Category: Book Reviews

Book Reviews

A review of Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

Blackmoore Cover Ms. Donaldson employs the English language like a conductor of a symphony brings a collection of musical instruments to life through the artful direction of the musicians. She is the rare author who can invoke a scene with just the right amount of description, enthralling us with her vivid and poetic world.

A review of Who Is Alice? By Miranda Manning

Thrillers have a hook to grab the reader’s attention and page-turning action which this novel has. More. There are legal intrigues in here where our main characters take on big business and politicians in the courts to fight for the right to have adverse possession, which relate to squatters’ rights. It’s rare to find a story of social work so thoroughly researched yet easily put over. Rare to find an almost chick lit ease of reading with so many female leads but with grit and tension.

A review of Shadow Of Night By Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night is densely packed—with characters, including some directly from history, like Sir Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, and Queen Elizabeth I (who is as demanding, straightforward, and liberal as she is portrayed in history books), as well as an ample cast of mystical and mythical creatures, and action sequences, all of which work together to create a complicated, multi-layered plot. At times it does become difficult to keep track of the various characters, but a helpful “Dramatis Personae” in the back of the book makes it a bit easier (as long as you don’t mind flipping back and forth).

Interview with Paul W Newman

Author Paul Newman drops by to read from and talk about his novel Fin Rising, about writing the first novel, his quirky characters, the fine art of fly fishing, genre bending, the relationship between illustration and writing, and lots more.

A review Of Elizabeth the First Wife By Lian Dolan

The book’s pacing, steady and compelling from the beginning, moves along practically at lightning speed once Elizabeth and her step-niece Maddie (whom Elizabeth hires as her assistant) arrive in Ashland. In what seems like no time at all, Elizabeth and Maddie are adopted by a stray dog (newly-named Puck, naturally), settle into their new funky, artsy, bohemian surroundings, and get caught up in the exciting creative energy of live theater.

A review of Fin Rising by Paul W Newman

Fin Rising is the kind of novel that has something for everyone.  It’s beautifully, poetically written, full of pathos and fun, and enough suspense to keep the reader fully engaged until the transformative, and very satisfying conclusion.

A review of Who Asked You by Terry McMillan

Fifteen major characters are a lot for a reader to keep straight, but the presence of many personalities allows McMillan to address a range of contemporary social issues. The American prison system, with its many African American inmates, long sentences and lack of rehabilitation, is shown through an inmate’s eyes. Another character shows the stress of being in the closet.

A review of A Miracle of Rare Design: A Tragedy of Transcendence by Mike Resnick

Despite the above quibbles, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending A Miracle of Rare Design because it really is an imaginative adventure that demonstrates beautifully how gods are made. It’s a story that highlights all that it means to be human. It’s a story of hunger, and need and hope—and it’s a story of one man’s obsessive quest to have it all.

Interview with Brian Castro

Author Brian Castro reads from and talks about his latest novel Street to Street, his three protagonists, the transformative power of the imagination, the notion of failure, melancholy, the relationship between fiction and non-fiction, the fuzziness of genre, and lots more.

A review of The Bostonians by Henry James

The Bostonians, a relatively early HJ novel, was published in book form in 1886.  (It was originally serialized — as common in the Victorian era — in a magazine over 1885-86.)  HJ was born in New York City, but took up residence in England, and had not been to the USA since about 1880.  (He did not re-visit the USA until 1905.)  With all the detailed descriptions of Boston, New York City, and Cape Cod, I would say that the work is a kind of tour de force, considering how many years HJ had been removed from the locales of the story.  One feels very present in the 19th-century streets and landscapes that he writes about.