Contemporary Literature

Mini Reviews

May 4, 2012

Sadly, I fell WAY behind on my 2011 reviews. So, I’ve been posting mini reviews to help catch up. This is the last round! Check out round one, round two, and round three, if you like. Though all of these books deserve their own posts, this will have to do. The Wednesday Wars, by Gary [...]

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Mini Reviews

April 10, 2012

Sadly, I fell WAY behind on my 2011 reviews. So, occasionally, I’ll be posting mini reviews to help catch up. This is round three. Check out round one and round two, if you like. Though all of these books deserve their own posts, this will have to do. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, by [...]

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First Love, Last Rites, by Ian McEwan

April 5, 2012

I can sum up this collection of eight stories in one word: disturbing. I have some more words for it though, if you’re interested: macabre, beautiful, crafted, horrific, and tragic. But even better than my words are Ian McEwan’s words, quoted frequently below. But first, in general, note that I have to be rather opaque [...]

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Shadow Tag, by Louise Erdrich

March 15, 2012

Did you know that it is officially Louise Erdrich month? Emily declared it so, and I jumped on the wagon. I had both Shadow Tag and The Plague of Doves on my shelves and, after a brief perusal of both, I started with Shadow Tag. Gil is a brilliant artist, and his wife, Irene America [...]

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Mini Reviews

February 1, 2012

Sadly, I fell WAY behind on my 2011 reviews. So, occasionally, I’ll be posting mini reviews to help catch up. Though they all deserve their own posts, this will have to do. This, in particular, is an excellent crop of books. Enjoy. Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson Rating: I really enjoyed this book, but as [...]

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The Call, by Yannick Murphy

September 15, 2011

Title: The Call Author: Yannick Murphy Pages: 223 Originally Published: 2011 Format I Read: Paperback Publisher: Harper Perennial Rating: ____________________________ David Appleton is a veterinarian in a small rural area. He has a wife, three children, two dogs, a rabbit, a house, and some land. He gets calls and goes out on calls. And in [...]

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A Friend of the Family, by Lauren Grodstein

May 17, 2011

Title: A Friend of the Family Author: Lauren Grodstein Pages: 302 Originally Published: 2009 Format I Read: Hardback Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill Rating: ____________________________ I love it when the blogosphere gets me to read something that I would have missed otherwise. Jessica, from one of my all-time favorite book blogs, Both Eyes Book [...]

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Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger

February 23, 2011

Title: Peace Like a River Author: Leif Enger Pages: 320 Originally Published: 2001 Format I Read: Paperback Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press Rating: ____________________________ This. Book. Is. One of my favorite books of all time. It’s so very good. And, as often happens when I try to review my favorite books, I’m at a loss for [...]

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