy historical fiction might also find this read to be enjoyable. Full of cyclical double meanings and tragic undertones, the question still remains: can you prevent a worse thing from happening by making something merely bad happen?...more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Spatz plays around, as his title suggests, with ideas of halves and doubles. His characters live with a con(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Spatz plays around, as his title suggests, with ideas of halves and doubles. His characters live with a constant sense of incompleteness, as if there is always someone or something missing from their lives; they may not be half as happy as they dream they could be, but they muddle through in the real world, looking for second chances where they can. The author has an intimate understanding of the lives and motivations of ordinary people....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) It’s said that two of the most basic plots in literature start with the hero setting off on a journey, or a(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) It’s said that two of the most basic plots in literature start with the hero setting off on a journey, or a stranger coming to town. Kaplan blends these two themes in an intriguing way: a familiar stranger moves in next door and throws a marriage into crisis, sending the central couple on a journey to discover what really matters to them and whether their relationship can withstand the triple blow of addiction, jealousy, and suspicion....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) “First, I’ll tell about the robbery our parents committed. Then about the murders, which happened later.” T(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) “First, I’ll tell about the robbery our parents committed. Then about the murders, which happened later.” Thus we are introduced to our narrator, Dell Parsons, a sixty-something naturalized Canadian citizen on the verge of retiring from his job as an English teacher. From the present day, Dell looks back on the eventful late summer and fall of 1960, when he and his twin sister Berner were 15 and their parents cooked up the robbery that changed all their lives forever....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) The grande dame of British crime fiction makes a passable stab at imitating Austen’s style in this absorbin(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) The grande dame of British crime fiction makes a passable stab at imitating Austen’s style in this absorbing mystery novel set in the world of Pride and Prejudice: her writing is both stately and witty. However, it does feel a bit perverse to introduce a brutal murder into this placid world, where the only upheavals should be social and familial, and – unlike Austen’s fiction generally – it tends to sideline female characters....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) A Deep South crime noir with prose drunk on poetry. Woodrell writes with flourish and layers his sentences (See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) A Deep South crime noir with prose drunk on poetry. Woodrell writes with flourish and layers his sentences with a thick Southern feel, heavy with local dialect. When you’re in Woodrell’s world, you know you’ve been transplanted swimmingly close to the swamps of Louisiana....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Themes of science versus superstition, the power of music, and the extent of family loyalty make for a simu(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) Themes of science versus superstition, the power of music, and the extent of family loyalty make for a simultaneously weighty and brisk read. The Bellwether Revivals bears striking resemblances to The Secret History by Donna Tartt, what with its elegantly sinister tale of secrets amongst a group of posh college students. If you like your fiction to be intelligent and stylish as well as suspenseful – along the lines of Gone Girl and Liza Klaussmann’s Tigers in Red Weather – this will be a great next novel for you....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) What a stunning debut from Francesca Segal. Each character is expertly drawn, from Adam’s sex-obsessed best(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) What a stunning debut from Francesca Segal. Each character is expertly drawn, from Adam’s sex-obsessed best mate to a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor and matriarch. This story of longing and dissatisfaction in London’s Jewish suburbia pairs brilliantly with Wharton’s elegant examination of upper-class society life....more
(See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) The most stunning achievement of this novel is the way in which Ondaatje weaves together poetry and prose. (See our full review over at Bookkaholic.) The most stunning achievement of this novel is the way in which Ondaatje weaves together poetry and prose. Language is a huge theme in the novel, its power to marginalize and its power to create. There is much emphasis on story: the title references The Epic of Gilgamesh, the first recorded myth. But, it goes further than just the role of the story-teller; the voice of the story-teller is equally important in In the Skin of a Lion. ...more
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